The Undead: The First Seven Days (The Undead series Book 1) - RR Haywood

The Undead: The First Seven Days is Season One of one of the UK’s most successful horror-comedy series.

THE ICONIC BRITISH SERIES THAT HAS REDEFINED A GENRE AND BECOME FAR MORE THAN A ZOMBIE STORY.

First published in 2012, now fully rewritten in 2025.

When a deadly infection spreads across Europe, Howie’s ordinary life is thrown into chaos. As the world crumbles around him, he teams up with his autistic best mate, Dave, and a ragtag bunch of misfits to face an enemy unlike any other, the undead. But this isn’t just any infection. It evolves. It learns. And it’s getting smarter every day. Howie soon discovers nothing is quite what it seems, and neither is he. With blistering action, horror, heart, and the occasional terrible decision, The Undead follows Howie and Dave as they become the last unlikely heroes to stop the infection before it becomes cleverer than them.

Which, honestly, wouldn’t be that hard.

"My name is Howie. I was named after my father, Howard, but having two Howards was confusing, so I became Howie. I am a supermarket night manager. This is my account."

The Undead. The First Seven Days Compilation Edition. Days One to Seven.

Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon & Audible bestselling author, RR Haywood. One of the top ten most downloaded indie authors in the UK with over four million books sold and nearly 40 Kindle bestsellers

*WINNER OF DISCOVER SCI-FI BEST RELEASE OF 2023*

 

What did I think?

WOW!!! This book is OUTSTANDING!  I have just read 720 pages of non-stop action yet still want more, although I'm not sure my arm muscles could take much more as this is one very chunky book. 

I'm not averse to horror but I don't normally read it, however, this is more of a multi-genre novel filled with action, adventure, suspense, humour and of course gore.  As the night manager of a Tesco store, Howie is a very unlikely hero but he is fighting for his life and that of his family when a deadly virus turns people into ‘zombies not zombies’.  Luckily, he runs into one of his colleagues, Dave who is a one man killing machine when faced with danger.

Vividly written, the whole book reads like a TV show and it is incredibly bingeworthy.  It is quite gorey at times but I was completely invested in Howie and Dave's stories so I didn't feel the need to hide behind my virtual sofa at all.  I felt like my eyes were on stalks at times as the infected closed in but I loved every second of the non-stop action.

Whilst reading, I discovered that my sense of humour is very partial to a poo joke, of which there are plenty.  You can't beat a bit of toilet humour during a zombie apocalypse and the humour perfectly balanced the fighting and killing action.

Gripping, fast-paced and highly addictive, The Undead: The First Seven Days is an incredible novel that I wouldn't have put down if it wasn't so heavy!  Do not be put off by the size of this book, it is absolutely fantastic and completely unmissable.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Hero Virus - Russell Dumper

‘The Hero Virus’ tells the thrilling story of Chris Taylor, who is hanging on to life by a thread.

Recently widowed, his only reason to carry on is his faithful Labrador, but even that doesn’t stop his willingness to gamble with death every day. When his companion suffers a violent demise, Taylor thinks he has nothing left to live for, until he discovers he has chanced upon a precious gift… he has become very ill.

The illness gives him special powers and, fairly soon, the authorities are swooping on to the ever-increasing list of cases. The Hero Virus might be different to other illnesses, but it’s no less dangerous. The effect it has on the world, though, is wildly different to any other virus that has come before. The unique reaction of the human body to infection means that everyone wants it. And some will do anything to get it.

How do you stop a pandemic when there are people who will kill for the virus? How do you stop people getting infected when they’re willing to die for it? How do you stop the infected when they have abilities nobody has ever seen before?

What did I think?

I was drawn to The Hero Virus as I do like my superhero films and this is like X-Men on steroids with mutations resulting from a viral infection.  It's a really interesting premise and you can't help but draw comparisons with the coronavirus pandemic with one huge difference: the hero virus is something that everyone wants to be infected with.

Widower Chris Taylor has suicidal thoughts every day as he puts a gun loaded with a single bullet to his mouth and presses the trigger.  The resulting click means he's not dying today and must get on with his empty life with just his dog for company.  When his dog dies from a mystery infection, Chris also becomes ill but rather than wake up weaker, he wakes up a LOT stronger.

As the virus spreads, the authorities try to contain the infection but the population want to get superpowers too and they will do anything to get infected.  It's gorey at times and the writing is very vivid so I did find my stomach clenching at some of the scenes.  It would be a fantastic film and it was almost like a film was playing in my head whilst I was reading the book.

Vividly written with an imaginative and original plot, The Hero Virus is a high-octane thriller that is packed with action.  It's a real page-turner with a jaw-dropping ending that made me actually gasp out loud.  I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book, even if you think it's not your usual genre - give it a go!  Very highly recommended.

Many thanks to Russell Dumper for sending me a gifted paperback to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: Singapore Fire (An Ash Carter Mystery-Thriller Book 6) - Murray Bailey

The Endgame.

Once again caught between the government and the criminal gangs, it's time for Carter to choose.

Escape now or stand and fight?

What did I think?

I jumped into the Ash Carter thriller series at book 5 (Singapore Killer) and absolutely loved it, proving that each novel can be read as a standalone.  The same can indeed be said for book 6, Singapore Fire,  which is the final instalment in the series.  Whilst I delighted in catching up with some old characters, I certainly wouldn't have lost any enjoyment in the novel if I hadn't read any of the previous books.

Ash Carter is a private investigator in 1950s Singapore.  Being ex-army, he has great rapport with local police and has useful contacts in the military.  When he starts investigating Andrew Yipp, a businessman and head of a secret society, Carter has a slight conflict of interest: he's in love with Yipp's niece, Su Ling.  Yipp also has his eye on Carter and both men are willing to fight to the death, but neither man wants Su Ling caught in the crossfire.  With Carter and Su Ling planning to flee Singapore, will Carter choose love over getting his man?

So I thought I had the ending of Singapore Fire all worked out then BAM!, Murray Bailey totally took the rug out from under me!  It actually couldn't have been a better conclusion but I really didn't see it coming at all.  My lips are sealed so I don't spoil it for others but take my word for it, it is jaw-droppingly good.

I should also mention that there are elements of grooming, child abuse and rape in the novel that make for slightly uncomfortable reading.  It's not particularly graphic but rape is never pleasant reading.  I just think that perhaps a trigger warning might be useful for some readers to be made aware of this in advance.

Blisteringly fast paced and atmospheric, with a plot that sizzles like a stick of dynamite, Singapore Fire is a stunning conclusion to the Ash Carter series.  If you read Singapore Fire as a standalone, you will definitely want to read all the earlier books in the series.  Gripping, breathtaking and heartpoundingly thrilling, Singapore Fire is well worthy of 5 stars.

Many thanks to the author for providing a copy of his book for me to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Singapore Killer (Ash Carter #5) - Murray Bailey

A helicopter crash and burned bodies.

A faceless corpse.

A mysterious town.

It's September 1953 and Ash Carter is drawn into a dark case from which there seems no escape.

What did I think?

Don't worry about picking up this Ash Carter thriller mid-series; although it's book 5, you can definitely read Singapore Killer as a standalone and not feel like you're missing something.  This is my first Ash Carter book and it definitely won't be my last; I absolutely loved it.

Singapore, even Asia, is a new literary location to me and I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual trip there.  I love how Murray Bailey brings the location to life and I felt that not just the location, but also the characters (especially Carter's receptionist, Madam Chau) were described very vividly.  I'm sure I'd get a steely glare from her for calling Madam Chau a receptionist; I certainly wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of her!  

There's a very intriguing helicopter crash at the beginning that hooked me like a greedy fish and I absolutely raced through the pages.  Main character Ash Carter reminded me of a cross between Andy McNab's Nick Stone and 24's Jack Bauer; Ash Carter is a brilliant investigator and fearless in the presence of danger.  Carter is on the trail of the mysterious BlackJack who is targeting and killing military personnel; the trail takes Carter undercover into a cult-like village where the danger levels (and my pulse) went off the scale.

I was surprised how quickly I read Singapore Killer, reading it cover to cover over a period of 24 hours; it just shows you how fast-paced and gripping the story is, without being too heavily military-based (which tends to bore me).  The book is quite unique in that it simultaneously ends on a reveal and a cliffhanger which left me not just thirsty, but positively parched for more!  While I wait for Ash Carter's story to continue, I'll content myself with catching up with Carter's past in the previous four novels.

Singapore Killer is a vivid and gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to well beyond the finish, where I'll continue to perch until book 6 is released!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: Shadow - James Swallow

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of NOMAD and EXILE, things are about to go viral for Marc Dane in his most dangerous adventure yet . . .

Marc Dane is Britain’s answer to Jason Bourne, and it is about to go viral in his most thrilling and dangerous adventure yet. . .

Marc and his partner - former US Delta Force sniper Lucy Keyes - are pitted against their most terrifying challenge yet, when a genius bio-researcher with the ability to create a deadly biological weapon is kidnapped by a ruthless terrorist. 

Their desperate search for the missing scientist takes them across the world, from the desolate wilderness of Iceland to the slums of the Near East and the dark underbelly of a fracturing Europe, where they will discover a shocking atrocity in the making. 

Backed by shadowy interests, a cadre of hardline ultra-right-wing extremists plan to unleash a lethal virus among the population of a major European city. 

Only Marc Dane can prevent this devastating attack from taking place - before a whole continent is plunged into terror...

What did I think?

I have wanted to read a James Swallow book for a while and as much as I don't like to jump into the middle of series, I decided to start with Shadow, which is book 4 of the Marc Dane series.  I can say with conviction that you can most definitely read Shadow as a standalone thriller but I'm even more eager to read the previous books now as there is such an amazing dynamic between the main characters, Marc and Lucy.

Marc Dane is a former MI6 data guy who has been thrust into the action, and there isn't half some action in Shadow as a worldwide hunt begins to stop a deadly bioweapon from releasing a killer virus.  I found the idea of a bioprinter that can create deadly viruses at the touch of a button very scary indeed and would like to think it's science fiction but a quick google tells me otherwise.  It's amazing to think that bioprinting could be used for transplants in the future but as with anything that is created to benefit people there is always the risk that someone will manipulate it for their own ends.  A theoretical Dr Evil could hold the whole world to ransom; thanks for the nightmares, James Swallow!

There is an awful lot going on in Shadow and I got myself a bit mixed up at times over who was who, but I couldn't stop reading as I needed to find out what was going to happen next.  I loved the character of Marc Dane, especially as he can quote the original Star Wars trilogy from memory, and I thought of him as a kind of geeky James Bond.  The geek in me also loved that Star Wars was mentioned on page 77 as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was released in 1977.  I love little details, or coincidences, like this.

Shadow is a full-throttle, high-octane, action-packed thriller; I am now chomping at the bit to read more Marc Dane and Lucy Keyes books.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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