"A PHANTOM in the FLAMES" transports readers to a haunted world devastated by war and a deadly pandemic. Traveling from war torn East Africa to the hills of central and southern New York, the story revolves around Baldwin, a soldier, recounting two tumultuous periods in his life. As the plague forces the new world war to grind to a halt, Baldwin must navigate through a desert where death and chaos are the only guarantees, as he fights to get home with his humanity intact. Many years later he lives a solitary life in a hollowed-out world, still reeling from the one two punch of war and the seemingly never-ending plague. This existence is interrupted by wicked forces that push the old soldier back into action.Downe's writing skillfully combines vivid descriptions with character interactions, painting a harrowing picture of a post-apocalyptic world where survival is both physical and emotional. Filled with suspense and determination, the story takes readers on a thrilling journey through a ravaged landscape.