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New Dead #1
Dead: Onset
Today is the day that Evan Berry's life will change forever.
His days working construction are about to end; he is finally going to be a high school music teacher. Stephanie, his bride-to-be even has a surprise planned for him when he gets home from work that first night.
None of that matters.
For several days, the news has been hinting at reports of a strange illness that appears to be global. Unfortunately, this is no regular sickness. The dead are returning to life and attacking the living. Evan is at his new job for less than ten minutes when he gets a call from Stephanie. There is a man in their house and he is trying to attack her.
Set in the world of the DEAD series, there is a new story to tell. See the world die through the eyes of one man in DEAD: Onset.
His days working construction are about to end; he is finally going to be a high school music teacher. Stephanie, his bride-to-be even has a surprise planned for him when he gets home from work that first night.
None of that matters.
For several days, the news has been hinting at reports of a strange illness that appears to be global. Unfortunately, this is no regular sickness. The dead are returning to life and attacking the living. Evan is at his new job for less than ten minutes when he gets a call from Stephanie. There is a man in their house and he is trying to attack her.
Set in the world of the DEAD series, there is a new story to tell. See the world die through the eyes of one man in DEAD: Onset.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2016
About the author
T.W. Brown
96 books309 followersTucked away in the Pacific Northwest with my wife Denise, a Border Collie named Aoife, a guitar collection, and an increasing number of aquariums sporting a variety of fish (cichlids are my new favorites), I live for football season when I can cheer on the Oregon Ducks and be disappointed by my Seattle Seahawks once again. I am a fan of Cookie Monster, KISS, and Dr. Who (along with most things British).
As a person who always dreamed of writing as well as one completely enthralled by all things zombie, it is hard to believe that I never once considered writing in the genre. It is true. I wanted to be more “mainstream”. The first novel I actually wrote is titled Dakota (as Todd Brown). It is about a pair of DEA types tossed back in time to just prior to the start of the Civil War. They are in Charleston, South Carolina, and one of them is an African-American.
The zombie thing really started when I wrote a short for a college Creative Writing class. The teacher, Ms. Bose, pulled me up and told me I had an obvious love for the subject and a real talent for the style. I decided to give it a shot.
The first thing I cobbled together was Zomblog. I wrote it as a warm up for the project I had brewing in the back of my mind. It is a journal account of the apocalypse. The funny thing is that it was never intended to be published. A few things happened and it ended up being presented to me as a gift in book format by my wife for a Christmas present. There was something I will never forget about holding the copy of that book in my hand the first time.
Because it gained a readership, and those readers asked for more, I made it a trilogy (Zomblog, Zomblog II, and Zomblog: The Final Entry). It is also because of those fans that I have returned to the Zomblog universe and just released the sixth (and FINAL) book in the series on Halloween of 2013: Zomblog: Snoe's Journey. I freely admit that I will sellout my plans to write what the fans ask for.
I really want my DEAD series to be what I am known for, and in the last year, it has really taken off. However, I will say that with the release of the fourth book in the DEAD series (DEAD: Winter), the numbers started to pick up beyond my wildest dreams.
The DEAD series (DEAD: The Ugly Beginning, DEAD: Revelations, and DEAD: Fortunes & Failures, DEAD: Winter, DEAD: Siege & Survival, DEAD: Confrontation, DEAD: Reborn) is scheduled to be a 12 part epic series.
It is told in three rotating chapters. One is from the first person perspective of Steve Hobart, a man thrust into the role of leader for a group of survivors struggling to keep alive. One chapter follows a group of four self-professed zombie “geeks” who initially believe that the zombie apocalypse would be fun and soon discover that it is nothing like the movies. The third of the rotating chapters is called “Vignettes” and is a series of snapshots from all around the world. Some of the vignettes are single chapter episodes, others are continuing threads that carry on for several chapters. A few are merged into the Steve story or the Geek story line.
Last year,I began my horror/comedy series, "That Ghoul Ava" and have found it to be my new guilty pleasure.
My blog can be found at:
http://twbrown.blogspot.com/
You can contact him at:
twbrown.maydecpub@gmail.com
You can follow him on twitter @maydecpub and on Facebook under Todd Brown, Author TW Brown, and also under May December Publications.
Book Links:
DEAD
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-The-Ugly-B...
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Revelation...
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Fortunes-F...
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Winter-ebo...
http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-Winter-TW-...
http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-Siege-Surv...
http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-Confrontat...
http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-Reborn-TW-...
As a person who always dreamed of writing as well as one completely enthralled by all things zombie, it is hard to believe that I never once considered writing in the genre. It is true. I wanted to be more “mainstream”. The first novel I actually wrote is titled Dakota (as Todd Brown). It is about a pair of DEA types tossed back in time to just prior to the start of the Civil War. They are in Charleston, South Carolina, and one of them is an African-American.
The zombie thing really started when I wrote a short for a college Creative Writing class. The teacher, Ms. Bose, pulled me up and told me I had an obvious love for the subject and a real talent for the style. I decided to give it a shot.
The first thing I cobbled together was Zomblog. I wrote it as a warm up for the project I had brewing in the back of my mind. It is a journal account of the apocalypse. The funny thing is that it was never intended to be published. A few things happened and it ended up being presented to me as a gift in book format by my wife for a Christmas present. There was something I will never forget about holding the copy of that book in my hand the first time.
Because it gained a readership, and those readers asked for more, I made it a trilogy (Zomblog, Zomblog II, and Zomblog: The Final Entry). It is also because of those fans that I have returned to the Zomblog universe and just released the sixth (and FINAL) book in the series on Halloween of 2013: Zomblog: Snoe's Journey. I freely admit that I will sellout my plans to write what the fans ask for.
I really want my DEAD series to be what I am known for, and in the last year, it has really taken off. However, I will say that with the release of the fourth book in the DEAD series (DEAD: Winter), the numbers started to pick up beyond my wildest dreams.
The DEAD series (DEAD: The Ugly Beginning, DEAD: Revelations, and DEAD: Fortunes & Failures, DEAD: Winter, DEAD: Siege & Survival, DEAD: Confrontation, DEAD: Reborn) is scheduled to be a 12 part epic series.
It is told in three rotating chapters. One is from the first person perspective of Steve Hobart, a man thrust into the role of leader for a group of survivors struggling to keep alive. One chapter follows a group of four self-professed zombie “geeks” who initially believe that the zombie apocalypse would be fun and soon discover that it is nothing like the movies. The third of the rotating chapters is called “Vignettes” and is a series of snapshots from all around the world. Some of the vignettes are single chapter episodes, others are continuing threads that carry on for several chapters. A few are merged into the Steve story or the Geek story line.
Last year,I began my horror/comedy series, "That Ghoul Ava" and have found it to be my new guilty pleasure.
My blog can be found at:
http://twbrown.blogspot.com/
You can contact him at:
twbrown.maydecpub@gmail.com
You can follow him on twitter @maydecpub and on Facebook under Todd Brown, Author TW Brown, and also under May December Publications.
Book Links:
DEAD
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-The-Ugly-B...
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Revelation...
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Fortunes-F...
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Winter-ebo...
http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-Winter-TW-...
http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-Siege-Surv...
http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-Confrontat...
http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-Reborn-TW-...
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 3, 2026
I read the first 2 installments of this series in one sitting; I was absolutely hooked.
Evan, our MC, is a freshly minted music teacher that worked construction to get himself through school he's in good enough shape and full of pop culture references (not in an annoying way), luck's a bitch though, the zombie apocalypse starts right on his first day. Plot armor? No such luck for him, he's about to go through the wringer, no amount of solid instincts can spare him from what's coming. Here's the thing about me, I love when the punches aren't pulled.
The fact that Brown decided to stick with just Evan's POV made the story very snappy and avoided repetition.
I liked the characters and how they evolved, from Evan's issues with his hostile coworker (a fat woman named Betty whom I adored) to the badass dog named Chewy which also managed to feel like a real dog. Brown managed to take tropes that I normally do not enjoy seeing in zombie novels and to make them work.
Is this book perfect? Probably not, was I thoroughly entertained from beginning to end? Yes, so 4.5 rounded up.
Evan, our MC, is a freshly minted music teacher that worked construction to get himself through school he's in good enough shape and full of pop culture references (not in an annoying way), luck's a bitch though, the zombie apocalypse starts right on his first day. Plot armor? No such luck for him, he's about to go through the wringer, no amount of solid instincts can spare him from what's coming. Here's the thing about me, I love when the punches aren't pulled.
The fact that Brown decided to stick with just Evan's POV made the story very snappy and avoided repetition.
I liked the characters and how they evolved, from Evan's issues with his hostile coworker (a fat woman named Betty whom I adored) to the badass dog named Chewy which also managed to feel like a real dog. Brown managed to take tropes that I normally do not enjoy seeing in zombie novels and to make them work.
Is this book perfect? Probably not, was I thoroughly entertained from beginning to end? Yes, so 4.5 rounded up.
September 5, 2017
My original DEAD: Onset audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Evan Berry loves music and is looking forward to his first day as a music teacher at the local school. Too bad it is the day the world devolves into zombie chaos. He is the ordinary man in an impossible situation, forced to accept the death/turning of his fiancé and loss of everything and everything he knows. He has to rise to the situation or be eaten alive with everyone else.
Carl, the shop teacher is more than ready for the breakdown of civilization and helps Evan through his denial. Together they protect an unlikely group, a cranky middle-aged teacher and two children against the hungry hordes of zombies and the evil living.
The slightly different take on the overcrowded zombie genre is welcome, though Even quickly evolves into the standard kill or be killed apocalypse hero. Evan often thinks about and refers to the many zombie movies and how his zombie reality is so different. The thing is, it isn’t that different, or at least not different enough to be noteworthy. The story does keep a backdrop of humor and a doesn’t take-itself-too-seriously tone that is very welcome. It softens the gruesome parts but also dulls the poignant scenes. It may not ground breaking, but it is fun and entertaining.
The story is performed by the author. His voice is pleasant enough, but is difficult at first to get into the story as he stumbles over phrases and doesn’t always differentiate the characters well. His female and male characters sometimes morph into each other. On the other hand, he lends a personal tone to the story. No one knows a story better than the author and the listener gets just a little more depth from certain characters for it. It is a personal taste and one can’t really say if his reading is a positive or negative, adding in some ways and detracting in others.
Onset Dead is a fun zombie story with enough humor and flawed humanity to give us just a little bit different take on the many zombie stories. There is plenty of gruesome chomping and hapless, dirty survivors fighting for their lives. If you are zombie lover, you will probably never get enough, so give this one a go.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
Evan Berry loves music and is looking forward to his first day as a music teacher at the local school. Too bad it is the day the world devolves into zombie chaos. He is the ordinary man in an impossible situation, forced to accept the death/turning of his fiancé and loss of everything and everything he knows. He has to rise to the situation or be eaten alive with everyone else.
Carl, the shop teacher is more than ready for the breakdown of civilization and helps Evan through his denial. Together they protect an unlikely group, a cranky middle-aged teacher and two children against the hungry hordes of zombies and the evil living.
The slightly different take on the overcrowded zombie genre is welcome, though Even quickly evolves into the standard kill or be killed apocalypse hero. Evan often thinks about and refers to the many zombie movies and how his zombie reality is so different. The thing is, it isn’t that different, or at least not different enough to be noteworthy. The story does keep a backdrop of humor and a doesn’t take-itself-too-seriously tone that is very welcome. It softens the gruesome parts but also dulls the poignant scenes. It may not ground breaking, but it is fun and entertaining.
