Walter has always understood the chaos a single match can start. There was only one person who ever brought order to his chaotic world – Robert. But now, Robert is missing. Last seen at the prestigious Elizabeth University, Walter’s attempts to get on campus and find him have failed.

It’s a surprise when Walter receives a letter, extending him an invitation to study for a PhD at Elizabeth. There’s only one catch: smoking is strictly prohibited. No matches, no lighters of any kind.

With the remnants of an unknown fire still blackening his fingers, Walter accepts.

Behind Elizabeth’s ivy-choked walls, Walter discovers that his missing friend is one of many, and several things do not stack up. There is only one other PhD candidate – an old academic rival Walter is less than pleased to see again – who seems to be on the brink of madness after only a year at Elizabeth. And what about the enigmatic Rosalie? Another student who features prominently in all of Walter’s dreams and has a taste for chaos, just like him.

As Walter’s dreaming begins to blur with reality, his desperation to set another fire tightens like a noose about his neck. What’s more, the consequences of his last fire are slowly catching up. People are asking questions he can’t answer. But people have a way of getting lost at Elizabeth, and if Walter can’t answer the questions soon – if he can’t find his friend – he may never leave.

PRE-ORDER HERE