Landfill Lizards

by Edward J. McFadden III

In the desolate expanse of Scorched Mesa, where fear clings like desert dust and horrors fester beneath the searing sun, a veteran’s refuge becomes a battleground.

Oscar Rayos, a broken and disgraced ex-Army sergeant condemned to toil in the sprawling landfill neighboring the Cactus Ridge Proving Grounds, must confront his past and fight for a future shrouded in uncertainties as he navigates the treacherous terrain of a garbage dump tainted by secrets.

Something stirs within the depths of the Patriot Landfill & Recycling Center—a grotesque fusion of nature and military hubris. Mutant Gila monsters prowl the refuse in search of prey, and as the line between man and monster blurs, Oscar battles not only for survival, but for redemption. For in the heart of darkness, where genetically altered predators wait in ambush, lies the chance to reclaim his honor—or perish beneath the claws of monstrosities unleashed by mankind’s folly.

Welcome to the inferno where terror reigns, and only the fearless will survive.

From the author of A Cryptid Thriller, A Cryptid Horror Thriller, Terror Lake, The Cryptid Club, and Crimson A Monster in the Mist comes Landfill Lizards, a fast-paced cryptid thriller that combines creature feature elements with sci-fi intrigue, exploring the consequences of unchecked government power and the resilience of a former soldier determined to protect his community.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2024

About the author

Ed cut his teeth reading John Christopher, Tolkien, Poe, Brooks and Zelazny, and graduated to Joe Haldeman, Allen Steele, Arthur C. Clark and Jack Vance. For the last twenty years he’s done a deep dive on apocalyptic fiction, and he really enjoyed learning at the feet of Elmore Leonard, Philip K. Dick, Lawrence Block, Ray Bradbury, Carl Hiaasen, Stephen King, Joe Lansdale, and F. Paul Wilson. His recent publications include Hell Creek, Too Much Grit, The Cryptid Club, Keepers of the Flame, Quick Sands, Sandbagged, Dogs Get Ten Lives, Barracuda Swarm, Dinosaur Red, Drop Off, and Jurassic Ark. His sea thrillers, The Breach and Shadow of the Abyss were Amazon #1 Best Sellers and the audio version of The Breach was a #1 Hot New Release. His other novels include Throwback, Sea Tremors, Primeval Valley, AWAKE, The Black Death of Babylon, and HOAXERS. He lives on Long Island with his wife Dawn, and their daughter Samantha.

Reviews

[wayne peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of this book.

This book was outstanding! Fast paced and exciting! A few grammatical errors, but very well written. The continuity and flow of the book was great! Lots of action, some humor, and tons of creatures. Pun intended. I am not disappointed with the author's well thought out storyline. Very enjoyable and an excellent job of putting this novel together. Well thought out plots in the book. The ending wss great. Makes the reader really think. We all know that the government uses animals as weapons. Take dolphins for example. Also military dogs for guarding our soldiers and police use them also. We have dogs that can smell cancer even before it can be detected. Dogs help people with various conditions and disabilities. This book takes us into a whole new realm. Really scary! Excellent book.

[joshua penrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giant monsters in the desert? Yeah sure we may have seen/read things like this before but this brings some fun kills and good monsters.

Pros:
+ monsters were fun
+ fun setting and use of the area

Cons:
- what’s up with all the lip licking
- there was maybe too much inner monologue of our main characters dead wife

I enjoyed the read well enough. I would have liked some new twists and turns.

[Savannah Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh

2.5/5
The story had promise but it just felt slow. I was wanting a mutant lizard story but this seemed more like a man grieving his dead wife with lizards thrown in. I also hated the Roma e that got thrown in during the last 20% of the book.
The action was good when it was there, I got very tired of reading the word chicken-bark and still don’t know what that sounds like. I may give this author another go but I’m not sure.

[Lesa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt as if i were there.

Fantastic read. Solid storyline, believeable characters, story moved at a good pace with the suspense rising. 🫣 I am hoping for a sequel!!