Janitors vs. The Living Dead

by Michelle Garza, Melissa Lason

In the pristine landscape of Serenity Canyon Country Club, situated in the majestic red rocks just outside of Sedona, Arizona, there is little leniency for anything grotesque. The staff ensures constant tranquility, their priorities glued to maintaining this slice of paradise on Earth in their gated community with private pools, a golf course and a members-only club.But when member Dr. Reinart becomes obsessed with his newest experimentations however, this facade begins to crumble. He unknowingly carries a parasitic virus into the neighborhood and his wife unleashes it when she decides to end their marriage swiftly and violently.Chaos envelopes the community as the virus spreads throughout. Once high-class ruling members of society shift into bumbling monsters covered in bile and decaying flesh. Their only salvation? The lowly janitors they dedicated their living days to belittling.

Genres: Horror, Zombies

284 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2025

Reviews

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The wind blew and he caught the smell of puke and feces and fire, like the gates of Hell had opened and all the sinners inside had eaten a casino seafood buffet and got wicked food poisoning.'


4.5🧟🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This zombie book is fast paced, the action starts immediately. This not your typical zombie book it has a lot of elements to which consist of gore, lots of vomit, explicit scenes and downright just gross. This book takes place in the beautiful desert setting of Arizona, where we explore a janitorial staff called the SCUM crew. They work in an exclusive neighborhood that caters to the rich and famous. What starts off as a night full of overtime and dealing with uppity people is a night full of terror and a fight for survival.

I enjoyed the book had a very good back story explaining the origin of the parasite that made people zombies. The characters were believable and seem like people you’ll know. Once the action started it didn’t end until the very last page.
Definitely give this book a read as it has a nice spin on the zombie genre. If you want to read a book with a different take on zombies and want to be grossed out, this is the book for you! I do not recommend this for anyone who has a weak

stomach. Will definitely be reading more from these authors.
Thank you to Michelle Garza, Melissa Lason, NetGalley, Dead Sky Publishing- Death’s Head Press for providing me with an ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Horror Bookworm Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
Janitors Vs The Living Dead by Sisters Of Slaughter: Melissa Lason & Michelle Garza
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/

The maintenance team for the residents of Serenity Canyon are tasked with many duties that include cleaning an outhouse with a stainless steel commode. All the while in a nearby laboratory, Dr. Theodore Reinart is conducting his own parasitic testing on human subjects. When a disturbing chain of events occur, the spread of a deadly virus begins its contamination. Equipped with goggles, gloves, super disinfectant and hazmat suits, the SCUM crew is mankind’s only hope for survival.

Crimson fluids, disfigured corpses and rotting chunks of flesh, ladies and gentlemen, feast upon the morbid masterpiece titled Janitors Vs. The Living Dead by Sisters of Slaughter: Melissa Lason and Michelle Garza. These two talented authors have created a cannibalistic rage between the living and the dead that cuts like a handheld electric carving knife. With teeth buried deep into the flesh, Lason & Garza have obviously worked overtime to concoct this buffet of organs, meat and festering parasites. The intestinal tension between the maintenance crew and the infected brings the term “dead man walking” to a whole new level.

From the the beautiful cover art by the “visual voice” of the Splatter community, Justin T Coons to The Sisters of Slaughter’s most disturbing situations…this is the perfect package of apocalyptic savagery. Janitors vs. The Living Dead is the ultimate in the breakdown of civilization and an uncontrollable contagion (this isn’t your mother’s undead creature feature). Think of Fulci and Romero with a splash of Shaun Of The Dead. From chin to foreskin, let the bile induced open wounds begin!

Seek sanctuary and find your favorite hiding spot. You have reached the depraved territory of the Sisters of Slaughter. A five Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was RANCID lmaooooo Body horror and gore mixed with some bodily fluids. This felt more like Planet Terror than Night of the Living Dead. It was giving neon green vibes in the best way. The characters all lept off the pages. For such a short book the chapters are long, but they ended up going by fast. Mostly due to the writing and the story itself. I ended up enjoying it!! will absolutely check the authors other work. we LOVE women in horror!!

thank you to netgalley, the authors and the publisher for the arc!

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is one heck of a ride! It is so fast-paced and full of vomitous gore. I've read a lot of zombie stories, but every once in awhile a good one comes along and reminds me how much I love a good zombie story.

The story flows effortlessly and gives the reader some crazy entertainment for a few hours. The hits just kept on coming and every page is just as exciting as the next. Oh, there is also some gag-worthy scenes, not gonna lie.

If you want a quick zombie (sorta zombie-like) but with a more gory outcome, then give this one a go. I highly recommend it!

I am definitely a new Garza and Lason fan! I will be adding a bunch more of their books to my tbr.

[Tiffannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love horror that is gross and gore filled so this zombie book was perfect for me!

It's got body horror, bodily fluids, and lots of zombies! Very much gave me Night of the Living Dead vibes. The characters were great and for a short book the chapters were very in depth and went by quick! The story flows beautifully and gives you tons of entertainment in a short read! Also who doesn't love women in horror!!!

[Jessica Gleason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Janitors vs. The Living Dead is an interesting take on the zombie genre. I appreciated focusing on janitors and thought the virus/organism/zombification was inventive.

The book has medium gore. I wasn't ever super grossed out, but some people might be. There's some nice body horror as well.

There were a couple inconsistencies.

Overall, it's a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janitors vs The Living Dead starts out gory and disgusting and continues throughout the entire book. It was great. A country club is overtaken by zombies and it’s up to the janitorial crew, also known as SCUM, to save them. These zombies are spreading the virus quickly. The quiet, pristine neighborhood turns into chaos. The chapters are long and usually that makes reading hard for me, however, this book is so full of action and gruesomeness, I was not deterred. I would definitely recommend this book to any extreme horror fan. Thank you Netgalley and Dead Sky Publishing for the digital arc.

[michelle ࣪ ִֶָ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 💫

What a nasty little time this was. Was it gorier than I usually prefer? Yes. Very much so. However, I think some people will really love that aspect of this, so even if it wasn't my favorite part, it's not a knock overall. But it wasn't all gore and body horror. The character work was really well done, and the scum crew was filled with likable characters. This was a super solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Death's Head Press for the ARC!

[Dion Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars out of 5.

I have always loved zombie stories, the good, the bad and especially the so bad its hilarious type ever since watching George A. Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’ movie a long time ago, and I think George would have really liked this story, gross zombies, relatable characters, and lots of action and carnage.

So if you like a good zombie story, with lots of gory action, then check this one out.

[Raymie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a strong stomach for horror and gore but I whole book about zombies vomiting and bowels exploding 🤢🤮

This is good zombie horror. It was entertaining. Don’t get too attached to any characters because no one is safe in a zombie horror. This was not a new twist on a zombie horror. The underdogs being the janitors in a high society neighborhood because the only people who can stop the zombie apocalypse.

In a 200+ page book the chapters are looooooong. There is only 8 chapters in the whole book but there is enough page breaks to take a break when needed.

Genre: Horror
APK: Ebook
Pages: 229
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

Thank you Dark Sky Publishing for a free copy of Janitors vs the Living Dead for an honest review.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not at all entertaining and there were no characters to root for,. I hated almost all of them and the rest I just didn't care about. It was disgusting. If you hate any mention of vomit, do not read this book. The only thing I liked about this was the dog.

[Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review will be here: https://www.cooper-codes.dev/reviews/...

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and publisher for an advanced copy!”

Mopocalypse Now!”

Finally, a zombie novel that dares to ask: What if the real last line of defense against the undead was a group of overworked, underpaid janitors who’ve had enough?

Janitors vs. the Living Dead delivers everything you never knew you needed—mop-wielding mayhem, industrial-strength disinfectant used as a weapon, and breakroom banter that’s somehow sharper than the machetes. These custodial warriors don’t just clean up messes; they annihilate them.

The action is relentless, the humor is darker than a school bathroom at 5 AM, and by the end, you’ll have a newfound respect for the people who take out the trash—especially when the trash bites back.

[Cyndi Farfsing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick, gory read. Interesting spin on a zombie trope, and I very much appreciated just the “right amount” of gore. Absolutely there is gratuitous gore, but the plot didn’t rely on just that shock factor. Unlike some other extreme horror books rely too much on the extreme gore for lack of a plot, this book absolutely did a fantastic job balancing them. But please do understand, there IS an extreme amount of gore and graphic depictions of violence.

This book is perfect for those who want a fun horror read, that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I enjoyed the misfit heroes, and the backstory of how the parasite was discovered and how it turned the victims into zombies. Just don’t get too attached to the characters here, the fast pace of the book doesn’t lend itself to lengthy character development which, I actually appreciated. It is a zombie book after all.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, gory, unserious horror novel to cozy up to for a weekend, this is the book for you.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.

This is a very refreshing zombie novel. It takes a lot to get and keep my attention with zombies these days, but Janitors vs. the Living Dead was so much fun. The book reads like an action movie, and has a root cause I don't think has been explored much in zombie fiction. These zombies are grosssss, y'all. Zombies are objectively disgusting anyway, but these zombies are even worse than usual. Trust me. Overall, the book has some really cool ideas executed very well. I was unfamiliar with the authors, but am delighted to see they have an extensive back catalog, so I'll definitely be checking those out. 4 stars

[Kaiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Dead Sky Publishing for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was not prepared for the way this book started. It immediately throws you into the chaos of a deeply unsettling scene featuring a misogynistic abuser and his brutal demise. If shock value was the goal, the author certainly succeeded.

> She thought of cutting him into pieces and tossing him in the lake but she worried he’d end up rising to the top because shit always floats.
>

Lines like this set the tone—dark, grotesque, and laced with a grim sense of humor. This book is definitely for fans of body horror. If you’re squeamish, tread carefully. It doesn’t push the envelope too far by modern genre standards, but someone picking it up based on the title alone might be in for a nasty surprise.

The writing leans heavily into visceral imagery, sometimes to great effect:

> The moniker stuck to them all like feces on a bathroom wall….
>

Not exactly poetic, but certainly evocative. However, there’s something that feels off about the way racial and ethnic aspects are handled. Most of the janitors in the book are Latino/a, which leans into a stereotype in a way that feels uncomfortable. It’s not overtly offensive, but there’s an underlying ickiness to it that’s hard to ignore.

The book does bring an interesting twist to the zombie genre with sentient undead and zombie POVs. That’s not something we often see, and it adds a fresh perspective. Unfortunately, the execution leaves something to be desired. There are inconsistencies in the storytelling that make the narrative feel amateurish. For example, a character doesn’t know what an orchestra pit is in one sentence, then is talking about a gala in the next. If the intent was to portray memory loss, it needed to be done with more finesse.

Ultimately, I found myself skimming the last half of the book. The premise had promise, but the execution didn’t hold my attention. If you love body horror and don’t mind a few narrative stumbles, you might find something to enjoy here. But for me, it just didn’t land.

[Barb (Boxermommyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thoughts after reading the first chapter or so was that this book was one of my first forays into extreme horror, but the note at the end leads me to believe it is actually more splatterpunk. Not exactly sure of the difference but whatever it is, this was a wild ride I won't soon forget.

Stephi and her jerk husband Teddy live in an elite, closed-gated community outside Sedona. Teddy is a lying, cheating jerk but he is also a scientist who is working a secretive government experiment. One night he comes home but unbeknownst to him, he is carrying a lethal parasite. Something happens to Teddy which sets the parasite free and before you know it, the trusty janitors, along with a couple of governmental officials with guns and grenades, are left to clean up Serenity Canyon before it's too late. In the meanwhile, Teddy's coworkers are back at the lab trying to find a cure before the whole world goes to hell.

This book is action-packed from the first chapter and never slows down. It wasn't really a book which encourages the reader to form any emotional attachments to any of the characters, but I will say the janitorial crew really stole my heart. Speaking of hearts, this book is not for the faint of heart. There is blood, gore, feces covered zombies, body fluids being spewed everywhere and as well as limbs and other various body parts.

This book was a fun romp. I know no other real way to explain it but I think the action-lover horror fans out could really find this to be a hidden gem. My only complaint was the extremely long chapters which seemed to make the story lag just a bit, despite all the action. I will definitely look to read more from these authors in the future.

[Dani-Lynn Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 Star Rating
Third Person POV (Stephi & Teddy)
Splatter Level: 🩸🩸🩸
Age Rating: 18+

🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 🖤
When I say this book takes off right from the start and doesn’t let off of the visceral bodily horrors until the end, I mean it. This is a splatterfied unique twist on the zombie genre as these ones are completely lathered in feces, which makes it even more unbearable as the innocent employees of the club have to work harder to scrub the remnants off everything.

🖤 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽 🖤
Stephi and her scientist husband Teddy lived in an elite gated community. Unknowingly to her, Teddy is a cheater scumbag who gets karma when he accidentally carries a virus back with him. There’s a sh!tty incident that happens that brings forth an excrement covered zombie to soon start attacking the quiet members of the community as the workers prepare for a busy season. The laboratory that accidentally unleashed the virus hurries to create a cure to contain the infected before it releases to the rest of society.

🖤 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 🖤
Stephi is a loving wife who tries to make sure her husband is a happy man when he returns home from work. Teddy is a jerk face. A cheater. A scumbag who doesn’t give a crap about their relationship and ultimately gets his karma when he takes home an excrement virus from the lab, causing all the carnage around the community.

🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻𝓼 🖤
🖤 excrement covered zombies
🖤 body horrors
🖤 grotesque imagery
🖤 infectious disease
🖤 excessive gore

🖤 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 🖤
This is a must read! But there is a LOT of excrement (feces) throughout the book, so if that is not your thing, this book may not be for you. But if you’re like me and prefer the squeamish things life has to offer, then you’ll definitely enjoy this fast-paced unique take on the zombie genre.

[Chelsea Pittman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been a zombie fan since high school and I’m always down for reading a new zombie book!

When a wealthy neighborhood falls under zombie attack, a group of maintenance workers must stand their ground if they want to survive.

Stephi is a lonely housewife that is fed up with the abuse her husband, Teddy, inflicts upon her. She ends up finding some relief after she cuts up his body and throws it in a public restroom. What she doesn’t know is that Teddy has been conducting experiments and now has a parasite that will bring him back from the dead. Only he won’t just be a huge jerk, he’ll try to get the whole neighborhood on his zombie team!

The characters are a little stereotypical and there’s a lot of profanity. I don’t usually mind that but it became redundant. The zombies reminded me of the ones in Brian Keene’s The Rising series though not as interesting.

Unfortunately , for me, I don’t think I would read any more books by the authors. The book is fine and doesn’t take itself too seriously but wasn’t the right fit for me. I really wanted more of Stephi’s story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Garza, Melissa Lason and Dead Sky Publishing for the opportunity to read it. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down to 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Death's Head Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fun. It reminded me of a B-horror movie, and I say that in a positive way. This book was pure chaos; it was gory and disgusting, and didn't hold back. I also thought that the zombie origin story was pretty unique/creative, which made it stand out to me. I appreciate that, as there are a lot of horror books and movies saturated with zombies. In theory, zombies are pretty basic and can be boring. The authors definitely gave it a little twist and made it memorable. This made me think of a combination of the movies Night of the Creeps for the campiness, and 28 Weeks Later with the military involvement.

This was definitely extreme horror, and the amount of blood/gore/vomit/feces were at epic levels. A lot of people might be turned off by this, but if you're not new to the genre of extreme horror and have the mind of a 12 year old boy (occasionally), then you'll enjoy this one. It was a quick, easy read, and was completely unserious and surprisingly lighthearted compared to a lot of horror I've been reading.

[Vania Vela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janitors vs. The Living Dead by Sisters of Slaughter (Melissa Lason & Michelle Garza) is a grotesque, blood-soaked thrill ride that doesn't hold back. Packed with body horror and more bodily fluids than you'd ever want to imagine, this story grips you with its fast-paced chaos and unapologetic gore.

The undead here aren’t your typical shambling zombies — no, these are rich, spoiled golfers gone terrifyingly feral. Who knew privilege could turn so grotesque? The carnage is so vivid and visceral that I genuinely felt nauseated a few times (Mind you, I read this in my lunch break. Terrible decision).

If you're in the mood for something over-the-top disgusting, revolting, and brilliantly disturbing, this riotous tale is for you. Just be sure to have a strong stomach — or at least a barf bag handy!

[TheGreatandWonderfulBookWitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was both vile and disgusting. I loved it! It left me feeling queasy from reading, but I wanted to know how it all ended. This was a fun read that doesn't take itself too seriously. If you like Shaun of the Dead, this would probably be a good book for you! It definitely has good splattering scenes! I read this book strictly based on the title and cover artand it did not let me down. I fully expected it to be a wild, erratic, nasty ride and it was all that plus some!

On the downside, there were many spelling and grammatical mistakes throughout the book. I skipped over the first several because all books have mistakes, but I eventually started to track them and there are enough that it lessened the enjoyment for me. I hope this gets fixed before publishing because it's a great book otherwise and would make a disgustingly great horror movie!

[Stevie O · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot is poured into the 165 pages of this novella. Disturbing and gross, the narrative ticks every body horror checklist possible. As I write this, I’m feeling unwell in myself anyway and this novel definitely added to that.

The cast of characters are flimsy enough, offering little genuine substance (which is delightful in a novel like this. I don’t want to spot the obvious final character too early). Where the story shines is the descriptions. Mutated worms. Caved in heads. Zombies. This book riotously parades through ever more violent scenarios like a screenplay. The effect is palpable.

All in all, a great escape from reality and a creepy giggle worthy novel.

Advance copy given by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

[ajreadsfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serenity Canyon Country Club is a gated community filled with snobby residents outside Sedona, Arizona.

One of the residents of this community unknowingly carries a parasite home - and that is the day her wife has finally had enough and kills him, only to activate the parasite!

This was a book I just fell in love with the cover and the title sounded fun, so I decided to apply for the ARC and I am so glad I did!

I am normally not a fan of Zombie horror, but this was a lot of fun. I wanted to see what happened to each and every one of the characters.

It was a weird, fun and not scary but more of a gory book and a solid 4-star!

Thank you very much to Dead Sky Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to the authors, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I've read some of The Sisters of Slaughter works in the past but that did not prepare me for this extreme horror slaughterfest. Janitors vs. The Living Dead reads like that classic zombie movie from the 80s, Return of the Living Dead. Full of humor, gore, horror and great death scenes makes this book stand out for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this reading and look forward to delving further into their catalog. Highly highly recommended.

[Chris Vanasse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing for this free eARC!

Wow! What a fuckin’ ride this was! Violent, soaked in gore and entrails. Just everything you want from a zombie story. Just enough character development to make you care for the people before they get absolutely slaughtered. It was disgusting. It was vile. It was stomach churning. But it was awesome. It was my first Sisters of Slaughter book, but it definitely won’t be my last!

[Jolene]

I recieved an arc through NetGalley and I was so excited to read this!

However I just can't seem to get into it. I've tried so many times and I can't tell you what it is exactly that I don't like. Maybe it is taking too slow? Maybe it's the constant switching of POV's? I don't know because usually I don't mind those things..

I won't be giving it a rating for now. Perhaphs I'll pick it back up again in the future but for now it is a DNF, sadly.

[Kandice Bentley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yucky! In the best way! I did have fun with this. It was a solid, zombie-esque, gross read. The characters were interesting and the storyline: Rich folks dying to zombies... such a fun time! It was a quick read for me. A solid 3 stars.

Thank you very much to Dead Sky Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Risshan Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.
This reads like watching a zombie flick! It’s fast paced, gross, and fun. I’m from Arizona so naturally I was inclined to read it! I enjoyed the spin on normal zombies. All the puking was disgusting and the worms were a unique addition. Don’t worry, disgusting is good here.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc copy!