MY BOOKS
A series of gruesome attacks have been sweeping New York City. A teacher in Harlem and two sanitation workers on Wall Street are found dead, their swollen bodies nearly dissolved from the inside out. The predator is a deadly supercolony of ants--an army of one trillion soldiers with razor-sharp claws that pierce skin like paper and stinging venom that liquefies its prey.
The desperate mayor turns to the greatest ant expert in the world, Paul O'Keefe, a Pulitzer Prize–winning scientist in an Armani suit. But Paul is baffled by the ants. They are twice the size of any normal ant and have no recognizable DNA. They're vicious in the field yet docile in the hand. Paul calls on the one person he knows can help destroy the colony, his ex-wife Kendra Hart, a spirited entomologist studying fire ants in the New Mexico desert. Kendra is taken to a secret underground bunker in New York City, where she finds herself working side by side with her brilliant but arrogant ex-husband and a high-ranking military officer hell-bent on stopping the insects with a nuclear bomb.
When the ants launch an all-out attack, Paul and Kendra hit the dangerous, panic-stricken streets of New York, searching for a coveted queen. It's a race to unlock the secrets of an indestructible new species, before the president nukes Manhattan.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
“New York City comes under attack from a vicious new species of ant in Colucci's exciting thriller debut....Colucci...balances scares and science nicely. Michael Crichton fans will hope that this is but the first of many such outings from the author's pen.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Colucci's suspense-novel debut is a frightening combination of well-researched science and scenes of pure horror. Downright gory in places, the tale is rounded out by the usual corrupt officials, warring industries, and failed romances. Full of suspense and intrigue, The Colony will especially appeal to fans of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and the like.” ―Booklist
“[A] grimly entertaining debut...the book transcends its horror-movie basis with descriptions of the ants in action and of the science behind the Siafu Moto, which is part fire ant and part African strain....Not a book for picnic-goers, this tale may have you rethinking those warnings about fire ants heading north.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“A quick-paced read, this is creepy, terrifying and impossible to put down.” ―Virginia Living
“Few debuts cut to the quick as effectively as A.J. Colucci's The Colony. Razor-sharp writing, scientific intrigue, and political brinkmanship create a story as plausible as it is frightening. Here's a novel to leave your skin crawling--and wanting more!” ―James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Colony
“Innovative, provocative, and exciting, The Colony possesses the three crucial ingredients for any high concept thriller. I'll never look at an ant the same way again.” ―Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Columbus Affair
“The kind of story that eats you alive, one little bite at a time. Accurate research combines with pure horror for a fantastic read.” ―Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author of Infected
“A.J. Colucci has created an engaging, frightening tale mixing science and adrenaline in equal measure. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. If you like Crichton, you owe it to yourself to read The Colony.” ―Paul McEuen, author of Spiral
“Creep-a-palooza! A.J. Colucci's masterpiece combines whirlwind action, characters that make you stand up and cheer, and deliciously evil killer ants into a flesh-ripping joyride of a thriller. It's one of the most gripping stories I've read in ages. Read it tonight, and I guarantee you'll be canceling tomorrow's picnic.” ―Shane Gericke, national bestselling author of Torn Apart
“You'll think twice about squashing ants after you read The Colony. The novel is fun, scary, and unsettling. Creepy in the best sense of the word.” ―Mark Alpert, author of Final Theory
George Brookes is a brilliant but reclusive plant biologist living on a remote Canadian island. After his mysterious death, the heirs to his estate arrive on the island, including his daughter Isabelle, her teenage children, and Jules Beecher, a friend and pioneer in plant neurobiology. They will be isolated on the frigid island for two weeks, until the next supply boat arrives.
As Jules begins investigating the laboratory and scientific papers left by George, he comes to realize that his mentor may have achieved a monumental scientific breakthrough: communication between plants and humans. Within days, the island begins to have strange and violent effects on the group, especially Jules who becomes obsessed with George's journal, the strange fungus growing on every plant and tree, and horrible secrets that lay buried in the woods.
It doesn't take long for Isabelle to realize that her father may have unleashed something sinister on the island, a malignant force that's far more deadly than any human. As a fierce storm hits and the power goes out, she knows they'll be lucky to make it out alive.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
“Colucci's… prose is brisk and crisp…Seeders is a lean, straightforward book…[a fable] meant to warn us of the dangers of ecological abuse and exploitation, not to mention how human supremacy may be our ultimate downfall. It's a sound message, and even a profound one.” ―NPR
“Colucci, author of The Colony (about killer ants), has served up another science-based thriller that will make you wonder what your Caesar salad is thinking about you as you eat it. This fun, scary, and intriguing book will be gleefully embraced by anyone who enjoys 'experiments gone terribly wrong' stories. Young adults and adults will find this yarn captivating as well as thought provoking.” ―Library Journal (starred review)
“Gripping and brilliantly original. This is truly a bravura performance, as good as Crichton, with vivid characters, crisp writing, and exquisitely creepy science. The excitement stays at a high pitch from the opening chapter right up to the ghastly end. A page-turner extraordinaire.”
―Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kraken Project
“Move over King, Koontz, and Crichton, there's a new gunslinger in town named A.J. Colucci. Eerie, atmospheric, and strangely plausible, Colucci's Seeders is a creepy revelation–a riveting techno-thriller that reads like a Victorian ghost story. Seeders is a perfect chiller for the age of global warming. Highly recommended!” ―Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor
“If you could mix H.G. Wells' Island of Dr. Moreau with a dash of Michael Crichton you'd have A. J. Colucci's Seeders, a taut suspense thriller that isolates its characters in the habitat of a mutation, putting a fascinating twist on what we know about evolution.” ―Steve Alten, New York Times bestselling author of The Omega Project
About the Author
A.J. Colucci is the author of thrillers and mystery novels. She grew up in a boring but beautiful suburb in Westchester, NY where she penned her first novel, "The Black Cat" in second grade. She discovered an affinity for the macabre after years of watching 1950s sci-fi movies, Alfred Hitchcock short stories, any horror story she could find, especially Stephen King novels. Always writing, she still had to make a living to support herself, so she worked for fifteen years as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and (UGH) writer for corporate America. After having two perfect daughters with her very supportive husband, she was able to stay home and write full time. The Colony was her first book, followed by Seeders. In 2024 she wrote a book for children with anxiety, Scary Sam the DON'T Monster. A.J. is a member of International Thriller Writers and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two adorable cats.
"I like writing about nature because it cam be so brutal - kill or be killed. But it's also filled with a sort of beauty and logic that make you wonder which species are truly evolved."
- A.J. Colucci