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Gun
Seven customers shot dead in a coffee shop. Thirty shoppers cut down by an assault rifle at the mall. One hundred and eight pupils killed by high-school students on a rampage.
It’s just reached 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful spring day.
When a neurological virus triggers an epidemic of gun violence, a modern US city fractures into chaos. Annie’s husband shoots at commuters while his son is buckled in a carseat. Frankie and Becca desperately try to hide from a deranged shooter at their school; Robert runs headlong into the midst of a lopsided gun battle; and Blain…? None of them know Blain’s true story.
Thrown together—their families dead or missing—these survivors struggle to escape the newly-dangerous city. Hoping to find a place of safety. Somewhere they can bide their time until the violence subsides, the authorities seize control, and good once again triumphs over evil.
They’re in for a long wait.
It’s just reached 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful spring day.
When a neurological virus triggers an epidemic of gun violence, a modern US city fractures into chaos. Annie’s husband shoots at commuters while his son is buckled in a carseat. Frankie and Becca desperately try to hide from a deranged shooter at their school; Robert runs headlong into the midst of a lopsided gun battle; and Blain…? None of them know Blain’s true story.
Thrown together—their families dead or missing—these survivors struggle to escape the newly-dangerous city. Hoping to find a place of safety. Somewhere they can bide their time until the violence subsides, the authorities seize control, and good once again triumphs over evil.
They’re in for a long wait.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2017
33 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 26, 2016
On a seemingly normal day, everything starts to go wrong.
All over the country, and the world, there have been people sick for the last week with something that feels flu-like, and includes appalling migraines. Now people are reaching the critical point of the illness: what temporarily relieves the pain of the headaches is killing people.
And a lot of people have guns.
What's especially notable about this book is that Hayton does it without making it a polemic on either side of the gun issue. It isn't about guns, or gun owners, being either good or bad, responsible or irresponsible. It's about what a new and nasty disease does, and the desperate measures people are driven to as they try to understand what's going on, and how to survive.
We follow two young high school students fleeing an active shooter at their school, a mother who's searching for her three-year-old son, carried off by her husband when he inexplicably took off in their car, shooting at the neighbors, and a young man, home from work with a terrible migraine when the pain gets so bad that no measures seem too extreme in getting the serious painkillers he clearly absolutely needs to have. How these people come together, in conflict and cooperation, is the core of this story.
It's worth noting that this is the first entry in a series. This episode comes to a reasonable conclusion, but it's clearly only the first episode.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley from the author and am reviewing it by my own choice.
All over the country, and the world, there have been people sick for the last week with something that feels flu-like, and includes appalling migraines. Now people are reaching the critical point of the illness: what temporarily relieves the pain of the headaches is killing people.
And a lot of people have guns.
What's especially notable about this book is that Hayton does it without making it a polemic on either side of the gun issue. It isn't about guns, or gun owners, being either good or bad, responsible or irresponsible. It's about what a new and nasty disease does, and the desperate measures people are driven to as they try to understand what's going on, and how to survive.
We follow two young high school students fleeing an active shooter at their school, a mother who's searching for her three-year-old son, carried off by her husband when he inexplicably took off in their car, shooting at the neighbors, and a young man, home from work with a terrible migraine when the pain gets so bad that no measures seem too extreme in getting the serious painkillers he clearly absolutely needs to have. How these people come together, in conflict and cooperation, is the core of this story.
It's worth noting that this is the first entry in a series. This episode comes to a reasonable conclusion, but it's clearly only the first episode.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley from the author and am reviewing it by my own choice.
February 8, 2018
I give this 4.5 stars.
I found this a hard book to read and had to take little breaks as I went along, not because it was bad, but because it was so superbly written that I couldn't help but feel I was there trying to deal with what the characters were experiencing.
A dark, disturbing novella depicting the start of an apocalypse caused by a rapidly spreading virus. What was so entrancing and yet shocking was the fact that you can easily see this breakdown of society actually happening. Polar ice fields thawing to reveal frozen human corpses from another age - check, a virus being released from the remains - could easily happen, so check, and society's access to a vast range of weapons coupled with a generational rise in rage and violence - check! See .... it could be believably real.
I have fallen in love with this author's thriller novels (she also writes fantasy) and can't wait to read Gun 2 which is written from a medical personnel's point of view.
I found this a hard book to read and had to take little breaks as I went along, not because it was bad, but because it was so superbly written that I couldn't help but feel I was there trying to deal with what the characters were experiencing.
