The Tox Shot: Tanner's Turn

by R.S. Merritt

Tanner’s Turn (The Tox Shot, Book 3)

They’re tired of surviving. They want to live.

Joel, Terry, Lisa, Deborah, and Mitchell have survived fierce mortar attacks, exploding dams, betrayals and the loss of the island that nearly became their refuge. This time they're heading for something better. Deep in the mountains sits an ultra exclusive cabin community, a place with real structure and defensible terrain. A place where they can build a wall, fortify the perimeter and create a settlement that might keep the infected at bay.

For once, they aren’t starting empty handed. They have vehicles, food, weapons and medical supplies, enough to give them a real chance. But even a mountain of gear can run out, and every day the world outside grows more hostile.

Their greatest threat comes from someone who once fought at their side. Tanner, the Marine twisted by the rapidly evolving Tox Shot, has become something more than a monster. Hordes of the infected follow him with terrifying focus. What should have been a peaceful new beginning becomes a siege as Tanner leads wave after wave of the crazed cannibals against them.

With the possibility of a real home on the line, survival becomes more than running and hiding. It becomes strategy, sacrifice and the hardest decisions they have ever faced. If they win, they gain a future. If they fail, the mountain becomes their grave.

Perfect for fans of Michael Robertson's "Beyond these Walls", Bobby Adair, Mark Tufo, and Nick Clausen's "Cadaver", this third installment delivers relentless action, brutal stakes and the fight to build something worth defending at the end of the world. All with a bit of humor and romance thrown in.

Grab Book 3 of The Tox Shot series today and join the struggle to really live in a dead world.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 26, 2026

About the author

Living in a lighthouse as a child led me early to a love of reading. Despite what you may have been told the life of a lighthouse keeper's son is not all Glamour and Parties. There's a lot of time when there really isn't much to do besides wonder if the fog horn has finally made you deaf or watch your dad pull fishing lures out of different parts of people's bodies. (You'd be amazed!)

Two of my favorite houses growing up!





I read. I read a lot. We had a 'reading caterpillar' around the room at my school where every time you read a book you put your name on your color paper and hung it up. The teacher had to give me two colors because it was looking more like a worm than a caterpillar. I devoured CS Lewis before moving on to Tolkien. Reading has continued to be a big part of my life. I've moved into Alternative Realities by guys like Stirling and my guilty pleasure is Zombie novels. I can't seem to get enough of them!

I like reading about the extremes people will go to to survive. The ones who can rise above the rest and keep their sense of right and wrong. When humanity crumbles around them these flawed heroes stand tall and try to make their way. They go from struggling to pay the phone bill to struggling to keep themselves and others alive. I like to see how this either hardens or breaks them. I think these stories speak at a very primal level. I enjoy the journey greatly as I get to tag along seeing how the survivors manage and how the experience forges them into something more than they were.

I look forward to sharing the journey with you all!


Sincerely,

R S Merritt

Reviews

[Lana Mccall · Rating 5 out of 5]

very Entertaining

This is different than the previous series, it’s a slower pace. The group can take two breaths instead of just one. I am not a big fan of zomby genre but this author caught my attention and kept it throughout the series. I am looking forward to the next book.

[Sherry Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the Best books I have read in a long time

I loved all 3 of the books. I had to wait for Tanners Turn. Now I'll wait for the fourth book.