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Sweet Home
From the author that brought you The Infected series. Sweet Home, is the next evolution in horror for the growing Joseph Zuko catalog. The town of Sweet Home gets four unwanted visitors this New Year's Eve when a prison bus crash allows four homicidal and terminally ill convicts to escape. They decide to spend their last days on Earth wiping out a small snowy mountain town. Their plan is simple and easy to remember. First, take out communications and power. Second, take down the Sheriff's department. Third, move house to house and leave no survivors. Will anyone survive the night and live to see the new year?
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 22, 2016
510 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Zuko
16 books61 followersJoseph Zuko lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and daughters. The Infected: Jim's First Day was his first novel. He recently released the final chapter in The Infected Series. When he is not writing horror fiction he spends his free time with his family, playing barbies with his girls and getting ready for the next Spartan Race.
Joseph now has 8 books in The Infected series and one stand-alone horror fiction novel, Sweet Home. Sweet Home is a break from zombies to pursue a few serial killers. Make sure to find Zuko on Facebook and stay in the loop.
https://www.facebook.com/JosephZombie...
Joseph now has 8 books in The Infected series and one stand-alone horror fiction novel, Sweet Home. Sweet Home is a break from zombies to pursue a few serial killers. Make sure to find Zuko on Facebook and stay in the loop.
https://www.facebook.com/JosephZombie...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 22, 2018
Don't let the title "Sweet Home" fool ya as you sit-down with this book! Wow!
To date, this one is without a doubt, one of the most insanely graphic, and exciting books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. An absolutely fabulous indulgence for anyone who likes lots of excitement, action, intense graphics, and mayhem!
When a busload of jailed convicts overturns on the road, and the only survivors happen to be serial killers, it should come as no surprise to learn they are itching at the bit to get back to what they do and know best. . . Hence, the reader is led on a riveting, supercharged thrill-ride from page one till closing the back cover!
Hard to believe this was Mr. Zuko's first book! What a talent!
Also, if you liked "Sweet Home" you will very likely enjoy listening to and/or reading his Zombie series, (Titled: Infected Series) as they are ridiculously good, and I highly recommend these to any fan of the Zombie genre.
Sending countless accolades and cheers to Mr."Zombie" Zuko for all the hours of head-spinning, adrenaline fueled, sheer enjoyment!
To date, this one is without a doubt, one of the most insanely graphic, and exciting books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. An absolutely fabulous indulgence for anyone who likes lots of excitement, action, intense graphics, and mayhem!
When a busload of jailed convicts overturns on the road, and the only survivors happen to be serial killers, it should come as no surprise to learn they are itching at the bit to get back to what they do and know best. . . Hence, the reader is led on a riveting, supercharged thrill-ride from page one till closing the back cover!
Hard to believe this was Mr. Zuko's first book! What a talent!
Also, if you liked "Sweet Home" you will very likely enjoy listening to and/or reading his Zombie series, (Titled: Infected Series) as they are ridiculously good, and I highly recommend these to any fan of the Zombie genre.
Sending countless accolades and cheers to Mr."Zombie" Zuko for all the hours of head-spinning, adrenaline fueled, sheer enjoyment!
November 23, 2021
If you’re looking for something inspirational to read, this book is not for you. If you want to read a story that will keep you turning the pages, sitting on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you! On New Year’s Eve, a bus carrying terminally ill convicts to a medical facility to finish out their remaining days, crashes. Four murderers escape and head into the small, snowy town of Sweet Home, Oregon. Each wants a chance to kill as many people as they can in what little bit of life they have remaining. I’m a little embarrassed to say I enjoyed every minute of this book. It’s like a crazy slasher movie with multiple killers and lots of characters that you’ll grow to love, although don’t get too attached to anybody. This is a well laid out story, background on the many characters, and nonstop action as the book comes to a close. I loved the character Duke. I pictured him as Sam Elliot as he was in the movie Roadhouse, with an added eye patch. I just knew that truck of his was going to come in handy. I will definitely be reading more books by this author!
December 16, 2020
The late, great film critic Roger Ebert had a list he called his guilty pleasures. They were good bad movies with no redeeming social value and little artistic merit, but he enjoyed them just the same. Joseph Zuko’s novel Sweet Home qualifies as a guilty pleasure in book form.
The book begins as a bus transporting twelve convicts to a prison hospital in a blizzard on New Year’s Eve, collides with a herd of deer on a lonely mountain road in Oregon. The bus tumbles into a ravine. Only four convicts survive the crash.
One of the convicts is elderly. Of the remaining three, two are terminally ill. One will be dead within a month, the second within six months, so they have no fear of retribution. But if you thought such sick men would be weak and debilitated, you’d be wrong.
And you’d also be wrong if you thought they were goodhearted felons like you’d find at Shawshank. They are all homicidal maniacs who decide to find the nearest town and go on a killing spree with the aim to murder all the inhabitants — for the fun of it.
The nearest town is named Sweet Home, population 1,200.
In the book’s opening chapters, the author introduces his readers to some of the residents of Sweet Home; we know immediately that they are fated to serve as fodder for the killers. He writes with enough skill to make them characters we can identify with and care about.
The story shifts into high gear around the halfway mark, after the killers have methodically blocked the roads into town with fallen trees, destroyed the cellular tower so no one in town can call for help, and cut the electrical power, plunging the town into darkness.
What follows is roughly 150 pages of relentless carnage as the sadistic psychopaths roam through town killing at will, right up until the incongruous happy ending and the inexplicable final paragraphs, nearly causing me to die from sheer damn disappointment.
We have a right to be shocked by the book’s contents, but not surprised. In a preface, the book’s editor warns his readers to expect a bloodbath. We soon discover that his description may even have been an understatement. A blood flood is more accurate.
A note to the editor: It’s sad that the author did not know the difference between past and passed, who’s and whose, you’re and your, breath and breathe, and the many other mistakes that mar his book. But it was inexcusable for you to have missed them.
That said, this unpretentious pulse-pounding book is horrifying pulp fiction in the extreme. I found it disturbing, and not solely because of the bloodshed. What I found most disturbing — keeping in mind that it’s fiction — is that I enjoyed it.
The book begins as a bus transporting twelve convicts to a prison hospital in a blizzard on New Year’s Eve, collides with a herd of deer on a lonely mountain road in Oregon. The bus tumbles into a ravine. Only four convicts survive the crash.
One of the convicts is elderly. Of the remaining three, two are terminally ill. One will be dead within a month, the second within six months, so they have no fear of retribution. But if you thought such sick men would be weak and debilitated, you’d be wrong.
And you’d also be wrong if you thought they were goodhearted felons like you’d find at Shawshank. They are all homicidal maniacs who decide to find the nearest town and go on a killing spree with the aim to murder all the inhabitants — for the fun of it.
The nearest town is named Sweet Home, population 1,200.
In the book’s opening chapters, the author introduces his readers to some of the residents of Sweet Home; we know immediately that they are fated to serve as fodder for the killers. He writes with enough skill to make them characters we can identify with and care about.
The story shifts into high gear around the halfway mark, after the killers have methodically blocked the roads into town with fallen trees, destroyed the cellular tower so no one in town can call for help, and cut the electrical power, plunging the town into darkness.
What follows is roughly 150 pages of relentless carnage as the sadistic psychopaths roam through town killing at will, right up until the incongruous happy ending and the inexplicable final paragraphs, nearly causing me to die from sheer damn disappointment.
We have a right to be shocked by the book’s contents, but not surprised. In a preface, the book’s editor warns his readers to expect a bloodbath. We soon discover that his description may even have been an understatement. A blood flood is more accurate.
A note to the editor: It’s sad that the author did not know the difference between past and passed, who’s and whose, you’re and your, breath and breathe, and the many other mistakes that mar his book. But it was inexcusable for you to have missed them.
That said, this unpretentious pulse-pounding book is horrifying pulp fiction in the extreme. I found it disturbing, and not solely because of the bloodshed. What I found most disturbing — keeping in mind that it’s fiction — is that I enjoyed it.
