Steve Stred's Blog, page 65

Book Review: Primal Reserve by L.J. Dougherty

Title: Primal Reserve (Espionage Horror Series Book #2)

Author: L.J. Dougherty

Release date: January 17th, 2022

Recently I had the pleasure of reading the first book in this series ‘Beasts of the Caliber Lodge,’ and really, really loved it. I had that book on my TBR for a while and, knowing that the sequel was out, I wanted to jump on the second one.

Just a heads up – this is a sequel, and while you could get away with reading this without the first, there is a lot of subtext and alluding to the events in the first that you wouldn’t completely follow or know. Also, I’ll do my best to keep it spoiler free for both books, but there is something specific I’ll discuss that might not be completely spoiler free!

I was on a podcast a number of months back with Dougherty (alongside David Sodergren and Cameron Roubique) and on that podcast, L.J. discussed how the first book started as a screenplay, which he adapted to a novel as he realized he’d never get enough funds to film it. Fair enough. That also makes both book one and book two feel and read very cinematic.

What I liked: Picking up after the events of book one, Jimmy Knotts now heads to South American, in search of a Nazi called The Winemaker. Jumping onboard a river boat, Knotts and the crew head deeper into the Amazon.

Now, of course, this has a few different plot points going for it. We get the crew looking for these crazy creatures known as Yacuruna’s. Think of them like the creature from ‘The Shape of Water’ or Abe Sapien from the Hellboy world. They live in the water of the rivers and these amphibious creatures protect their territories. We also get turmoil between characters and eventually we arrive at the home of The Winemaker.

Dougherty, as I mentioned, writes very cinematically. So, expect lush descriptions of locations and ‘pan shots’ where we are introduced to where the action is going to happen. The action itself is always a ton of fun and seeing how each character reacts and does what they can to survive was great.

Lastly, the sequence that ends this particular book is really great. I always enjoy seeing the bad guys ultimately get justice served and L.J. makes sure that we get to see this all with vivid detail. You’ll be grinning from ear to ear.

What I didn’t like: A couple things really stuck out for me here, especially when compared to the first (and this is the minor spoiler thingy I mentioned earlier). In ‘Beasts…’ the sasquatch play a prominent role in the plot of the story. In fact, most of the story involves the creatures – first the hunt of them, then the escape. In this book, the creatures are completely secondary and almost totally forgotten about by the ending. As someone who really loved the cryptid aspect of book one, this one is a bit of let down in comparison. Additionally, there is an odd almost love connection that occurred early on with a creature that not only never went anywhere, but really played no part in pushing anything forward and I was disappointed that it wasn’t utilized.

Secondly, at the ending, there is an illusion to something bigger/larger overarching than the Nazi aspect and I just don’t know if that worked for me. We’ll see if it gets expanded upon in book three, but for now, I think it pulled away from the historical grounding the Nazi hunt offered the books.

Why you should buy this: As with book one, book two races along. These are spy-page turners, a mix of action, suspense and intrigue where you always know something is going to happen but you don’t know what or when. Dougherty also does a great job of making everybody a potential turn-coat which also makes for an investing read.

I’m excited to see where we end up in book three, but for now, those looking for a really engaging series to dive into, these books will be right up your alley.

4/5

Book Review: Foundlings by Cindy O’Quinn & Stephanie Ellis

Title: Foundlings

Authors: Cindy O’Quinn & Stephanie Ellis

Release date: February 14th, 2022

Found Poetry.

To me, a poetry novice (read uneducated in all of the forms of poetry!), my first experience with Found Poetry was with last years ‘Strange Nests’ by Jessica McHugh. In that collection, McHugh reconstructed sections of ‘The Secret Garden’ to create vivid poems. Reconstructed might not be the correct word or idea, but I’m not sure how else to describe it.

In Found Poetry, the author essentially ‘blacks out’ portions of lines to reveal the word or words that they need to use to create their own poem. It is really something and both staggering to comprehend and fantastic to read.

