Monday Mayhem: I Call Bullshit

Zombie Gods of Death
by Greg Tom

The story begins five years in the past with Tony Young in combat overseas. A zombie outbreak occurs during the battle, and the government covers it up. It is immediately apparent that this story needs professional editing. The settings aren't described well, the dialogue seems forced and the characters leave a lot to be desired.

The plot interested me: a group of terrorists called the Shinigami are deliberately infecting college students, and a group led by Tony Young attempt to stop them. The story is actually told from the POV of a student named Ian Zombie, who is more of a leader than Tony. Rather than develop the relationships between survivors of the college outbreak, the author jumps weeks at a time to keep the story going. There isn't much action, even with terrorists and zombies, and what does take place is a bit ridiculous. For example, they are constantly jumping into water, during the school year in Michigan; I live in Michigan, and I assure you the water is COLD, but no ever gets hypothermia.

There are far too many "too good to be true" moments for this to be a convincing outbreak scenario.
The ending is left open...maybe a series in the works. If that is the case, I hope the writing style is drastically improved.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday Suspense: Ammon's Horn

Ammon's Horn
by Stan Timmons
270 pages
$5.99 Kindle version

(I read this once before, but couldn't find the review I wrote for it, so I decided to re-read this novel.)

Gemma is a reporter in a relationship with a cop named Danny; the two of them connect several murders and multiple acts of violence to a virus nicknamed the "Noids. The virus attacks part of the brain, making the infected think their fears are very real. The virus mutates and becomes airborne, quickly overwhelming the eastern seaboard in the U.S., triggering a westward exodus. Danny and Gemma drive to California, to join the Fear Factory, hoping to find answers and an antidote within the secret organization.

Mostly told from Danny's POV, with a few glimpses of Gemma's POV, as well as other victims, readers will begin to wonder if one (or both) of the main characters is under the influence of the virus. The twist at the end is so subtle, it's elegant. I couldn't predict the ending - even the 2nd time around, since I had first read this a long time ago.

I haven't read Stan Timmons before or since this novel, but his permanently on my list of talented authors who know how to create a thrilling horror-suspense story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Secrets Can Kill

A Line of Blood
by Ben McPherson
416 pages
$12.99 Kindle version

For Alex Mercer, his wife, Millicent, and their precocious eleven-year-old son, Max, are everything—his little tribe that makes him feel all's right with the world. But when he and Max find their enigmatic next-door neighbor dead in his apartment, their lives are suddenly and irrevocably changed. The police begin an extremely methodical investigation, and Alex becomes increasingly impatient for them to finish. After all, it was so clearly a suicide.

As new information is uncovered, troubling questions arise—questions that begin to throw suspicion on Alex, Millicent, and even Max. Each of them has secrets it seems. And each has something to hide.

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A father and son discover their dead neighbor while searching for their missing cat. At first glance, it appears to be a suicide, but the police investigation suggests it may have been a murder. There are multiple suspects, each with a damning motive. As the investigation progresses, several secrets are revealed about the Mercer family living next door to the deceased. With each revelation, McPherson draws readers further into the tragic life of Alex Mercer. Told from Alex's POV, this family drama digs into the betrayal and revenge that threatens to tear apart everything that Alex thought he knew about his relationships.

Alex is desperate to save his marriage as the truth about his wife comes to light, and, for the life of me, I have no idea why. I hated Millicent for the hell she brings upon Alex and their son Max. However, I also disliked Max for the disrespect and disobedience that he wields throughout the novel. I couldn't fathom how Alex managed to get through even one day, considering the amount of abuse he takes from his wife and son. Despite my issues with the Mercer family and their decisions, I felt the character development was superb! I had to keep reminding myself that these were just fictional people, but I couldn't put the book down...I read the story in one long sitting.

Between the suspense and frustration, I couldn't tear myself away from a single page. Ben McPherson knows how to hold his readers captive. One of the best novels I've read all year!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dunwoody Raises Hell

Talent, once a man who made a deal with the Devil, escaped his fate and evaded Hell for thousands of years, until the day he let his guard down while searching for a dimensional door. At first glance, it seems this is just another story about a guy who regrets selling his soul, but that is only one tiny part of the story. I have been a fan of Dunwoody for years, and I think this is his best work yet. He's written a very complex novel about redemption and revenge, without overwhelming readers, and the characters are anything but typical, displaying the best and worst of human nature. Quite frankly, this is the best description of Hell that I've ever read.

When Talent is captured, I felt his pain as I read the detailed description of his mental and physical suffering. But Talent is only one piece of Dunwoody's carefully crafted puzzle. Chith is the first "ego," Talent is the second and the third is the elusive Sephus. Hallows is the Chief Inspector in Hell, Els is an angel, also Hell's High Court Chief Vicar. Lace is a werewolf - one of Hell's enforcers. Last but not least, Sue Christmas is the object of the Devil's unwanted affection, a.k.a. Suicide (aptly named as the story reveals). The way the characters interact with each other is the most compelling element of the story, but there is so much more to entertain and enthrall readers.

