Apocalypse of the Dead-Joe McKinney

Apocalypse of the Dead
Joe McKinney
Pinnacle, Nov 1 2010, $6.99
ISBN: 9780786023592

After the hurricanes destroyed much of Houston including the refineries, chemicals were released into the atmosphere, on the ground and in the water. A virus developed in the toxic soup. Those who caught it became zombie like creatures who feasted on uninfected human flesh. A barrier was created to keep in the infected and the uninfected who unfortunately were trapped with the monsters. The authorities have standing orders to kill anyone trying to breach the barrier.

A daring group of uninfected survivors slip through the quarantine zone and head for Florida. However, one of them actually carries the virus, but has not shown the disease. By the time they reach The Sunshine State, they are all infected. They spread the disease rather quickly so that the authorities cannot contain the horrid pandemic that crosses the country. In North Dakota, Preacher Jasper forms a community that must conform to his rigid code based on his strict beliefs or face the consequences of zombie fever; some bow but some like retired US Marchsl Ed Moore choose to fight.

Apocalypse of the Dead is a taut roller coaster thriller with plenty chills, spills, and terror. The authorities were so over confident in their conviction that the monsters could not escape they developed no contingency plans; their cockiness led to the pandemic and left it up to pockets of people to find ways to survive as the Preacher and the marshal did in diverse ways as the zombies are on the top of the food chain on the verge of dominance. Fans of zombie mania will appreciate Joe McKinney’s apocalypse now.

Harriet Klausner