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Zombie Apocalypse #4
Kill Ratio
The end of America is near.
A plague that kills its victims and resurrects them as flesh-eating ghouls has decimated the American population, forcing what's left of the government to take shelter underground in the Mouth Weather Emergency Operations Center in Virginia.
On the West Coast, CIA black ops agent Chad Halverson and a ragtag band of survivors decide to head to Washington, DC, to find out if anyone is still in charge, even though Halverson knows that someone in the upper echelons of the government is trying to drone him. Halverson suspects the assassin is a high-level CIA employee. Whoever he is, he has tried to drone Halverson before and will try again. Of that much Halverson is sure.
Halverson and fellow refugees Victoria Brady, Blackfoot Chogan, and Emma Lawson become trapped in Las Vegas by General Quantrill, a militia commandant who runs the strip with an iron hand and has a terrifying secret.
Meanwhile, in the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, President Cole must decide whether to start nuking his own country in order to save it from the virus that has a hundred percent kill ratio.
Whether America survives or not, it will never be the same.
A plague that kills its victims and resurrects them as flesh-eating ghouls has decimated the American population, forcing what's left of the government to take shelter underground in the Mouth Weather Emergency Operations Center in Virginia.
On the West Coast, CIA black ops agent Chad Halverson and a ragtag band of survivors decide to head to Washington, DC, to find out if anyone is still in charge, even though Halverson knows that someone in the upper echelons of the government is trying to drone him. Halverson suspects the assassin is a high-level CIA employee. Whoever he is, he has tried to drone Halverson before and will try again. Of that much Halverson is sure.
Halverson and fellow refugees Victoria Brady, Blackfoot Chogan, and Emma Lawson become trapped in Las Vegas by General Quantrill, a militia commandant who runs the strip with an iron hand and has a terrifying secret.
Meanwhile, in the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, President Cole must decide whether to start nuking his own country in order to save it from the virus that has a hundred percent kill ratio.
Whether America survives or not, it will never be the same.
356 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2013
2 people are currently reading
1011 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Cassiday
63 books213 followersAward-winning author Bryan Cassiday writes thrillers and horror fiction. His novel Horde (Zombie Apocalypse: The Chad Halverson Series Book 6) won the 2022 Independent Press Award and the 2021 American Fiction Award for Best Horror novel. His novel Electric Green Mambas was a Finalist in the Reader Views Award for Thrillers 2021-22. His short story "Boxed" was published in the anthology Shadows and Teeth Volume Two, which won both the 2017 International Book Award for best adult horror fiction anthology and the Florida Association of Publishers and Authors President's Award gold medal for best adult horror fiction anthology 2017.
"A bracing page-turner with an unconventional hero."--Kirkus Reviews on Bryan's thriller Murder LLC
His thrillers include the psychological thriller The Payout and the Ethan Carr thriller Force of Impact, which Kirkus Reviews called "A fast-paced detective novel enhanced by exceptional characters and a striking ending."
Praise for Bryan Cassiday's Thriller Bolt
“From the very start, Bryan Cassiday spins what appears to be a typical Southern Californian private investigation novel in Bolt, but quickly takes off in a direction that speaks to our current troubled times. Well-plotted and crisply written, with great characterization, this is one to look for.”--Brendan DuBois, coauthor with James Patterson of The Cornwalls Are Gone.
"Noir suspense at its best! Private eyes, hit men, globe-trotting, and characters you don't know whether you can trust or not. Fans of James Ellroy, Dennis Lehane, and Fredrick Forsyth will love Bolt!"--Matthew Farrell, best-selling author of What Have You Done
Praise for Bryan Cassiday's Zombie Books
"The plot engages from the beginning and holds the reader's interest until the last page."--The Booklife Prize on Horde
"Cassiday blends thoughtful suspense and pulse-pounding terror to deliver a novel with both bite and creeping dread."--David Dunwoody, author of Empire and The Harvest Cycle
"Written with the epic scope of World War Z and infused with the gritty spook works derring-do of a Robert Ludlum spy thriller, Sanctuary in Steel is full of zombie mayhem through and through."--Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Flesh Eaters and Inheritance
"Sanctuary in Steel made me feel like I did the first time I watched Romero. Fresh, exciting and engaging like any outbreak story should be."--Iain McKinnon, author of Domain of the Dead
"A bracing page-turner with an unconventional hero."--Kirkus Reviews on Bryan's thriller Murder LLC
His thrillers include the psychological thriller The Payout and the Ethan Carr thriller Force of Impact, which Kirkus Reviews called "A fast-paced detective novel enhanced by exceptional characters and a striking ending."
Praise for Bryan Cassiday's Thriller Bolt
“From the very start, Bryan Cassiday spins what appears to be a typical Southern Californian private investigation novel in Bolt, but quickly takes off in a direction that speaks to our current troubled times. Well-plotted and crisply written, with great characterization, this is one to look for.”--Brendan DuBois, coauthor with James Patterson of The Cornwalls Are Gone.
"Noir suspense at its best! Private eyes, hit men, globe-trotting, and characters you don't know whether you can trust or not. Fans of James Ellroy, Dennis Lehane, and Fredrick Forsyth will love Bolt!"--Matthew Farrell, best-selling author of What Have You Done
Praise for Bryan Cassiday's Zombie Books
"The plot engages from the beginning and holds the reader's interest until the last page."--The Booklife Prize on Horde
"Cassiday blends thoughtful suspense and pulse-pounding terror to deliver a novel with both bite and creeping dread."--David Dunwoody, author of Empire and The Harvest Cycle
"Written with the epic scope of World War Z and infused with the gritty spook works derring-do of a Robert Ludlum spy thriller, Sanctuary in Steel is full of zombie mayhem through and through."--Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Flesh Eaters and Inheritance
"Sanctuary in Steel made me feel like I did the first time I watched Romero. Fresh, exciting and engaging like any outbreak story should be."--Iain McKinnon, author of Domain of the Dead
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 23, 2014
Disclaimer: I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's actually happened: the zombie apocalypse is among us. Caused by a virus spreading exponentially through the population, it looks like there's no end in sight. Chad Halverson, however, is going to do his best to make it out alive. See, he knows exactly how this all started, and the government--his own co-workers, in fact--want him dead for that knowledge. Meanwhile, the President and his council are holed up in Mount Weather, ready to make some chilling decisions that will affect the entire world. Who will win, who will lose, and will we ever be the same again?
I thought this was a captivating book. The characters are intriguing; the story is one that could eventually happen, what in this day of germ warfare and other craziness; and the general tone of the book is depressing but hopeful at the same time. Jumping back and forth between Chad's group and those at Mount Weather was a very neat concept, as you could see what was REALLY going on in the world versus what the government fat-cats could see and were debating about. That group in itself was great; I felt like that's exactly what would happen in a situation like this, and the ongoing tension and escalating tempers were just perfect.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good zombie story, but also for those who want to know just what the government would do in this situation. I believe it's depicted quite accurately; will you?
4 stars
P.S. I may have shortened my boyfriend's life by showing him the cover upon first waking up. =)
It's actually happened: the zombie apocalypse is among us. Caused by a virus spreading exponentially through the population, it looks like there's no end in sight. Chad Halverson, however, is going to do his best to make it out alive. See, he knows exactly how this all started, and the government--his own co-workers, in fact--want him dead for that knowledge. Meanwhile, the President and his council are holed up in Mount Weather, ready to make some chilling decisions that will affect the entire world. Who will win, who will lose, and will we ever be the same again?
I thought this was a captivating book. The characters are intriguing; the story is one that could eventually happen, what in this day of germ warfare and other craziness; and the general tone of the book is depressing but hopeful at the same time. Jumping back and forth between Chad's group and those at Mount Weather was a very neat concept, as you could see what was REALLY going on in the world versus what the government fat-cats could see and were debating about. That group in itself was great; I felt like that's exactly what would happen in a situation like this, and the ongoing tension and escalating tempers were just perfect.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good zombie story, but also for those who want to know just what the government would do in this situation. I believe it's depicted quite accurately; will you?
4 stars
P.S. I may have shortened my boyfriend's life by showing him the cover upon first waking up. =)
March 21, 2015
Review: KILL RATIO by Bryan Cassiday
KILL RATIO is part of the Chad Halvorsen series, set in the Zombie apocalypse. Halvorsen is a former operative for the US government, now a target for termination since a fellow black ops agent gave Halvorsen information on the factual source of the virus behind the Zombie infection. After narrowly escaping a predator drone attack, he and temporary sidekick Victoria begin to cross-country from Southern California toward D.C.
I'm not quite sure how to consider Halvorsen. The man is a trained and efficient field agent, knows weapons, presumably knows how to strategize; but I've seldom seen anyone so indecisive. The other aspect I take away from this book is that the author wisely expands the apocalyptic circumstances: instead of just shuffling, biting, undead, there is socio-economic collapse, looters and murderers, wildfires and urban devastation, starving dog packs, starving rat hordes, and folks with identifiable mental and emotional disorders, possibly caused by the plague and subsequent apocalypse, possibly preexistent.
Then there's my favourite character group, those cynical, shortsighted fools exile in underground Virginia--hilarious if they weren't so pathetic.
The author generously provided me with a digital copy for review purpose.
KILL RATIO is part of the Chad Halvorsen series, set in the Zombie apocalypse. Halvorsen is a former operative for the US government, now a target for termination since a fellow black ops agent gave Halvorsen information on the factual source of the virus behind the Zombie infection. After narrowly escaping a predator drone attack, he and temporary sidekick Victoria begin to cross-country from Southern California toward D.C.
I'm not quite sure how to consider Halvorsen. The man is a trained and efficient field agent, knows weapons, presumably knows how to strategize; but I've seldom seen anyone so indecisive. The other aspect I take away from this book is that the author wisely expands the apocalyptic circumstances: instead of just shuffling, biting, undead, there is socio-economic collapse, looters and murderers, wildfires and urban devastation, starving dog packs, starving rat hordes, and folks with identifiable mental and emotional disorders, possibly caused by the plague and subsequent apocalypse, possibly preexistent.
Then there's my favourite character group, those cynical, shortsighted fools exile in underground Virginia--hilarious if they weren't so pathetic.
The author generously provided me with a digital copy for review purpose.
July 11, 2013
The world is coming to an end, thanks to a plague turning people into zombies. The American government is to blame and one man aims to hold them accountable. Chad Halverson , a CIA Black Ops agent, knows the truth and now his employer has sent a drone to kill him. Can Chad and his gang survive the onslaught of dead and make it to Washington, DC?
The fourth installment of the Chad Halverson series is suspenseful, engaging, and action packed. At the core it’s a zombie tale and “Kill Ration” doesn’t disappoint in this area.
While reading, I kept visualizing it as a big action/horror flick with blood, guts, and explosions. A few characters I felt were a bit cliché(most noticeably The President), but it went with the vibe I was getting of an over the top action flick.
I have not read any of the other books in the series and I never felt lost. The author know how to weave suspense and zombies with skill.
The fourth installment of the Chad Halverson series is suspenseful, engaging, and action packed. At the core it’s a zombie tale and “Kill Ration” doesn’t disappoint in this area.
While reading, I kept visualizing it as a big action/horror flick with blood, guts, and explosions. A few characters I felt were a bit cliché(most noticeably The President), but it went with the vibe I was getting of an over the top action flick.
I have not read any of the other books in the series and I never felt lost. The author know how to weave suspense and zombies with skill.
March 22, 2015
Kill ratio throws you straight into the action the zombies have taken most of American over already with a few survivors left and the president is holed up in mount weather emergency operations centre trying to decide if he should nuke American in an attempt to save it. We follow Chad who is a C.I.A black ops with the government trying to eliminate him he tells them he is a journalist. Victoria a dress designer is stuck on a boat with Chad at the start with an iguana named Newton who disappears when they set down in L.A and meet Emma a waitress who they encounter early on by saving her from the zombies as she carries an imaginary baby Millie with her. The ladies get suspicious when Chad kills two men harassing them with ease. Later we meet Chogan riding an Harley Davidson who is a marine.
I liked the way this focused on different aspects of the downfall brought about by the zombies and the different points of view
I liked the way this focused on different aspects of the downfall brought about by the zombies and the different points of view
September 12, 2013
Kill Ratio is a breakneck-paced doomsday thriller depicting the approaching end of America as a plague pathogen created in a US government-funded experiment that mutated H5N1 into the so-called zombie virus with a hundred-percent kill ratio decimates the world population. Can America be saved from the killer plague?
Kill Ratio
Kill Ratio
March 23, 2015
The author generously provided me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This book starts off in an action packed, zombie infested America. What is interesting about this book, as opposed to others I've read recently, is that not all of the American people are yet aware of the devastation that is spreading throughout America.
The author creates a unique and interesting plot by taking the reader back and forth from the action in zombie infested parts of America, to the difficult decisions being made in the government.
The main character, Halverson, is traveling through zombie infested areas, picking up traveling companions as he goes. Halverson was a difficult character for me to connect with. I couldn't understand his desire to "save the world" while the government was trying to kill him. His patriotism, I guess, was hard to understand. Especially when seeing the corruption and decisions being made by the government.
On the plus side, the author did a great job of illustrating decision making and governmental powers. The collection of people making decisions voiced realistic concerns, options, and consequences. Dialogue and situation were well written concerning governmental affairs.
Also, the book is well written. The author writes in a style and diction I found appealing.
This book starts off in an action packed, zombie infested America. What is interesting about this book, as opposed to others I've read recently, is that not all of the American people are yet aware of the devastation that is spreading throughout America.
The author creates a unique and interesting plot by taking the reader back and forth from the action in zombie infested parts of America, to the difficult decisions being made in the government.
The main character, Halverson, is traveling through zombie infested areas, picking up traveling companions as he goes. Halverson was a difficult character for me to connect with. I couldn't understand his desire to "save the world" while the government was trying to kill him. His patriotism, I guess, was hard to understand. Especially when seeing the corruption and decisions being made by the government.
On the plus side, the author did a great job of illustrating decision making and governmental powers. The collection of people making decisions voiced realistic concerns, options, and consequences. Dialogue and situation were well written concerning governmental affairs.
Also, the book is well written. The author writes in a style and diction I found appealing.
September 12, 2016
***Audio Book Review***
Sigh, four books into the series and 3 different narrators. This one isn't as bad as the first two, but falls well short of the third and the third was only mediocre.
Plot. OMG. Is this series really a preteen and I didn't know it? Let me split this plot into two parts. The government is searching for the former CIA operative and this part of the story is a bit thin but is believable in this zombie story. I can follow along without much of a stretch. Our CIA guy takes his group to Las Vegas and meets the leader of the city who has a very special way of controlling the horde.
Through out the book the writer explains over and over that the zombies only want to eat. They don't think, they just eat. Without giving away a spoiler, the plot is so stupid. It is a touch better than the plot of the last book, but it is still terrible. The writer has a good imagination but fails to use it to create a believable situation.
Sigh, four books into the series and 3 different narrators. This one isn't as bad as the first two, but falls well short of the third and the third was only mediocre.
Plot. OMG. Is this series really a preteen and I didn't know it? Let me split this plot into two parts. The government is searching for the former CIA operative and this part of the story is a bit thin but is believable in this zombie story. I can follow along without much of a stretch. Our CIA guy takes his group to Las Vegas and meets the leader of the city who has a very special way of controlling the horde.
Through out the book the writer explains over and over that the zombies only want to eat. They don't think, they just eat. Without giving away a spoiler, the plot is so stupid. It is a touch better than the plot of the last book, but it is still terrible. The writer has a good imagination but fails to use it to create a believable situation.
July 12, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Basic Summary: Zombie apocalypse with some politics and conspiracy thrown in.
I was slightly disappointed by Kill Ratio, because it fell short of what I expected. I personally wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. Some of the sentences felt awkward or repetitive, and a few things were fairly predictable. But I loved the characters, and the story overall was great, especially toward the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a zombie apocalypse fix.
Basic Summary: Zombie apocalypse with some politics and conspiracy thrown in.
I was slightly disappointed by Kill Ratio, because it fell short of what I expected. I personally wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. Some of the sentences felt awkward or repetitive, and a few things were fairly predictable. But I loved the characters, and the story overall was great, especially toward the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a zombie apocalypse fix.
March 14, 2015
I received an ARC in exchange for a review.
This was a solid zombie book. Some of the scenes were beyond gruesome, but I really enjoyed the descriptiveness of the author. I got a clear picture of the scenery and characters. I really enjoyed the collapse being so vividly described. The naughty government is not a new direction, but getting to know what they were up to throughout the story was a cool approach. I really enjoyed it. I won't ruin the end, but it's a good one!
This was a solid zombie book. Some of the scenes were beyond gruesome, but I really enjoyed the descriptiveness of the author. I got a clear picture of the scenery and characters. I really enjoyed the collapse being so vividly described. The naughty government is not a new direction, but getting to know what they were up to throughout the story was a cool approach. I really enjoyed it. I won't ruin the end, but it's a good one!
August 27, 2014
Kill Ratio was a good book for people who are interested in the zombie craze currently. While the book was at times predictable and had a feeling very similar to the walking dead graphic novel and tv series, I enjoyed it. I will be looking forward to another one, if there will be one. Goodreads first read.
May 4, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.I really had a hard time finishing this book.The characters seem one dimensional and left me not caring about their fates.
August 16, 2014
I won a free copy of this book. Saw it was about zombies and thought I might like it. Overall it was very enjoyable. I'll be sharing it with friends.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews