Book: Dead Tropics by Sue Edge

It’s zombie time again and this time we follow a feisty female nurse as she attempts to protect friends & family from the horde.

Sue Edge’s debut horror story kicks off with a fantastic opening scene. Virus victims arrive in an Australian hospital but the staff fail to take the necessary precautions and all hell breaks loose with many falling prey to the hungry undead.

What follows is a relentless battle for survival and the leading character, Lori, delivers a female action hero performance to rival that of Linda Hamilton and Sigourney Weaver at their best. However, her best efforts may not be enough to protect her group from a threat even bigger than the one posed by the walking corpses.

Amidst the violence and bloodshed there are plenty of emotional scenes. How does Lori react when her daughter is bitten or when she is confronted by the zombie versions of her friend’s parents?

This is all good fun and the author manages to retain the tension throughout but the rapid transition from nurse to killing machine does push the boundaries of one’s imagination and the battles with zombies do become repetitive, with the exception of the river scenes (complete with dead eyes peering through the water) which are something new and exciting. There are also some nice moments of everyday humour amongst the carnage but the blossoming romance felt a tad out of place.

Dead Tropics is available now from Permuted Press.

Ric’s Rating: Good   

Book: The Killing Floor by Craig Dilouie

The remaining characters from Craig DiLouie’s The Infection (see review elsewhere here) continue their struggle for survival in this zombie monster-mash adventure.

I slowly became re-acquainted with Anne, the tormented leader of the group as well as Todd, a young man who has had to grow up fast. New characters are also introduced and bring their own issues to the story.

This sequel really kicks off when Camp Defiance, the refuge valiantly defended in the previous novel, falls foul of infection. Following this incident Ray (a survivor of infection) soon realises he can communicate with the infected, not only with the humans, but also the hideous creatures born of the virus.

The others decide that Ray either has to be eliminated before he causes any further catastrophe or be captured as he surely holds the key to any potential cure.

Each characters hazardous journey continues separately before we come to the final bloody confrontation where true motives emerge and loyalties are decided.

The Infection was a fantastic zombie novel and while this doesn’t quite reach the same emotional level it’s a more than adequate continuation of a story that doesn’t rely on blood and gore. By concentrating on the inner torment faced by those involved DiLouie has created a series that should appeal beyond the preconceived notions of the genre.

The Killing Floor is available in ebook and trade paperback from Permuted Press.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.       

Book: Quarantined by Joe McKinney

Detective Lily Harris must solve a murder amidst the chaos of the city of San Antonio, which has been quarantined due to a deadly flu epidemic, in this thriller from Joe McKinney.

The corpses pile up day after day but amongst them is the body of an eminent Doctor who shows no signs of the virus.

Harris and her partner Chunk must work the case while avoiding all the hazards the infected city has to throw at them.
As her frustration mounts Harris then takes the mighty gamble of deciding to go along with her husband’s plan to escape the city.

There is great set up work here as the reader is immediately thrown into a horrific environment in which the cops struggle to continue to do their job. As well as looters and angry residents, they face corruption at every turn.

The family side of the story is very emotional as ordinary parents attempt to do their best while civilization breaks down around them. Unfortunately the murder case lacks impact, it doesn’t introduce any interesting characters and the whole thing comes to a rather anti-climactic end.

Ric’s rating: 59%

A - Z Challenge: Z

Z is for..............................Zombies.

Love them or loathe them, if you're a horror fan you can't escape them.

From Geroge A Romero's classics to 28 Days Later and Shaun Of The Dead they are a force to be reckoned with at the movies.

I have also recently read a couple of zombie novels by Craig DiLouie, the second of which, The Infection, is absolutely brilliant.

There will be more to come from these demented souls courtesy of Permuted Press so stick around, it's bound to be eventful to say the least.

Book: Winds Of Change by Jason Brannon

In this novella Jason Brannon brings us an apocalyptic vision that is simultaneously terrifying and intriguing.

Shortly after witnessing a falling star a group of strangers find themselves trapped in a hardware store. Stepping outside means instant death as everyone who ventures out disintegrates into a pillar of salt.

The group contemplate the reasons for the nightmarish scenario they find themselves in and as theories come and go personal differences emerge.

This moves at a relentless pace and demands that you keep reading so it’s all over pretty quickly. It feels like a refreshing slap in the face compared to some of the laborious horror novels I have endured.

Brannon is one to look out for, I will definitely be checking out more of his work.

Ric’s Rating: 82%

Preview: Winds Of Change by Jason Brannon

Permuted Press have sent me a copy of this for review.

Here is a brief synopsis, sounds pretty cool.

A shooting star marks the beginning nightmares for the small town of Crowley’s Point. Those who venture outdoors instantly transform into piles of salt. Is it the result of biological experimentation gone awry? A terrorist’s plot? Or is it the fulfillment of a horrific Biblical prophecy?

For more information visit www.permutedpress.com and check back soon for a full review.