Review - Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Corgi childrens
ISBN: 978-0552546126

First Line - "Her laugh turned to a moan at the first ripple in her bones."

Vivian, at 16, is a beautiful young werewolf with all the young wolves in her pack howling for her. But then she falls in love with a human. If she reveals herself, will he be able to relish the magic of her dual nature? Then squabbles with her pack lead to a brutal murder.

I've bypassed this book quite a few times and it's been overlooked because of one thing....I didn't realise it was about werewolves. Had I known that, I'd have snapped it up long before now. How I missed this one I'll never know.

I was drawn into this within a few pages and the story just grabbed me. It's a story about teen angst and love and decisions and betrayal and loyalty and just generally growing up and coming of age.... but with werewolves. I very easily got caught up with the story of Vivian, who has as many problems, if not more, then your average teen.

This book may be geared towards a young adult audience, but it can definitely be enjoyed by those of us who are young at heart and can still remember their youth. Klause pulls off a sensual story about the supernatural without making it seem cheesy. The characters are believable, the shape shifter culture is well rounded and Vivian's world comes alive on the page.

I've got the film on DVD here too but I haven't watched it yet. I don't know the first thing about the film, I've avoided reading anything about it so I'll be going in blind :D

Review - Mrs Sinclairs Suitcase by Louise Walters

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Hodder paperbacks
Publication date: 14 Augst 2014
ISBN: 9781444777451

First Line - "My Dear Dorothea"

Forgive me, Dorothea, for I cannot forgive you. What you do, to this child, to this child's mother, it is wrong...

Roberta likes to collect the letters and postcards she finds in second-hand books. When her father gives her some of her grandmother's belongings, she finds a baffling letter from the grandfather she never knew - dated after he supposedly died in the war.

Dorothy is unhappily married to Albert, who is away at war. When an aeroplane crashes in the field behind her house she meets Squadron Leader Jan Pietrykowski, and as their bond deepens she dares to hope she might find happiness. But fate has other plans for them both, and soon she is hiding a secret so momentous that its shockwaves will touch her granddaughter many years later...

This is a dual timeline story and I liked it quite a bit. Told in alternating parts from the point of view of Roberta, a thirty something single woman working in an independent bookshop in present times, and her grandmother Dorothy during the WWII.

I find with most dual time period books that I'm drawn to one era over the other and this was partially true with this one. I really liked Dorothy's sections set in the early 1940's. I liked Roberta's parts a bit too but really felt that it was secondary to the real story. There's a bit of mystery, tragedy, hopefulness, regret and at the heart of it a love story, of sorts. There's a lot of heartbreak here and it seems like a lot has been packed into less than 300 pages.

I would never have guessed that this was a debut book, it's very well written and I'll probably look out for more by this new author


*Note - I was sent a copy of this title by the publisher*

Review - Blood Red by Jason Bovberg

Kindle: 276 pages
Publisher: Permuted Press
Publication date: 07 April 2014
ASIN: B00JK1UW4E

First Line - "Rachel!"

Rachel is 19. She doesn’t know how to handle her new stepmother, let alone the end of the world. But after finding her stepmother dead, Rachel is suddenly racing against time—and terrifying, unnatural forces—to survive a gruesome apocalyptic event. Outside her door, the college town of Fort Collins, Colorado, is filled with corpses, and something unfathomable is happening to those bodies. And it’s only just begun. As Rachel struggles to comprehend her horrible new reality, she’ll need to find answers to questions she never thought she’d ask—all while desperately searching for her lost father, on whom she pins all her hopes for coming out of this phenomenon alive and intact. But nothing will be as it seems.

Well now, here's an interesting one. End of the World? Yes. Zombies? No. Plague? Not really. Aliens? Hmmm, might be. Maybe? Possibly? It's not obvious what caused The End but the story kicks off right at the point of things turning nasty and we're off and running from the get-go.

This is quite a tough one to review because most of what I want to say is likely to be riddled with spoilers. I'll have to try and skirt round the spoils...

So, Rachel is 19 and wakes up early one morning to a town littered with corpses. It looks as though whatever caused the mass demise of the population happened instantly to everyone at the same time but what that 'something' is isn't clear. So far, so good. Very quickly she becomes aware that there is something unnatural happening to the bodies. Something creepy. Now, what I _want_ to do here is say what I think has happened to them all but that would be one of the spoils I mentioned having to skirt around so I'm going to just going to say that it all seems a bit 'otherworldly'.

The whole story takes place in just over 24 hours(ish) so there's a lot packed in but because Rachel has no clue what is going on we don't have a clue either. Part of the fun of this is speculating possible (probable) cause but with no answers forthcoming it's a bit frustrating too. But in a good way.

Luckily Rachel finds she's not the only survivor and as with all good apocalypse stories she teams up with the random mix of people she meets. I like the characters, it's a nice mix. Cop with firearms, crazy unhinged one, new friend on the same wavelength, stable older person... the usual stuff.

What I'm not fond of though, is that even at the end I can't seem to grasp what the corpses have become. Despite having it spelled out for me plenty of times I'm still not clear on even the basics - what they look like, how they move... I just can't picture them. The fault may lie with me because it's mentioned plenty throughout, but I'm just not getting it. I hope it's turned into a movie so I can get a better idea.

The best bit and the worst bit (for me) was right at the very end. How it ended was brilliant, a twist that makes me want more...but it made no sense. Why? How? I..he...but...huh? I will definitely read the next one, I have to find out what that was all about. It was a gut-punch ending.

The story was a good one and the guy can definitely write but I'm compelled to mention the narrative style. It really rubbed me the wrong way. It's a bit different to what I'm familiar with and sometimes different can be a good thing but it just didn't work for me here. There was a dis-connect for the first few chapters while I tried it on for size but even when I got accustomed to it I never really warmed to it. Third-person present. I'm not a fan. Reading tastes differ but it just seems weird and unnatural to me to read in that tense.

Don't let that put you off though there's a decent story here.


*Note - I received a complimentary copy of this title from the author*

Review - Meant to Be by Terri Osburn

Hardback: 308 pages
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication date: 21 May 2013
ISBN: 9781612183084

First Line - "Why did this Godforsaken Island have to be in the middle of the damned water?"

Lifelong people-pleaser Beth Chandler will do anything to make a good impression on her future in-laws, including defy her fear of boats to make the ferry crossing required to meet them. Lucky for her, a lovable mutt and his tall, sexy, blue-eyed owner provide enough distraction to subdue her paralyzing panic attack. But Beth’s human tranquilizer turns out to be her future brother-in-law, Joe Dempsey, and their instant attraction is both unwelcome and undeniable.

Joe expects his brother’s fiancé to follow the materialistic, blonde-bimbo stereotype that is Lucas’ usual fare. Wild-haired, sweet-natured Beth doesn’t fit the part, but she does fit Joe and his island better than any woman he’s ever met. Though the men haven’t been close for years, Joe would never put the moves on his brother’s fiancé. That means Beth is off limits, no matter how much he wants her.

When a demanding case pulls Lucas back to the city, Beth realizes her fiancé is already married – to his work. Are solitary nights and mind-numbing dinner parties really what she wants? Torn between loyalty to Lucas and her growing feelings for Joe, Beth rethinks her choices and contemplates a future different from the one laid out before her. One that includes an island, a dog, and a man she can never have.(

I've been reading a lot of small town romances lately and this one is really good. I liked it a lot. It's more of a 'small island' romance but it has all the hallmarks I've come to expect. This is the first in the Anchor Island series and it's so good.

It's very predictable, right from the first chapter it's clear what's in store but with these kind of romances that doesn't phase me, it's the journey rather than the destination that's important.

I loved the two main characters and their chemistry was believable, I felt a little bit uncomfortable at first with the 'choosing between two brother's' thing but actually it's not as skeevy as it sounds. The secondary characters are really endearing too, all the islanders. Sid, I love. I can't wait to read more about her in the next book. I hope Lola is mentioned somewhere too because she such a big character and I didn't get to find out enough about her.

All of it is just a really nice romance. Nice characters, nice setting and a great start to to a new series. I'll definitely be reading more of this one.



*Note - I was sent this by the publisher

Review & GIVEAWAY - The Moon Sisters by Therese Walsh

Hardback: 336 pages
Publisher: Crown
Publication date: 17 March 2014
ISBN: 9780307461605

First Line - "The night before the worst day of my life, I dreamed the sun went dark and ice cracked every mirror in the house, but I didn't take it for a warning.."

A poignant and mesmerizing novel is a moving tale of family, love, and the power of stories. After their mother's probable suicide, sisters Olivia and Jazz are figuring out how to move on with their lives. Jazz, logical and forward-thinking, decides to get a new job, but spirited, strong-willed Olivia, who can see sounds, taste words, and smell sights, is determined to travel to the remote setting of their mother's unfinished novel to say her final goodbyes and lay their mother's spirit to rest.

