Dead Heat

by M.G. Mason

Corporate team building days can be fun and when three friends: Jim, Mike and Tony are told this year’s event would be the Dead Heat race, where they would be chased by aspiring actors of mixed talent pretending to be zombies, they thought it would be worth it for a day out of the office.

But this day off soon turns sour as nobody – not even the organisers – realise that real zombies have gate-crashed the party, and it’s not the after-event barbecue and free beer they want.

Unable to tell the difference between the hammy acting of amateur thesps and real rotting corpses looking to snack on human flesh after hundreds of years of slumber, the three friends must escape the island and definitely, definitely not end up killing any actors on the way.

You’ll laugh at the pop culture references, you’ll scream “it’s a real zombie, you idiot!” and you’ll be on the edge of your seat as middle management executives really wish they’d never left the cubicle.

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published March 6, 2015

About the author

Hello, I'm MG Mason, real name Matt.

I was born in Swindon in the 1970s but currently living on the Cornish south coast.

I'm a web content writer by trade but fiction is my first love.

How would I describe my work? Well, a friend once asked "have you considered writing a book in one genre without throwing two other genres into the same story?" Until that point I hadn't realised just how much mashing up genres defined my work.

They were right of course. But what else can you expect from a scifi nerd with an archaeology degree?

These days, when not writing for businesses or fiction, I'm usually found somewhere in Cornwall with a camera attached to my face.

Reviews

[Joshua Jonah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book, from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

One thing I have to say, I loved the cover. So with that I gratefully accepted this chance to read and review. One way I can compare this book, is Shaun of the Dead and Scooby Doo the movie ( live action ) it has the wit and humor of both, but a zombie story at its core like Shaun of the Dead. While this book didn’t break new ground or provide something never done, it was a fun read if you’ve got a second and I will be checking out the companion novel. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks Matt, for the awesome novella!

[J.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This zombie novella seemed a bit basic for me with not much new or exciting really going on. It reminded me a bit of Shaun Of The Dead but wasn't really my style.

Despite feeling fast paced I didn't completely connect with the characters making it a slower read for me.

If you're looking for more of a comedy styled zombie read, this may be one worth checking out.

[Villimey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed Dead Heat. It was a fun, little comedy horror involving three mates trying to survive an actual zombie run.

I liked Kate the best, her personality and actions made me snicker throughout the read.

If you like Shaun of the Dead, you should definitely give this one a read :)

[Daniel Lorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Shaun of the Dead fan, I had an absolute blast with this story.
This team-building day certainly took a turn for the worst!
Dead Heat will be a winner for fans of zombie movies and British humour.
This was a joy to read.
Hugely entertaining!

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zombie Fun

What a great idea. Three friends, Mike, Tony and Jim, take part in their work team building zombie fun run only to encounter real zombies!

Mike, Tony and Jim are great characters. They’re believable friends and I enjoyed their banter. Kate was an interesting addition.

The set up was great. The action was fun. I had to keep reading just one more chapter!

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small but almost perfectly formed, this novella was a treat ...in fact my only real complaint was that I wanted more.
If your worst nightmare is a corporate bonding event that requires you to run around like an idiot with friends and colleagues, I have bad news.. Mr Mason has found a way to take that fear and make it worse. His book takes three friends, Jim, Tony and Mike, puts them on an island to compete in a race and then just for fun he throws in zombies as an added obstacle. Very early on it becomes clear to these guys that the zombie actors hired to take part in the run are either Oscar calibre method actors , or there is something very very bad going on. Unfortunately for the boys its the latter, and they are forced to flee for their lives. Luckily they find kick ass Kate along the way, and with her help, and her trusty cricket bat there might be a chance of survival after all.
This book is definitely more about the humour than the horror, not that its a bad thing when you find yourself smirking at witty cultural reference or recognising an unnamed sports star, but that's not to say its without its gruesome moments, expect entrails a plenty and blood trails galore. One of my favourite things about the book was the little side story explaining the origins of the Zombie horde, a neat little touch that added to the story. The pacing is good, and for such a short book, there is plenty of action, and most importantly a well thought out conclusion that does not leave the reader disappointed.
I read a proof copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

[C.J. Moseley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to read an advance copy of Dead Heat as I worked a little on the cover, just for the sake of full disclosure.

Comedy Horror is a really tricky genre to get right, but as far as I'm concerned MG Mason has pretty much hit the zombie nail on the head with a cricket-bat repeatedly with this fast-paced, funny and just a little bit freaksome, fun run gone wrong.

Riffing on Romero's zombies in an English setting could easily have turned into a clone of Shaun of the Dead, but this novella subverts, lampshades and runs away screaming from the zombie tropes we know and love, with wit, charm and judicious use of gore.

It has the ‘feels’, the ‘Lols’ and the ‘creeps’ and I'm not sure how it could have had more without ruining the frenetic pace that starts when the laces are tied at the beginning and doesn't stop until the last shuffling step.

It does suffer from the common problem of all comedy-horror in that sometimes the comedy detracts from the horror a bit and vice-versa, but it really is one of the best examples I've read.

[Louise Conway · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt a little guilty for leaving only 3 stars because it may not be an accurate reflection of the story's quality-- since comedy horror is one of my least favourite genres I'm probably not the ideal target audience, or likely to fully appreciate everything it has to offer.

That said there were certainly a few stellar moments which made me want to read on: the plot (a zombie apocalypse coinciding with a zombie themed fun run, good luck telling the difference between corpses!) is ingenious, scenes describing the slow ascent of the undead are well written with a definite creepy vibe and there were occasional lines I found genuinely funny despite my lack of enthusiasm for horror comedies.

Some of the dialogue felt a little flat at times and maybe it could've been a bit shorter in length for me, but I could easily imagine this as a movie; it definitely felt and played out just like one. Fans of comedy horror or anybody looking for something a little different in the zombie department should give Dead Heat a go for sure

[Mona Kabbani · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Welcome to Dead Heat, welcome to Mortwich Island.”

Tony, Jim, and Mike are having a hard time during this Dead Heat zombie race. Typically a corporate event meant to bond the workforce and create corporate community, has turned into a train wreck massacre after real zombies unexpectedly replaced the fake ones. Now, the group has to battle not just for first place, but to get off the island.... alive.

This is one of the novellas that won my indie pick a couple weeks ago! I was attracted to the premise and in a particular zombie mood. At around 100 pages, this book will definitely give you a survival zombie fix. It’s VERY fast paced, humorous, and zombierific. The way this story is written, I will say, is much like a comic book. I’ve read quite a few comic books in my time and the dialogue, action, and general pacing felt very 50cent comic - which I love. Like the ones you picked up as a kid in the front section of the store and absorbed in less than an hour. Expect corny dialogue and folly logic from our beloved characters. But all in good fun.

[William Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this one, perhaps my expectations were a little too high, having been thoroughly charmed by my time in Salmonweir, I was quite excited to jump into a horror story by the same writer. And there is a lot of that narrative voice still here, it just seems to be a little more unevenly spread. There’s times where this short story shines, with great descriptions and entertaining characters where it earns its comparisons to Shaun of the Dead for its playful balance between dark humour and even darker outcomes. But there’s also moments where it just feels a little perfunctory, where the imagery of the prose seems stripped to its bare bones, and it feels a little detached for it.

For all that said, there’s enough here to recommend for fans of MG Mason’s other work, and it’s certainly left me curious to check out the intriguing mirror-universe follow up, but for anyone wanting to spend their first few pages with this author, I recommend a visit to Salmonweir before checking out this one.

[Jonathan R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Team building exercises - everyone's favorite corporate pass time, but at least a zombie run might be fun. That is until the real zombies show up.

Join a trio of work friends, who are in far better shape for a trip to the pub than a race against the living dead, as they try to save themselves, save the girl, and maybe finally win a boss fight against Tina, their far too chipper supervisor.

Armed with a cricket bat, a few knives, and Jim's quick wit, what could go wrong?

[Lacrima Mundi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining zombie story with a good amount of, sometimes pretty dark, humour.

Unfortunately the story could currently do with a decent amount of editing/proofreading, there are still a lot of typos in it.

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Transparency info: Read via Kindle Unlimited.

[J.L. DuRona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic piece, I assume. I'll update this when I actually read it

[Suzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable short read for anyone who likes the zombie genre. With the right amount of funny and gory, I didn't want to put this book down.
I am looking forward to the next.