Satan is plotting his biggest move yet, God is missing and the Egos uncover several other secrets that have them questioning not only their own lives but also the purpose of mankind. The ending is somewhat anti-climactic...wrapped up too neatly considering the tsunami of drama and continuous battles between Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.

Despite my reservations about the ending, Dunwoody continues to show his expertise as a horror author, using suspense to send his readers in to an absolute frenzy, much like the characters in his book. Well done.

As always,
AstraDaemon

An Apple A Day Keeps The Vampires Away

Applewood
by Brendan P. Myers
244 pages
$3.99 Kindle version

In a small Massachusetts town, Scott Dugan and his tightly bonded group of friends struggle with the same pains that plague millions of teens like them -- bullies, broken families, money problems, relationships. But the evil that revives to spread through their town confronts them with a far darker and more destructive adversary.

At first delighted by the disappearance of the town bullies, Dugan and his outcast friends soon realize they must do battle against a growing vampire army led by the town's long dead Civil War hero. Along the way, they'll find clues in the diary of a young boy not unlike themselves, and strength in their own unique bonds of friendship. But victory, if it's even possible, will come at a terrible cost. Some, like Dugan, will never be the same.

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Brendan P. Myers has written a story that features a group of young boys, not unlike Stand By Me, with a horror a bit like Phantasm. Applewood has a slow beginning, but it didn't take long for me to get into the story. The novel begins with an unusual murder in present time, then flashes back to the childhood of the main characters, which draws readers into the heart of the story and surrounds them with drama, suspense and horror. Also, the background of the characters makes everything more emotional.

The writing style of Myers is excellent, blending two mysteries into one fantastic vampire story. There is a sequel, Fledge, which follows the character Scott, but Applewood easily functions as a stand-alone. Even if you aren't into vampires, I recommend this story to all horror fans, including readers of YA fiction.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Sociology of Haters & Trolls

Reading The Comments
Joseph M. Reagle, Jr.
240 pages
$15.39 Kindle Version

Reagle visits communities of Amazon reviewers, fan fiction authors, online learners, scammers, freethinkers, and mean kids. He shows how comment can inform us (through reviews), improve us (through feedback), manipulate us (through fakery), alienate us (through hate), shape us (through social comparison), and perplex us. He finds pre-Internet historical antecedents of online comment in Michelin stars, professional criticism, and the wisdom of crowds. He discusses the techniques of online fakery (distinguishing makers, fakers, and takers), describes the emotional work of receiving and giving feedback, and examines the culture of trolls and haters, bullying, and misogyny. He considers the way comment -- a nonstop stream of social quantification and ranking -- affects our self-esteem and well-being. And he examines how comment is puzzling -- short and asynchronous, these messages can be slap-dash, confusing, amusing, revealing, and weird, shedding context in their passage through the Internet, prompting readers to comment in turn, "WTF?!?"

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As a reviewer/blogger, I was really excited to read this book. I thought it was great that someone decided to focus on the comments that shape and influence numerous types of websites, as well as the effect they have on the people who use those sites. However, I think Reagle missed his opportunity to truly explore new ground and, instead, wrote one anecdote after another. Considering the controversy over Amazon reviews in particular, I'm surprised at how little he covered the sociological aspects of this new culture that has developed as the internet has evolved.

A lot of the information provided seems like unnecessary filler, such as details about products for sale, instead of spotlighting the different types of reviewers and other online commentators. As a result, the insight that Reagle provides loses its impact on the reader. The most enlightening section is Chapter 3, which discusses the various forms of manipulation that occurs through reviews, comments, likes, etc. I wish the rest of the book had been more like that chapter.

In any case, if you are a reviewer, blogger or someone who relies on the internet to make a living, I recommend reading this book - it's entertaining, if not informative.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: Road Construction Can Be A Killer

The Night Has Teeth
by Randy Speeg
18 pages
Currently FREE on Kindle

Carrie and her husband Steve are traveling to her parents house for what is supposed to be a relaxing holiday weekend. However a sudden severe thunderstorm and a very unexpected detour will lead them to somewhere else entirely and an encounter with a horror neither could have ever imagined. This is one get away that will teach them there really is...no place like home.

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Steve is driving his wife Carrie to visit her family in West Virginia in a rain storm. During the drive, Carrie thinks she sees a bigfoot digging on the side of the road. Her observation and her reflections on her strange past is a great way to bring readers along for the ride. The character's thoughts build the suspense, so, by the time the action takes place, the nightmare is in full swing.

What I thought to be a predictable twist turned out to be the most unexpected ending that I've read in a long time! I hope to read more by Randy Speeg.

As always,
AstraDaemon