Which brings me to ‘Foundlings.’ Cindy O’Quinn and Stephanie Ellis are not only two of my favorite writers to read, but also two of my favorite people in the dark fiction community. Time and time again they demonstrate their talent as well as their kindness, so seeing them team up for this release had me super excited.

Within ‘Foundlings,’ O’Quinn and Ellis focus on the poetry of the amazing duo of Linda D. Addison and Alessandro Manzetti, both of whom are phenomenal writers on their own right.

What I liked: The book is separated in different sections. First we get O’Quinn’s found poems, then Ellis’, and in the last section we then also get to see them take it to a whole other level by crafting Haiku’s as well. Re-read that last bit. I’ll wait while you give your head a shake. That’s right. Not only do they first tackle straight forward poetry (and trust me this isn’t simple in that sense) but then go one step further and craft Haiku’s from Addison and Manzetti’s work. Stunning.

The poems within are all really, really engaging and filled with visceral images, moving passages and heartfelt moments. It makes it all the more intriguing when you remember that this was once someone else’s work and through stripping away words and portions, they’ve left us with something completely new. It’s akin to the phoenix rising from the ashes but time and time again.

Now, in most of my reviews of collections and anthologies, I often highlight a few that stuck with me or that I felt were the ‘best,’ but in this case I’m not going to for two reasons. The first is that every single piece within was really, really phenomenal. The second reason, is I don’t think it would be fair to Addison and Manzetti. I know that sounds odd, but both of those writers are living legends in the fiction and poetry worlds and I wouldn’t want to suggest that any of their original work was lesser by highlighting something written from it. It may seem odd, but for me, I just can’t bring myself to do that.

Saying all of that – I do want to highlight the level of care and thought that O’Quinn and Ellis put into this project, as well as just how fantastic those Haiku’s are at the end. To take something and craft a found poem inspired by someone else’s work is one thing, but to then restrict yourself to Haiku parameters. Wow. Just wow.

What I didn’t like: This release was really phenomenal, but for those who are potentially put off by not being familiar with Addison’s or Manzetti’s work, don’t let that stop you. Much in the way McHugh also took source material and utilized it to her own benefit, O’Quinn and Ellis do that same.

Why you should buy this: O’Quinn and Ellis are two of the most supportive people out there, so that should be reason enough to buy this. Saying that, this release is just an outstanding achievement. What they’ve done here is hands down one of the most amazing things I’ve read; both the poems and Haiku’s they’ve created, but also the amount of work that has gone into this release.

The dual foreword’s by Addison and Manzetti really show how much they’re in awe of what has been created here and that in itself should really show you what you’re in for.

Kudos to Cindy and Stephanie, this was outstanding.

5/5

Book Review: In the House of In Between by J.D. Buffington

Title: In the House of In Between

Author: J.D. Buffington

Release date: Originally published March 18, 2018. Re-released June 16th, 2020.

Huge thanks to J.D. for sending me a digital review copy of his novel!

I was really intrigued to see what I’d find in Buffington’s haunted house tale. As we all know, the haunted house story has been around for pretty much as long as people resided in dwellings and shared stories. I personally really love reading haunted house books. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s an inherited home, a purchased home, or a derelict/abandoned house that is explored, if there’s the potential for spooks and scares, sign me up! What I really want to see is what can the writer do with that opening? Will it be exciting and exhilarating OR will it be more of the same and a let down.

I’m happy to report that Buffington will keep you on the edge of your seat!

What I liked: ‘In the House of In Between’ is an ambitious undertaking. It essentially follows 3.5 sub plots to tell the story of this crazy house.

You might be wondering about the 3.5. Well, 1.5 is from the past, where we see two people start off with separate storylines, but they soon converge. The house was built by Patricia Backlund, but unfortunately, before the house is even completed, strange sounds and odd occurrences begin.

From there, she ends up connecting with Harry Houdini, who is himself skeptical of what is happening, and begins his own investigation.

Meanwhile, we also get two nearer to present day storylines. This one is from a few years back. The first is a husband and wife who move into the house. Of course, they’re new to town and are given an amazing deal to move in. The second is from present present day, where we follow a paranormal investigator and a local news crew examining the house.

Now, I know this may sound confusing and jumbled, rest assured, Buffington handles it really well and the chapters flow and bounce around seamlessly. It was great to get this back and forth and to learn more about the history, as well as why it is currently empty for the news crew.

I really enjoyed the mix of characters here, and while Noah seemed a bit wishy-washy at first, he does come around and is really a solid aspect to that particular storyline.

I will also add, that having that many different aspects, it allows the book to have numerous creepy and genuinely unnerving moments. Buffington uses that to his advantage and packs this full of building dread and jump scares a plenty.

What I didn’t like: I actually don’t know if I liked the inclusion of Houdini. It was odd, because his chapters and storyline are exciting and there are a number of phenomenal moments with him, but it almost took me out of the story whenever his chapters arrived because of his name. It became a case of borderline “is this non-fiction in a fiction book?” if that makes sense.

Why you should buy this: If you’re a fan of the haunted house novel, this one will give you reason to stay up late to finish it and immediately regret that decision. You won’t be sleeping after!

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, well plotted book filled with great moments and characters that you’ll want to follow along, look no further. This was a fun one.

4/5

Book Review: Dollhouse by Andrew McManaman

Title: Dollhouse

Author: Andrew McManaman

Release date: October 30, 2021

I’m not sure what it is, but there’s a certain extra kick to connecting with fellow Canadian authors. Maybe it’s the perceived “northern isolation,” or that growing up the majority of Bestselling Dark Fiction writers were from the US or the UK, but us Canadian’s love to band together and root for each other. This isn’t just in writing. It’s in sports and film and industry. It’s why, when you watch a hockey game the announcers will typically wax poetically about how the young Canuck began his hockey career skating on the frozen pond that his dad had cleaned off. It’s that “hey, look where I came from and now I’m here” stubbornness. And I’m all for it.

Not long after the novel ‘The Navajo Nightmare’ came out, that David Sodergren and I co-authored, Andrew McManaman reached out on IG to say he really enjoyed the book and it was great to connect with another Canadian author. And – as we all appreciate and respect – he didn’t immediately advertise his book to me. No, instead, we chatted over the course of a few months, and then one day he asked if I’d ever be interested in checking out ‘Dollhouse.’

And here we are!

What I liked: Waaaay back in 1997 (not even that long ago, but it feels forever at the same time, doesn’t it?) an Independent Science-Fiction movie came out. Made in Canada (and proudly Canadian made), ‘Cube’ was a modest hit when it was released, it grew to have a cult following and several sequels followed.

Why is this of importance? Much like ‘Cube,’ ‘Dollhouse’ follows a similar premise. A group of strangers wakes up in a house with no idea how they got there. The house is unleavable. The door locked, windows sealed, no way out. Soon, distrust, anger and violence breaks out among the group as they try to figure out how to survive and how to get out.

McManaman does a great job of keeping the tension high and the anxiety growing. We don’t get much description of the house itself, but it works well to keep things claustrophobic.

We learn the backstories of the characters, which allows us to see why they react like they do and as we get something from outside of the house entering the story, we can see the survival instincts kick in.

The ending was good, and interesting, as it had a finality to it while also being slightly ambiguous which I think elevated it from a reveal some may see coming.

What I didn’t like: There wasn’t really a single character I connected with or rooted for as things progress and escalate. Some of their attributes come off slightly stereotypic which made for a few annoying moments between them. Saying that – it also works for the reader so that you dislike them all equally and enjoy when certain folks are killed off.

Why you should buy this: This is a fast-paced read, the chapters are short and snappy, which moves us along really well and for the lack of set pieces, the intrigue of what is happening will pull you along really well.

I had a blast with this one and it’ll be exciting to see what Andrew comes up with next.

4/5

Book Review: Gwendy’s Final Task by Stephen King & Richard Chizmar

Title: Gwendy’s Final Task

Authors: Stephen King and Richard Chizmar

Release date: February 15th, 2022

‘Go then, there are other worlds than these.’

And so we’ve arrived. The third and final entry in the Gwendy Peterson trilogy and her life with the button box. Back in 2017, King and Chizmar launched Gwendy’s story with ‘Gwendy’s Button Box,’ a novella that shared how Gwendy first met Richard Farris when she was twelve and came into possession of the mysterious device.

In 2019, Chizmar returned, with King’s blessing (and a foreword) to show what Gwendy was up to and how the button box still played an active role in her life and its hold it had over her.

Then, in 2022, King returned with Chizmar to tell the ending and boy, let me tell you, this is a definitive ending, but also an emotional rollercoaster.

Before going further – I do need to say thanks to Richard for sending me a physical ARC of this – seriously blown away by that act of kindness.

What I liked: A few decades after the events in ‘Gwendy’s Magic Feather,’ the button box, and Farris return, needing Gwendy’s help one last time. Things have sped up in Farris’ timeline and Gwendy is his only hope.

From there, we follow Gwendy as she heads aboard a spaceship, travelling to the new International Space Station in the grips of early-onset Alzheimer’s and a task to get rid of the button box once and for all.

But, as we’ve always come to expect with dark fiction books, things aren’t what they seem and not everyone is trustworthy.

I know this trilogy has been hit-or-miss for some readers, but I’ve had a blast in this particular world and it was great seeing the Dark Tower come into play, different worlds discussed and shared and ultimately how poignant and soul crushing the ending was. Did I cry? Yes. Not only is the story dripping with emotions but with the state of the world we live in, it was invigorating as well as devastating to see someone go that far above and beyond for the greater good.

The epilogue also got me. The setting, the final note and the last gift. King and Chizmar decided to really make readers blubber and struggle to read through watery eyes.

What I didn’t like: I know a number of King’s readers make a fuss about political stuff being included, so don’t worry, there’s plenty here (Gwendy is a politician after all) as well, there is some Covid-19 inclusion, which may or may not annoy you, depending on where you stand about being vaccinated and wearing a mask.

Lastly, as for the story, I thought the “finale,” or last action sequence was really quick. I would’ve loved to see a bit more of a battle, but what happened still works really well.

Why you should buy this: If you’re a completion-ist, you’ll buy this, simply so you have all of King’s work. If you’ve read book one, and not book two as it wasn’t co-authored by King (insert eye-roll emoji) you’ll want to read that and then snag this.

But, if you’re like me, and have been reading King for 30 years now (and I’m only now 40!) and love the way he tells a story and how his worlds all get intermingled, this will right up your alley. I say this not to disrespect or lesson Chizmar here. In truth, this book most likely wouldn’t exist if Richard hadn’t pushed to continue Gwendy’s story in book two and the two author work and write seamlessly together.

Gwendy is one of those characters that’ll stay with you, no matter where you’ll travel.

Because remember – ‘There are other worlds than these.’

4/5

Book Review: Beasts of the Caliber Lodge by L. J. Dougherty

Title: Beasts of the Caliber Lodge (Espionage Horror Series Book 1)

Author: L. J. Dougherty

Release date: March 8th, 2021

I’m a reader who will always snag books when they’re highly recommended to me from some of my close book pals. One friend I have whose recommendations I always trust is David Sodergren. Even while he was reading this book he was messaging me and telling me to read it. When he was done, he raved about it to me.

I snagged it and, in between buying it and it arriving at the top of my TBR, I had the pleasure of appearing on a podcast with L. J. (and David and Cameron Roubique) and learned that it had started life as a screenplay and became a novel once Dougherty determined that the financing amount he’d need to film this as a movie wasn’t going to be easy to come by.

One thing I’ve always been personally fascinated with was the high level members of the Nazi’s fleeing in retreat to South America. It is a truly odd and intriguing moment in history and when you research their South American ties and who went their and what was built down there as well, it’ll have you going down a rabbit hole.

So with that in mind, I was excited to see how Dougherty tied a story about Nazi hunters in the 60’s with hunting Sasquatch.

What I liked: The story starts off in South America, as two Nazi hunters seek out a high ranking Nazi official who they have reason to believe lives in a specific town. Things go crazy and when they find their man, he manages to flee.

Fast forward a few years later, they’ve tracked him to the remotest of locations. With an intelligence report they trust, it appears their man is going to be attending a very exclusive, and elusive, hunting lodge in the farthest corner of Alaska. So, they create a fake back story and send one of them to the lodge as well.

It is from there that we get not only a great thriller about a hunter hunting a Nazi, but also these two (and a really fun supporting cast made up of the hunting guide, the lodge owner, the chef, the bartender, and a few other people who’re part of the weekend) hiking into the wilderness to discover that they’re hunting Sasquatch.

Dougherty does a great job of keeping the action tense and the pacing frantic. Each scene is filled with moments of sheer terror and you’ll find you’re holding your breath a lot while reading this.

The ending was great, a cinematic finale that is filled with even more action and explosions and exciting sets us up for more in this world.

What I didn’t like: For these people travelling into this place to hunt Sasquatch, I thought their reactions for the most part were a bit subdued over what I suspect most people would have. Saying that, this was set right around the time the Patterson-Gimlin film would’ve been filmed, so for many back then, they’d not have seen photos or video of Bigfoot, more stories shared or read.

One thing I did note – and I think this was because it was originally a screenplay – was the frequent usage of full branding of some items. An example of that – our MC has a specific gun, but each time he gets it or looks for it, we are told the brand/maker of the gun, which became a noticeable oddity as the novel went on.

Why you should buy this: This is a unique novel in that it will appeal to people who love James Bond thrillers as well as creature-feature action/adventure stories. We get a suspense-filled Nazi hunting plot, as well as an engaging man-in-the-wild survival plot. The story was fast-paced and it really was an engaging, page-turner.

I loved this one and will be jumping into the second book, ‘Primal Reserve,’ ASAP.

5/5

Book Review: Song of the Sandman (A God in the Shed #2) by J.-F. Dubeau

Title: Song of the Sandman (A God in the Shed #2)

Author: J.-F. Dubeau

Release date: June 16th, 2020

Back in 2019, I read the truly stunning ‘A God in the Shed’ by J.-F. Dubeau. It was a novel about a small town with a horrible past and a secret that they wanted to keep hidden from everyone else. That secret gets exposed and terrible events occur once discovered.

One constant thing I heard about the book was the ending didn’t do it for people (and to be fair this is a very common criticism about 99% of stories). So, I took it with a grain of salt and boy, did I love the ending. BUT. And this is something even Dubeau has stated – because it wasn’t made explicitly clear that was book one of a trilogy, some people found the ending to be too open ended, too many loose ends not tied up.

Now, I ask a question to you? As someone who spends a lot of time in the online dark fiction communities, I somehow didn’t even know this was out. Did you know the sequel was out?

I was so excited to find out it was out, so I snagged a copy for my Kindle and dove in.

What I liked: I’ll do my best to remain as vague as possible here, because this is a sequel and I don’t want to potentially spoil anything from how book one ended or what happens in here. But, the book picks up after the events of ‘A God in the Shed.’ We are reunited with the characters that survived and from that we learn more and more about the Sandmen Cult and how some have a direct link to those within.

Dubeau does a great job of leading us from those events in book one through the events that will ultimately set up book three. There’s a ton of action, some really dark, dark moments and it was great reconnecting with these characters and seeing how they’ve been scarred from book one and how they’re now trying to continue on.

The ending here was phenomenal – but, and I will add this here – there are a number of things not tied up and finished – as this is just the second part of this trilogy.

The epilogue was just fantastic and really worked into the magic that has been discussed and has been growing throughout the first two books. It was a great way to end this one.

