Lights Out by Navessa Allen

Here is a summary with spoilers of Lights Out

Alyssa “Aly” Cappellucci, a trauma center ER nurse, enjoys her secluded lifestyle, spending her free time scrolling through videos. She’s particularly drawn to an account called “the.faceless.man,” a “MaskToker” who posts videos while wearing a mask. In a mood, she reaches out to her ex fling Tyler, suggesting he come over wearing a similar mask. She even sends him a screenshot of the video. However, Tyler responds that they haven’t seen each other in months and that he has moved on.

Tyler shows the image to his roommate, Josh Hammond, who immediately recognizes himself as the masked man in the video. He doesn’t tell Tyler but quickly looks into Aly, thinking she is super cute. He remembers her from when she was seeing Tyler. While digging through his account’s comments, he finds hundreds from Aly, and he starts to get an idea.

Josh is the son of infamous serial killer George Marshall Secliff. He wears the mask to hide his identity, avoiding the stigma of his father’s crimes, as Josh belives he looks just like his father. Though he rarely leaves home, he’s built a successful career in cybersecurity, initially as a way to protect his mother and stepfather after his father’s arrest. Josh now decides to use those skills to track Aly.

His obsession grows. He begins stalking her, eventually breaking into her home while she’s at work. He films a video on her bed and leaves his mask for her to find. When Aly later sees the video, she doesn’t immediately realize it was filmed in her own bedroom, until she finds the mask. Panic sets in. Gun in hand, she sweeps her house, unaware that Josh is watching her through a hidden camera. She messages him, and in response, he sends a chilling video of himself, inside her home.

Despite her fear, Aly doesn’t report him. The next day at work, she realizes he’s watching her through the hospital’s security cameras. Their online exchanges continue. Josh sends her flowers and security equipment, including a device that ultimately reveals the hidden camera in her room. Aly jokes with him but makes it clear that her flirting isn’t forgiveness. Then Josh sends a video of himself playing with her cat Fred, her notoriously unfriendly cat, who seems to like him. Against her better judgment, she starts to believe the masked man might not be all bad.

One night, after an exhausting shift, Josh shows up to drive her home, still masked. He hands her a knife and a gun, urging her to protect herself. Aly accepts them but keeps her guard up. He offers her snacks but remains silent, afraid she’ll recognize his voice. When she threatens him with the knife, he doesn’t flinch. After dropping her off, she tends to a cut on his hand. He tells her to get some sleep and leaves.

The next morning, Aly wakes to find that Josh has shoveled her driveway, bought her breakfast, and even met her neighbors, Wendy and Clarence. Their flirtation continues, but Aly starts feeling overwhelmed by how fast things are moving. She tells Josh she needs space. At the same time, she secretly collects his blood and hair from his sweatshirt, determined to uncover his identity. She remembers that Tylers roomate Josh is a cybersecurity guy and decides to go ask him for help; unaware that he is the Faceless Man. However, after meeting Josh in person, she strongly suspects the truth.

Determined to take a break from him, Aly tries to step back, but Josh breaks their agreement when two events push her to the edge. A known rapist, Bradley Bluhm, threatens her, and a car accident dredges up painful memories of her mother’s death. Josh shows up at her house, comforting her as she finally talks about her trauma, which leads to the two sleeping together.

That same night, Brad attempts to break into Aly’s home. Josh intercepts him, knocking him out. Panicked, they turn to Aly’s uncle, Nico, a man with deep mafia ties, for help disposing of Brad. However, in the process of restraining him, Josh accidentally suffocates Brad. By the time they arrive at Nico’s, Brad is dead. Josh, horrified, vomits as the reality sinks in and in his moment of weakness, his true identity is revealed.

Despite the mess, Nico agrees to help, but on one condition: Josh must be involved in the cover-up. Aly and her cousin take her car to a shop where Brad’s body is discreetly removed. Meanwhile, Josh and another group head to Brad’s home, only to find the police already there. Alarmed, Aly rushes to Josh’s apartment, where a hospital friend confirms his true identity. Tyler later explains Josh’s troubled past and ultimately gives his blessing for their relationship. Understanding the trauma Josh has endured, Aly softens toward him.

However, with Brad’s laptop and phone still out there, they realize Aly could be implicated. They devise a plan to break into Brad’s house and erase all traces of her. When they arrive, they make a horrifying discovery: Brad had been a serial predator, with multiple bodies hidden in his basement. Nico’s men abandon Josh in the house, wanting nothing to do with the situation. Aly stays. Josh successfully wipes Aly from Brad’s devices. But before they can escape, Brad’s parents come home. Josh triggers the house alarm to alert the police to the bodies, and he and Aly flee through the woods.

As payment for Nico’s help, Aly and Josh are required to attend monthly family dinners at his house. Over time, Aly and Josh grow closer, officially confessing their love for each other. During their first dinner with Nico and his wife, Moira, they hit it off, though Nico makes it clear he’s watching Josh closely. Josh, ever cautious, secretly records their conversation as leverage.

Months later, they both propose to each other.