Chris MacNeil—adored film star, divorced sin- gle mother—has come to Washington, D. C. to finish a movie. Swept up by the demands of her busy, flourishing career, Chris is blind to the subtle warnings that a dark, malevolent pres- ence has invaded her comfortable townhouse. Powerful and cunning, it is taking possession of Regan, her 12-year-old daughter. Every ave- nue of help leads to a dead end. Now hope lies only in a doubt-ridden priest and his fragile elder... in a terrifying battle with an obscene, unspeakable evil that must end in victory... or madness and death. --back cover