Shutdown

by Shaun Meeks

There are ancient secrets buried in the world, under dirt, rock and sand. Sometimes they are buried for a reason. GenCross, a genetics company in Toronto, wants to learn the secrets, good or bad. So do others and they’ll do anything to get them. Tim “Mouse” Jones is a university drop out who found success as a hacker. When he’s offered a job to make more money than ever, it’s hard to say no. Even if it means breaking into one of the most secure buildings in the city. The security system and the guards will be hard to get past, but the money is just too tempting to say no to. Greed is an ugly monster. Amanda McMichaels works in the Cross building and knows something about monsters. She lives with one, and work is her only escape from him. Yet the monster at home is nothing compared to what lives on the 10th floor of the Cross building. As the building shuts down, and the secret evil awakens, Amanda and Mouse are drawn together and must help each other to survive those that are hunting them. Some things should stay buried.

286 pages, Paperback

First published December 2, 2014

About the author

Shaun Tawodi Meeks lives in Toronto, Ontario with his partner, Mina LaFleur. Together they own and operate their company L'Atelier de LaFleur. Shaun has been writing for many years now, with over 50 short stories in publication. He is proud of his Native American heritage, and has passed his passion of Native culture and history to his children who are Cherokee, Muskogee Creek, and Ojibwa. He is the author of the Dillion the Monster Dick series (The Gate at Lake Drive, Earthbound and Down, Altered Gate, Heads, You Lose, A Touch of Death, and the forthcoming In the Key of Insanity), Dark Reaches, Brother's Ilk, At the Gates of Madness, From Nightmares, Dream, Blood on the Ground: Six Shots of Southern Discomfort, Shutdown and the novelettes Down on the Farm and The Shadow of Memory. His most recent work has appeared in Midian Unmade, Terror Unimaginable, Pulp Noir, Rogue Nation, A Feast of Feast of Frights, Fresh Fear, Dark Moon Digest 15, Of Devils & Deviants. Shaun will be releasing his latest novel, The Place Where the Shadows Live, and a new collection, Salt on the Wounds soon. For more information or to contact him, go to www.shaunmeeks.com.

Reviews

[Dave Granger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a huge fan of Shaun Meeks since I first read the story The Soldier in A Feast of Frights. What I've been waiting for since is a novel by him, and this is his first, and what a novel it is. The book takes place in Toronto, Canada, where a genetics company called GenCross has uncovered something in Egypt. What is it? The body of something that might be the next evolution of humans, or an alien. It's huge whatever it is and GenCross isn't the only people that want it. That's where we meet a hacker named Tim "Mouse" Jones, who is hired to break into GenCross' building, know as the Cross building, and steal all the files about the said body. Not only that, but he's to upload a virus that will wipe the computer's mainframe out and shut the building down completely. There's a problem though, there's something in the building, a thing created from the DNA of the body just waiting to get out and cause havoc. And this is just the first quarter of the book. As it goes on, the book weaves in and out of one terrible situation after another. Just when you think you can guess where it's all going, it loops sideways and takes you somewhere else. The main characters in this are strong, the action is fast and wild, the monsters (yes, this is a monster story) are vivid and terrifying and when I was done reading it I felt satisfied and wanting more. I really hope there will be more to the story. It's also a fast and fun read. I whipped through this in less than 48 hours. If you are looking for a horror story that is imaginative, action packed and doesn't waste time, this is your book. Highly recommended.

[Darlene Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this over the weekend and was sad to see it done. This is the first novel I've read by Shaun and wow, was it ever great. It is a pretty intense book, that has a mildly slow build in the beginning, but once it all gears up, there's nothing stopping this train. There are some real scares in this, some gross out moments, but I also found it to be a fun read. There's a bit of a nod back to the old 80's horror flicks in this with the monsters, and a bit of H.P. Lovecraft too. What's not to love?
What I was really surprised at was how great the characters were in this. Each one is fleshed out and seems so real. The main characters, Mouse and Amanda are the best thing about this, as are the villains (too many to mention). Looking forward to reading more from him.

[Amanda M. Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edited this one, unique B movie sci-fi/horror blend.