The story is performed by the author. His voice is pleasant enough, but is difficult at first to get into the story as he stumbles over phrases and doesn’t always differentiate the characters well. His female and male characters sometimes morph into each other. On the other hand, he lends a personal tone to the story. No one knows a story better than the author and the listener gets just a little more depth from certain characters for it. It is a personal taste and one can’t really say if his reading is a positive or negative, adding in some ways and detracting in others.
Onset Dead is a fun zombie story with enough humor and flawed humanity to give us just a little bit different take on the many zombie stories. There is plenty of gruesome chomping and hapless, dirty survivors fighting for their lives. If you are zombie lover, you will probably never get enough, so give this one a go.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
November 2, 2016
Good read
. I want to read more of this new series before I decide.... I loved the intensity and fast pace, but I found some areas where I just miss Steve and Thalia... I think I liked Carl better than Evan...
. I want to read more of this new series before I decide.... I loved the intensity and fast pace, but I found some areas where I just miss Steve and Thalia... I think I liked Carl better than Evan...
November 12, 2016
Dead: Onset is set in the same world as Brown’s other Dead series, but you don’t need to have read it to read this series. In all honesty, I found this series easier to read for some reason. It’s a great book and I look forward to seeing what else happens in the series.
Dead: Onset is full of action and zombies. Every time Evan turns around, there is something else crazy going on. At first, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Evan, but he definitely grew on me. He is what I would consider an “everyman.” He’s your typical average guy, put into a non-average world and has to learn to adapt or die.
Brown has a gift for imagery and realism. At one point he says “…a geyser of blood sprayed in syncopation with the failing heartbeat up as the scream turned into a gurgle.” I think that was my favorite sentence in the book.
Something Brown does that I can’t decide if I love or hate is there are occasions where he gives clues or bits of the story, but not quite enough for me to know what actually is happening. The zombies that make the sound of a baby crying, or what really happened in the apartment with the dead guy who looks like he shot himself, for example.
In this series, we are shown both ends of the human spectrum. We are reminded that there are both very good and very bad people in the world. We are shown the hope in humanity while at the same time, losing most faith in it. There is a passage that says, “Sure there are always a few bad apples in the bunch, but just like the general population, most are good down deep.” I think this is a very important idea for us to all remember right now.
The cliffhanger in this book is killer btw. My gut seriously dropped when I read it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great zombie series to start that is full of action and adventure.
Dead: Onset is full of action and zombies. Every time Evan turns around, there is something else crazy going on. At first, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Evan, but he definitely grew on me. He is what I would consider an “everyman.” He’s your typical average guy, put into a non-average world and has to learn to adapt or die.
Brown has a gift for imagery and realism. At one point he says “…a geyser of blood sprayed in syncopation with the failing heartbeat up as the scream turned into a gurgle.” I think that was my favorite sentence in the book.
Something Brown does that I can’t decide if I love or hate is there are occasions where he gives clues or bits of the story, but not quite enough for me to know what actually is happening. The zombies that make the sound of a baby crying, or what really happened in the apartment with the dead guy who looks like he shot himself, for example.
In this series, we are shown both ends of the human spectrum. We are reminded that there are both very good and very bad people in the world. We are shown the hope in humanity while at the same time, losing most faith in it. There is a passage that says, “Sure there are always a few bad apples in the bunch, but just like the general population, most are good down deep.” I think this is a very important idea for us to all remember right now.
The cliffhanger in this book is killer btw. My gut seriously dropped when I read it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great zombie series to start that is full of action and adventure.
June 27, 2025
Can't get enough
I have been working on this series and love the intermingled stories of the characters. A picture into the undead world i can see vividly in my mind. The layers just keep unfolding and I am hooked. Just got Selinas back story. One of the first characters i found myself rooting for. Into the next can't wait to find out what awaits!!
I have been working on this series and love the intermingled stories of the characters. A picture into the undead world i can see vividly in my mind. The layers just keep unfolding and I am hooked. Just got Selinas back story. One of the first characters i found myself rooting for. Into the next can't wait to find out what awaits!!
November 26, 2017
A really good book!New to this world is Evan is finally going to be a music teacher.Too bad the world is 'ending' that day! T.W. Brown not only wrote but narrates it nicely.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”
May 3, 2019
I enjoyed this book and can't wait to get to the next book. This one is different than the other Dead series in that it is told through only one character's point of view. the characters we are meeting are entertaining and interesting... definitely enjoyable book.
February 9, 2020
The good die young
I love Mr. Brown’s zombie books. They are fun to read and the characters are normal everyday people. It’s easy to imagine yourself in this world and know that you probably won’t make it because you are one of the nice people. lol
I love Mr. Brown’s zombie books. They are fun to read and the characters are normal everyday people. It’s easy to imagine yourself in this world and know that you probably won’t make it because you are one of the nice people. lol
March 20, 2020
Meh...…… after the "All Dead" series, I was really looking forward to enjoying this new one. Sadly it fell short for me. I don't know what it was, but it didn't carry the same excitement as the All Dead series.
August 26, 2026
too short
Your stories are too short. I start to get settled in to read, the story is over. I like to read every bit. I think a story tells us what is going on. The stories that have more than one story going can get confusing if they are too many.
Your stories are too short. I start to get settled in to read, the story is over. I like to read every bit. I think a story tells us what is going on. The stories that have more than one story going can get confusing if they are too many.
January 22, 2018
Loved it
I really enjoyed this book. T W Brown is doing a great job at keeping the series alive. Thank you. Can't wait to read the next
I really enjoyed this book. T W Brown is doing a great job at keeping the series alive. Thank you. Can't wait to read the next
February 16, 2019
Great
I love the DEAD series and so far this is on par with the original, the nod to Steve and the girls did not go unnoticed.
I love the DEAD series and so far this is on par with the original, the nod to Steve and the girls did not go unnoticed.
June 8, 2021
Excitement in a book
🧟♀️A very exciting and scary read ,very suspenseful ,and it will keep your heart pounding till the very end of the book.
🧟♀️A very exciting and scary read ,very suspenseful ,and it will keep your heart pounding till the very end of the book.
November 15, 2016
Dead :Onset T W Brown
11 14 2016
We follow Evan Barry his dog Chewie and his future wife Stephanie, she had a big surprise for him after work the day of the outbreak happened. Will she have a chance to tell him she is pregnant? They had set up a FEMA center at Franklin High School as well as other locations when the city declared Marshall Law.That was the closest place to where Even was only one problem, they wouldn't allow chewie in. He saved Morey Reynolds on his way to safety. Once at the school he met some of his colleagues Bette Simms, a women his first impression was wrong ,Principal Julian Gordon and his one friend Carl .
Evan noticed that the infected or soon to be infected had black tracers in the whites of their eyes. Something the guards at the school seemed to be unaware of. He also found it that a scratch form one of the dead was just as deadly as a bite.
Even and a small group of his friends knew they had to get out of the School if they wanted to live, he counted at least 7 people with the tracers in their eyes .With so many people crammed into a small space, it was not going to end well when those folks changed.
The small grouped picked up people on the way one was a little girl and one was an Autistic boy, there treck to find a safe place just got a little more interesting. Pick up the book to find out more.
This is the first book of TW Brown that I have read, I found it entertaining and fast paced. I loved Even’s character and Carol. All were well written and true to life how we might react. I will look for more of TW Brown’s books in the future.
11 14 2016
We follow Evan Barry his dog Chewie and his future wife Stephanie, she had a big surprise for him after work the day of the outbreak happened. Will she have a chance to tell him she is pregnant? They had set up a FEMA center at Franklin High School as well as other locations when the city declared Marshall Law.That was the closest place to where Even was only one problem, they wouldn't allow chewie in. He saved Morey Reynolds on his way to safety. Once at the school he met some of his colleagues Bette Simms, a women his first impression was wrong ,Principal Julian Gordon and his one friend Carl .
Evan noticed that the infected or soon to be infected had black tracers in the whites of their eyes. Something the guards at the school seemed to be unaware of. He also found it that a scratch form one of the dead was just as deadly as a bite.