Though they see things very differently, Jazz is forced by her sense of duty to help Olivia reach her goal. Bitter and frustrated by the attention heaped on her sunny sister whose world is so unique, Jazz is even more upset when they run into trouble along the way and Olivia latches to a worldly train-hopper. Though Hobbs warns Olivia that he's a thief who shouldn't be trusted, he agrees to help with their journey. As they near their destination, the tension builds between the two sisters, each hiding something from the other, and they will finally be forced to face everything between them and decide what is really important.(

I loved this one! So much. I was offered this one by the publisher, Crown, and I'm so thrilled I accepted because it's my favourite book so far this year. I barely laid it down from start to finish. I'm a REALLY slow reader usually but I just rattled through this one.

It's hard for me to write a review of something I loved over one I hated as it's all about the 'feels' for me and I can't put it into words sometimes. (Just an FYI - with this one I have a lot of feels and chances are that this review is going to be all over the place because of it.)

I don't read very much in this genre (is it Women's fiction? Family drama? Coming of Age?...I'm not sure) but the thing that drew me to accepting this one was the mention of Synesthesia. It's a condition I've heard of before but don't really know anything about. It's fascinating. No two people who are affected by the condition have the same experiences and it varies from person to person but Wiki describes it as -

"A neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who report such experiences are known as synesthetes.

Loosely explained, it's the ability to hear colours, or smell sounds, or even taste words. It's fascinating to me.

Anyway, the story. It's just so interesting! Told in alternating chapters from Jazz and Olivia's points of view with some chapters interspersed with letters written by the girls' mother to her father when she was alive. Is it fate or luck that leads someone to make a certain decision over another? Is life all mapped out for us or is it just being in the right place at the right time? Maybe it's a bit of both?

I really cared about the characters, I loved them, both the main two girls and their family and the interesting people they meet on their journey (and their stories which run alongside Jazz and Olivia's are equally wonderful). Brilliantly written, evenly paced and satisfying to the end.

I'm not doing this justice at all, I'm all over the place. I can't find the words. I just loved it all and everyone needs to read it!

If you'd like to be in with a chance to win your very own copy, consider entering my giveaway HERE Winner will be drawn on March 16th 2014.

Good luck if you decide to enter!!

Review - The Orpheus Descent by Tom Harper

Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: 01 July 2013
ISBN: 9781444731354

Today, twelve golden tablets sit in museums around the world, each created by unknown hands and buried in ancient times, and each providing the dead with the route to the afterlife. Archaeologist Lily Barnes, working on a dig in southern Italy, has just found another. But this tablet names the location to the mouth of hell itself.

And then Lily vanishes. Has she walked out on her job, her marriage, and her life -- or has something more sinister happened? Her husband, Jonah, is desperate to find her. But no one can help him: not the police and not the secretive foundation that sponsored her dig. All Jonah has is belief, and a determination to do whatever it takes to get Lily back.

But like Plato before him, Jonah will discover the journey ahead is mysterious and dark and fraught with danger. And not everyone who travels to the hidden place where Lily has gone can return.

This was a great story AND I learned some stuff. I haven't read anything else by this author and I wasn't really sure what to expect with this, I had just heard that it was an ancient mystery thriller type story and had a Dan Brown feel to it so I was looking forward to it. I'll admit I wasn't immediately hooked and I was feeling a bit lukewarm towards it until I got three or four chapters in but from then on I could hardly put it down.

It's a dual timeline story and a lot of the time it felt like I was reading two separate tales but they were both great tales so it was win/win. One aspect I was a bit worried about was that one storyline was told from the point of view of Plato, and his part of the tale is filled with Greek God's and philosophers and in truth I thought a lot of it might go over my head as the closest I've come to anything remotely like that was the time I watched Disney's Hercules... My fears were unfounded though, Plato and his contemporaries were a joy to read about. Interesting, puzzling, fascinating...I loved all of it. When we first meet Plato he is setting off from Greece by ship to meet his friend in Italy who has asked him to bring funding for a special book he has found but can't afford. The rendezvous hits a setback from the very start and Plato's task is to try and find his friend and solve the mystery surrounding the book he wanted to buy.