What I didn’t like: Book one had a lot of characters, and as it’s been almost exactly three years since I read book one, going into book two, there were a number of them that I had completely forgotten about, so it did take me a minute to get back into the ‘why’s’ of their motives. This book might be better to be read as close to finishing book one as you can.

Why you should buy this: This was a really well done sequel that definitely sets the stage for an explosive finale. The characters are great and the god is such a fantastic creation, I love seeing how it twists and uses these characters as it sees fit.

Definitely a solid sequel and now, I personally, can’t wait to see how Dubeau wraps this one up!

4/5

Book Review: Shortcuts (Book 1) by Brittlestar

Title: Shortcuts (Book 1)

Author: Brittlestar aka Stewart J.W. Reynolds

Release date: December 19th, 2011

If you’ve read any of my reviews over the last few years, you know that I typically share how a book came onto my radar at the start. Some are straightforward, some are a bit funny and some are an odd amalgamation of random occurrences that all line up.

This is one such book that came onto my radar just that way.

Brittlestar. For many of you in Canada, who frequent Twitter, you may have seen his comedic, This Hour Has 22 Minutes style videos and tweets. A sarcastic take on everyday life. He also has poignant, introspective moments and all of that has led to him being a daily source of laughs and conversation.

A few weeks back, I came across one of his videos and thought it was hilarious. Knowing he may find it hilarious, I sent it to Andrew Pyper. He replied; “Oh yeah, he’s funny. I actually went to high school with him!.” Huh, that’s crazy right?

Well… if you’ve also followed me, you may very well know that I’m a massive super fan of Mr. Andrew Pyper and in my ongoing quest to have the most complete printed collection (DANG YOU ORACLE AND YOUR AUDIBLE ONLY RELEASE!!) I frequent Abebooks weekly, seeking out missing pieces. And on one such search, a blurb from Andrew about ‘Shortcuts’ popped up. I messaged Andrew, he said it was a really fun book, and liking the synopsis, snagged it.

BOOM! See? A random amalgamation of seemingly completely unrelated events that led me to reading this book and – it turns out – having a really run time with it.

Alright enough about that – let’s get to the goods.

What I liked: ‘Shortcuts’ follows our young main character, Simon Trekker, as he lives a seemingly normal life. That is, other than living with his aunt and uncle after his parents disappeared on a trip when he was a small child. One day, as Simon heads off to school, he randomly is transported somewhere else while taking a shortcut. Once this happens, he shares it with his two best friends and they have fun, going to different places around the world.

That is, until a rich bully from his school discovers this and things go sideways and escalate.

From here, our author gives us a really fun, action-packed middle-grade adventure story. We get thrills galore and a really intriguing backstory where we learn more about these portals, their discover and what had been originally planned for them.

I thought the characters were all fun, even a few of the stereotypical variety (but hey, this is a middle grade book) and the story played out at a really great pace.

The ending was great and the set up for a potential sequel was really well done.

What I didn’t like: I’m not going to pick apart some of the cheese in this book. The reality is, I’m a 40 year old male. This book wasn’t written for me as the target demographic, so I can let those parts slide. What I will say – this came out in 2011, so it was a bit frustrating seeing such an intriguing ending and understanding that there most likely won’t be a sequel, or if there is, those kids who loved this a decade ago, will most likely not care when it is finally released.

Why you should buy this: If you’re the parent of an early reader (say aged 7-12) and you’re either now starting to read them chapter books, or they’re reading on their own and you want a safe read; think no swear words, no sex, no deaths, no animal peril – this is a spot on perfect read for them.

The pacing is crisp, the story opens up really nicely and when all is said and done, this does finish with a great conclusion. It’s the epilogue that may give parents headaches as they beg for book 2!

4/5

ANNOUNCEMENT – LOHF Writers Grant Update

Hey all! Happy Monday!

It’s hard to believe that what started as one grant has grown so much over the last few years.
Now, in this, the fourth year that the LOHF Writers Grant will be awarded, we realize how lucky we are to belong to such a great community.

When this was first conceived, all I wanted to do was help a fantastic group of writers who constantly have to battle for visibility and credibility (which is an entirely other frustrating topic which I’ll not go into!). This became a reality when the LOHF Group came on board to do the heavy lifting.

Year One was amazing. Year Two, phenomenal. Year Three, stupendous. And Year Four, so far, looks to be on track for our biggest year yet.

We’ve had so many offers to sponsor grants and it’s truly wonderful. It’s hard to choose who will be selected, so every bit of help is appreciated. If I was a rich man, every application would get a grant, but the reality is we can’t.

The LOHF Grant Team and I are excited to focus on awarding as many writer grants as we can thanks to the generosity of this community.

After much discussion, we’ve decided to keep all sponsors anonymous. This way it allows people to help who otherwise might not have, but also to ensure we maintain the integrity of the grant selection process.
If you have any questions – my DM’s and email are always open.

Thank you all again – those who’ve supported/sponsored/applied etc!

Applications will open closer to Summer.

Book Review: Ashes to Ashes by Joseph Mulak

Title: Ashes to Ashes

Author: Joseph Mulak

Release date: September 17th, 2014

I don’t know if I’m in the minority here, but over the last 5 or so years, I’ve really moved away from reading, watching and generally enjoying zombie fiction. I think, personally, it has been because of the oversaturation that occurred once The Walking Dead took off. I read all the comics, and watched the show religiously up until about season 5 or 6 as well as the first season of Fear the Walking Dead, and when it all became more of the same and repetitive, I drifted away and really found it hard to get back into the zombie fiction genre.

There’s been a few here and there since that I really enjoyed and that made me excited to dive back in, but for the most part I’ve stayed away. Saying that, there’s two rules I typically follow when I want to read a book. If it sound interesting, I’ll give it a go. And if it’s a book from a fellow Canuck, I’ll definitely give it ago.

I connected with Joseph Mulak a few years ago, but it was only recently that I snagged his novel ‘Ashes to Ashes.’ I went in with an open mind, unsure of what exactly I’d be reading, but hoping Mulak added a unique twist. And you know what? He did.

What I liked: The story follows down on his luck, Todd. A former addict who is estranged from his wife and kids, hated by his parents and brother and at the end of his rope. So, one night he decides it’s the end, he’ll go out somewhere where nobody is and jump off of a bridge. But, it’s at this location, where he finds somebody else and the world is upended. The person he finds is taking a new drug, ‘Ash,’ which quickly changes people into what can only be described as a zombie.

From here, Todd partners with his brother, Mitch and they try to get their families to safety. Mulak does a great job of filling this with family tension, snarky sarcasm and some hope for second chances. This though, is a zombie book, so we get a lot of action, emotional deaths and new characters added to the mix.

It was interesting watching Todd, who throughout really struggles with him still being alive and his desire just to end it all, while also wanting to change his life and be there for his kids. At the same time, it was frustrating watching how Todd and Mitch simply couldn’t put any of their past differences behind them in the face of the zombie apocalypse. Mulak really did a fantastic job keeping these characters grounded and real.

The ending was great and we get a solid epilogue that shows Mulak could return to this world if he wanted too, but that also closed this chapter and made for a solid stand alone.

What I didn’t like: Straight up – there was some really odd decisions made by our characters. Mitch is a doctor, so when Todd calls him for help with our first oddity, Mitch doesn’t act at all like a doctor and then brings the guy to his own house. Then, to make things odder, they leave Mitch’s pregnant wife behind at the house with this oddity. I won’t get into it more, because without those strange decisions we wouldn’t get some truly hard scenes later on, but it will make your head scratch.

Why you should buy this: This is fast-paced, crisp story telling and Mulak tells it with real storytelling. What I mean by that, is there isn’t any crazy, unrealistic ‘answer’ that some how works and saves everyone. We get some solid police interactions and some really startling turn of events.

This was a fun one and again, one I’m glad to have dove into and read.

4/5