A Book A Week

April has proven to be a month abundant with new releases from several of my favorite authors. The sheer volume of titles on my April TBR has necessitated some rationing. While I'd typically devour each of these releases as they publish, I'm only just now getting to some of my most anticipated reads. Among these releases, John Sandford stands out as one of my top choices in the crime genre. I've been an avid fan since I discovered his Virgil Flowers series over a decade ago. I subsequently delved into his Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport and, more recently, his latest series featuring Davenport's daughter, Letty.

Despite reaching the age of 80, Sandford continues to maintain a prolific writing pace, typically releasing at least one new novel each year. Still, he has slowed down his practice of updating each series independently, instead opting to have his main characters collaborate in a single story under the Prey banner. Toxic Prey, his newest release, marks an evolution in this approach, as it sees Lucas teaming up with his daughter Letty for the first time in a gripping and pulse-pounding tale.

The book begins with Letty Davenport embarking on a journey to Oxford to rendezvous with British secret agent Alec Hawkins. Despite an immediate mutual attraction, their focus swiftly shifts to the task at hand: investigating the disappearance of Dr. Lionell Scott. Suspected to be residing somewhere in the United States, fears abound that his research into contagious viruses may have taken a sinister turn. Conversations with his former mentors reveal Scott's deep interest in the Gaia theory, which posits that all living organisms collectively form and sustain a synergistic system. According to Scott, humanity's unchecked proliferation has disrupted this balance, posing a threat to the very fabric of Gaia. His proposed solution eerily echoes that of Marvel's Thanos: a drastic reduction in the human population. 

With their suspicions seemingly validated, Letty and Hawkins return to the United States, intent on locating Scott and thwarting his malevolent scheme. Recognizing the formidable challenge of finding an elusive fugitive, Letty calls upon her father, the seasoned investigator Lucas Davenport, for assistance. With Davenport's expertise at their disposal, the team embarks on a perilous mission to prevent the catastrophic spread of a mutated virus that threatens the very existence of life as we know it.

Toxic Prey sets the bar for high stakes in the long-running series, with the threat of a deadly and contagious virus looming over the narrative. Just five years ago, the notion of such a scenario might have seemed like pure science fiction. However, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the storyline takes on a chilling plausibility. Unlike the typical "hunt and arrest" formula of previous installments, this time, the investigation is fraught with the constant fear of an active virus, leading to a shoot-to-kill and containment-at-all-costs approach.

Given the weighty subject matter and the absence of Davenport's usual sparring partner, Virgil Flowers, the trademark witty banter that fans have come to expect from the series is notably toned down in this book. Nevertheless, the intense urgency of the situation and the compelling father-daughter dynamic between the main protagonists ensure that Toxic Prey remains a gripping and fast-paced read. With Sandford already hinting at the return of Flowers in the next installment, anticipation is already building for what promises to be another thrilling addition to the series.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 32)

"Everything isn't ending. Civilization is more resilient than people think."

Paul Tremblay's penchant for high-concept horror with down-to-earth character development has seen him ascend the ranks of modern American horror authors. With each new novel, his work becomes more terrifying and more emotionally impactful. In his latest novel Survivor Song, Tremblay writes one of his most compelling narratives to date. A twist of fate has made his imagined scenario in the book eerily mirror the current situation that much of the world is still grappling with. I've always been a fan of Tremblay, so I happily accepted a copy of Survivor Song from his publisher.

Before this year, it would have been hard to imagine a world riddled with a global health pandemic. That's exactly the premise Tremblay presents in this novel. A highly contagious strain of rabies with an accelerated incubation period has begun to ravage parts of the US. Cities have been shut down under government-mandated lockdowns, hospitals are at full capacity, and people are panicking. Individuals infected with the virus lose all semblance of normal human function. They become crazed zombies, infected with the unyielding need to bite and infect others.

The book opens with a bang as pregnant Natalie is helping her husband Paul unload groceries. Their whole city is on lockdown, so they are eager to safely get their items into the house. A moment of carelessness sees them leave their front door ajar, allowing an infected man to enter their home. In a flash, Paul is killed and Natalie is bitten in the arm. Fearful of infection and eager to keep her unborn child safe, she frantically drives to her friend Dr. Ramola's house. The two race against the clock of the impending infection to try to save the life of Natalie's child.

Survivor Song is Tremblay's most terrifying novel to date, made even more timely by the fact that it is publishing as the world deals with a real-life infectious virus. I was amazed at how closely Tremblay's fiction captured the scenario we are dealing with now. A year ago, I would have found a glorified zombie tale to be unbelievable, but now it is chillingly close to life. Beyond the plot, Tremblay inhabits his novel with believable characters who you can't help but root for. Flashbacks provide context for Natalie and Ramola's relationship, allowing the emotional stakes to soar alongside the journey to safety. Being that this novel is really close to our current life, I do think you need to be in the proper mood to read it. Still, there's no denying the craft, thoughtfulness, and escapism that Survivor Song provides. "This is not a fairy tale. this is a song."

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 29)

Over the years, Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro has become well known for his fantastic horror films. Disgusted with the recent treatment of vampires in film and literature, del Toro sought to write a novel that portrayed the monsters as he thought they were meant to be. He enlisted the help of seasoned author Chuck Hogan (The Town) to create The Strain Trilogy, a set of novels about vampires taking over the world.

The Night Eternal, the third and final novel in the trilogy, begins two years after the events of the previous novel. After a nuclear holocaust, the entire planet has been shrouded in darkness. Vampires have essentially taken over the world. Because the creatures rely on human blood to survive, they have set up camps, where humans are farmed (think a dairy farm where blood is harvested instead of milk). The entire vampire race is lead by The Master, an ancient being that has been planning this takeover for thousands of years.

There are, however, some humans who have managed to escape the fate of the rest of their peers. Dr. Eph Goodweather, a former doctor from the Center for Disease Control, leads a rebellion with the help of another doctor, an exterminator, a half-breed vampire who seeks to kill the vampires, and a couple of former gangsters who refuse to be turned into the creatures. Eph mourns the loss of his son, who was captured by The Master, and vows to do whatever it takes to rid the earth of the monsters. With the help of an ancient book, the group has one final shot to kill The Master, ending the strain and destroying all of the creatures.

This is one of those novels that really only works if you have read the others in the trilogy. After reading the first two novels, I came into this one with an attachment to the characters and desire to see how the story would pan out. Del Toro and Hogan write in a very cinematic style that works well for this kind of story. They give just enough to keep the reader hooked, while still maintaining a sense of suspense. The action sequences fly off of the page and the characters are written in a way that really made me care what happened to them. There are some plot holes and continuity issues that bugged me, but in a story of this nature, I didn't really mind them. This is a fun B movie of a novel that does a fine job in ending what began as an exciting horror trilogy.

For more information visit the publisher's website
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/The-Night-Eternal-Guillermo-Del-Toro?isbn=9780061558269&HCHP=TB_The+Night+Eternal,
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/review/R34EI6PV7HI7F0/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm,
and http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6945530-the-night-eternal.

(week 24, book 27)