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Mayday: A Kaiju Thriller
WE WON THE WAR, BUT CAN WE SURVIVE THE NIGHT?
Nineteen years ago, the Maydays attacked. Five colossal monsters rose from the earth and laid waste to cities around the globe, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction.
Now those monsters are our slaves, fighting each other for our amusement in brutal matches broadcast across the world, courtesy of the Volkov Media Corporation.
A MONSTER LIES DEAD.
Maydays have proven themselves indestructible. So when a Mayday is found dead with no cause and no witnesses, Volkov’s staff detective Jay Escobar is tasked with uncovering the truth before it can cripple the company.
THE MAYDAYS WILL RISE AGAIN.
This is the case that will make Escobar’s career. But the investigation soon spirals wildly out of control. As he races to solve the case before it’s too late, Escobar discovers that the Mayday’s death is only the first step in a plot that will see humanity plunged back into an unwinnable war.
And he’ll be at ground zero when it begins.
MAYDAY is a genre-bending mash-up of hardboiled crime fiction and Japanese kaiju cinema. Sam Spade meets Godzilla in a gripping mystery of monstrous proportions.
Nineteen years ago, the Maydays attacked. Five colossal monsters rose from the earth and laid waste to cities around the globe, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction.
Now those monsters are our slaves, fighting each other for our amusement in brutal matches broadcast across the world, courtesy of the Volkov Media Corporation.
A MONSTER LIES DEAD.
Maydays have proven themselves indestructible. So when a Mayday is found dead with no cause and no witnesses, Volkov’s staff detective Jay Escobar is tasked with uncovering the truth before it can cripple the company.
THE MAYDAYS WILL RISE AGAIN.
This is the case that will make Escobar’s career. But the investigation soon spirals wildly out of control. As he races to solve the case before it’s too late, Escobar discovers that the Mayday’s death is only the first step in a plot that will see humanity plunged back into an unwinnable war.
And he’ll be at ground zero when it begins.
MAYDAY is a genre-bending mash-up of hardboiled crime fiction and Japanese kaiju cinema. Sam Spade meets Godzilla in a gripping mystery of monstrous proportions.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2014
About the author
Chris Strange
16 books67 followersChris Strange discovered at an early age that he was completely unsuited to life among normal human beings. After experimenting with several different career paths, he said to hell with it and went back to writing, his first love.
Chris is the author of Don’t Be a Hero and the Miles Franco series of hard-boiled urban fantasy novels, beginning with The Man Who Crossed Worlds. He writes for the daydreamers, the losers, the cynics and the temporarily insane. His stories are full of restless energy and driven by a passion for the unorthodox. He loves writing characters on the fringe of society: the drifters, the knights errant, the down-and-out.
In his spare time, Chris is an unapologetic geek, spending far too long wrapped up in sci-fi books, watching old kaiju movies and playing video games. He lives in the far away land of New Zealand, and is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Forensic Science.
He doesn’t plan on growing up any time soon.
Chris also writes crime and noir fiction as Harry St. John.
Contacting Chris
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Email
Email Chris at chrisstrangeauthor@gmail.com
Chris is the author of Don’t Be a Hero and the Miles Franco series of hard-boiled urban fantasy novels, beginning with The Man Who Crossed Worlds. He writes for the daydreamers, the losers, the cynics and the temporarily insane. His stories are full of restless energy and driven by a passion for the unorthodox. He loves writing characters on the fringe of society: the drifters, the knights errant, the down-and-out.
In his spare time, Chris is an unapologetic geek, spending far too long wrapped up in sci-fi books, watching old kaiju movies and playing video games. He lives in the far away land of New Zealand, and is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Forensic Science.
He doesn’t plan on growing up any time soon.
Chris also writes crime and noir fiction as Harry St. John.
Contacting Chris
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Email
Email Chris at chrisstrangeauthor@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 21, 2017
About 19 years ago, enormous monsters that were later dubbed “Maydays” appeared all over the world. Over the course of 9 years, they killed 1.1 billion people. Nothing anyone did seemed to have any effect on the Maydays, until Professor Nikolai Volkov unleashed his newly invented mind control technology. Humans still couldn’t harm Maydays, but now they could at least control them. Volkov decided to combine entertainment and punishment and created Volkov Entertainment Incorporated, a company specializing in broadcasting “Mayday vs. Mayday” battles.