A dark, disturbing novella depicting the start of an apocalypse caused by a rapidly spreading virus. What was so entrancing and yet shocking was the fact that you can easily see this breakdown of society actually happening. Polar ice fields thawing to reveal frozen human corpses from another age - check, a virus being released from the remains - could easily happen, so check, and society's access to a vast range of weapons coupled with a generational rise in rage and violence - check! See .... it could be believably real.
I have fallen in love with this author's thriller novels (she also writes fantasy) and can't wait to read Gun 2 which is written from a medical personnel's point of view.
March 27, 2017
Very Enjoyable. I always love a book that gets you thinking, and this one is definitely one of those. The Author has done a marvellous job in depicting a world that has been turned on it’s head, and you can’t help but be pulled along by this very entertaining story. Marlene thought she would relax and have a quiet coffee, until a gunman walked into the coffee shop and opened fire. His lack of emotion and not caring whether he is killing women and children is quite disconcerting. Annie was quite surprised when her husband Greg drove off with their three year old son in the car, and even more shocked when he starts shooting at another car. When another shoot out happens in front of her house, a man and two girls seek refuge in her garage, which initially makes Annie quite uneasy. However it doesn’t take long to find out that Robert, Becca and Frankie are all in the same boat as her, in just trying to stay alive. Annie is keen to go and find her son Mikey, and the others are happy to go with her and get out of the area, and hopefully find safety. However they don’t realise how the world has suddenly changed, and their lives are going to become very different in what they are used to. This is the second book that I’ve read from this Author, and I’m definitely a fan. This is a great book, and well worth picking up for a read.
July 28, 2019
Enjoyable
This book kept me interested all the way through. A bit different from the usual zombie type books which was great.
This book kept me interested all the way through. A bit different from the usual zombie type books which was great.
February 13, 2017
Gun(Gun Apocalypse Series Book 1) by Lee Hayton certainly capitalizes on today's headlines. Hayton however, takes a slightly different approach. When gun violence seems to escalate around the country, there is an actual reason behind it, a neurological virus of sorts. This particular virus makes it's sufferers lash out and shoot random people. This violence then triggers an apocalyptic survival story, and we follow the different stories of the survivors, the victims, and innocent bystanders. An interesting take on gun violence, because it poses a lot of moral questions, just who do you side with, how do you survive, and how does one cure the sick who are causing the mayhem? Well written with a fast paced, enveloping tone. While a good story with an intriguing premise, some readers may not enjoy the graphic descriptions of violence and bloodshed
November 16, 2018
Gun
By: Lee Hayton
5 out of 5 stars
The story Gun by Lee Hayton is a thrilling book that I loved reading. It is a story that hooked me in from the very beginning and I didn’t want to put it down until I had read the final page. It is a book that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It had me quickly turning pages. The day starts out like any other. People get up, go to work, school, wherever they are to be. Then the gunshots ring out and nothing is ever the same. This book tells the story of a group of survivors that find each other and band together. I enjoyed how the story told each person’s actions on the morning it all started and before they all met. Will this band of survivors find a safe place to stay? It is rumored that a neurological virus started the chaos. Is the virus all they have to fear? Read this book to find out. This story does a wonderful job in making you feel the emotions of the characters and how hard some of the choices that they must make really are. My emotions went up and down with theirs and I found myself asking “What would I do if in the same situation?” The book is detailed and I found myself feeling like I was right there with the characters. These survivors begin to realize what they must do to stay alive. Will they be able to make the hard choices they are faced with? There are also additional characters that you read about. It is interesting to read of their part in the story and also when some of them interact with the main characters. Full of suspenseful and chilling moments this is a book that I would recommend reading.
By: Lee Hayton
5 out of 5 stars
The story Gun by Lee Hayton is a thrilling book that I loved reading. It is a story that hooked me in from the very beginning and I didn’t want to put it down until I had read the final page. It is a book that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It had me quickly turning pages. The day starts out like any other. People get up, go to work, school, wherever they are to be. Then the gunshots ring out and nothing is ever the same. This book tells the story of a group of survivors that find each other and band together. I enjoyed how the story told each person’s actions on the morning it all started and before they all met. Will this band of survivors find a safe place to stay? It is rumored that a neurological virus started the chaos. Is the virus all they have to fear? Read this book to find out. This story does a wonderful job in making you feel the emotions of the characters and how hard some of the choices that they must make really are. My emotions went up and down with theirs and I found myself asking “What would I do if in the same situation?” The book is detailed and I found myself feeling like I was right there with the characters. These survivors begin to realize what they must do to stay alive. Will they be able to make the hard choices they are faced with? There are also additional characters that you read about. It is interesting to read of their part in the story and also when some of them interact with the main characters. Full of suspenseful and chilling moments this is a book that I would recommend reading.
August 13, 2017
Breath-taking, nail-biting, excruciatingly tense read.
A quite brilliant read, and that surprised me more so because I tend to avoid apocalyptic fiction, perhaps because it's usually somewhat depressing and often not done well. Gun, however, had me turning pages rapidly.
It's dark, disturbing, violent and so very enjoyable!
Great characters, really relatable, enjoyed the different personalities, even the ones that didn't survive. In fact it's never certain who will make it to the last page, definitely part of the enjoyment, even if it made for a very tense interlude.
A resolution, but not necessarily a very happy one for all of the characters involved. No cliffhanger ending, just the end of the beginning of what is proving to be a compelling storyline.
Now looking forward to discover the cause of this creepily disturbing virus that appears to have a penchant for the nervous system. And what happens to the characters next…
Next book please.
A quite brilliant read, and that surprised me more so because I tend to avoid apocalyptic fiction, perhaps because it's usually somewhat depressing and often not done well. Gun, however, had me turning pages rapidly.
It's dark, disturbing, violent and so very enjoyable!
Great characters, really relatable, enjoyed the different personalities, even the ones that didn't survive. In fact it's never certain who will make it to the last page, definitely part of the enjoyment, even if it made for a very tense interlude.
A resolution, but not necessarily a very happy one for all of the characters involved. No cliffhanger ending, just the end of the beginning of what is proving to be a compelling storyline.
Now looking forward to discover the cause of this creepily disturbing virus that appears to have a penchant for the nervous system. And what happens to the characters next…
Next book please.
February 11, 2017
Different
I liked the virus idea and enjoyed the thrill in the plot. I took off a star because I was not happy with the ending and characters decision to keep going with Mikey. I am a mom so I do get the desire to save my child, but I would have left the group, not allowed my child to hurt others. It makes me feel like Frankie, a character I do like is stuck with a woman that would sacrifice her in a second. The way she treated Blaine who understood the disease and was trying to help made me irritated and I don't know if I will read the rest if the series when it comes out. The ending did not fit the rest of the book, it felt rushed and awkward.
I liked the virus idea and enjoyed the thrill in the plot. I took off a star because I was not happy with the ending and characters decision to keep going with Mikey. I am a mom so I do get the desire to save my child, but I would have left the group, not allowed my child to hurt others. It makes me feel like Frankie, a character I do like is stuck with a woman that would sacrifice her in a second. The way she treated Blaine who understood the disease and was trying to help made me irritated and I don't know if I will read the rest if the series when it comes out. The ending did not fit the rest of the book, it felt rushed and awkward.
February 16, 2017
Lee Hayton is a middle-aged woman who works in insurance, doesn't have children or pets, can't drive, has lived in Christchurch her entire life, and currently resides a two-minute walk from where she was born.
The Author has written 7 novels and more in the pipeline: mystery stories basing them on events like nightmare.of a daughter missing , a stolen secret that people kill to hide, skeletal bones being found at a building site, a coroner's Inquest into uncovering the truth behind a death, and now in the Gun series, aggression and violence. Readers are to unravel the mystery behind murders.
Traveling is a great expander of ideas and the understanding of other cultures for Lee Hayton has explored this facet of the world, many times. After her travels, she always returns to her home, only a few miles from her birthplace.
Her books take readers on adventures drawn from her creativity, where age, physical ability, and wealth are immaterial. Her descriptions and dialogue show these fantastic flights of fancy over a landscape where your blood may curdle.
She's lucky enough to be part of the Phoenix Prime group. This is a collection of talented authors involved in a unique Ph.D level course on writing that will transform their craft through a process of hard graft and the application of unique and ground-breaking ideas. You're welcome to join her as she undertakes this journey, one that will be as enriching for readers as it is for the authors involved.
Gun 1: .
It is 10:00 am on a spring day. Seven customers have been shot dead in a coffee shop. Thirty shoppers are downed by an assault rifle at the mall. One hundred and eight pupils killed by high-school students on a rampage.
When a neurological virus triggers an epidemic of gun violence, a modern US city fractures into chaos. Annie’s husband shoots at commuters while his son is buckled in a car's seat. Frankie and Becca desperately try to hide from a deranged shooter at their school; Robert runs headlong into the midst of a lopsided gun battle; and Blain…? None of them know Blain’s true story.
Thrown together—their families dead or missing—these survivors struggle to escape the newly-dangerous city. Hoping to find a place of safety. Somewhere they can bide their time until the violence subsides, the authorities seize control, and good once again triumphs over evil.
Excerpts:
"As she dove forward, she saw tire tracks, forged in autumn mud, dried over the long winter to form ridges, like rock. Her shoulder hit the ground, nerves firing as her weight drove her hard at its unyielding surface. Then the world exploded......
......protruding from a deep wound in her former assailant’s abdomen. The overwhelming smell of s.....filled the room as the blades pierced his bowels, releasing their sludgy contents."
Annie In the shocked silence that followed Rebekah’s death, Blain confessed all to Frankie. The illness. The rampage. The wound. The cure. Focused on Mikey, Annie missed some of it, intent on saving her son’s life. As soon as she’d bent back his fingers to force the gun from his hand. Blain’s gunshot had gouged along the side of Mikey’s lower thigh. Annie cleaned away the excess blood to reveal a deep graze with defined edges. Although Annie wished she could take Mikey’s pain for herself, at least the wound was something she could dress and monitor for healing.
and then:
.... With so must exposed contact with Blain and Mikey, surely others were infected now as well .
Gun 2 - The Hospital When Dr. Rachel Harraday is called upon by the CDC to catalogue and treat a developing epidemic, she can’t foresee the disease will catapult its sufferers into a spree of gun violence. Struggling to navigate to safety through the unfamiliar hospital, only one thing is certain: help isn’t on its way.
Enjoy reading Gun 1 and Gun 2.
Scarlett Jensen
14 February 2017
The Author has written 7 novels and more in the pipeline: mystery stories basing them on events like nightmare.of a daughter missing , a stolen secret that people kill to hide, skeletal bones being found at a building site, a coroner's Inquest into uncovering the truth behind a death, and now in the Gun series, aggression and violence. Readers are to unravel the mystery behind murders.
Traveling is a great expander of ideas and the understanding of other cultures for Lee Hayton has explored this facet of the world, many times. After her travels, she always returns to her home, only a few miles from her birthplace.
Her books take readers on adventures drawn from her creativity, where age, physical ability, and wealth are immaterial. Her descriptions and dialogue show these fantastic flights of fancy over a landscape where your blood may curdle.
She's lucky enough to be part of the Phoenix Prime group. This is a collection of talented authors involved in a unique Ph.D level course on writing that will transform their craft through a process of hard graft and the application of unique and ground-breaking ideas. You're welcome to join her as she undertakes this journey, one that will be as enriching for readers as it is for the authors involved.
Gun 1: .
It is 10:00 am on a spring day. Seven customers have been shot dead in a coffee shop. Thirty shoppers are downed by an assault rifle at the mall. One hundred and eight pupils killed by high-school students on a rampage.
When a neurological virus triggers an epidemic of gun violence, a modern US city fractures into chaos. Annie’s husband shoots at commuters while his son is buckled in a car's seat. Frankie and Becca desperately try to hide from a deranged shooter at their school; Robert runs headlong into the midst of a lopsided gun battle; and Blain…? None of them know Blain’s true story.
Thrown together—their families dead or missing—these survivors struggle to escape the newly-dangerous city. Hoping to find a place of safety. Somewhere they can bide their time until the violence subsides, the authorities seize control, and good once again triumphs over evil.
Excerpts:
"As she dove forward, she saw tire tracks, forged in autumn mud, dried over the long winter to form ridges, like rock. Her shoulder hit the ground, nerves firing as her weight drove her hard at its unyielding surface. Then the world exploded......
......protruding from a deep wound in her former assailant’s abdomen. The overwhelming smell of s.....filled the room as the blades pierced his bowels, releasing their sludgy contents."
Annie In the shocked silence that followed Rebekah’s death, Blain confessed all to Frankie. The illness. The rampage. The wound. The cure. Focused on Mikey, Annie missed some of it, intent on saving her son’s life. As soon as she’d bent back his fingers to force the gun from his hand. Blain’s gunshot had gouged along the side of Mikey’s lower thigh. Annie cleaned away the excess blood to reveal a deep graze with defined edges. Although Annie wished she could take Mikey’s pain for herself, at least the wound was something she could dress and monitor for healing.
and then:
.... With so must exposed contact with Blain and Mikey, surely others were infected now as well .
Gun 2 - The Hospital When Dr. Rachel Harraday is called upon by the CDC to catalogue and treat a developing epidemic, she can’t foresee the disease will catapult its sufferers into a spree of gun violence. Struggling to navigate to safety through the unfamiliar hospital, only one thing is certain: help isn’t on its way.
Enjoy reading Gun 1 and Gun 2.
Scarlett Jensen
14 February 2017
February 23, 2017
Title: Gun
Author: Lee Hayton
Publisher: L. H.
Series: Gun Apocalypse Series # 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Gun" by Lee Hayton
My Thoughts....
What a captivating suspenseful thriller read that is fast paced definitely keeping your attention till the end! Even though you may have seen or even heard of violence but it is really something as you read from this 'apocalyptic horror.' This author really puts together such a read of this virus epidemic that has sweep through leaving quite a bit of disruption and chaos making people do some horrible things in some kind of twisted minded situations. I will say this isn't my kind of read but I wanted to see how this author would present this story and all I can say is that the author did one heck of a job as I kept on reading. I found this quite one thriller mystery....as I found myself holding my breathe at different times in some of the chapters but reading through it all! Be prepared...there will be lots of violence in this read. So, if you like fiction based on apocalyptic events with its aftermath for survivors you have come to the right place for one intriguing story about 'Gun.'
‘Seven customers shot dead in a coffee shop. Thirty shoppers cut down by an assault rifle at the mall. One hundred and eight pupils killed by high-school students on a rampage. It’s just reached 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful spring day. When a neurological virus triggers an epidemic of gun violence, a modern US city fractures into chaos. Annie’s husband shoots at commuters while his son is buckled in a car seat. Frankie and Becca desperately try to hide from a deranged shooter at their school; Robert runs headlong into the midst of a lopsided gun battle; and Blain…? None of them know Blain’s true story. Thrown together—their families dead or missing—these survivors struggle to escape the newly dangerous city. Hoping to find a place of safety. Somewhere they can bide their time until the violence subsides, the authorities seize control, and good once again triumphs over evil. They’re in for a long wait.'
As the reader will see from this read of how this virus makes its sufferers lash out and then shoot randomly triggering quite a story of survival of how different survivors, victims and even innocent bystanders' lash out and shoot randomly at people. This was quite to read of how this author presents these stories of survivors, victims and innocent ones and even more interesting the take on gun violence. Who will one side with, how do you even survive all of this and most of all is their a cure of the sick who are causing all of this mess? Yes, these are ill people but what should be done with them? I liked the 'empowerment that this author gives the women in this read...shooting, fighting and trying to help each other out! 'How these people come together in all of this conflict' is the really core of this story. I found the characters [Annie, Becca, Frankie, Robert, Blain, Mikey] to name a few for the most part well developed helping give this story a good plot in this apocalyptic survival novel.
In the end will good triumph over evil? Well. I guess you will have to pick up 'Gun' to find out. Oh, there will be another series..Gun 2.
Author: Lee Hayton
Publisher: L. H.
Series: Gun Apocalypse Series # 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Gun" by Lee Hayton
My Thoughts....
What a captivating suspenseful thriller read that is fast paced definitely keeping your attention till the end! Even though you may have seen or even heard of violence but it is really something as you read from this 'apocalyptic horror.' This author really puts together such a read of this virus epidemic that has sweep through leaving quite a bit of disruption and chaos making people do some horrible things in some kind of twisted minded situations. I will say this isn't my kind of read but I wanted to see how this author would present this story and all I can say is that the author did one heck of a job as I kept on reading. I found this quite one thriller mystery....as I found myself holding my breathe at different times in some of the chapters but reading through it all! Be prepared...there will be lots of violence in this read. So, if you like fiction based on apocalyptic events with its aftermath for survivors you have come to the right place for one intriguing story about 'Gun.'
‘Seven customers shot dead in a coffee shop. Thirty shoppers cut down by an assault rifle at the mall. One hundred and eight pupils killed by high-school students on a rampage. It’s just reached 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful spring day. When a neurological virus triggers an epidemic of gun violence, a modern US city fractures into chaos. Annie’s husband shoots at commuters while his son is buckled in a car seat. Frankie and Becca desperately try to hide from a deranged shooter at their school; Robert runs headlong into the midst of a lopsided gun battle; and Blain…? None of them know Blain’s true story. Thrown together—their families dead or missing—these survivors struggle to escape the newly dangerous city. Hoping to find a place of safety. Somewhere they can bide their time until the violence subsides, the authorities seize control, and good once again triumphs over evil. They’re in for a long wait.'
As the reader will see from this read of how this virus makes its sufferers lash out and then shoot randomly triggering quite a story of survival of how different survivors, victims and even innocent bystanders' lash out and shoot randomly at people. This was quite to read of how this author presents these stories of survivors, victims and innocent ones and even more interesting the take on gun violence. Who will one side with, how do you even survive all of this and most of all is their a cure of the sick who are causing all of this mess? Yes, these are ill people but what should be done with them? I liked the 'empowerment that this author gives the women in this read...shooting, fighting and trying to help each other out! 'How these people come together in all of this conflict' is the really core of this story. I found the characters [Annie, Becca, Frankie, Robert, Blain, Mikey] to name a few for the most part well developed helping give this story a good plot in this apocalyptic survival novel.
In the end will good triumph over evil? Well. I guess you will have to pick up 'Gun' to find out. Oh, there will be another series..Gun 2.
February 8, 2017
“ . . . and the death toll has risen to over three hundred people.”
New Zealand author Lee Hayton (aka Katherine Hayton) stepped away from her career in the Insurance and the travel agency fields to make her debut with a complex and challenging novel FOUND NEAR WATER that takes place in her home town of Christchurch, New Zealand. The plot is a unique one and the fact that Katherine has been able to relate this mystery with such deft control of language and interaction of her very fascinating characters bodes well for her future as an author who just may find in time that creative writing trumps the Insurance business! Having read her other novels, SKELETAL, BREATHE AND RELEASE and her Ngarie Blakes Mysteries this reader was prepared for Katherine's inordinately keen attention to details. How she can take rather monstrous incidents and make them read like fine literature rather than simply terrifying tales is one of her many gifts.
Now, writing as Lee Hayton, she continues to open new windows into the realm of suspense, mystery, and extremes of physical and psychological behavior, all the while giving the reader the sense of standing on the curb watching it all happen as it unfolds. That is how very real and present she can mold her fantastical stories. She has spread her vision and her literary wings to consider terror and gun violence around the globe, with an emphasis on the USA…..!
When an author can engender terror in the first page of her book then the reader can rest assured that the book will remain open to raised eyebrows until the story is completed. For instance, ‘The shotgun blast in the confined space tore Marlene’s eardrums. The woman’s head exploded to the accompaniment of a dull whine. Marlene’s next sharp intake of breath drew in droplets of blood, shards of bone, flecks of brain. Her eyes swam with red, the mother’s blood being diluted by her tears. Pinpoints of pain burned across her face. Marlene brushed sharp splinters free— shattered fragments of skull. As she raised her forearm to stop the girl running forward, pain howled along her nerves. Half a shattered molar was embedded deep in her flesh. The daughter screamed, and Marlene hugged her tight in a failed attempt to calm her. When the gunman swiveled his weapon toward them, she shoved the child aside and opened her arms. Let him kill Marlene. A grown woman. No one would shoot an innocent, golden-haired toddler. The child’s head burst, spattering a grotesque shower against the coffee shop window. Marlene froze, ears buzzing, vision dimming to gray. She tucked her head to her chest, not wanting to see, pressing her eyelids closed to shut out the world. When she opened them, turning back to the gunman, Marlene realized her mistake. She recognized the action as he locked the barrel back into place. He’d reloaded. A reload took seconds. Expel the cartridges. Pull out new shells. Load them into the gun. Click everything into place.’ Compelling? Absolutely, and the story remains that tense.
In Lee’s synopsis we discover the plot of this thriller – ‘Seven customers shot dead in a coffee shop. Thirty shoppers cut down by an assault rifle at the mall. One hundred and eight pupils killed by high-school students on a rampage. It’s just reached 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful spring day. When a neurological virus triggers an epidemic of gun violence, a modern US city fractures into chaos. Annie’s husband shoots at commuters while his son is buckled in a carseat. Frankie and Becca desperately try to hide from a deranged shooter at their school; Robert runs headlong into the midst of a lopsided gun battle; and Blain…? None of them know Blain’s true story. Thrown together—their families dead or missing—these survivors struggle to escape the newly dangerous city. Hoping to find a place of safety. Somewhere they can bide their time until the violence subsides, the authorities seize control, and good once again triumphs over evil. They’re in for a long wait.’
The manner in which Lee unfolds this mystery is very fine quality writing. She grows with each novel. In short time her name will be ranked with the big ones like Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, Patricia Highsmith et al.
New Zealand author Lee Hayton (aka Katherine Hayton) stepped away from her career in the Insurance and the travel agency fields to make her debut with a complex and challenging novel FOUND NEAR WATER that takes place in her home town of Christchurch, New Zealand. The plot is a unique one and the fact that Katherine has been able to relate this mystery with such deft control of language and interaction of her very fascinating characters bodes well for her future as an author who just may find in time that creative writing trumps the Insurance business! Having read her other novels, SKELETAL, BREATHE AND RELEASE and her Ngarie Blakes Mysteries this reader was prepared for Katherine's inordinately keen attention to details. How she can take rather monstrous incidents and make them read like fine literature rather than simply terrifying tales is one of her many gifts.
Now, writing as Lee Hayton, she continues to open new windows into the realm of suspense, mystery, and extremes of physical and psychological behavior, all the while giving the reader the sense of standing on the curb watching it all happen as it unfolds. That is how very real and present she can mold her fantastical stories. She has spread her vision and her literary wings to consider terror and gun violence around the globe, with an emphasis on the USA…..!
When an author can engender terror in the first page of her book then the reader can rest assured that the book will remain open to raised eyebrows until the story is completed. For instance, ‘The shotgun blast in the confined space tore Marlene’s eardrums. The woman’s head exploded to the accompaniment of a dull whine. Marlene’s next sharp intake of breath drew in droplets of blood, shards of bone, flecks of brain. Her eyes swam with red, the mother’s blood being diluted by her tears. Pinpoints of pain burned across her face. Marlene brushed sharp splinters free— shattered fragments of skull. As she raised her forearm to stop the girl running forward, pain howled along her nerves. Half a shattered molar was embedded deep in her flesh. The daughter screamed, and Marlene hugged her tight in a failed attempt to calm her. When the gunman swiveled his weapon toward them, she shoved the child aside and opened her arms. Let him kill Marlene. A grown woman. No one would shoot an innocent, golden-haired toddler. The child’s head burst, spattering a grotesque shower against the coffee shop window. Marlene froze, ears buzzing, vision dimming to gray. She tucked her head to her chest, not wanting to see, pressing her eyelids closed to shut out the world. When she opened them, turning back to the gunman, Marlene realized her mistake. She recognized the action as he locked the barrel back into place. He’d reloaded. A reload took seconds. Expel the cartridges. Pull out new shells. Load them into the gun. Click everything into place.’ Compelling? Absolutely, and the story remains that tense.
In Lee’s synopsis we discover the plot of this thriller – ‘Seven customers shot dead in a coffee shop. Thirty shoppers cut down by an assault rifle at the mall. One hundred and eight pupils killed by high-school students on a rampage. It’s just reached 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful spring day. When a neurological virus triggers an epidemic of gun violence, a modern US city fractures into chaos. Annie’s husband shoots at commuters while his son is buckled in a carseat. Frankie and Becca desperately try to hide from a deranged shooter at their school; Robert runs headlong into the midst of a lopsided gun battle; and Blain…? None of them know Blain’s true story. Thrown together—their families dead or missing—these survivors struggle to escape the newly dangerous city. Hoping to find a place of safety. Somewhere they can bide their time until the violence subsides, the authorities seize control, and good once again triumphs over evil. They’re in for a long wait.’
The manner in which Lee unfolds this mystery is very fine quality writing. She grows with each novel. In short time her name will be ranked with the big ones like Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, Patricia Highsmith et al.
January 8, 2017
I liked this a lot.Straight onto the action, not too many characters to make it confusing, and twists here and there that i was not expecting. The ending was satisfactory.I know there's another book in the series, so i don't know if the characters will be in the sequel or not,but if they're not, i'm happy with their ending.
December 12, 2016
Gun by Lee Hayton is a bit of an unusual book in that while the infection or disease is central it is only hinted at the beginning, which is mostly about the trauma and normalcy-shattering effects of sudden mass gun violence.
I was torn between 4 and 5 stars but opted for 5 for a number of reasons. Anything that could have been a negative in a standalone book makes considerably more sense in light of this being the first book in a series. So some events and deaths are as much to establish the background and personality of each continuing character as they are to actually advance the plot. The characters are indeed well established and as a reader I have an interest in how the 'future' plays out for them.
I also see this series playing out as something more than simply a wonderful survival series. I think there is potential for social and cultural issues to be opened for discussion among readers and in book groups, albeit book groups that don't mind some blood in their books. Gender issues, decision-making psychology questions (such as at what point an action normally rejected should be seriously considered), issues around what types of society we would seek to build should an apocalyptic event occur and many other issues likely to come up.
The writing is very good and while there is quite a bit of violence in the early chapters this is far from being a gory horror-like bloodfest. The violence serves a purpose, perhaps more than one, so is not gratuitous at all.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes fiction based on around an apocalyptic type event and the aftermath for the survivors.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was torn between 4 and 5 stars but opted for 5 for a number of reasons. Anything that could have been a negative in a standalone book makes considerably more sense in light of this being the first book in a series. So some events and deaths are as much to establish the background and personality of each continuing character as they are to actually advance the plot. The characters are indeed well established and as a reader I have an interest in how the 'future' plays out for them.
I also see this series playing out as something more than simply a wonderful survival series. I think there is potential for social and cultural issues to be opened for discussion among readers and in book groups, albeit book groups that don't mind some blood in their books. Gender issues, decision-making psychology questions (such as at what point an action normally rejected should be seriously considered), issues around what types of society we would seek to build should an apocalyptic event occur and many other issues likely to come up.
The writing is very good and while there is quite a bit of violence in the early chapters this is far from being a gory horror-like bloodfest. The violence serves a purpose, perhaps more than one, so is not gratuitous at all.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes fiction based on around an apocalyptic type event and the aftermath for the survivors.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2017
It’s Raccoon City and Resident Evil all over again! Wait, where are the
zombies? What? Just massive murders everywhere? Oh okay, no big deal, we
got this.
I love this book, it’s a survival series, spreading a virus that doesn’t transform
people into hideous monsters but rather makes them do hideous things is an
amazing twist, currently this generation is more capable of dealing with a
zombie apocalypse rather than a mass shooting, you can easily fool a dumb
and slow zombie, but how can you cheat someone who is infected and keeps
all his senses activated and try to kill you no matter what?
It’s really awesome, how some people running away from murderers start
looking for their families and meeting other victims, but the questions remains,
who are victims? The tension is real and in situation like this, even your family
can be questioned about their loyalty. Amazing book, give it a try.
zombies? What? Just massive murders everywhere? Oh okay, no big deal, we
got this.
I love this book, it’s a survival series, spreading a virus that doesn’t transform
people into hideous monsters but rather makes them do hideous things is an
amazing twist, currently this generation is more capable of dealing with a
zombie apocalypse rather than a mass shooting, you can easily fool a dumb
and slow zombie, but how can you cheat someone who is infected and keeps
all his senses activated and try to kill you no matter what?
It’s really awesome, how some people running away from murderers start
looking for their families and meeting other victims, but the questions remains,
who are victims? The tension is real and in situation like this, even your family
can be questioned about their loyalty. Amazing book, give it a try.
December 17, 2016
I received an ARC copy of this book to read and review. Firstly, this is not something I usually read, but as Ms Hayton is my favourite mystery writer I jumped right in. And I could not put it down. A virus causes extreme violent reactions in those who get ill, and the whole world is in a kill or be killed state. The author looks at this issue from the view of survivors. This is very interesting as if something like this happens, which is not really just a nightmare - we don't know what dirty tricks some people are up to - and you find yourself a survivor, how would you handle death and destruction on a world scale? Your wife or husband or child turns into a grinning killer in front of you - would you be able to kill them so you can live? Interesting point this - and this theme I have a feeling might be carried through in the next book. Ms Hayton doesn't spare feelings! Then another issue crops up - would the gender roles as we accept them still be the same in a worst case scenario? There is a lot of violence here but kids are playing PC games where blood splatters and gore runs so I reckon anyone who enjoys a good thriller would enjoy GUN. The violence is not graphically described and in some cases just hinted at, which has more effect. I really enjoyed this journey into destruction!
December 3, 2016
This review concerns the digital (ebook) version. My overall rating is 4 1/2 stars. There were a few sentences that were worded weirdly, but I figure it was because the author isn't American. This is quite the thriller. The book grabs you right away in the prolog and never lets up. There are mass shooting going on all over the world. And we, the reader, don't know why. There is a hint of a virus/disease at first. We then meet the characters that make up the bulk of this book. We read how each of them survive their first encounters with the shooters and how they connect up. After that, it becomes a book about survival. It's fast-paced reading and I look forward to the next book in this series. Be aware there is a lot of violence in this book, some of it graphic, but not overly so. (Meaning it's not gore-like horror.)
April 9, 2018
A Novel of Current Events: A Mass Murder
OH has penned a novel of current events. With the mass shooting in South Florida this novel reads like a carbon copy with more than one shooter. As people are being murdered others are risking their lives to help. However, the gun persons are shooting everyone in sight. This is a novel about violence which begins with violence and ends in violence. It is an excellent read, but only if you enjoy a novel of murder for no reason.....ET
OH has penned a novel of current events. With the mass shooting in South Florida this novel reads like a carbon copy with more than one shooter. As people are being murdered others are risking their lives to help. However, the gun persons are shooting everyone in sight. This is a novel about violence which begins with violence and ends in violence. It is an excellent read, but only if you enjoy a novel of murder for no reason.....ET
January 6, 2017
What would you do? Random shootings apparently all over the world. People with a virus that has driven them to shooting anyone they see. All communications have gone out; cell phones, land lines, television. Annie, Becca, Frankie and Robert try to get to safety and locate their families, if they are still alive, meeting up with other victims such as Blaine, and other people taken hostage by gangs of people gone mad. But who are victims and who aren't? The characters find out pretty quickly what they are made of and have to push their limits in order to survive.
Book 2 looks really good too.
I received a free copy.
Book 2 looks really good too.
I received a free copy.
March 29, 2017
This book grabbed me from page one with heart-pounding suspense. Lee (Katherine) Hayton does an excellent job of pulling the reader into each character’s plight with compelling storylines and intrigue. Her descriptions lend authenticity and have you right there with each character in the thick of the action. I will definitely be looking into getting other Lee Hayton books and continue to read the Gun series.
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