What do you think?
Rate this book
Serial Killer Z #0
Infection: A Serial Killer Z Prequel
Every patient zero has a doctor.
Edward Taylor just killed a man. It wasn’t the first time but it could be the last. For the last twenty years, he’s been careful, hiding his true self behind a mask of humanity. But now someone out there knows what Edward is, and he has no idea what they’re planning to do with that knowledge.
When he’s approached by a journalist working to bring down controversial research lab, Hunter Neurologics, Edward’s personal and work life collide. Cornered, and with his paranoia growing, he’s forced to take action and triggers a sequence of events that might just unleash a plague of the dead on the world.
Dexter meets The Walking Dead in this gripping prequel to the brand new horror series, Serial Killer Z.
Edward Taylor just killed a man. It wasn’t the first time but it could be the last. For the last twenty years, he’s been careful, hiding his true self behind a mask of humanity. But now someone out there knows what Edward is, and he has no idea what they’re planning to do with that knowledge.
When he’s approached by a journalist working to bring down controversial research lab, Hunter Neurologics, Edward’s personal and work life collide. Cornered, and with his paranoia growing, he’s forced to take action and triggers a sequence of events that might just unleash a plague of the dead on the world.
Dexter meets The Walking Dead in this gripping prequel to the brand new horror series, Serial Killer Z.
106 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2018
50 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Philip Harris
34 books57 followersPhilip Harris is a speculative fiction author and video game developer. Originally born near Oxford, England, he now lives on the West Coast of Canada where he spends his days developing video games and his nights writing speculative fiction - anything from horror to science fiction to fantasy.
His first publication, Letter From a Victim, appeared in the award winning magazine, Peeping Tom, in 1995. Since then he has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies including Garbled Transmissions, So Long, and Thanks for All The Brains and James Ward Kirk's Best of Horror 2013.
He has also worked as security for Darth Vader.
His science fiction novel, Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet is a homage to the old Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serials has just been released.
You can find free fiction and his blog at his website.
His first publication, Letter From a Victim, appeared in the award winning magazine, Peeping Tom, in 1995. Since then he has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies including Garbled Transmissions, So Long, and Thanks for All The Brains and James Ward Kirk's Best of Horror 2013.
He has also worked as security for Darth Vader.
His science fiction novel, Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet is a homage to the old Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serials has just been released.
You can find free fiction and his blog at his website.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 6, 2023
So you take a serial killer that has been killing people sporadically for 12 years. He is a doctor working for a research and pharmaceutical company who is on the eve of having his psychological proclivities discovered. Luckily the journalist who is blackmailing him becomes a test subject for a new drug trial that causes a zombie outbreak. It’s a killer/zombie story. Sure it’s contrived and the McGuffin serves to stretch the “suspension of disbelief,” but you know, it’s a zombie story so . . . I liked it, despite its contrivances. Mashups work because they take two separate and distinct horror sub genres and combine them in a fresh new way. The conglomeration is flawed, but still fun. Quick read with a fast-paced tone. It’s a middle of the road recommendation for me. Still, pretty good.
October 14, 2017
Dexter meets The Walking Dead is the book's promise, and it delivers in spades. If you enjoy serial killing sociopaths as your antihero, with zombie cannibalism as a side dish, then this series is it. As I quite enjoyed both series, this book was a pleasure to read. Our serial killer is a research scientist by day, involved in some sketchy human experiments seeking to revive dead brain cells. When things go awry, as they are wont to do, our Doc gets jiggy with his set of scalpels on the undead. This is a fun read, and I look forward to more by this author.
January 15, 2025
Reread 15th Jan 2025 to refresh my memory for reading the first book in the series. Rating to stay the same.
This is a 3.5 🌟read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
This was a really different take on the whole zombie genre in a fascinating way. Think Dexter meets The Walking Dead and they get jiggy with it - well this well honed short story would be their love child.
The antihero in this tale doesn't have the charm of Dexter and prefers to fly low on the radar so as not to draw attention to himself, which is a good thing because people don't like him, he's too creepy. An overlooked lab assistant during the day (in a company seeking to find a cure for brain damage) and a scalpel wielding serial killer by night (who let's his Darkness conduct its own experiments).
This book is a short prequel to the author's Serial Killer Z series and is enticing enough to make you want to read more of the series. Recommended reading for zombie lovers.
This is a 3.5 🌟read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
This was a really different take on the whole zombie genre in a fascinating way. Think Dexter meets The Walking Dead and they get jiggy with it - well this well honed short story would be their love child.
The antihero in this tale doesn't have the charm of Dexter and prefers to fly low on the radar so as not to draw attention to himself, which is a good thing because people don't like him, he's too creepy. An overlooked lab assistant during the day (in a company seeking to find a cure for brain damage) and a scalpel wielding serial killer by night (who let's his Darkness conduct its own experiments).
This book is a short prequel to the author's Serial Killer Z series and is enticing enough to make you want to read more of the series. Recommended reading for zombie lovers.
May 13, 2021
SKZ Infection is the prequel to the SKZ series. It concentrates on events leading up to and including the first hours of patient zero. It is a unique beginning to an apocalyptic universe. It is detailed and violent, not for the faint of heart. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading book one.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this ebook from the author and this is my honest and unsolicited opinion.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this ebook from the author and this is my honest and unsolicited opinion.
October 27, 2017
When I started reading this book I had awhole different idea what it was going to be about.The blurb was a little misleading, but in a good way.Read this in 6hrs.The storyline and the language of the book was great, my heart was pounding from first page to last.It was scary ,but couldn't put it down,had to finish,Definite a good read,would certainly recommend it.Not for the faint hearted.Will definitely read more from this author.
April 28, 2018
A good intriguing prequel taster to wet ones appetite I would say. Here we are introduced to our...well cannae say he is our hero for he is a serial killer, plagued by some inner shadow-imagine Venom from Spider-Man or comics/videogames The Darkness which has a hunger that needs to be sated, however they believe they are cleansing the world of the guilty ones.
By day he works at one of those science places that are always under controversy by the media, however he is nothing more than data gatherer who can go by almost unnoticed...until the procedure they are performing on coma patients causes an outbreak of the dead walking the earth again.
Fun little zombie/serial killer tale which with the inner shadow thing makes me intrigued for the next.
By day he works at one of those science places that are always under controversy by the media, however he is nothing more than data gatherer who can go by almost unnoticed...until the procedure they are performing on coma patients causes an outbreak of the dead walking the earth again.
Fun little zombie/serial killer tale which with the inner shadow thing makes me intrigued for the next.
March 9, 2022
Not for the squeamish not for children. I could hardly wait for my free time so I could continue reading this story. What a concept- think Dexter meets The Walking Dead. Very well written. Look forward to reading the others in this series.
If you have read others of my reviews, you know that I disdain profanity, vulgarity and other forms of word trash as lazy, unnecessary and offsetting. Give me enough early in a book and I generally won't even finish it. This author mostly avoids that trap and falls into the "Gone with the Wind" category of dropping one or two bombs near the end. Unfortunately, the two he dropped in this volume was the most hated word trash- blasphemy. This is why the book got 4 instead of 5 stars.
If you have read others of my reviews, you know that I disdain profanity, vulgarity and other forms of word trash as lazy, unnecessary and offsetting. Give me enough early in a book and I generally won't even finish it. This author mostly avoids that trap and falls into the "Gone with the Wind" category of dropping one or two bombs near the end. Unfortunately, the two he dropped in this volume was the most hated word trash- blasphemy. This is why the book got 4 instead of 5 stars.
September 21, 2023
Quite enjoyable
I very much enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Dexter a lot for the serial killer and his shadow. The zombies were just starting at the end of the book and I’m excited to see just how these combine with a serial killer. It’s my first time reading something from this author and I’m definitely going to buy the next book in this series. It’s a good book but don’t take my word for it…READ IT!
I very much enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Dexter a lot for the serial killer and his shadow. The zombies were just starting at the end of the book and I’m excited to see just how these combine with a serial killer. It’s my first time reading something from this author and I’m definitely going to buy the next book in this series. It’s a good book but don’t take my word for it…READ IT!
November 23, 2017
It was really good read. Totally different we follow sociopath killer and day job at lab. Thing's turn upside down when people started attacking after being top secret medicine. Look forward to reading more of this series.
Note: I couldn't find this book on Amazon to leave a review. Even tried to use the shortcut link from here.
Note: I couldn't find this book on Amazon to leave a review. Even tried to use the shortcut link from here.
April 29, 2020
A little different.
In this book the main protagonist is a serial killer and there is a complete introduction of how the apocalypse begins. It’s interesting how the killer’s mind works, the reasons why and how he kills. I will read the next book because I’m interested in what comes next for the man with no conscience.
In this book the main protagonist is a serial killer and there is a complete introduction of how the apocalypse begins. It’s interesting how the killer’s mind works, the reasons why and how he kills. I will read the next book because I’m interested in what comes next for the man with no conscience.
September 18, 2021
This is not your normal zombie series. We start with a serial killer doing his thing. We have a biotech company doing some not so ethical things. An experiment goes wrong and by the end of this prequel, we got a zombie apocalypse started.
I received an ARC copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review
I received an ARC copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review
April 5, 2018
Another fine mess I've gotten myself into
When you just want to live a quiet serial killer life,
an occasional murder here and there, you open up that
can of whoopass, now everybody wants some of the
action. At least zombies have a good reason. We all
need to eat.
When you just want to live a quiet serial killer life,
an occasional murder here and there, you open up that
can of whoopass, now everybody wants some of the
action. At least zombies have a good reason. We all
need to eat.
August 7, 2024
enticing read
I enjoy zombie books and serial killer stories (although usually from the side of the police) so I was interested as soon as I knew the premise and this prequel did not disappoint and I look forward to reading more in this series.
I enjoy zombie books and serial killer stories (although usually from the side of the police) so I was interested as soon as I knew the premise and this prequel did not disappoint and I look forward to reading more in this series.
August 27, 2018
Good
Decent story, interesting main character. He was a little too paranoid for me, and a few things were left unexplained, but all in all a good story.
Decent story, interesting main character. He was a little too paranoid for me, and a few things were left unexplained, but all in all a good story.
September 19, 2018
Interesting
Interesting concept
Quick and easy read
Liked the main character and enjoyed the book.
Will follow this author and see what else he has written
Interesting concept
Quick and easy read
Liked the main character and enjoyed the book.
Will follow this author and see what else he has written
November 30, 2018
abandoned
February 17, 2021
Well written prequel to a zombie series.
Coma patients are experimented on and turn into zombies
Coma patients are experimented on and turn into zombies
July 12, 2022
3.5. This is a good start to the series. It is a fun, fast-paced zombie book.
Read
October 8, 2017The blurb says this series is Dexter meets the Walking Dead. Since I've not seen either nor want to, this zombie thrasher serial killer gore fest isn't for me. It's well written but pretty gruesome. It's free, I think, as an intro prequel novel to the author's new series, so if this is your thing, you might like it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews