I read a lot of books in the zombie apocalypse genre. My favorites are those written by Christopher Artinian and his latest book is no exception. This book is so much more than just zombies. The author has created a great group of characters that the reader comes to know and love (or hate as the case may be). There is plenty of zombie action and survival, but the true greatness of the book is the interactions between the characters as they face the horrors of what is happening.
The cast of characters includes gangsters/thugs/ex-cons, a former stripper, a retired actor and their family members and friends. You meet an out of shape middle-aged woman, a few pensioners, a teenager now on her own, and a man with early stage dementia. I loved the dialogue between characters and the author always manages to throw some humor into these encounters, no matter how dire the circumstances.
Along the way, there are some poignant deaths that will have you reaching for a tissue or two. There is plenty of emotion involved as loved ones succumb to the zombie horde. But, the addition of Derek, the retired actor, always brightens the mood with his great anecdotes and quips.
There is also a second storyline involving Prime Minister Beck and his family and staff that ties in well with the Safe Haven series. The true horrors that Beck has to face in the decisions he makes might make you appreciate the things that face those in charge during a crisis.
As always, the narrator, Kim Bretton, does a fantastic job and her performance makes an already amazing book even better. Her voices are so spot-on that you know who is talking just by their individual accents and inflections. This author's works are always the ones I suggest when someone is looking for the next great zombie book.