The company has been doing pretty well for the past 10 years. Then something shocking and supposedly impossible happens: Yllia, one of the Maydays, dies. Jay Escobar, head of Volkov Entertainment’s Investigative Division, declares that Yllia was murdered. But who could murder a Mayday? Nukes couldn’t put a scratch on them, and even other Maydays are only able to do a little damage.
Mayday: A Kaiju Thriller was one of my impulse buys. The premise sounded interesting and the excerpt seemed readable, so I figured why not?
The beginning read like a hardboiled detective story. About halfway through, the story morphed into a sci-fi thriller that reminded me of Jurassic Park (the movie more so than the book), complete with deaths, severed body parts, and the booming footsteps of enormous and deadly monsters. I loved the book’s premise, the Mayday battles were loads of fun, and the Maydays themselves were each unique and fascinating.
I wish I’d gotten a chance to see Yllia as a living being, since she was probably my favorite of the bunch - my mental image of her looked a lot like Mothra. Serraton was another Mayday whose design I liked: a slim and agile snake with legs, a lot like a Chinese dragon. I don’t think there was a single Mayday I didn’t enjoy reading about (in the sense of getting to see them in action), although I liked Tempest (spider-like), Nasir (squat and humanoid), and Grotesque (crocodilian, with poison-filled pustules along its back) less than Yllia and Serraton.
The mystery could have been better, since I figured out a large part of it only a third of the way through. However, the action helped make up for the weak mystery - even if Escobar and the others had managed to figure things out faster, they’d still have had their hands full trying to keep from being killed by the Maydays.
That said, one of the book’s biggest weaknesses was Escobar. Everything was written in first-person POV from his perspective, and I really, really disliked him. He was overconfident, misogynistic, and unnecessarily violent. His inability to dial down his general jerkishness hurt his investigation and led to the deaths of maybe thousands of people. I frequently found myself wishing that someone else had been the main character. Healy would have been great, or maybe Priya. Healy seemed like a decent enough guy, and he was certainly steadier and smarter than Escobar. Priya’s POV would have removed a few of the book’s surprises, but I’d still have preferred her determination and anger over Escobar’s...everything. I really hated that guy.
I saw one review in which Escobar was referred to as “self-aware,” but that was only later on, after several people had had cause to tell him that he was a ham-handed investigator and terrible human being. And the thing was, he didn’t change his ways after he realized how awful he’d been - he just made more conscious use of his terribleness. I couldn’t really blame him for killing one particular character, but shooting another character he’d hoped to interrogate further was just plain stupid.
One bit that really bugged me was when Escobar was trying to distract Tempest. The best thing he could come up with to keep Tempest’s attention was to comment on Tempest’s lack of a penis and apparent inability to have sex (either due to a lack of a partner or a complete physical inability). Those two long paragraphs didn’t seem to have much of an effect on Tempest’s emotional state, but they did say an awful lot about Escobar.
The mystery was interesting, even though I was able to figure out a good chunk of it early on, and the Maydays and Mayday battles were wonderful. I just wish the book had been written from some other character’s POV.
Additional Comments:
At one point, a character bit a chunk out of Escobar's left hand. Later, Escobar broke what I assume was his right wrist. I don't recall Escobar ever getting proper treatment for his left hand (no time), so it bugged me that he kept using what I assumed was his bitten hand to hold his broken wrist against his body with no mention of his hand hurting. Even if the pain in his wrist was overshadowing the pain in his hand, his bitten hand would have still been difficult to use, and I'd have expected that, at least, to be mentioned. Other than that, though, I didn't notice much in the way of errors.
