What do you think?
Rate this book
Crossfire: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Crossfire: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller
Downfall Book 4
By Justin Bell
Publisher: Independently Published
Published Date: August 28, 2026
ASIN: B0GX2ZXD8T
Page Count: 365
Triggers: Societal collapse, death, violence, weapons, family separation, survival situations, threats to children, injury, moral choices
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
Apparently, I walked straight into the end of the world with a bicycle, bad knees, freezing weather, smoke on the horizon, and people making terrible decisions like civilization did not just fall into a ditch and take common sense with it.
Crossfire is book four in Justin Bell’s Downfall series, and I had the honor of beta reading this one. Thank you, Mr. Bell, for trusting me with the early version and also for making me question whether I have enough canned goods, batteries, and emotional resilience.
Spoiler: I do not.
This book throws Sam Prescott right back into the brutal reality of trying to get home when home is nowhere close and the road between here and there is filled with hungry people, dangerous people, and people who clearly needed therapy before the world broke.
Here’s What Slapped:
The tension is excellent. This is not soft apocalypse with cozy fires and everyone politely sharing beans. This is grit, fear, exhaustion, and the very rude realization that surviving might require you to become someone you would not have recognized before everything went sideways.
Sam’s journey continues to be one of the strongest parts of the series. He is tired, scared, determined, and still moving forward, which honestly feels about right. There is nothing superhero-perfect about him, and that makes him easier to root for. He is not trying to look cool while the world burns. He is just trying to get back to his family without becoming roadkill in the process.
Rachel’s side of the story brings its own kind of pressure. Watching her face the danger creeping closer to the cabin made me want to cheer, panic, and yell “absolutely not” all at once. And Jeff? Well. Jeff is complicated in the best way. The kind of character who makes you uncomfortable, then useful, then uncomfortable again. Sir, please keep protecting the family, but maybe do not stand too close to my moral compass.
The military thread with Colonel Wolfe adds another layer that makes the story feel bigger than one family’s fight to stay alive. It gives the book that wider collapse feeling without losing the personal stakes, which is exactly what good post-apocalyptic fiction needs.
What Could’ve Been Better:
Honestly, not much for me. This was a five-star read. My only issue is that Mr. Justin Bell keeps writing these books in a way that makes me say, “Just one more chapter,” and then suddenly I have ignored real life, responsibilities, and probably hydration.
So rude. So effective.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Post-apocalyptic survival fiction, EMP disaster stories, family-driven stakes, dangerous roads, wilderness tension, morally gray characters, and books where every quiet moment feels like it is about two seconds away from becoming a problem.
Crossfire is intense, fast-moving, and packed with the kind of survival pressure that keeps you turning pages. It is gritty, emotional, and exactly why Mr. Justin Bell remains one of those authors I will happily keep reading.
Five stars. Now excuse me while I go stare suspiciously at my pantry and wonder if granola bars count as a preparedness plan.
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
Downfall Book 4
By Justin Bell
Publisher: Independently Published
Published Date: August 28, 2026
ASIN: B0GX2ZXD8T
Page Count: 365
Triggers: Societal collapse, death, violence, weapons, family separation, survival situations, threats to children, injury, moral choices
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
Apparently, I walked straight into the end of the world with a bicycle, bad knees, freezing weather, smoke on the horizon, and people making terrible decisions like civilization did not just fall into a ditch and take common sense with it.
Crossfire is book four in Justin Bell’s Downfall series, and I had the honor of beta reading this one. Thank you, Mr. Bell, for trusting me with the early version and also for making me question whether I have enough canned goods, batteries, and emotional resilience.
Spoiler: I do not.
This book throws Sam Prescott right back into the brutal reality of trying to get home when home is nowhere close and the road between here and there is filled with hungry people, dangerous people, and people who clearly needed therapy before the world broke.
Here’s What Slapped:
The tension is excellent. This is not soft apocalypse with cozy fires and everyone politely sharing beans. This is grit, fear, exhaustion, and the very rude realization that surviving might require you to become someone you would not have recognized before everything went sideways.
Sam’s journey continues to be one of the strongest parts of the series. He is tired, scared, determined, and still moving forward, which honestly feels about right. There is nothing superhero-perfect about him, and that makes him easier to root for. He is not trying to look cool while the world burns. He is just trying to get back to his family without becoming roadkill in the process.
Rachel’s side of the story brings its own kind of pressure. Watching her face the danger creeping closer to the cabin made me want to cheer, panic, and yell “absolutely not” all at once. And Jeff? Well. Jeff is complicated in the best way. The kind of character who makes you uncomfortable, then useful, then uncomfortable again. Sir, please keep protecting the family, but maybe do not stand too close to my moral compass.
The military thread with Colonel Wolfe adds another layer that makes the story feel bigger than one family’s fight to stay alive. It gives the book that wider collapse feeling without losing the personal stakes, which is exactly what good post-apocalyptic fiction needs.
What Could’ve Been Better:
Honestly, not much for me. This was a five-star read. My only issue is that Mr. Justin Bell keeps writing these books in a way that makes me say, “Just one more chapter,” and then suddenly I have ignored real life, responsibilities, and probably hydration.
So rude. So effective.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Post-apocalyptic survival fiction, EMP disaster stories, family-driven stakes, dangerous roads, wilderness tension, morally gray characters, and books where every quiet moment feels like it is about two seconds away from becoming a problem.
Crossfire is intense, fast-moving, and packed with the kind of survival pressure that keeps you turning pages. It is gritty, emotional, and exactly why Mr. Justin Bell remains one of those authors I will happily keep reading.
Five stars. Now excuse me while I go stare suspiciously at my pantry and wonder if granola bars count as a preparedness plan.
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
August 29, 2026
Downfall Gets Even Better With Crossfire!
Crossfire is the 4th, and best book so far in the already outstanding Downfall series. We get to know both Col. Terry Wolfe and how his warnings about chatter indicating just such an attack as imminent in the weeks leading up to the EMP in flashbacks, and we get to know Bella Pressley better too. The real highlight, despite this being a character driven thriller, is the absolutely perfectly choreographed action sequences! Its very rare to find someone who can create complete chaos for the characters while the reader has a complete grasp of it! Bell's already excellent writing seems to improve with each new book! Overall, 5/5 stars! Highly recommended to anyone looking for apocalyptic survival thrillers, disaster thrillers and those who simply want perfect escapist reading!
Crossfire is the 4th, and best book so far in the already outstanding Downfall series. We get to know both Col. Terry Wolfe and how his warnings about chatter indicating just such an attack as imminent in the weeks leading up to the EMP in flashbacks, and we get to know Bella Pressley better too. The real highlight, despite this being a character driven thriller, is the absolutely perfectly choreographed action sequences! Its very rare to find someone who can create complete chaos for the characters while the reader has a complete grasp of it! Bell's already excellent writing seems to improve with each new book! Overall, 5/5 stars! Highly recommended to anyone looking for apocalyptic survival thrillers, disaster thrillers and those who simply want perfect escapist reading!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews