Surrounded by disquieting rumours, the notorious Marsten House atop the allegedly haunted hills of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, becomes the next story for the successful novelist, Ben Mears, who, after years of absence, returns to his estranged hometown to finish his new book. But, there, something evil has gotten hold of the small community, as a hair-raising spate of unaccountable disappearances coincides with the arrival of the cryptic newcomers: the mysterious antiques dealer, Richard Straker, and his elusive business partner, Kurt Barlow. More and more, as the tentacles of evil spread like a scourge over the small town, the ghastly duo shows its true colours, and one by one, dear ones fall prey to the army of darkness, as fresh, bright-red blood stains the soil of Ben's birthplace. Will the nightmare ever cease? Who, or better yet, what is behind the darkness that terrorises Salem's Lot?