Rating Note:
I gave this 3.5 stars on LibraryThing and debated how to round my star rating for Goodreads. On the one hand, I really disliked Escobar and hated having the view the story through his POV. On the other hand, the book was smoothly written and the Maydays were fun to read about. I settled on 4 stars.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
The company has been doing pretty well for the past 10 years. Then something shocking and supposedly impossible happens: Yllia, one of the Maydays, dies. Jay Escobar, head of Volkov Entertainment’s Investigative Division, declares that Yllia was murdered. But who could murder a Mayday? Nukes couldn’t put a scratch on them, and even other Maydays are only able to do a little damage.
Mayday: A Kaiju Thriller was one of my impulse buys. The premise sounded interesting and the excerpt seemed readable, so I figured why not?
The beginning read like a hardboiled detective story. About halfway through, the story morphed into a sci-fi thriller that reminded me of Jurassic Park (the movie more so than the book), complete with deaths, severed body parts, and the booming footsteps of enormous and deadly monsters. I loved the book’s premise, the Mayday battles were loads of fun, and the Maydays themselves were each unique and fascinating.
I wish I’d gotten a chance to see Yllia as a living being, since she was probably my favorite of the bunch - my mental image of her looked a lot like Mothra. Serraton was another Mayday whose design I liked: a slim and agile snake with legs, a lot like a Chinese dragon. I don’t think there was a single Mayday I didn’t enjoy reading about (in the sense of getting to see them in action), although I liked Tempest (spider-like), Nasir (squat and humanoid), and Grotesque (crocodilian, with poison-filled pustules along its back) less than Yllia and Serraton.
The mystery could have been better, since I figured out a large part of it only a third of the way through. However, the action helped make up for the weak mystery - even if Escobar and the others had managed to figure things out faster, they’d still have had their hands full trying to keep from being killed by the Maydays.
That said, one of the book’s biggest weaknesses was Escobar. Everything was written in first-person POV from his perspective, and I really, really disliked him. He was overconfident, misogynistic, and unnecessarily violent. His inability to dial down his general jerkishness hurt his investigation and led to the deaths of maybe thousands of people. I frequently found myself wishing that someone else had been the main character. Healy would have been great, or maybe Priya. Healy seemed like a decent enough guy, and he was certainly steadier and smarter than Escobar. Priya’s POV would have removed a few of the book’s surprises, but I’d still have preferred her determination and anger over Escobar’s...everything. I really hated that guy.
I saw one review in which Escobar was referred to as “self-aware,” but that was only later on, after several people had had cause to tell him that he was a ham-handed investigator and terrible human being. And the thing was, he didn’t change his ways after he realized how awful he’d been - he just made more conscious use of his terribleness. I couldn’t really blame him for killing one particular character, but shooting another character he’d hoped to interrogate further was just plain stupid.
One bit that really bugged me was when Escobar was trying to distract Tempest. The best thing he could come up with to keep Tempest’s attention was to comment on Tempest’s lack of a penis and apparent inability to have sex (either due to a lack of a partner or a complete physical inability). Those two long paragraphs didn’t seem to have much of an effect on Tempest’s emotional state, but they did say an awful lot about Escobar.
The mystery was interesting, even though I was able to figure out a good chunk of it early on, and the Maydays and Mayday battles were wonderful. I just wish the book had been written from some other character’s POV.
Additional Comments:
At one point, a character bit a chunk out of Escobar's left hand. Later, Escobar broke what I assume was his right wrist. I don't recall Escobar ever getting proper treatment for his left hand (no time), so it bugged me that he kept using what I assumed was his bitten hand to hold his broken wrist against his body with no mention of his hand hurting. Even if the pain in his wrist was overshadowing the pain in his hand, his bitten hand would have still been difficult to use, and I'd have expected that, at least, to be mentioned. Other than that, though, I didn't notice much in the way of errors.
Rating Note:
I gave this 3.5 stars on LibraryThing and debated how to round my star rating for Goodreads. On the one hand, I really disliked Escobar and hated having the view the story through his POV. On the other hand, the book was smoothly written and the Maydays were fun to read about. I settled on 4 stars.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
February 12, 2026
Overall a fun and fast read. Successfully fuses noir and sci-fi elements for an entertaining conventional story about monsters and a detective in the future.
I found myself most engaged in dialogue heavy scenes, like the interrogations and standoffs. The details of the monsters were somewhat lost on me, maybe because I didn’t feel they were essential to the story. But the scrappy back and forth between characters was cool, although not as textured and stylish as Raymond Chandler’s stories, of which was obvious inspiration.
It took about 60 pages to really get into the story, but from then was breezy. I wasn’t too surprised or shocked by anything in the plot and don’t think it gave much to chew on afterward, but this was light good fun!
Shoutout to P for the rec
I found myself most engaged in dialogue heavy scenes, like the interrogations and standoffs. The details of the monsters were somewhat lost on me, maybe because I didn’t feel they were essential to the story. But the scrappy back and forth between characters was cool, although not as textured and stylish as Raymond Chandler’s stories, of which was obvious inspiration.
It took about 60 pages to really get into the story, but from then was breezy. I wasn’t too surprised or shocked by anything in the plot and don’t think it gave much to chew on afterward, but this was light good fun!
Shoutout to P for the rec
July 6, 2014
A Kaiju Thriller? Detectives and giant monsters? I like a good detective story now and again and I absolutely geek out over giant monsters in any context, but this mashup seemed a little too weird even for me....until I thought, "weird? I like weird, why the hell not." So glad I did, this was a great little story. It's all there, giant, world destroying behemoths with an interesting history, a truly interesting mystery that really drove the story, interesting supporting characters and a morally questionable main character, Jay Escobar, who ultimately learns the meaning of redemption. Oh, and plenty of large scale, city smashing, giant monster carnage and battles. Chris Strange is a very talented writer with a quirky, exciting voice. The more of his novels I read, the more I want to read.
November 2, 2016
My Thoughts:
As I Began the Book:
Whoa, that is an awesome name for Kaijus!
The author named them Maydays and the book started with the last transmission from a cargo ship before it went down due to a Mayday attack. Then we find ourselves standing at the crime scene of one of the Maydays, Yllia. The protagonist is a PI who is with us at the scene, trying to see if there is a case for him. It is pouring, there is mud and the dead Kaiju lies in the middle of it all. I knew I was going to love this book and I was right because the next thing we find out is it is next to impossible to kill a Mayday but this one just keeled over. Then, our protag discovers that Yllia didn't just die but that she was murdered.
Fairly into the Story:
Maybe he'd change by the end of the book...
I found out that I hated the PI. There were all sorts of things that were off-putting when it came to this guy. He cracked sexist jokes, he sucked at his job most of the time, and he decided to make the king of Kaijus, Tempest, kneel before interrogating him. The funny part is that I didn't care! I was enjoying the story too much to give a damn.
I loved that the Kaijus all looked different even though they were part of the same race. From what I gathered, Yllia, was a winged insectoid Mayday, described in the following words:
"Yllia’s official data sheet said this Mayday was 72 metres high, or 136 metres from head to tail, with a 158 metre wingspan... White fur coated her from her bulbous head to the tips of her forked tail. Her four arms—each ending in three delicate scythed claws—were folded beneath her, sinking into the mud. Even lying down she towered over me like a tsunami about to break. One thin, butterfly-like wing lay open across her body; the other was folded up, out of sight."
Grotesque, on the other hand, was crocodilian:
I’d heard Grotesque described as a gigantic crocodile before. I’d never really seen it—his snout was too flat, his tail too long and snake-like, arms and legs more like a tiger’s than a reptile’s. But seeing him come sprinting across the rubble on all fours, tail flicking back and forth as he moved, the comparison suddenly fit. His jaws sprung open, revealing layer after layer of piercing yellow teeth, made not to cut but to grab and hold on. His leathery skin was a pale greenish-yellow, the colour of sickness. On either side of the jagged spines on his back, large yellow pustules throbbed against his skin.
Tempest is arachnid-like:
Serraton is described as resembling a Chinese Dragon:
Nasir is said to the most humanoid of all the Kaijus. From the description, I imagine he'd look something like this:
What is scarier than a scary monster? A monster who is sadistic and cunning. Tempest lived up to his name and made my insides go all gooey with his smarts. He planned to reclaim his title and rule the world with his army of Kaijus. He was almost human in the way he displayed his hatred and furthered his ambition.
Right There To the End:
Tempest is Bae!
The fight scenes between the Kaijus were written in amazing detail. The author grabs you with his words and makes you stand with the shitty PI as you read them. I was having the kinda fun that I had while watching Pacific Rim and the action just would not let up.
Like all good monster stories, this one ended with the Kaijus in stasis and not dead or defeated. It made the book all the more enjoyable. Like most monster stories, the people in it fail to realize the implications of enslaving gigantic murderous creatures and making them fight for sport.
If you pick up this book, don't read it for the story or the plot or even the dialogues. Read it for the love of Kaijus and monster flicks that thrives in you. Read it to see not one or two but five Kaijus go at it while puny humans run around trying to save the world.
The author included a note at the end, asking readers if he should continue with a sequel. I think I would love to read what other sadistic ways Tempest might come up with to torture us!
A Little Bit About Making Connections:
I received this book for free in exchange for this review through Making Connections (MC). MC is all kinds of awesome because it highlights indie authors and offers their work up for review. They also do blog tours where different bloggers sign up to promote a certain book. Grab your copy here!
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2025
Awesome. I wanted a sci-fi noir mashup and this book delivered. It also hit in surprising ways that I did not expect. I thought it would be a straightforward mystery novel with a sci fi backdrop but it took a turn about halfway through cascading in to an existential thriller. It brought more sci fi weirdness than I expected but still remained as a solid mystery till the very end.
February 7, 2015
Love all the twists and turns. My only issue was that, with the main character, the author seemed to missed "hard-boiled detective" and instead landed on "misogynist asshole."
February 25, 2022
I am a sucker for kaiju/ monster/ fear of the unknown type stories. Mayday while fits right into the bracket, disappoints in the believability sense. I didn't buy the whole mind control thing across multiple kaijus & humans and specially the kaiju's scheming aspects. A good story satisfies when it ends, even if the ending is sad or open. This one made me speed-read through the pages, just to finish it. No offence to the author because I honestly can't even imagine conjuring such stories. So, hat's off to all authors.
Let me start by talking about the protagonist. It was refreshing to see a protagonist who is in the grey the whole time. While there was kind of an evolution to his character through the course of the story, it wasn't interesting. The other parties in the story aren't fleshed-out properly to feel for their loss or wins. It didn't make me feel anything for the world created in the novel. So, that was my biggest disappointment. Having said that, I still liked the premises. Another gripe I have with the story is the kaijus themselves. Except for tempest, none of the other monsters had any personality, including Yllia. Even tempest's scheming, hungry for power traits were too human and not animalistic. May be I am missing something or may be I am not too evolved to bite into the concept; but I wanted to enjoy the book and I didn't.
The 3 stars I gave are for:
1. The premises
2. The initial set-up, which was very intriguing
3. My respect for the authors in general
Long story short, I will not recommend this one to my reader friends. Sorry. :(
Let me start by talking about the protagonist. It was refreshing to see a protagonist who is in the grey the whole time. While there was kind of an evolution to his character through the course of the story, it wasn't interesting. The other parties in the story aren't fleshed-out properly to feel for their loss or wins. It didn't make me feel anything for the world created in the novel. So, that was my biggest disappointment. Having said that, I still liked the premises. Another gripe I have with the story is the kaijus themselves. Except for tempest, none of the other monsters had any personality, including Yllia. Even tempest's scheming, hungry for power traits were too human and not animalistic. May be I am missing something or may be I am not too evolved to bite into the concept; but I wanted to enjoy the book and I didn't.
The 3 stars I gave are for:
1. The premises
2. The initial set-up, which was very intriguing
3. My respect for the authors in general
Long story short, I will not recommend this one to my reader friends. Sorry. :(
July 30, 2018
(Some spoilers.)
After reading Worm, I was interested to see another author take on a realistic kaiju setting. Instead, I found something with considerably less realism -- and heart -- than Pacific Rim.
Enter a world where giant monsters nearly wiped out civilization, and could do so in a heartbeat if anything happened to their psychic controllers... but a private detective with poor impulse control is permitted to badger and physically manhandle those controllers in the course of an investigation. Where no one seems to have a defined backup plan for the contingency of "monster breaks free". Where the top scientist in charge of "making sure we understand the things that almost killed everyone" can be blackmailed without anyone knowing. Where the plot resolves itself because a character concentrates really hard and manages to think a special thought. And so on.
Poor plotting, unmemorable characters, and an excruciatingly silly approach to existential risk. Skip it.
After reading Worm, I was interested to see another author take on a realistic kaiju setting. Instead, I found something with considerably less realism -- and heart -- than Pacific Rim.
Enter a world where giant monsters nearly wiped out civilization, and could do so in a heartbeat if anything happened to their psychic controllers... but a private detective with poor impulse control is permitted to badger and physically manhandle those controllers in the course of an investigation. Where no one seems to have a defined backup plan for the contingency of "monster breaks free". Where the top scientist in charge of "making sure we understand the things that almost killed everyone" can be blackmailed without anyone knowing. Where the plot resolves itself because a character concentrates really hard and manages to think a special thought. And so on.
Poor plotting, unmemorable characters, and an excruciatingly silly approach to existential risk. Skip it.
May 21, 2024
Kaiju Noir
A high-octane romp that mashes up Dirty Harry and Pacific Rim. I applaud Mr. Strange's mystery plot with its twists and turns, and I found the kaiju to be fun and inventive.
I will give warning that this is not a family friendly adventure. Your lead character is no saint, and some of the more graphic references were a personal turnoff.
All in all, though, a fun way to spend a day reading!
A high-octane romp that mashes up Dirty Harry and Pacific Rim. I applaud Mr. Strange's mystery plot with its twists and turns, and I found the kaiju to be fun and inventive.
I will give warning that this is not a family friendly adventure. Your lead character is no saint, and some of the more graphic references were a personal turnoff.
All in all, though, a fun way to spend a day reading!
May 23, 2020
Well written, I thoroughly enjoyed this book
April 11, 2024
Five giant monsters exist on this secluded island. After the mysterious death of one of them, Escobar takes it upon himself to find out what happened.
June 13, 2014
I bought this book from Amazon because Amazon recommended it based on other books I had read namely the Nemesis books by Jeremy Robinson. Besides those books my exposure to Kaiju had been minimal and limited to Godzilla movies I had watched. I am glad I bought this book and I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading books that go beyond monster punching each other and stomping around.
This is a murder mystery disguised as a monster thriller which then morphs into a monster thriller disguised as a murder mystery.
The books begins with the death of a Kaiju in its holding pen. The head of the security for the corporation who was holding the monster gets called to investigate. He quickly comes to conclusion that the monster was murdered. Via exposition we find out about 19 years ago 5 kaijus appeared out of nowhere and went on a rampage. Nothing would stop them, not even nukes. Finally a Professor invents a mind control device which is used to bring them under control. Since they cannot be killed or harmed, they are kept on an isolated island, pitched against each other and broadcast around the world via the Prof.'s multi-billion dollar for everyone's entertainment.
However when one of the Kaiju's is murdered it set's of a series of events and with each step the mystery deepens. Escobar must race against time to solve the murder and if he cannot the consequence could very well affect the whole planet.
The book is surprisingly well written, fast paced, full of action and very hard to put down.
This is a murder mystery disguised as a monster thriller which then morphs into a monster thriller disguised as a murder mystery.
The books begins with the death of a Kaiju in its holding pen. The head of the security for the corporation who was holding the monster gets called to investigate. He quickly comes to conclusion that the monster was murdered. Via exposition we find out about 19 years ago 5 kaijus appeared out of nowhere and went on a rampage. Nothing would stop them, not even nukes. Finally a Professor invents a mind control device which is used to bring them under control. Since they cannot be killed or harmed, they are kept on an isolated island, pitched against each other and broadcast around the world via the Prof.'s multi-billion dollar for everyone's entertainment.
However when one of the Kaiju's is murdered it set's of a series of events and with each step the mystery deepens. Escobar must race against time to solve the murder and if he cannot the consequence could very well affect the whole planet.
The book is surprisingly well written, fast paced, full of action and very hard to put down.
May 20, 2014
I was fortunate enough to win this book from GoodReads First Reads giveaways.
First I had to Google what 'Kaiju' was. The Japanese word means 'strange-beasts' or, for the English speaking world, 'monsters'. Think Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, King Kong....you get it.
Not your average murder mystery here as the murdered victim in a Kaiju; one of 5 Maydays on an island who are kept under control through a psychic connection with their assigned handler. Since Maydays are indestructible, how could this have happened? Enter Jay Escobar. Gritty, hard-boiled detective complete with trench coat and fedora.
The story has an element of a noir detective story with enough action and setbacks to keep the reader wondering how our protagonist will ever get his man or woman. Escobar is a great character. Strange portrays him as a bit of a jerk but not so much that you don't care if he fails. In fact, he turns out to be a focused, determined individual who will do what he has to to complete the case.
As for the monsters, they are so richly drawn and just fantastic; particularly Tempest, who the author gives such depth to that he seems almost human. I almost felt bad for these Kaiju as they were on the earth first!
Strange uses easy prose which flows nicely and quickly, writing a good fast paced, action filled novel.
First I had to Google what 'Kaiju' was. The Japanese word means 'strange-beasts' or, for the English speaking world, 'monsters'. Think Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, King Kong....you get it.
Not your average murder mystery here as the murdered victim in a Kaiju; one of 5 Maydays on an island who are kept under control through a psychic connection with their assigned handler. Since Maydays are indestructible, how could this have happened? Enter Jay Escobar. Gritty, hard-boiled detective complete with trench coat and fedora.
The story has an element of a noir detective story with enough action and setbacks to keep the reader wondering how our protagonist will ever get his man or woman. Escobar is a great character. Strange portrays him as a bit of a jerk but not so much that you don't care if he fails. In fact, he turns out to be a focused, determined individual who will do what he has to to complete the case.
As for the monsters, they are so richly drawn and just fantastic; particularly Tempest, who the author gives such depth to that he seems almost human. I almost felt bad for these Kaiju as they were on the earth first!
Strange uses easy prose which flows nicely and quickly, writing a good fast paced, action filled novel.
May 15, 2014
*free ebook received from author in exchange for an honest review*
I greatly enjoyed Mayday: A Kaiju Thriller. To me it was quite reminiscent of Kaiju monster movies and film noir movies. It was a quick read, perfect for the summer.
I enjoyed how all of the characters seemed to have some sort of flaws. To me this made them more believable.
I liked the idea that the 'heroes' had to save the day, not because they were the only ones who could, but because they had a responsibility to try and redeem themselves from their previous mistakes.
The portrayal of the monsters was well done, and seemed to highlight several monsters similar to the ones in Kaiju movies. However I did seem to be puzzled that they could vary so much in description, yet be species-wise related. Still, that did not detract from the overall story line.
I would recommend Mayday: A Kaiju Thriller to all fans of Kaiju movies as well as fans of hard boiled detectives.
I greatly enjoyed Mayday: A Kaiju Thriller. To me it was quite reminiscent of Kaiju monster movies and film noir movies. It was a quick read, perfect for the summer.
I enjoyed how all of the characters seemed to have some sort of flaws. To me this made them more believable.
I liked the idea that the 'heroes' had to save the day, not because they were the only ones who could, but because they had a responsibility to try and redeem themselves from their previous mistakes.
The portrayal of the monsters was well done, and seemed to highlight several monsters similar to the ones in Kaiju movies. However I did seem to be puzzled that they could vary so much in description, yet be species-wise related. Still, that did not detract from the overall story line.
I would recommend Mayday: A Kaiju Thriller to all fans of Kaiju movies as well as fans of hard boiled detectives.
May 20, 2014
Chris, thanks for this book mate, it was a fantastic blend of detective noir and rampaging monsters so vivid that they came alive as I read this. the descriptions were so detailed that my mind automatically gave them life in glorious technocolour!
Did an artist create these monsters which were a cross between Godzilla villains and Pokemon.
