Joanna Pence

From the collaborative efforts of Paul Mannering and Bill Ball comes the zombie novel entitled “Dead! Dead! Dead!” Given the popularity of the genre it’s not the easiest challenge to come up with something that is truly original. But it has to be said that Mannering and Ball have delivered a solid story with enough creativity to capture the imagination of the reader. By providing interesting origins for the outbreak and colorful characters they have written something that is entertaining and definitely worth reading.

Minty is a member of the Locusts Biker Gang and for the last 20 years he has served as the right hand for the leader, Jethro. Along with 3 other members and a newbie, who they refer to as Freak, Minty is sent by Jethro to claim high quality cocaine and a substantial amount of money from a rival dealer. Instead, they come across people who have turned into zombies. After losing one member and another one getting infected they return to Jethro. This is also where they discover why people are turning into zombies.

Within hours the city is overrun with infected people and while trying to escape, Minty and Freak end up saving Callie, the doctor that treated their infected friend. The fight for survival continues to get more dangerous as they make it past the city limits, but as hope shines down on them they run into a much bigger problem.

Mannering and Ball chose a good starting point for the novel. The reader is quickly, but effectively, eased into a situation that has been unfolding for a while. The other plus point is the action that starts relatively early. Even before the gang confronts the horror inside the “empty” house the reader has a solid profile of Minty and the type of person he is.

With a novel such as this it’s important to focus on the descriptions that matter, especially if the pace of the story is fast, and this is exactly what the writers have accomplished beautifully. There is a constant flow of action and tension, but it doesn’t come at the expense of creativity. Throughout the story the reader always has a clear picture of what is happening and how it influences the characters emotionally.

The characters are well thought out and projected, although the zombies can be compared to the typical stereotype in terms of movement and nature. On the downside, there are some points of logic that don’t really add up, such as the city turning from calm to chaos within a very short time even though the infections have been occurring for some time. Other than this the novel is thoroughly entertaining.

Zombie and horror fans will all find some measure of delight in the book. It has the graphic depictions one would expect, from smashing in zombie heads to the nasty effects of getting infected. There is also a very nice twist at the end, which the reader most likely won’t see coming.

Although it’s not the type of novel that will win literary awards or change the course of horror novels, Mannering and Ball did a fantastic job. There is more than enough action and very little time to get bored. For those who get their zombie horror fix from the intimacy that books can provide, then this is a must read.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

Authors:

Paul Mannering is an award winning writer living in Wellington, New Zealand,
Author of the Tankbread series, published by Permuted Press and, The Drakeforth Trilogy, including book 1 “Engines of Empathy” are published by Paper Road Press
Visit Paul’s website and blog at www.manneringbooks.com

Bill Ball is a US Army and National Guard veteran, Dead! Dead! Dead! is his first novel.

More Horror Book Reviews

From the author simply known as The Behrg comes the twisted tale entitled “Housebroken”, and it is sadistic as it is haunting. Horror and thriller fans that pick up this book will have to ready themselves for an experience that will affect them mentally and physically. Even though it’s not the most original plot, it has rarely been used with such creativity. The Behrg has successfully taken a situation that is usually considered as traumatic and turned it into different types of hell.

Blake is a successful consultant and software developer who takes the biggest risk of his career. This risk involves uprooting his wife, Jenna, and their son, Adam. The story starts with Blake sitting in the cage he uses to train their dog, wondering how he is possibly going to get out of the mess they are in. Six days earlier their home was invaded by two men who don’t want money or ransom. All they want is to observe the way Blake and his family lives.

Unfortunately things get out of hand as Blake’s neighbor mysteriously disappears, which draws the attention of the police. Meanwhile, Blake and his family undergo torture they will never be able to forget. With dead bodies in the house and in the trunk of Blake’s car the situation only escalates into a disaster that doesn’t have any silver linings.

The author is clearly focused on creating believable and relatable characters, because a lot of time is spent on introducing the situation between Blake and his family. Before anything happens the reader is well aware of the tension and problems within the family unit. In other words, The Behrg takes a very patient approach.

Another element that reinforces the character focus is the detailed experiences, especially for Blake. Every nervous, awkward and scary moment is shared with the reader, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the reader’s preference. From a personal point of view it definitely added to the substance of the plot. Whereas most writers will simply love to exploit the physical torment, The Behrg really drives down the invasion of privacy on an emotional level.

In terms of graphic horror and suspense, there is more than enough to go around. The sadistic personalities of the invaders provide a steady foundation for making the reader very uneasy, and in some cases just plain angry. Something that really stands out, which can be seen from the moment the invasion starts, is the tiny moments of hope that come through. But as quickly as they arrive they transform the situation into something worse.

Last but not least, the story is filled with twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the very end. This was a very nice touch from the author, because what appears to be a rather straightforward scenario at face value becomes a very complex maze where anything can happen.

For most readers who love tales with a fair share of twisted ideas and plot lines, put Housebroken on the list of must read horror novels. Even if it doesn’t fall into the style or taste that you like, you will definitely gain respect for the author.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

More Horror Book Reviews

Also by The Behrg:

If you’ve haven’t had the pleasure of reading a short ghost story by Dominic Selwood, then start with The Voivod. It is nothing short of amazing in terms of substance, literary quality and engagement. One might even say that the story embodies what sophisticated ghost stories should be like, atmospheric and psychological. Selwood goes above and beyond, making sure that each line either paints a picture or plays a crucial part to the overall flow.

The date is January 27, 1897, and the narrator immediately expresses his concerns after reading a letter from his good friend, Sir Oberon Worsley. In his unsettled state he conveys how he believes to be in danger and fears the act of telling anyone about it. He also shares with the reader the contents of the letter, or more specifically, the experiences of his good friend Worsley.

Worsley had just finished his long career as Bodley’s librarian, a post at Oxford he cherished dearly, but before he left he acquired an early occult diary for which he needed translation. After contracting a friend and expert in the field to help make sense of the book the dire consequences of reading it becomes quite clear.

One prominent element that can be seen in Selwood’s writing is consistency. From the opening sentence to the last word, Selwood practices a great control and balance. There are never moments where the reader can get mad because the author wasn’t descriptive enough, or lingers too long. Along with his rather large vocabulary and descriptive choice of words the combination is very impressive.

But what is really impressive is the style of the story. It sounds more than just authentically convincing, but also accurate. In fact, the reader is taken back more than 100 years with great ease. Then there is the matter of research that goes into the story. For somebody who isn’t educated in literary history it will be a daunting task to separate fact from fiction, which is also probably why the story is so convincing.

However, the audience the story speaks to is lovers of traditional English. It doesn’t contain gory details about severed heads and blood covering the walls. Instead Selwood uses a more human approach. In other words, readers who prefer bloody thrills will most likely appreciate something more in the line of Stephen King.

This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a level of thrill or excitement. It has many dark aspects and haunting descriptions that will leave the reader dwelling on what has just been read. It is also the haunting quality that makes the story really worth reading, whether you prefer lighter reading or the highest standards of English, it’s just something every horror fan should read within a lifetime.

The Voivod is definitely a recommended short story that belongs in the valuable section of literary horror, because it’s more like witnessing a moving art piece rather than reading a story. Selwood has successfully added another gem to his collection and his reputation as a writer will most likely get more renowned due to this particular short story.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

Also by Dominic Selwood:

Suffer The Children Review

More Horror Book Reviews