Plato's modern counterpart in alternating chapters is Jonah, a band member who has recently come off tour and is keen to reunite with his archaeologist wife who he hasn't seen for the 6 weeks he's been off touring Europe. Like Plato his meeting doesn't go smoothly when his wife goes missing and as he tries to piece together the mystery that surrounds her disappearance we see the parallel's to Plato's story start to unfold.

The two stories are set more than 2000 years apart but by alternating chapters we see how closely they are intertwined and riddles posed in Jonah's chapters were usually answered in Plato's chapters and vice versa. It's very well done.

The only thing I wasn't keen on was the ending. The book held my interest right up to the conclusion but I found the ending unsatisfying. It just seemed a bit rushed and I just wasn't as enamored with it as I was the rest of the story.

All in all a great story though and I plan to read all the other author's works too.

Review - Earthfall by Mark Walden

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Publication date: 07 July 2012
ISBN: 9781408815663

First Line - "The boy ran down the rain-soaked street, weaving between abandoned cars."

Sam wakes to see strange vessels gathered in the skies around London. As he stares up, people stream past, walking silently towards the enormous ships which emit a persistent noise. Only Sam seems immune to the signal.

Six months later, Sam is absolutely alone. In his underground bunker he has food and water for a couple of days. He has no choice but to venture above. Spotted by a flying drone, Sam escapes, but not before the drone slashes him with a barbed tendril. That night, drenched in sweat, Sam realises without medical supplies the wound will kill him. This time above ground he is less lucky. Cornered again, Sam thinks he has reached the end - then the drone is shot down in a hail of machine gun fire.

In five minutes Sam learns two things: he is not alone; the drone injury should have killed him instantly - yet he is still alive. The battle for earth is about to begin.

What a great story! It's a middle grade book aimed at a younger audience but despite not being in the correct age bracket (not by a long stretch of the imagination) I was kept entertained to the end. I'll read anything that hints of an apocalypse and I just love a solid End Of The World story and that's exactly what I got with this. One of the things I especially liked about it is that it's set in London in present time, which isn't that common in apocalyptic fiction. I love post apoc even more if it's set in the UK so this one was off to a great start before I'd even turned a page.

Jam packed with Action, Adventure and Mystery. Throw in an alien apocalypse with only a handful of teens/pre-teen survivors and it's a winner no matter how you slice it. I just loved it so I imagine that it would be even more appealing to the target audience. I'm sure any fans of Charlie Higson's zombie series would lap this up.

I'd describe it as a mix of Independence Day and Falling Skies (both of which I love) and will probably appeal to both boys and girls alike as there are strong characters of both sexes in the story.

Sam, the main character is very likeable, as are the other survivors and the alien/mech creatures are suitably scary for the intended age group. There's plenty here to keep adults amused too though. It's a solid apocalypse story. The story is gripping and fast paced and there are enough little plot twists to keep things moving. It's thoroughly entertaining and overall a great read. I thought it was very good and am looking forward to the next in the series which I believe is in the pipeline. I'll definitely be reading it when it comes out.

Who would I recommend it to? Everyone, but if you know a reluctant younger reader with a taste for carnage and destruction in a world with no rules...this is the book to tempt them with.

Review - Midnight in Havana by Peggy Blair

paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Polygon
Publication date: 01 July 2013
ISBN-9781846972348

First Line - "Ricky Ramirez's parents stood on the other side of the door, speaking in hushed tones with the doctors."

"In beautiful, crumbling Old Havana, Canadian detective Mike Ellis hopes the sun and sand will help save his troubled marriage. He doesn't yet know that it's dead in the water - much like the little Cuban boy last seen begging the Canadian couple for a few pesos. For Inspector Ricardo Ramirez, head of the Major Crimes Unit of the Cuban National Revolutionary Police, finding his prime suspect isn't a problem - Cuban law is. He has only seventy-two hours to secure an indictment and prevent a vicious killer from leaving the island. But Ramirez has his own troubles. He's dying of the same dementia that killed his grandmother, an incurable disease that makes him see the ghosts of victims of unsolved murders. As he races against time, the dead haunt his every step."

Book #1 in the Inspector Ramirez Mystery series.

I don't read many crime thrillers but I was drawn to this one for two reasons. The first is pretty shallow but I really, really love this cover and it drew me in. I just think it's one of the best covers I've seen in a long time. The second reason was the mention in the blurb that the main character, Inspector Ramirez, can see the ghosts of unsolved murder victims. I'm in!

The fact that it's a police procedural set in Cuba was also a draw for me. I know not the first thing about Cuba so thought it would be an interesting move away from the usual US/UK crime settings. It was an eye opener as to Cuban politics, everyday living and laws. It's not a place I've ever considered visiting but I definitely wouldn't want to travel there now. It sounds like a scary place. What I wasn't aware of (and had I known before starting it I would never have picked it to read) was that the murder victim is a little Cuban boy and that child abuse, rape and pedophilia are strong themes. I mention this in case it's a deciding factor for anyone else but I can also confirm that those themes are dealt with on an 'after the fact' basis and are not dwelt on unnecessarily.

As to the story itself... I liked it a lot. Interesting, exciting, puzzling all the things you'd expect from a crime thriller. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to like Inspector Ramirez though. He's the main character and I'll be honest, it took me almost 3/4 of the book to warm to him and even now I'm still not 100% sure about him... I suppose it comes with the territory but he just seemed so blinkered and judgmental and sure of himself. I think he might take a bit of time to grow on me. All the other characters came alive for me and there was more to them than met the eye. I liked the setting, I liked the twists and turns and even though I guessed at the twist at the end I liked that too. I thought it was a great story. Perhaps parts of the ending were a little unbelievable but easy to overlook when the story was so strong.

What disappointed me most though was the lack of 'ghosts of unsolved murder victims'. Since they were mentioned in the synopsis I had thought that they'd play a bigger role but really they were few and far between and in the background mostly. I'd have liked more involvement from them. They were interesting and so was the Inspector's interaction with them...or would have been if it was given more page time. I'm hopeful that maybe that side of things will take off a bit more in the next book(s) which I will definitely read. I've got the next Inspector Ramirez mystery all lined up.

A note of warning - 'Midnight in Havana' is a renamed edition of 'Beggar's Opera' which has been republished for the UK market. Given a new name and new cover but the same book nevertheless. I very nearly bought that other one thinking it was a different book. It's not mentioned in the blurb anywhere (at time of writing) so thought it worth noting.

Review - Flu by Wayne Simmons

ebook: 320 pages
Publisher: Snowbooks Ltd
Publication date: 30 April 2010
ISBN-13: 9781906727192

First Line - "There was a woman screaming in his face."

"There's a nasty flu going round. An epidemic, they call it. The posters say to cover your mouth when you sneeze, and throw away the tissue.

But such simple measures won't help.

Because when you catch this flu, armed police come and lock you in your house to die alone.

When you catch this flu, it kills you in days.

And two hours after it's killed you, your eyelids snap open again... "

Irish zombies? Bring it!

This is another good one! Nothing fancy with this one and there's no Hollywood treatment, just honest to goodness rotting foulness and the rising dead causing havoc.

I don't really know much about Irish politics, apart from what I've seen on the news over the years, usually referred to as 'The Troubles in Northern Ireland'. The news events were peppered with acronymn's so I had a fair idea of what they were when they were mentioned in the book. The IRA (Irish Republican Army), the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary), the paramilitary, Catholic's, Protestants, ... the zombie virus doesn't care which side someone is on, they're all on the same side now...

The story is a layered plot (which I love) and each section is told from varying viewpoints. I love these types of stories where over time all the individual storylines start to converge.

There's George and Norman, the policemen (good cop./bad cop). Lark, a tattoo'd junkie and his new friend McFall, an enigma who refuses to take off his knitted balaclava are joined by redhead Geri who thinks on her feet. Pat is ex IRA and somewhere along the line has teamed up with Karen, a young woman who is possibly Catholic. Army personnel in the form of Major Jackson (retired) and Dr Gallagher the crazy mental army doctor/torturer. Lots and lots of little stories all linking up to make one big story.

The zombie flu was virulent and deadly and it's not 100% clear where it came from or why, but very quickly it's less about where it came from and more about where it's going. It whips round the population with lightning speed and before you know it the whole country has succumbed to it.

The thing that I found interesting about this one was that all the baggage that the characters carried from before the plague was still hindering them in the aftermath too. They were all in the same predicament now...survive by any means possible, but they all still held their grudges against the different factions, even when it was way beyond the point of mattering. Lark, the junkie troublemaker and Norman the policeman don't trust each other and Pat the ex IRA always assumes the worst about the military and vice versa. Old grudges and prejudices taint everything.

It's just a brilliant zombie book.. Survivors, zombies, just the usual fare but really well done. I cared a lot about what happened to everyone.

Some I liked and willed them to do well, some I hated and wished death upon them....Wayne Simmons doesn't mess about though and thinks nothing of killing his people off, just not always who you were rooting for to be killed. I liked that nobody was safe, just like it would be in a real zombie apocalypse. Just because they were a main character in a book was no obstacle to death finding them.

There's a follow on book so enough of them survived to carry on in the next one. I'm really looking forward to that one too as there are hints of perhaps a cure for the plague. Knowing how this one ended I'd say that it's not going to be easy, either way but I'm sure it'll be a great read.

*said in my very poor Irish accent* "Norn Iron zombies! Go read it noy!

Review - Great Bitten - Outbreak by Warren Fielding

ebook: 222 pages
Publisher: Iceni Publishing
Publication date: 31 Oct 2013
ASIN: B00GBLBCE0

First Line - "I'm not sure how much you really know about British culture and attitudes."

"The UK is infected and Warren is going to be a hero, whether he likes it or not. Life used to be simple; a journalist addicted to his work, he has spent most of his life thus far annoying his few friends and disappointing his sister with his inability to maintain familial commitments.

As a plague of unknown origin spreads virulently across the UK, all of that is about to change. The only person Warren doesn't question is himself. His natural curiosity and his world-weary cynicism come to the fore in his clumsy attempts at survival.

With the UK in chaos and the government in hiding, will Warren even be able to survive long enough to start finding the answers to the questions burning inside him? And when he finally realises that there are people in this blighted world that he loves, will he be able to do what needs to be done to keep them safe? "

Last year I downloaded a free short called Great Bitten and just lapped it up. Loved it so much. I read a lot of zombie books but I especially love the one's set in the UK, as this one is. Makes it all seem more real, somehow. Well, as real as zombie's taking over the world can get. The Great Bitten short has been added to Outbreak to form the first part of the story so if you haven't already read the short you won't be missing anything by starting straight into this one.

Anyway, I waited impatiently for the full story and finally it was published (with a Halloween release date) and I snapped it up and dove in. Was it worth waiting for? Yep.

Now, I'm not a zombie fan, per say...I'm more of an End-Of-The-World fan. Doesn't really matter how it ends, just that it DOES end. Zombie's pretty much guarantee that it's game over for the world so I'm really partial to a zombie book now and then.

Warren (the narrator) is a journalist and a bit full of himself but I like him. He manages to get a little head start on everyone else when he figures out early that a zombie plague is upon them and the first half of the story is taken up with his journey to reach his sister's house. In true zombie survivalist tradition Warren and his little band gather a few more survivors into the group before finally reaching what they hope will be a stronghold...

Mostly I like reading about how the survivors...well, survive. I like to know how they get by, day to day. It's the 'how' more than the 'why' that interests me. I like reading about the zombies too but they either have to be really, really scary and I'm terrified witless for the survivors, or the zombies need to be there but in the background mostly so that the story focuses more on the survivors and how they deal with a hostile world and fight for survival.

Great Britten fell a little between these lines for me. The zombies were a bit scary (especially the fast ones) and the survivors' stories were more about group dynamics but there was enough of what I like to keep me flipping pages to see where it was all going. Add in a twist or two and it makes for a good story.

I really liked the explanation for the different types of zombie. The reason's for Fast v's Slow had me thinking "yeah, that sounds likely" and both kinds were dangerous for different reasons.

Towards the end there were quite a few characters to try and keep straight in my head but the one's that mattered were fleshed out and the ending left enough open that maybe we'll find out more about those other characters in later books. I think there are to be side stories too that deal with some of the lesser characters in the book and will tell their stories and I'm REALLY looking forward to those. Those one's sound exactly the sort of thing that I lap up.

One thing bugged me though. It might not hinder anyone else but if there's one thing that's guaranteed to pull me out of a story, it's this - I hate any mention of what I think of as 'my world realities'. I really don't like to read about characters in a book who have watched actual films I've watched, or know which song's are popular in my world, or describe someone in terms of someone famous' appearance that I may or may not have seen/know. Pulls me right out of the story because then I'm thinking about the movie mentioned or the song or the person...just personal preference but I really don't like my fictional zombie story characters having anything to do with my reality. Apart from anything else, sometimes I have no clue what the reference is as I haven't heard it, seen it, tasted it, used it, etc, so it's lost on me and I get nothing from it. There was quite a lot of it here.

All in all though it was a great story and for a first book in a series there are so many directions it can go. I'm looking forward to seeing where Warren ends up next and with the twist at the end it of this one it'll be somewhere dangerous, no doubt!