If you like books that keep you on the edge of your seat, get ready to sleep with the lights on.

Jim Thorpe author Jeff Davis, writing as J.L. Davis,has just released his latest novel, "The 7th Jackal."Like his last novel "CRUDE," an apocalyptic thriller, "The 7th Jackal" is set in Davis' hometown."The novel unfolds on the streets of Jim Thorpe," says Davis. "I think using real places gives the reader a sense of authenticity. For instance, there's been quite a bit of unusual activity in Soundcheck Records on Broadway in both "CRUDE" and "The 7th Jackal."Trust me," he says, "I'm not done with that place yet."Davis also features Mount Pisgah."When I was a kid we'd hike up to the old stripping holes where miners dug for coal. The land is barren up there. As a boy, I remember thinking that it looked desolate, as if ancient armies might had once done battle there," he says."Certainly childhood memories spilled over into the Jackal novel, as did the personalities of some of my friends."According to a brief synopsis of "The 7th Jackal," in 1993 at a top secret facility conducting telekinetic research, something dangerous escaped. Now the government wants it back. Jim Thorpe is a quiet little tourist town where nothing exciting ever really happens.All of that changes when a young woman is found brutally murdered and a local boy vanishes without a trace. Fearful for his safety and led by Keenan Braddock, a clairvoyant haunted by visions of an elusive killer, a group of teenagers set out to find their missing friend and confront an unstoppable enemy.Years later, that same group has returned home for the funeral of friend. Together they recount the terrifying story of their youth and a hidden secret buried deep within the past.Davis says "The 7th Jackal" is different from his last two books."My first book, 'NESTING with the LOON,' is a satire depicting the madness of bureaucracy in America and one man's fight to escape the realities of a routine world," says Davis."The second novel, 'CRUDE,' is an apocalyptic thriller where the world's resources are depleted. Power grids are down, food is scarce and despots are everywhere. It's a question of survival under extreme circumstances."In 'The 7th Jackal' we find ourselves in the company of a group of teenagers, probably a lot like ourselves growing up, gathering their courage and facing off against a relentless enemy.""Like 'CRUDE' the book maintains a sense of tense reality in a hostile environment, but also brings to light not only conspiracy in high places, but the worst of childhood fears of those things that go bump in the night."He says in "The 7th Jackal," the kids are often the stars.Davis says there are two fundamental characters in his new novel.The inspiration for the villain came from an interview he saw a number of years ago, where Diane Sawyer was interviewing a man headed for the electric chair."You could see it in the killer's eyes," says Davis. "There was something gone in there; cold and lifeless as the marble glare of a shark. While I don't recall the killer's name, I always remember those eyes. They were pure evil."On the flip side, there's the hero or the heroine, "that person who fights for moral value, gets down in the mud and puts their own lives on the line against impossible odds," says Davis."A good story demands a good plot, but great characters make the novel memorable. When writing I like to think I give the reader some of both."Davis adds that he's especially pleased with the book's cover design, which was created by artist Marybeth Cauley of Cauley Custom Designs."I wanted the cover to have a dark, almost haunting and supernatural feel," says Davis. "On the front the highway follows the stranger's steps and it's almost as if he's flying apart, like leaves into a dark and brooding sky.""The 7th Jackal" is available online at Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.If you'd like to meet Davis, he will be at a book signing on Oct. 10 at Soundcheck Records at 23 Broadway in Jim Thorpe. Appearances are also scheduled for the Moravian Bookstore and Barnes and Noble in November and December, as well as some events in New York and Philadelphia.You can purchase "The 7th Jackal" online at Amazon.com,barnesandnoble.com, The Book Depository, Prepbooks, Superstar Seller and Peach Media. It will soon beavailable at some local retailers.