Even and a small group of his friends knew they had to get out of the School if they wanted to live, he counted at least 7 people with the tracers in their eyes .With so many people crammed into a small space, it was not going to end well when those folks changed.
The small grouped picked up people on the way one was a little girl and one was an Autistic boy, there treck to find a safe place just got a little more interesting. Pick up the book to find out more.
This is the first book of TW Brown that I have read, I found it entertaining and fast paced. I loved Even’s character and Carol. All were well written and true to life how we might react. I will look for more of TW Brown’s books in the future.
February 15, 2017
Awesome!
Soo glad to be back in Mr Brown's Dead world! This is an awesome first book and I can not wait for the next one!
Soo glad to be back in Mr Brown's Dead world! This is an awesome first book and I can not wait for the next one!
December 1, 2016
A very good reboot.
Mr. Brown's first series of Dead books was awesome, I instantly fell in like with Steve, Kevin and Juan, but it might take me awhile to get comfortable with Evan, I can't explain why I just haven't warmed up to him yet, but I trust the author to make him likable or make him despicable, something he is very good at, the story was done very well I enjoyed it all the way through, just get me to a comfortable place with Evan. My actual rating would be 4 1/2 but Amazon doesn't allow for that. I hope you enjoy, Thanks Mr. Brown.
Mr. Brown's first series of Dead books was awesome, I instantly fell in like with Steve, Kevin and Juan, but it might take me awhile to get comfortable with Evan, I can't explain why I just haven't warmed up to him yet, but I trust the author to make him likable or make him despicable, something he is very good at, the story was done very well I enjoyed it all the way through, just get me to a comfortable place with Evan. My actual rating would be 4 1/2 but Amazon doesn't allow for that. I hope you enjoy, Thanks Mr. Brown.
November 1, 2016
Excellent zombie fiction! I really enjoy these type of stories because the survivors aren't military and/or preppers, just regular ordinary people trying to survive in a world overrun by zombies and bad people. A great start to a new series in the DEAD universe by TW Brown.
Read
November 12, 2016This book was great I enjoy the characters and the story looking forward to the next book
November 17, 2016
Another great book! It's from one persons point of view but it's awesome!!!
Read
December 7, 2016Must read for zombie readers
THIS IS A MUST READ, AS USUAL TW BROWN BOOKS ARE ACTION PACKED WITH LOTS OF ZOMBIE ACTION. THIS SERIES IS ADDICTIVE, VERY HARD TO PUT DOWN.THIS AUTHOR NEVER IS BORING, PLEASE WRITE MORE.
THIS IS A MUST READ, AS USUAL TW BROWN BOOKS ARE ACTION PACKED WITH LOTS OF ZOMBIE ACTION. THIS SERIES IS ADDICTIVE, VERY HARD TO PUT DOWN.THIS AUTHOR NEVER IS BORING, PLEASE WRITE MORE.
March 28, 2017
Love the new DEAD series
TW was one of my first zompoc authors that l read. His books still remain in the top 5 of my favorites. This new series based on new characters in a DEAD world is a new fav.
TW was one of my first zompoc authors that l read. His books still remain in the top 5 of my favorites. This new series based on new characters in a DEAD world is a new fav.
April 6, 2017
The Dead series by TW Brown is hands down one of my favorite continuous worlds in the ZA Genre. His style is very visceral, his characters are all too human and not immune at all to the chaos that is going on around them and with each new book there is more and more to explore. I love the cliffhanger ending of this one and cannot wait to dive into the next volume (already in progress!)
The only thing I can say that takes away from this one is the stream of consciousness writing style that at times can drone on. I am guilty of it (as was my favorite author HPL) but at times I just want to get to the point of the GD thought and not read 26 excess words to get to it :)
The only thing I can say that takes away from this one is the stream of consciousness writing style that at times can drone on. I am guilty of it (as was my favorite author HPL) but at times I just want to get to the point of the GD thought and not read 26 excess words to get to it :)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews