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Bloodscreams #3
Zombie Eyes
A LEGION OF THE DEAD...
It starts with a sacred crypt, dug centuries ago, discovered under Manhattan. Buried with it is a diabolical creature spreading a strange contagion, claiming its victims by the thousands. But the dead aren't staying dead for long... and only one man is qualified to brave the unstoppable zombie army.
...IN A CITY OF THE DAMNED
Psychic detective Abraham Stroud knows the origin of what festers in the unholy pit. And only he can battle the primeval horror as it prepares mankind for the ultimate sacrifice.
It starts with a sacred crypt, dug centuries ago, discovered under Manhattan. Buried with it is a diabolical creature spreading a strange contagion, claiming its victims by the thousands. But the dead aren't staying dead for long... and only one man is qualified to brave the unstoppable zombie army.
...IN A CITY OF THE DAMNED
Psychic detective Abraham Stroud knows the origin of what festers in the unholy pit. And only he can battle the primeval horror as it prepares mankind for the ultimate sacrifice.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2010
2 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Robert W. Walker
184 books75 followersAka Geoffrey Caine, Glenn Hale, Evan Kingsbury, Stephen Robertson
Master of suspense and bone-chilling terror, Robert W. Walker, BS and MS in English Education, Northwestern University, has penned 44 novels and has taught language and writing for over 25 years. Showing no signs of slowing down, he is currently juggling not one but three new series ideas, and has completed a film script and a TV treatment. Having grown up in Chicago and having been born in the shadow of the Shiloh battlefield, near Corinth, Mississippi, Walker has two writing traditions to uphold--the Windy City one and the Southern one--all of which makes him uniquely suited to write City for Ransom and its sequels, Shadows in White City and City of the Absent. His Dead On will be published in July 2009. Walker is currently working on a new romantic-suspense-historical-mainstream novel, titled Children of Salem. In 2003 and 2004 Walker saw an unprecedented seven novels released on the "unsuspecting public," as he puts it. Final Edge, Grave Instinct, and Absolute Instinct were published in 2004. City of the Absent debuted in 2008 from Avon. Walker lives in Charleston, West Virginia.
Master of suspense and bone-chilling terror, Robert W. Walker, BS and MS in English Education, Northwestern University, has penned 44 novels and has taught language and writing for over 25 years. Showing no signs of slowing down, he is currently juggling not one but three new series ideas, and has completed a film script and a TV treatment. Having grown up in Chicago and having been born in the shadow of the Shiloh battlefield, near Corinth, Mississippi, Walker has two writing traditions to uphold--the Windy City one and the Southern one--all of which makes him uniquely suited to write City for Ransom and its sequels, Shadows in White City and City of the Absent. His Dead On will be published in July 2009. Walker is currently working on a new romantic-suspense-historical-mainstream novel, titled Children of Salem. In 2003 and 2004 Walker saw an unprecedented seven novels released on the "unsuspecting public," as he puts it. Final Edge, Grave Instinct, and Absolute Instinct were published in 2004. City of the Absent debuted in 2008 from Avon. Walker lives in Charleston, West Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 4, 2011
In the past, Abraham Stroud had battled a nest of vampires and a colony of werewolves, barely escaping with his life. This time around he faces what might very well be his most dangerous enemy of all—an ancient evil that has lain dormant in the earth below the streets of New York City, one that has to power to enslave the masses and bend them to its will.
When Gordon Consolidated Enterprises starts breaking ground on what promises to be the largest building in New York City, they need to dig deeper than usual to set the foundation. The construction crew unearths the decaying remains of an ancient ship, bringing construction to a screaming halt. What they don't realize is that in the process they have awakened an ancient evil that was locked away and buried aboard that ship, an evil that is reaching out to the citizens of New York and claiming them for its own. The first to fall victim to this evil is Simon Albert Weitzel, who has been "called" repeatedly to the construction site. This time, however, he has no recollection as to how he got there from his home in Brooklyn. So how does this tie in with Abe Stroud, who is clear across the world taking part in an archeological dig in Egypt?
While excavating the Egyptian site, Abe unearths a chamber full of mystical skulls made of various substances. One is a crystal skull, and while staring into the empty sockets of the skull, Abe is visited with a vision. In it he sees Weitzel and one other fall victim to the power contained within the ship, but he does not know what it means. The Egyptian site turns out to be more valuable that first expected, and the Egyptian government, having been burned too many times by American researchers and archeologists, request that Abe leave the country immediately.
Abe's plane touches down in New York, where there is a layover before he can head home. When he steps off the plane, he is greeted by an armed escort who have been ordered to take Abe to the Commissioner of Police of New York City. What they could possibly want Abe doesn't know, but he is about to find out. Turn out the Commissioner has heard all about Stroud and wants to enlist him to investigate the ship and what seems to be an airborne virus or bacteria that seems to be emanating from it and placing the people it infects into comas. At first Stroud doesn't want to get involved, but when he learns who the first victim was, he knows it is tied into the vision he had in Egypt. As Stroud and a small team of scientists begin their investigation, the thing in the ship reaches out to Stroud, calling him Esruad, which only serves to deepen the mystery. It seems to know Stroud, even if Stroud doesn't know it.
It soon becomes a race against time with Stroud's research moving at a snail's pace even as whatever is infecting the people of New York starts to move at an accelerated rate, broadening its reach to include animals and vermin. If that wasn't bad enough, more pressure is put on Stroud and his team when those in comas begin to awaken and start herding those uninfected by the disease into the bowels of the ship. Will Stroud be able to unravel the mystery before this evil lays claim to his soul?
Zombie Eyes is probably the most ambitious of Robert Walker's Blood Dreams series in that it attempts to create an evil that actually threatens the world if not stopped. In past adventures, Stroud was up against creatures of a physical type, but here, the threat seems at first to be biological in nature. It is ultimately revealed to be one of a spiritual nature, and the reader finds himself wondering just how Stroud is going to combat this entity and win. Can it be done, or has Stroud finally met his match?
It is that very ambitiousness that I think is the book's downfall, and by downfall I don't mean failure, so before you go jumping to the wrong conclusion, let me say that I did like Zombie Eyes, and the story progresses to a satisfactory and believable conclusion. For me, however, it came off as the weakest of the three books in this series. Why? In Stroud's previous outings, there was more of a sense of urgency in the books, a sense of action and chase as Stroud physically hunts down the evil. In Zombie Eyes, things move along at a great pace when they are inside the ship, but when they return to the museum/lab everything comes to a screeching halt as they research the artifacts that they have brought back with them. There were several times where they were returning to the museum and I got a flash of Batman and Robin racing back to the Batcave. That doesn't make it a bad book, just different that what I have come to expect based on Vampire Dreams and Werewolf's Grief. Because the pacing fluctuated, it took me a little longer to get through it than the previous two. This may not bother some readers, but I was so tempted to jump ahead to where they are back in the ship.
My only real gripe with Zombie Eyes, and it's my usual gripe when it comes to horror and supernatural suspense books, is the romance element. Keep it in your pants until the evil is vanquished or get it out of your system before the you get involved with chasing down the Big Bad Monster. This especially holds true with Walker because his central female characters are usually strong, almost masculine in character no matter how they are physically described, which isn't a bad thing, but when it comes to the woo-hoo moment, you forget that they are actually women and expect Stroud to reach for something that isn't there. The romance element usually comes into the story at the wrong time, as well. In this situation, we just get finished learning how physically and mentally exhausted Stroud and Cline are, how they can barely stay awake, but the moment they get back to the hotel, they miraculously find the energy to go at it. It's an eye-rolling moment and a cue to skip ahead until one or the other (or both) are sound asleep.
All in all, though, Zombie Eyes is a thrilling addition to the Blood Screams series and I would recommend it. Do you need to read the first two in the series? Not necessary, as each story does stand on its own, but highly recommended so you aren't left scratching your head when they passing reference to the vampires of Andover or the werewolf hunt is made. And here's hoping Robert Walker continues writing this series. Long live Abraham Stroud!
When Gordon Consolidated Enterprises starts breaking ground on what promises to be the largest building in New York City, they need to dig deeper than usual to set the foundation. The construction crew unearths the decaying remains of an ancient ship, bringing construction to a screaming halt. What they don't realize is that in the process they have awakened an ancient evil that was locked away and buried aboard that ship, an evil that is reaching out to the citizens of New York and claiming them for its own. The first to fall victim to this evil is Simon Albert Weitzel, who has been "called" repeatedly to the construction site. This time, however, he has no recollection as to how he got there from his home in Brooklyn. So how does this tie in with Abe Stroud, who is clear across the world taking part in an archeological dig in Egypt?
While excavating the Egyptian site, Abe unearths a chamber full of mystical skulls made of various substances. One is a crystal skull, and while staring into the empty sockets of the skull, Abe is visited with a vision. In it he sees Weitzel and one other fall victim to the power contained within the ship, but he does not know what it means. The Egyptian site turns out to be more valuable that first expected, and the Egyptian government, having been burned too many times by American researchers and archeologists, request that Abe leave the country immediately.
Abe's plane touches down in New York, where there is a layover before he can head home. When he steps off the plane, he is greeted by an armed escort who have been ordered to take Abe to the Commissioner of Police of New York City. What they could possibly want Abe doesn't know, but he is about to find out. Turn out the Commissioner has heard all about Stroud and wants to enlist him to investigate the ship and what seems to be an airborne virus or bacteria that seems to be emanating from it and placing the people it infects into comas. At first Stroud doesn't want to get involved, but when he learns who the first victim was, he knows it is tied into the vision he had in Egypt. As Stroud and a small team of scientists begin their investigation, the thing in the ship reaches out to Stroud, calling him Esruad, which only serves to deepen the mystery. It seems to know Stroud, even if Stroud doesn't know it.
It soon becomes a race against time with Stroud's research moving at a snail's pace even as whatever is infecting the people of New York starts to move at an accelerated rate, broadening its reach to include animals and vermin. If that wasn't bad enough, more pressure is put on Stroud and his team when those in comas begin to awaken and start herding those uninfected by the disease into the bowels of the ship. Will Stroud be able to unravel the mystery before this evil lays claim to his soul?
Zombie Eyes is probably the most ambitious of Robert Walker's Blood Dreams series in that it attempts to create an evil that actually threatens the world if not stopped. In past adventures, Stroud was up against creatures of a physical type, but here, the threat seems at first to be biological in nature. It is ultimately revealed to be one of a spiritual nature, and the reader finds himself wondering just how Stroud is going to combat this entity and win. Can it be done, or has Stroud finally met his match?
It is that very ambitiousness that I think is the book's downfall, and by downfall I don't mean failure, so before you go jumping to the wrong conclusion, let me say that I did like Zombie Eyes, and the story progresses to a satisfactory and believable conclusion. For me, however, it came off as the weakest of the three books in this series. Why? In Stroud's previous outings, there was more of a sense of urgency in the books, a sense of action and chase as Stroud physically hunts down the evil. In Zombie Eyes, things move along at a great pace when they are inside the ship, but when they return to the museum/lab everything comes to a screeching halt as they research the artifacts that they have brought back with them. There were several times where they were returning to the museum and I got a flash of Batman and Robin racing back to the Batcave. That doesn't make it a bad book, just different that what I have come to expect based on Vampire Dreams and Werewolf's Grief. Because the pacing fluctuated, it took me a little longer to get through it than the previous two. This may not bother some readers, but I was so tempted to jump ahead to where they are back in the ship.
My only real gripe with Zombie Eyes, and it's my usual gripe when it comes to horror and supernatural suspense books, is the romance element. Keep it in your pants until the evil is vanquished or get it out of your system before the you get involved with chasing down the Big Bad Monster. This especially holds true with Walker because his central female characters are usually strong, almost masculine in character no matter how they are physically described, which isn't a bad thing, but when it comes to the woo-hoo moment, you forget that they are actually women and expect Stroud to reach for something that isn't there. The romance element usually comes into the story at the wrong time, as well. In this situation, we just get finished learning how physically and mentally exhausted Stroud and Cline are, how they can barely stay awake, but the moment they get back to the hotel, they miraculously find the energy to go at it. It's an eye-rolling moment and a cue to skip ahead until one or the other (or both) are sound asleep.
All in all, though, Zombie Eyes is a thrilling addition to the Blood Screams series and I would recommend it. Do you need to read the first two in the series? Not necessary, as each story does stand on its own, but highly recommended so you aren't left scratching your head when they passing reference to the vampires of Andover or the werewolf hunt is made. And here's hoping Robert Walker continues writing this series. Long live Abraham Stroud!
September 17, 2023
Mr. Walker’s book Zombie Eyes: Book 3 from his Bloodscreams series, was the most gruesome book I’ve read in many a year. Talk about Indiana Jones, with psychic abilities entering a sacred crypt (in a city of the damned). These are not the typical zombies. But something more chilling and frightening, for they are from some ancient plague dating back centuries. Will Abraham Stroud know how to defeat them? Highly recommended if you love gripping, and terrifying tales.
August 7, 2015
ABR's original Zombie Eyes audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Buried beneath Manhattan a secret crypt lay waiting to be discovered. Enter rich man seeking notoriety, having too much money and a need to be front and center. Determined to build the world’s tallest building his crew unearths an ancient crypt. From the crypt comes a disease so unique and dangerous that New York’s population is dangerously jeopardized with more falling ill. Crazed zombie-like people are running around, dragging humans back into the crypt by the thousands to the bidding of the evil demon seeking release. Only one person can solve the mystery but unfortunately, he and his associates are lying in the hospital beds comatose. Psychic adventurer and researcher, Dr. Abraham Stroud is the only person who can solve and eventually defeat the unholy evil creature that is creating an army of zombies and taking human sacrifices. A roller coaster ride from beginning to end, one can feel the frustration of Stroud in his search for answers and knowing that time is running out for him and the human race.
Robert Walker proves he is a brilliant craftsman of storytelling with his Zombie Eyes: Bloodscreams #3. His characters are well development and the plot moves smoothly. I have not had the pleasure of hearing his other books with the Stroud character but found no problem following this storyline as it may be read as a standalone. This is the third of Dr. Abraham Stroud’s adventures; I look forward to hearing more.
This was an interesting combination of ancient demons, zombies and the human race. There were times when the story was a bit slow in developing in places. Overall it was an excellent listen capturing the frustration and fear of the characters.
The narrator, Robert Neil DeVoe, performed the story very well. He was clever with his voices and keeping the momentum of the excitement going.
I had no issues with the production of the audiobook. Robert Walker did an excellent job of publishing this audiobook.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
Buried beneath Manhattan a secret crypt lay waiting to be discovered. Enter rich man seeking notoriety, having too much money and a need to be front and center. Determined to build the world’s tallest building his crew unearths an ancient crypt. From the crypt comes a disease so unique and dangerous that New York’s population is dangerously jeopardized with more falling ill. Crazed zombie-like people are running around, dragging humans back into the crypt by the thousands to the bidding of the evil demon seeking release. Only one person can solve the mystery but unfortunately, he and his associates are lying in the hospital beds comatose. Psychic adventurer and researcher, Dr. Abraham Stroud is the only person who can solve and eventually defeat the unholy evil creature that is creating an army of zombies and taking human sacrifices. A roller coaster ride from beginning to end, one can feel the frustration of Stroud in his search for answers and knowing that time is running out for him and the human race.
Robert Walker proves he is a brilliant craftsman of storytelling with his Zombie Eyes: Bloodscreams #3. His characters are well development and the plot moves smoothly. I have not had the pleasure of hearing his other books with the Stroud character but found no problem following this storyline as it may be read as a standalone. This is the third of Dr. Abraham Stroud’s adventures; I look forward to hearing more.
This was an interesting combination of ancient demons, zombies and the human race. There were times when the story was a bit slow in developing in places. Overall it was an excellent listen capturing the frustration and fear of the characters.
The narrator, Robert Neil DeVoe, performed the story very well. He was clever with his voices and keeping the momentum of the excitement going.
I had no issues with the production of the audiobook. Robert Walker did an excellent job of publishing this audiobook.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
July 29, 2014
What starts out as one of New York’s most promising building projects turns into a nightmare when the construction crew unearths a centuries old ship buried deep below ground. The ship, while an archeologists dream, spreads an unknown contagion and runs rampant through Manhattan.
In order to save the ever-growing army of “zombie-like” citizens from spreading the contamination throughout the country, David Stroud, who is all too familiar with supernatural occurrences, steps in to try and defeat the ancient evil that threatens to destroy them.
This is my first “zombie book” and my first by this author. The archeological spin of the story made this an appealing read. I particularly liked how characters actions and behaviors were not always consistent when faced with danger and fear. This is how most of us would react I believe.
I also feel this more realistic aspect was shown in the conclusion of the book.
As the story progressed and the action increased, I felt that the story would play out well in movie form and currently this would fit right in with what is popular.
Unfortunately, the narration was mediocre at best. In my opinion, the narrator was somewhat monotone, did not always pause appropriately and I believe even bungled once on a word. The narrator did do a good job with the pace of the story, and some of the voices were done fairly well. I think had the narration been better the story would have pulled me in more.
Overall I would rate the book at 3 stars which for me means… Book considered "okay". I was able to finish the book and was at least partially interested/entertained. I might recommend this book to others if it seemed like something that would be a good fit for them.
In order to save the ever-growing army of “zombie-like” citizens from spreading the contamination throughout the country, David Stroud, who is all too familiar with supernatural occurrences, steps in to try and defeat the ancient evil that threatens to destroy them.
This is my first “zombie book” and my first by this author. The archeological spin of the story made this an appealing read. I particularly liked how characters actions and behaviors were not always consistent when faced with danger and fear. This is how most of us would react I believe.
I also feel this more realistic aspect was shown in the conclusion of the book.
As the story progressed and the action increased, I felt that the story would play out well in movie form and currently this would fit right in with what is popular.
Unfortunately, the narration was mediocre at best. In my opinion, the narrator was somewhat monotone, did not always pause appropriately and I believe even bungled once on a word. The narrator did do a good job with the pace of the story, and some of the voices were done fairly well. I think had the narration been better the story would have pulled me in more.
Overall I would rate the book at 3 stars which for me means… Book considered "okay". I was able to finish the book and was at least partially interested/entertained. I might recommend this book to others if it seemed like something that would be a good fit for them.
July 20, 2014
"Ancient Etruscan Zombies"
I liked the way that Abraham Stroud was a seer and was able to envision colonies of supernatural creatures. The plate in his frontal cortex from the battlefiend during Vietnam causes him to hear sounds that no one else can hear. He is unsure whether it's a genetic gift or a cursed gene. This was an interesting take on zombies being interconnected and controlled by ancient demons going back to the Egyptian pyramids where Stroud had been on a dig and uncovered a cache of crystal skulls including a very rare basalt skull at the same time the Etruscan ship had been uncovered in New York. Overall I liked the story although a few times I felt that it had too much going on back and forth which was a little confusing. At times I wasn't sure where I was at in the story.
I really enjoyed Robert Neil DeVoe's narration. He had great flow and ease with his voice and a good character distinction. I hope to hear more from him in the future.
I liked the way that Abraham Stroud was a seer and was able to envision colonies of supernatural creatures. The plate in his frontal cortex from the battlefiend during Vietnam causes him to hear sounds that no one else can hear. He is unsure whether it's a genetic gift or a cursed gene. This was an interesting take on zombies being interconnected and controlled by ancient demons going back to the Egyptian pyramids where Stroud had been on a dig and uncovered a cache of crystal skulls including a very rare basalt skull at the same time the Etruscan ship had been uncovered in New York. Overall I liked the story although a few times I felt that it had too much going on back and forth which was a little confusing. At times I wasn't sure where I was at in the story.
I really enjoyed Robert Neil DeVoe's narration. He had great flow and ease with his voice and a good character distinction. I hope to hear more from him in the future.
August 20, 2012
With each book the main character gets a new woman...kinda like the 007 of the parapsychological detectives. The books do have some good ideas working in them, but there is something lacking. These three books combine just about everything and culminates in a major throw-down in New York (so very, VERY public) without having any real resolution on the acceptance of such efforts. Yes, that may happen but it 'feels' like it was written in as an afterthought.
October 2, 2016
Excellent Zombie Book
This Is the third book in the series and it was so good I went out and downloaded the first two books in the series. Basically, while digging for the footers of the new buildings to replace the World Trade Buildings an other- worldly creature is encountered. This entity turns people into zombies. Suffice it to say Stroud, the protagonist, comes to the cities rescue. I could go on and on but you need to read it for yourself.
This Is the third book in the series and it was so good I went out and downloaded the first two books in the series. Basically, while digging for the footers of the new buildings to replace the World Trade Buildings an other- worldly creature is encountered. This entity turns people into zombies. Suffice it to say Stroud, the protagonist, comes to the cities rescue. I could go on and on but you need to read it for yourself.
September 21, 2014
Did not finish it. Not very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews