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Cure (Strandville Zombie Series #1)

by Belinda Frisch (Goodreads Author)

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 55 ratings · 20 reviews

**Runner-up in the General Fiction category of the 2012 Halloween Book Festival

Medicine meets horror in this thrilling escape tale about the evil men do in the name of progress.

Welcome to the Nixon Healing and Research Center, playground for the maniacal Dr. Howard Nixon whose medical research has him dabbling in the undead and has the women of Strandville disappearing.

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Kindle Edition, 208 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Something Darker Press

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Feb 19, 2013 Regan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-2013

Strandville... a place I would never want to visit as a single female! Women, of child bearing age, in a small town start disappearing. Weird zombie experiments take place in a big medical facility.

I started this book on Tuesday and finished on Wednesday, I could not put it down. It was one of those books where you wish you possessed super reading capabilities so you could zip through it. I could not wait to see how it would end.... only to find out this is not the end!

Belinda does a great job...more

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Mar 22, 2013 A.J. Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

Zombies are a dime a dozen these days. It's the same old thing. People get sick, die, come back, eat others, they die, they come back, eat others. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. Cure is different. It taps into the corruption of the human heart as much as it does the impending zombie apocalypse.

Think for a second: if someone you loved was dying of Cancer, wouldn't you try and save them any way you could? Or, what if you were a scientist and you think you may have discovered that Cure for Cancer. How wou...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Maryann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Belinda Frisch’s Cure (A Strandville Zombie Novel) is sure to give me nightmares for nights to come. For those of you out there that enjoy a book packed with action and gore, this is your novel. I am one of those that typically can be termed a weenie, and while there were plenty of parts of the novel that turned my stomach, I was also drawn into the tale of struggle and survival.
The things that happen with in the Nixon Healing and Research Center are appalling. Medical experimentation run amok...more Belinda Frisch’s Cure (A Strandville Zombie Novel) is sure to give me nightmares for nights to come. For those of you out there that enjoy a book packed with action and gore, this is your novel. I am one of those that typically can be termed a weenie, and while there were plenty of parts of the novel that turned my stomach, I was also drawn into the tale of struggle and survival.
The things that happen with in the Nixon Healing and Research Center are appalling. Medical experimentation run amok run by a mad man who thinks that he can cure cancer with a deadly virus. I saw bits and pieces of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Dr. Nixon, and couldn’t help but hate him for the abominations that he created. Not to mention the lack of care much less morals or ethics made him an easy character to hate.
The character of Miranda became a champion of women everywhere. She struggles with her demons from the past but even though she has periodic moments of weakness, she is determined to survive and make sure as many people as possible survive with her. She is the embodiment of a strong woman who knows when to let her emotions fly and when to buckle down and get to work. She is someone to be admired, especially after everything that she goes through.
There are many situations in the book that made this reader question whether or not if I was in the same situation, would I be able to find the strength to survive or would I simply lay down and die. I would like to think that I fit in the former category over the latter, but with some of the scenes in the novel, I question myself.
To say the least, Cure was a page turner as I was hooked despite my roiling stomach. I rooted for Miranda and her comrades, for lack of a better way of phrasing it, throughout the entire novel. I understand that there is a sequel in the works and I for one cannot wait to see what becomes of the survivors of Strandville. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes horror, suspense, or thrillers, just be mindful that some scenes are very gory so be prepared if you are faint of heart or prone to nausea!
(less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Stacey Turner rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's not often that I read zombie fiction, even though I'm a die hard fan of AMC's The Walking Dead. I love to talk about zombies and the impending apocalypse. But it's so hard to find zombie fiction that doesn't fall flat or suffer from "same zombie s**t, different day." But when Belinda posted a bit of her novel on her website, I checked it out. And I was hooked. So I was more than happy to receive a complimentary copy, read it and do an honest review.

What happens when you inject zombie sperm...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Strandville: a quiet, rural town where everyone knows each other. A town where the people are friendly if not a little leery of strangers. At its heart lies the Nixon Clinic, the sole provider of the town's healthcare needs. But the clinic is not all it seems to be. Like the town itself, what seems to be calm and inviting on the outside is anything but on the inside. Women have been going missing for some time and the locals think the Nixon Clinic is at the heart of it. The remnants of shattered...more Strandville: a quiet, rural town where everyone knows each other. A town where the people are friendly if not a little leery of strangers. At its heart lies the Nixon Clinic, the sole provider of the town's healthcare needs. But the clinic is not all it seems to be. Like the town itself, what seems to be calm and inviting on the outside is anything but on the inside. Women have been going missing for some time and the locals think the Nixon Clinic is at the heart of it. The remnants of shattered families scream for answers but none can be found. That is until Miranda Penton accepts a job in the Clinic's security department. Ex Army and recently divorced after finding herself unable to hold her marriage to her husband Scott together due to a soul shattering miscarriage, Miranda takes the job as a fresh start where she meets Zach--also a recent security hire--her first day on the job. But Zach is there for altogether different reasons. While Miranda is there to start her life anew, Zach made a deal with the devil to keep from losing the most important thing in his life from slipping away. One thing they do have in common though: neither knows of the twisted research Dr. Nixon is performing behind the scenes. His cancer research turns into a play for godhood when he starts dealing with the undead. Welcome to the Nixon Clinic, where dying isn't the worst thing that can happen.

Zombies. They're seemingly everywhere these days. On TV, in video games, in children's movies, in books. They're nothing new but their popularity soars. They're the 'new vampires'. There's just something primal and disturbing about them. Creatures that have one purpose in mind: feeding on live flesh. That's a staple of the myth and the genre. The key to making a novel featuring the brain craving undead different is to make them your own...

And that's what Belinda Frisch does in this fast paced, frenetic, gory survival horror novel. She takes the mechanics of the walking dead and makes their origins even more depraved via Dr. Nixon's twisted experiments and psychotic machinations. As if fighting hordes of the undead wasn't bad enough, her crazed villain actually INSEMINATES women with undead hybrids. It's clever in its simplicity. Take something as horrible as zombies and add to it the awful prospect of tampering with the reproductive systems of victims against their will and what you get is a truly chilling cocktail of nastiness. It's a disgusting notion and I mean that as a compliment because it adds an element of psychological horror to the more visceral gory elements. The setting, a hospital in the middle of nowhere (and let's face it...not many of us enjoy hospitals in the first place) adds a nice element of claustrophobia to the whole experience.

One of the things that sucked me in most quickly, though, were the characters. In the early goings, with very little page time, Frisch develops a core group of main characters that I was quickly interested in. She does expand on back stories as time passes, but right from the get go, she crafts a cast that are nicely fleshed out. Some books are a slow burn, and while the heart of the town's darkness and what's really going on isn't just laid out in the early chapters (which is good, as that would kill the suspense) it's easy to tell what motivates these characters and what their back stories are. The pain that Miranda, Scott and Zach are dealing with is rolled out early so it's easy to get into them and understand what makes each tick. The same with Dr. Nixon. He's easily marked as the man you'll love to hate and over time he just gets more so. If you can grab a reader's attention with your characters that early on, yet still leave room to develop them further, then you're doing your job and Frisch does that well.

The story is told in her fluid, quick style (if you've read Dead Spell, you'll know what I'm talking about and if you haven't you should go read it as soon as you're done reading this review). There aren't periods of ridiculous verbosity that will take you out of the story. And this really benefits the story as there is MUCH action. And, along with the action, comes a very good side dish of gore. Actually it's more than just a side dish, it's more like a second main course. Cure is filled with vivid images of gore, blood, viscera, body parts, pain, and suffering. There are some portions towards the middle where the 'rescue posse' comes in to play and between the mains, some throwaways, and the zombie horde, it can get a little muddled keeping certain minor characters straight, but that's a minor issue. Somebody's gotta be meat for the grinder after all ;) Also, not everything in the book comes as a surprise but there are a few nice twists of the screws on the characters in there that up the conflict angle.

Cure takes a genre that's becoming played out and adds a humanizing (maybe DE-humanizing would be a better word?) element to it that makes it just that much different. It doesn't surprise me that it's been optioned for a movie because with the action, gore, violence, and character back stories, that's how it played out in my head.

Fun, fast paced, and well written. It didn't take me long to whip through this one because it's a vicious page turner. Frisch is a compelling voice in the dark fiction/horror genre. (less)

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Dec 21, 2012 Dan Dillard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ever wonder what it would be like to be trapped in a hospital with a mad scientist? Or if that mad scientist was doing human testing with zombie juice? Or what if that scientist (a doctor on paper) was impregnating women with undead babies out of some long-lost plan for a cure, all while being guarded by a psychopathic serial murderer?
No?
Well, Belinda Frisch did, and it's all here in wicked detail. This book has some psychological heft to go along with its gore. There are many characters here...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Cassandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

That was crazy--very descriptive with all the blood and feces...
Psycho doctor searching for a cure for cancer, inseminating women with the sperm of zombies...yep, that's exactly what is going on in this book. Dr. Nixon says his experiments are all about "saving people from needless death and suffering". He claims to be a healer looking for a cure, but he reminded me more of Dr. Heiter working on his "First Sequence" of his Human Centipede. He is sinister and heartless and extinguishes anyone tha...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Cheney Giordano rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, amazing

I'm a girl who loves a good scare. Most of the books I read, I would say 80% of them, fall under the horror, paranormal, apocalyptic, and/or dystopian persuasion, and I am a SUCKER for zombies.

I purchased Cure on my iPhone app on a whim one day when I was looking specifically for a horror zombie thriller (that is totally its own awesome genre), and once I started reading it I couldn't stop. I know it's cliche, but it's true. I really enjoy books that keep the story moving at a quick, yet comfor...more I'm a girl who loves a good scare. Most of the books I read, I would say 80% of them, fall under the horror, paranormal, apocalyptic, and/or dystopian persuasion, and I am a SUCKER for zombies.

I purchased Cure on my iPhone app on a whim one day when I was looking specifically for a horror zombie thriller (that is totally its own awesome genre), and once I started reading it I couldn't stop. I know it's cliche, but it's true. I really enjoy books that keep the story moving at a quick, yet comfortable pace - and Cure had the added benefit of also being REALLY WELL WRITTEN. The dialog is sharp and the prose is clean, and what's more, the characters have real depth, which is important to me because when I read I like to put myself in the characters shoes - Belinda's writing made it really easy for me to do that.

I could imagine what it was like to be Miranda Penton, to be leaving a complicated relationship after losing two very important things in her life, to be nervous about starting a new job - and then to find out that the new town you moved to has had this strange problem lately with women disappearing.. so many women.

Miranda goes to work at the Nixon Center, a medical facility with an evil director, Dr. Howard Nixon. Miranda thinks that Dr. Nixon is trying to cure cancer, but what she will soon find out is that he is, well, essentially inseminating women with zombie sperm. So yeah, THE HORROR.

Miranda gets caught in Nixon's trap along with other patients and employee's of the Nixon Center, who we get to know in pretty great detail, and I say that happily. Some of the writing reminded me of a less neurotic Stephen King, which is a compliment as I love the way he writes. The supporting characters in this book all have enough depth to understand their intentions in the story and the motivations for the choices they make, because in the end, I feel like this was a book about desperate choices.

How far would you go to save someone you barely knew? What if your ex-wife left you and broke your heart - would you do anything you could to save her life now, even sacrifice your own? But more than anything, the question becomes - What would you do for the greater good? What would you do to save the world from zombies?

By the middle of this book, the pace really starts to pick up and there are a ton of great action scenes. I've read a lot of thrillers lately, and I am finding as I read (and as I write) that action scenes are HARD to get right. Writers have the tendency to either explain too little so you are confused about how much of an impact the actions will affect the story, or things are explained in such minute detail that you roll your eyes with boredom. Belinda's writing falls right in the sweet spot, where there is exactly enough information for you to be able to picture the scene, but the description does not slow down the pace of the story. I think this will make a great movie, and I am happy to know that the Strandville Zombie Series has already been optioned for film.

This book really does have it all - a woman's quest to start a new life, a lingering romance, a man so terrified that he will lose his wife to cancer that he will allow hideous things be done to her in the effort to save her, blood and gore (just imagine yourself being pregnant with a zombie in utero), more blood and gore (because ZOMBIES), being chased by homicidal maniacs through a hospital filled with, yup, the zombies. And then the building sort of catches on fire.

If you want to read a fast paced, action packed medical thriller that also adds the fabulousness of horrifying zombies and zombie babies - CURE is the book for you.

Oh, and the next book in the series will be out in Spring of 2013. It will probably have more zombie babies in it. I say that's a win.(less)

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Jun 08, 2012 Nick M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been looking forward to the release of this novel for some time. Having read the other works by Belinda I couldn't wait to see if this full length novel could compare to her previous work Dead Spell.
As I started reading this novel I found myself drawn into the characters and the little town of Strandville. What started as a few minutes of reading quickly turned into a few hours. The writing style is fast and filled with emotion and action. This was a tough book to put down as I wanted to...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Courtney rated it 2 of 5 stars

Really not my cuppa. I was looking for something different from the standard zombie apocalypse fare (you know, five people band together in search of loved ones, safety, and ammo stockpiles), and the premise seemed intriguing.

The author's writing style didn't click with me and I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. It felt to me like the characters were doing what they did because that's what characters in a zombie outbreak do, not because that's the reaction of Reid, the doctor, et...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Robin Blankenship rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is an amazingly well written thriller/zombie/medical drama. I was enthralled in this book and could not put it down. I have tried reading zombie fiction and so much of it is the same story. But this one is different and so much more. It is smart, clever, detail and rich in characters. It is a classic horror story. It was so descriptive it really felt like I was trapped there too. I really enjoyed this book and was stoked to see there is a sequel.I highly recommend this to any horror or zomb...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: december-2012-reads

CURE (Strandville Zombies) by Belinda Frisch
5 stars

I had bought this book a while back, but hadn’t yet read it; but yesterday the author posted the link to a Shelfari review on her blog, and when I read that review, I dropped everything to read “CURE.” Whoa, am I glad I did! Admittedly, for my own personal taste, I could have used a higher quantity of hospital/clinic/research/evil doctor and a little less Zombie-but that applies only to MY personal taste. In no way does it detract from the excel...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wish I could give this 4.5 stars instead of just 4. A fun roller coaster ride through a zombie infested hospital - if you are a fan of the genre you will really enjoy this book. Nicely developed characters, a strong female lead and plenty of gruesome details. My only complaint would be concerning the abrupt ending. Obviously since it's only book 1 in a series this is to be expected, but I wanted more, more, more. Guess I'll just have to be patient and wait for the next book.

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Sep 08, 2012 Beth Lacey rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like zombies

Recommended to Beth Lacey by: Kindle Lending Library

I felt like this book had too many characters for me to be able to remember them all (especially since the book is from everyone's POV). The writing was easy to follow--it's a very quick read. But (and I understand that this is a zombie book), I just didn't find it believable. What kind of human is okay with having a zombie child? Even if you believe you can never have a child of your own, are you really willing to give a zombie kid a go? I think not.

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Jan 17, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies

I enjoyed reading this book because its storyline was original and fast paced like a zombie survival tale should be. The only complaint I have is that the ending feels rushed. If this is going to be a series then I think the author could have taken a little more time with it. (I'm referring to the last 2 or 3 chapters specifically.) Even if it was to be a one off (which I think would suit the story just fine) I think she could have given a little more effort there. Other than that there were lit...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Tovia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book read like a good action movie. I really enjoyed it. The only problem I had was the leading female character was not warm and endearing to me and I found her hard to root for but the leading male character was awesome

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Oct 23, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalyptic-pandemic-zombies, read-kindle-book

The book jumped right into the main story with no real character background so it felt like reading about strangers for 40% of the book. Once it finally panned out and who was who became evident, the story was within the throws of medical center mutiny, undead attack and uninfected, injured rescuers trying to find and bring home captive but uninfected women that had gone missing from the surrounding area. The first half had me contemplating whether to continue reading or not. In the last half of...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Sheri White rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great zombie book; review to come at The Crow's Caw soon.

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Apr 29, 2013 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

I highly enjoyed reading Cure # 1 of the Strandville Zombie series, and had no problem giving it five stars, now look forward to reading part 2 Afterbirth.

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Apr 22, 2013 Tyson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, horror

My review here.

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May 14, 2013 Sammie marked it as to-read

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May 10, 2013 Nick Spears marked it as to-read

May 09, 2013 Kelly marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle

May 10, 2013 Missy rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 08, 2013 Ashley marked it as to-read

May 08, 2013 R.J. Spears is currently reading it

May 07, 2013 Elizabeth is currently reading it

Shelves: apocalyptic, ebook, horror, owned, sequel-list, zombie

May 06, 2013 Anastasia Hoffman marked it as to-read

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Authors...: A Medical Twist on the Zombie Genre. Welcome to The Strandville Series	3	12	Mar 22, 2013 10:11am
Future Survivors,...: Cure/Afterbirth: Outbreak and Post-Apoc Horror/Science Fiction	1	7	Mar 19, 2013 06:36am
Horror Aficionados : CURE (A Strandville Zombie Novel)	1	6	Mar 09, 2013 07:26am
Zombies!: Self-promotion and a question: what if the search for a cure brought on the z-poc?	5	12	Nov 26, 2012 04:59pm

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About Belinda Frisch

Belinda Frisch's fiction has appeared in Shroud Magazine, Dabblestone Horror, and Tales of Zombie War. She is an honorable mention winner in the Writer's Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition and her novel, CURE, is the runner-up in the General Fiction category of the 2012 Halloween Book Festival. She is the author of DEAD SPELL, PAYBACK, CURE, and AFTERBIRTH.

More about Belinda Frisch...

Books by Belinda Frisch

Crisis Hospital: Dark Tales from the Ward, the World, and the Bedside

Afterbirth (The Strandville Zombie Series, #2)

Correct Coding for Medicare, Compliance and Reimbursment [With CDROM]

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