May 26, 2020
Dark. Demented. Maniacal. Sick. Twisted. Scared the crap out of me. I loved every single page!!!
October 3, 2020
The town of Sweet Home is about to suffer a drastic reduction in population.
Sweet Home is a blast. A group of sadistic killers, who escape a prison bus, descend on the small, isolated town of Sweet Home. Carnage ensues! What's not to love? This one is violent, gory, and fast paced. No characters are safe in this town . The ending was far fetched and unnecessary, but it takes little away from the overall experience.
Sweet Home is a blast. A group of sadistic killers, who escape a prison bus, descend on the small, isolated town of Sweet Home. Carnage ensues! What's not to love? This one is violent, gory, and fast paced. No characters are safe in this town . The ending was far fetched and unnecessary, but it takes little away from the overall experience.
August 10, 2019
I am shocked by the 5 star reviews. Reading this book was like watching a gory slash and gash B movie. No real plot other then kill everyone in the town. Too many characters and the main ones were not developed. The book was just one graphic killing after another in a town whose residents did nothing but have sex with each other or themselves. Was really a waste of time.
December 22, 2020
WOW!!!! This book seriously needs to be a movie, talk about sadistic, and page turning, once I got started I could not put it down!!!
November 9, 2018
A Real intense book that kept you on the edge of your seat, love your writing style!
October 25, 2018
Good, gory, fast read
I have been on a gory horror kick lately. It used to be my favorite genre. This is an entertaining, fast read. The writing was descriptive and characters developed enough to where you are invested in what happens to them. Definitely recommended for Halloween reading!
I have been on a gory horror kick lately. It used to be my favorite genre. This is an entertaining, fast read. The writing was descriptive and characters developed enough to where you are invested in what happens to them. Definitely recommended for Halloween reading!
May 31, 2016
Sweet Home is an intense, thrilling, and really gripping read I highly recommend!!!
Sweet Home, an idyllic town set high in the mountains. Beautiful view, small town atmosphere, and full of friendly people. Not much happens in Sweet Home, in fact there's only one Sheriff and one deputy for the entire town. The time of year is New Year's Eve and everyone is gearing up for the annual party at the high school. Life in Sweet Home is good. Nobody expects the terror that is coming their way in the form of a bus filled with the vilest and most murderous group of prisoners from the State Penitentiary, headed to a secluded mountain facility to await execution.. These aren't ordinary criminals, they're evil and psychotic killers, the worst this area has ever known and they're headed straight for Sweet Home. The bus crashes, the prisoners escape, and they intend to cut a path through town leaving nothing behind but death in the most brutal ways imaginable. Who dies and who survives rests solely on the citizens of Sweet Home and this is where the fight for their lives begins. This novel is the second venture for author Joseph Zuko following his wildly successful zombie series, Infected, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Sweet Home is billed as a Horror novel, and it doesn't disappoint. It is engrossing, truly terrifying at times, and really had me on the edge of my seat rooting for the inhabitants of Sweet Home to overcome the deadly peril being played out over the course of the 24 hour period leading up to New Years Eve. What happens during this period is what makes this novel utterly believable, and you cannot put it down, turning each page with anticipation of what is going to happen next. I read Sweet Home in one sitting, with all the lights on, barely able to breathe from the suspense. When I was done all I wanted was more because author Joe Zuko had me spellbound. Sweet Home is a great book, you won't be sorry you bought it, in fact, when you're finished reading it, go check out his Infected series and I'm positive you'll love that as much as I did. Kudos and thumbs up to "Zombie" Joe Zuko, your nickname is well earned, and now readers everywhere will happily add the Horror genre to your list of storytelling accomplishments!!!
Sweet Home, an idyllic town set high in the mountains. Beautiful view, small town atmosphere, and full of friendly people. Not much happens in Sweet Home, in fact there's only one Sheriff and one deputy for the entire town. The time of year is New Year's Eve and everyone is gearing up for the annual party at the high school. Life in Sweet Home is good. Nobody expects the terror that is coming their way in the form of a bus filled with the vilest and most murderous group of prisoners from the State Penitentiary, headed to a secluded mountain facility to await execution.. These aren't ordinary criminals, they're evil and psychotic killers, the worst this area has ever known and they're headed straight for Sweet Home. The bus crashes, the prisoners escape, and they intend to cut a path through town leaving nothing behind but death in the most brutal ways imaginable. Who dies and who survives rests solely on the citizens of Sweet Home and this is where the fight for their lives begins. This novel is the second venture for author Joseph Zuko following his wildly successful zombie series, Infected, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Sweet Home is billed as a Horror novel, and it doesn't disappoint. It is engrossing, truly terrifying at times, and really had me on the edge of my seat rooting for the inhabitants of Sweet Home to overcome the deadly peril being played out over the course of the 24 hour period leading up to New Years Eve. What happens during this period is what makes this novel utterly believable, and you cannot put it down, turning each page with anticipation of what is going to happen next. I read Sweet Home in one sitting, with all the lights on, barely able to breathe from the suspense. When I was done all I wanted was more because author Joe Zuko had me spellbound. Sweet Home is a great book, you won't be sorry you bought it, in fact, when you're finished reading it, go check out his Infected series and I'm positive you'll love that as much as I did. Kudos and thumbs up to "Zombie" Joe Zuko, your nickname is well earned, and now readers everywhere will happily add the Horror genre to your list of storytelling accomplishments!!!
August 1, 2017
Scary
This book will keep you up at night so don't read it alone or at night. It has a lot of gore so it took me several months to get through to the end. Some days I had to psych myself up to be able to get back in the story. A terrific writer who can scare the bejesus out of you.
This book will keep you up at night so don't read it alone or at night. It has a lot of gore so it took me several months to get through to the end. Some days I had to psych myself up to be able to get back in the story. A terrific writer who can scare the bejesus out of you.
July 2, 2019
Top shelf
This book kept me on the edge of my seat front to end. I even dreamed about it when I finally fell asleep! Great writing will look into other books by this author! Loved that he gave you the backstories without all the extra hoopla some writers clog you down in. Quick and to the point and let’s get on with the carnage!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
This book kept me on the edge of my seat front to end. I even dreamed about it when I finally fell asleep! Great writing will look into other books by this author! Loved that he gave you the backstories without all the extra hoopla some writers clog you down in. Quick and to the point and let’s get on with the carnage!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
June 14, 2016
Great book
Couldn't put the book down....in was reading well into the early morning hours..characters where great and kept my interest. Joseph Zuko you are a sick person and I loved your book...the bloodier the better!!!!
Couldn't put the book down....in was reading well into the early morning hours..characters where great and kept my interest. Joseph Zuko you are a sick person and I loved your book...the bloodier the better!!!!
March 17, 2017
Don't miss this book!
Sweet Home is an intense thrill ride that picks you up and won't put you down. I literally could not stop reading! Then, just as you think all's done, a twist at the end hits you right between the eyes. Get this one, you'll never regret it.
Sweet Home is an intense thrill ride that picks you up and won't put you down. I literally could not stop reading! Then, just as you think all's done, a twist at the end hits you right between the eyes. Get this one, you'll never regret it.
July 21, 2016
really enjoyed this book. real page turner
September 11, 2016
Great Read
I really enjoyed Sweet Home, It was different, I wish they would Make it into a movie. I loved all the character's especially Jacob and the ending was a treat..
I really enjoyed Sweet Home, It was different, I wish they would Make it into a movie. I loved all the character's especially Jacob and the ending was a treat..
September 25, 2016
Great read
Man I started this book and couldn't put it down!!! I got to the end and was like..WHAT!!!!! Now I have to buy the next book in the series as soon as I can
Man I started this book and couldn't put it down!!! I got to the end and was like..WHAT!!!!! Now I have to buy the next book in the series as soon as I can
February 15, 2017
Great read
Loved it. Fantastic storyline and deep characters. Full of twists and turns. Love Joseph's writing style. So fresh and modern. Highly recommended.
Loved it. Fantastic storyline and deep characters. Full of twists and turns. Love Joseph's writing style. So fresh and modern. Highly recommended.
February 11, 2026
Unfortunately I had a very hard 12 months, or 2025, more specifically so it took me almost a year to read this book as a result. Not any fault to the book. i was thinking each time i picked it up that it wasnt bad, it was entertaining, an easy read, something I would otherwise read in no time but it was my head space that just couldnt get me into that groove. Thankfully 2026 has started off a bit better and I have finished this not far into the new year. The story is simple, convicts bush crash into this small snow filled community and wreak absolute havok. The story isnt really anything that hasnt been done before but it adds some fun themes such as specific 'bad ass' characters that have a goal and their own motives, a lot of personality and although its not too heavy on character development, it gives you enough messy human stuff to keep you engaged. Maybe not really enough to care about them as more and more seem to die but its enough to make this a fun ride. I would actually love to see some of these characters turned into movie characters but also understanding that the thoughts you can READ in a book are very hard to translate into a film. But i enjoyed this. Recommend it for those into gory horror without being weighed down by too much detail and definitely very few warm and fuzzies.
December 8, 2018
While I loved and Ray did all of JosephZIP Code other books five stars both print edition‘s as well as audio. This book in particular I only had the audio version. Unfortunately I could not get past the narration. I believe I have heard the narrator before any done OK. Unfortunately in this book he read the entire book with kind of a deep baritone voice of a radio announcer. There was practically no change in tone or inflection and it was like listening to a radio announcer read the side of a cereal box. The story itself was decent enough for a horror thriller type story not my normal T but it was a decent story. I am judging three stars entirely on the narrated audiobook version. As I said I just could not get past the very Poor choice of narration style I guess. As I said I believe I’ve heard that Mary before and he was not this bad. I believe this is the lowest rating I have ever given a book that I finished. Definitely check out the printed version/E book and before you buy the audio version definitely listen to a sample of it to see if you like the narration. It is just my opinion and everybody has their own opinion so check out a sample of it and make your own choice. As I said I loved all of Joseph Zuko and his other books
February 10, 2022
I guess I felt that this would have been better suited to a short story or novella. There was very little character development, I also felt like a lot of the sex and violence was gratuitous; the sex especially did nothing to help the plot (of which I felt there was very little) and did nothing to help the reader understand characters. This mostly felt like an excuse to just describe a bunch of brutal murders, rather than tell an actual story.
Also, I get that one of the murderers supposedly had some sort of congenital insensitivity to pain, but that would NOT make him super human. He would actually be more at risk because he wouldn't be able to address many injuries as he wouldn't even know he had them.
I like violence more than the next person, but this was just a little too much overkill. (See what I did there?)
Also, I get that one of the murderers supposedly had some sort of congenital insensitivity to pain, but that would NOT make him super human. He would actually be more at risk because he wouldn't be able to address many injuries as he wouldn't even know he had them.
I like violence more than the next person, but this was just a little too much overkill. (See what I did there?)
January 3, 2023
I enjoyed the first 2/3 for the most part, even though I found some of the dialogue childish. But the last few chapters of this we’re so horrible all I could do was laugh. By then I wanted every single character who wasn’t named Duke to die horribly. I’m not sure, based on the final paragraph, if Zuko has ever spoken to another man because the actions of the world's biggest doormat don't compute with the reactions that the large majority of men would realistically have. It's a huge oh-my-god moment that turns the character into simpy Jello.
December 6, 2018
Truly Grim
This was truly grim and creepy. Think of an old fashioned horror movie with real creepy bad guys. Bad guys with no redeeming qualities plagueing regular everyday folks who have to rise or degrade to save themselves. The book flows really well and kept my interest throughout. Despite the gore, the action kept my interest. I am almost ashamed of my fascinating interest. The book really has some cool moments and characters. Duke, the twins and Dominic professing his love. Note to the author, proofread, please. Note to readers, go for it!
This was truly grim and creepy. Think of an old fashioned horror movie with real creepy bad guys. Bad guys with no redeeming qualities plagueing regular everyday folks who have to rise or degrade to save themselves. The book flows really well and kept my interest throughout. Despite the gore, the action kept my interest. I am almost ashamed of my fascinating interest. The book really has some cool moments and characters. Duke, the twins and Dominic professing his love. Note to the author, proofread, please. Note to readers, go for it!
May 12, 2020
This is most definitely not for people with weak stomachs as there is lots of graphic violence. Sweet Home sounds like a great place to call home and it is for the main characters until 5 murderous escaped convicts decide to make it their playground. What follows is a trail of petrifying encounters and excruciating pain for many of the innocent citizens of Sweet Home. Will anyone survive to tell the tale and at what cost? Will the town survive this horror? You'll have to read this non-stop tale of terror to find out.
January 5, 2021
I'm a little bit at a loss for words after reading this. As someone who likes gory movies and books, this was so over the top and gratuitous that it became repetitive and boring. Gory works when it's well written, but Sweet Home is like a stream of consciousness from a demented twelve year old boy. A sick, twisted, and bloody torture and killing spree with some sex thrown in for good measure. Oh, and I think there was a storyline about a family and a gym... but it got lost in all the unnecessary gore that I forgot already.
At least I got this one for free.
At least I got this one for free.
January 17, 2023
This would definitely have worked better if it was shorter.
Admittedly, I think the premise is really interesting and it was definitely what kept me from DNFing it, but the prose seems a bit discombobulated and was jumping around a bit too much for my taste.
There are no characters to root for in this, no character development of any kind and pointless divergences to the plot that just seems like filler to pad the book out. It's basically just a slasher movie (I'd like to see this as a movie, perhaps!) and we all know how these goes.
Beware of the gratuitous sex as well lol
Admittedly, I think the premise is really interesting and it was definitely what kept me from DNFing it, but the prose seems a bit discombobulated and was jumping around a bit too much for my taste.
There are no characters to root for in this, no character development of any kind and pointless divergences to the plot that just seems like filler to pad the book out. It's basically just a slasher movie (I'd like to see this as a movie, perhaps!) and we all know how these goes.
Beware of the gratuitous sex as well lol
December 23, 2020
Good read!!
I truly enjoyed reading this book. I'm usually into more supernatural stuff but this book hit the spot without ghost and ghouls. It was exciting! It was page turning ! And the interaction between the characters seem to flow effortlessly! I hope Mr Zuko's other novels are just as good because I will be reading them. And also recommending them to my friends and family. Thanks for a really good use of my leisure time!
I truly enjoyed reading this book. I'm usually into more supernatural stuff but this book hit the spot without ghost and ghouls. It was exciting! It was page turning ! And the interaction between the characters seem to flow effortlessly! I hope Mr Zuko's other novels are just as good because I will be reading them. And also recommending them to my friends and family. Thanks for a really good use of my leisure time!
January 15, 2021
Loved the book from the beginning to the end. It was a page Turner with action, suspense, horror all rolled into one. I gave this book 5 stars because it was an absolutely wonderful horror fueled story. I was hoping the ending would reveal all the crazy prisoners had got there just rewards but it was a little shocking to see that Jacob made it out of the fire and some other truly insane person was trying to rebuild that psycho. Can't wait for a sequel.
January 18, 2021
Awesome story with very entertaining characters
I just spent the last couple of hours reading this without so much as a toilet break. I love a good bit of violence and gore but thoroughly enjoyed the way the story was told and became very fond of certain characters, even some of the not so friendly ones. I found the ending very satisfying, despite all the carnage that occurred throughout it.
I just spent the last couple of hours reading this without so much as a toilet break. I love a good bit of violence and gore but thoroughly enjoyed the way the story was told and became very fond of certain characters, even some of the not so friendly ones. I found the ending very satisfying, despite all the carnage that occurred throughout it.
April 29, 2021
New Years Eve, snowy, a bus carrying murderers on death row to a new facility, crashes near a small town .... what could possibly go wrong ? Not for the faint of heart, reads like a movie and has the obligatory, unending, unbelievable fights scenes that you expect. For me a little to much blood and gore, sometimes I had to put the book down and walk away for a bit. Pretty quick read.
I would actually give the book a 2 1/2 rating if you could give half stars.
I would actually give the book a 2 1/2 rating if you could give half stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews