All Hell Breaks Loose

The Hungry #5

by Steven W. Booth, Harry Shannon

Sheriff Penny Miller of Flat Rock, Nevada, has always done her duty. On the first night of the zombie apocalypse, she swore an oath to protect her friends from the ravenous hordes. However, now that the virus is rapidly spreading to the rest of the country it has become clear that Miller and her friends, Scratch, Sheppard, and Rat, are winning battles but losing the war. And that’s just not good enough for Penny. Too many people have already died.

Determined to stop the maniacs who have been funding the research that created the undead, and with the key to stopping the virus in hand, Miller and crew embark on a long and dangerous journey north. Their route cuts through the very heart of zombie occupied territory, but this time they are out to end the apocalypse once and for all. Unfortunately, the elite committee of government officials who control the Super Soldier program knows exactly where Miller and her friends are headed, and they are determined to capture or kill them at any cost.

Sheriff Miller doesn’t stand a chance. Of course, lousy odds never stopped her before. She gives the order to move out.

And that’s when all hell breaks loose.

Genres: Zombies

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2014

About the author

Like many authors, I've held far too many jobs. My most favorite was not really a job, but a volunteer position as the seneschal of the SCA Canton of St. David's at UC Santa Cruz. My least favorite was being a taxi driver. Today I am very happy being the publisher at Genius Book Publishing. Who knows what the future will bring?

I have earned a BA in Economics/Business with a minor in Medieval History from UC Santa Cruz, an MBA in Nonprofit Management from the University of Judaism (now called American Jewish University), and a Masters in Teaching from National University. I consider myself heavily over-educated (which is not necessarily the best thing to be), but still have aspirations to get a PhD in my 60s and write a book on the history of deregulation in the United States. What's that got to do with zombies, I have no idea.

I have collaborated on every published project I have, and I really admire and appreciate my collaborators. I do have aspirations to publish solo projects, and I am currently working on a YA thriller that may actually see the light of day. I also plan to write short stories and novels in the future, but one project at a time.

I have been married for 14 years (in March 2014) to a wonderful and brilliant woman, Leya Booth. She is a genius--hence the name of my company--and she also works from home, so I get to see her all day, every day, which is all I could hope for. We are proud humans owned by a couple of cats. You'll see pictures occasionally at my personal page.

Thanks!

Reviews

[Frank Errington · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars Review copy

Penelope Jean Miller, Sheriff of Flat Rock County, Nevada, is back and still fighting to stay alive, but this time Penny is fighting more than zombies. She and her rag-tag band of zombie fighters are also trying to remain one step ahead of the people who caused the disaster in the first place.

The Hungry 5 - All Hell Breaks Loose delivers. The fun starts in the prologue and continues right through to the shocking conclusion.

Steven W. Booth and Harry Shannon continue to breath life into the zombie sub-genre. "Miller approached and spotted a long-dead female behind the wheel. She appeared to have gotten stuck somehow, perhaps when she'd run out of gas and couldn't reach the pump. She had an old rusty pistol in her lap. Miller guessed she had been bitten and then shot herself in the head to keep from coming back. She was wearing a nightgown and wore green, plastic curlers in her blood-splattered hair. Her mouth was open and flies had laid eggs within it. The corpse was not fully decayed. The odor of decay was now faint but still nauseating."

With old friends and new characters, the writers manage to keep things comfortable yet fresh and of course there is still the sexual tension between Penny and Scratch, and when Scratch shows an interest in one with those new characters, Miller shows her jealous side, "She leaned forward ever so slightly, so as to offer Scratch a generous eyefull of cleavage. The dumb redneck son of a bitch didn't even care that he was being played like an antique accordion at a Cajun picnic."

Once again, it's not necessary to read all the previous books in the series, but why miss out on all the fun. Will there be more books in the series? I've heard there will be, but once you read The Hungry 5 - All Hell Breaks Loose you will find yourself wondering how they'll manage to pull that off.

The Hungry 5 - All Hell Breaks Loose is available now from Genius Book Publishing though Amazon.com.

A fun read I can highly recommend.

[Jill Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a title like “All Hell Breaks Loose” you’re guaranteed quite the experience, and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint. In classic Penny and Scratch fashion, the hilarious one-liners and outlandish, witty, off-the-tongue phrases are on full display as the team takes on some extra quirky characters, finds a dog, and even introduces some new love interests.

Authors Steven Booth and Harry Shannon have toyed with readers throughout this series as the romantic tension between Penny and Scratch has driven their motivations, reckless behaviors, and desire to survive. Yet, as book five unfolds, the super charged air that surrounds our lovers palpitates from every page. Back where it all began, Penny confronts a cult, again, and law enforcement, again, as she takes to the caves, forest, and roads in this epic quest to remain alive.

It isn’t often you find an author that keeps you fully engaged and anticipating each book in the series, especially one that is six books long (plus a prequel), but Booth and Shannon do just that. A true testament to their skill, each installment in the Sheriff Penny Miller series invites new and entertaining plot lines that speed by you in the blink of an eye. And, before you know it five books are behind you and you’re still eager for more, hoping it never ends.

“All Hell Breaks Loose” lives up to its name. Crossing state lines, working to survive a wild chase, and encountering more odd companions along the way, the Sheriff Penny Miller series is certainly never dull. From emotional turmoil to old loves and new, learning who to trust and being forced to trust others you’d rather not, Booth and Shannon have us pondering our own decisions in the face of apocalyptic zombies hungering to eat you alive.

[Shana Festa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blood on Sheriff Penny Miller's hands is getting thicker. The decisions are getting harder, and the zombies are getting weirder. A clandestine agency is introduced in the fifth book of this wildly excellent series. Not only are they after Penny, but they're not above deceiving their own.

Booth and Shannon have done it! Readers now know who is pulling the strings. When a drone is sent to Flat Rock to find Penny, the group is forced back into the lair of a previous foe.

All Hell Breaks Loose does something a little different with the narration. Still told from Penny's perspective, however, this latest installment has interludes, providing updates on the powers that be, and their intentions.

You'd think by now the collective would be smarter and see a double cross coming from a mile away. Nope.

There is an epic reveal in this book, well, two I guess. One I suspected may occur, and called it in a review of one of the series earlier books. The second, let's just say daaaaaaamn, I didn't see that coming. It gets awkward, and I'll leave it at that. As I glance back over my reading notes, I get a big chuckle out of the fact that when Penny gets slapped in the face with a hefty dose of reality, my notes say "Holy Shit!!!!!!!!!" That's right, nine exclamation points for that reveal.
There is no shortage of new and old characters in book five, oh, and elves...zombie elves. The relationship woes of Penny and Scratch continue, like an apocalyptic soap opera. This book felt a lot shorter than the others in the series, but it isn't. The last quarter of the book picks up a massive bit of momentum and I barreled through it.

The only thing that didn't earn an A+ this time around was the cover-art. I've been on the fence regarding the artwork throughout the series, not loving and not hating it, decidedly neutral. But this one feels out of place and mismatched. Yes, Penny is still on the cover, but I get a more bounty hunteresque feel than spitfire sheriff. I think, though, the fact that I am ambivalent of the covers as a whole says something. Penny is too awesome to be laden in mediocrity, she deserves a cover that fits the quality of the writing and characters.

Penny's list of foes is growing, and she's ready for what comes next. There is descent among the ranks of those pulling the puppet strings, and their intentions have yet to be made clear. Let the mystery and intrigue continue. Huzzah!

[Robbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope rat miracles make a comeback

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheriff Penny and her crew always come out fighting

Penny, Scratch, Sheppard and a really motley crew are on a mission - to get critical anti-zombie virus information to the World Health Organization.

Book 5 starts out with Penny saying goodbye to her old place in Flat Rock, Nevada, knowing she'll probably make it back there again. They head out across Nevada, heading towards Mountain Home, Idaho, where Scratch was told his boys were taken.

And it is a rip-roaring ride again, as they fight for every mile they make (it seems) on their way to their final destination.

And lurking in the background are the grand puppetmasters responsible for zombies and all the death and destruction.

This was my favorite of the series so far. I enjoyed the addition of the new characters, even if all of them don't make it. Whoops - but you probably knew that would happen anyway, didn't you?

Now I'm off to read The Hungry 6: The Rule of Three.

It's not mandatory that you read all the books in this series but they are sure a lot of zombie fun.

I received this book from Genius Book Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review.

[C.W. Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I didn't like this book. I like when Scratch is a tough biker man and not a whiny baby. To many times this book made Penny seem like the one that was the biker and Scratch was her bitch. All in all a good read to go with the rest of the series.

[Lord · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it but I was expecting more. I am looking forward to reading "The Hungry 6" so I hope there will be one. ;)

[Ian Manton · Rating 3 out of 5]

continued the story but seems to have stalled, let's hope book 6 can bring some developments that can re-energize the story.