The idea to mash these two different genre's paid dividends.
The hero is true Sam Spade but set in a future where Kaiju's have once ravaged the earth, the last five have been captured and through new psi-tech are being used as entertainment.
When one of these indestructable creatures is apparently murdered our trenchcoat and trilby hatted hero is called upon to solve the crime. Lots of twists and turns, lots of great imaginary visuals.
The true stars of the show are the creatures themselves. Detailed to perfection!
If you like the old proper Godzilla movies then this is for you.
Great read
Did an artist create these monsters which were a cross between Godzilla villains and Pokemon.
The idea to mash these two different genre's paid dividends.
The hero is true Sam Spade but set in a future where Kaiju's have once ravaged the earth, the last five have been captured and through new psi-tech are being used as entertainment.
When one of these indestructable creatures is apparently murdered our trenchcoat and trilby hatted hero is called upon to solve the crime. Lots of twists and turns, lots of great imaginary visuals.
The true stars of the show are the creatures themselves. Detailed to perfection!
If you like the old proper Godzilla movies then this is for you.
Great read
August 18, 2014
I didn't know what to expect from this book. "A Kaiju Thriller" on the cover, something I know Jeremy Robinson's Project Nemesis and Project Maigo novels for (also excellent, read those, too!), was honestly what finally got me to 1-click this book. I'm glad I did. This book successfully combines a hard-boiled detective novel (if my understanding of what constitutes that genre is even close, don't read many of them), with a romp em, stomp em giant monster story. Not really anything like the awesome, aforementioned books by Jeremy Robinson, this book was very fun and cool in its own way. The main character is a jerk you root for, dealing with giant beasts a la Godzilla or Pacific Rim or Project Nemesis. The kaiju are all unique and enjoyable. I couldn't stop reading this once it really got going. It didn't take long, either. If there are ever any sequels, I am there! If you like anything I've said here, you'll probably enjoy this book.
December 13, 2015
Mayday by Chris Strange is an exciting thriller that will forever lure readers into its plot. The plot itself is complex and fast-paced. A well written story that will leave readers at the edge of their seats. The novel is just as intriguing as its cover.
Inside Chris Strange’s debut novel, Mayday, readers will follow along as humanity is almost extinct, world is ruined, and a sinister plan that is taking place that will be led to an unwinnable war for the humans. Monsters that attacked them are now the humans slaves, but as the lead investigator finds out more readers will be locked in the biggest war of war of all. Suspense, crime, and action are found on every page. Readers will fall in love with this masterpiece. I loved reading this debut novel and know that reader will love it too. Overall, I rate this a five out of five stars.
Inside Chris Strange’s debut novel, Mayday, readers will follow along as humanity is almost extinct, world is ruined, and a sinister plan that is taking place that will be led to an unwinnable war for the humans. Monsters that attacked them are now the humans slaves, but as the lead investigator finds out more readers will be locked in the biggest war of war of all. Suspense, crime, and action are found on every page. Readers will fall in love with this masterpiece. I loved reading this debut novel and know that reader will love it too. Overall, I rate this a five out of five stars.
May 17, 2015
Great pacing, self aware asshole detective who gets his comeuppance at the same time as saving the world from Kaiju. Totes up my alley. The smartass commentary occasionally gets to be a bit much a few times, but such a great breakneck pace and very interesting 'villains' make this noirish monster novel work. Great quick read. I might reread this next time i fly somewhere. An author to watch out for, Chris Strange.
May 20, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. I find regular detective stories to be boring, and the private eyes to be one dimensional dicks. This book luckily wasn't like that at all and was more in line with the other series I have read like The Dresden Files, The Nightside series and the Garrett files. Granted Escobar is still a dick, but at least he is entertaining to read.
May 21, 2014
I won this one for free from a Goodreads giveaway that I couldn't resist because who wouldn't want to read a book that mixes giant monsters with a gritty detective novel. I was pretty much kept guessing the entire novel and I am hoping wholeheartedly that this pretty awesome book gets a sequel.
August 4, 2014
This was pretty good but lost stars for the sexism and occasional fat hate.
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