Kristoff Boyadzhiev and his wife led a simple life, until he was suddenly diagnosed with end-stage terminal cancer and given two weeks to live. Struggling with the news and long-buried resentment against most of humanity, he runs afoul of a street thug with super powers and is killed--only to discover that he has a power of his own. Revived again and again by inadvertently taking the life and power of others around him when he dies, Kristoff is torn between the hope of dying a better man or using his new ability to disturb dark family secrets before the cancer kills him for the last time.
His power, and the trail of bodies left behind by his descent, draws the attention of a Seattle police detective investigating strange happenings all over the city. A covert government agency also seeks to round up Kristoff and others like him, with the hope of either harnessing or curing their powers. Kristoff wants to be the hero he promised his wife at the end, but before that he needs to know the whole truth about his past, no matter the cost. With so many others in his way, that cost could be too high to die with any honor; and with two weeks left he has no time to choose.*2019 edition revised to match books 2 & 3*