Deadfall

Shaun Jeffrey

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

"Kill them or convert them - either way we win."

A team of mercenaries race to an abandoned mining village to rescue two children held hostage by rogue ex-soldiers. But the kidnappers are a ruse, the real threat more terrifying than any of them could imagine.

Aided by a couple of unsuspecting eco-warriors, mercenary team leader Amber Redgrave must fight to survive against foes that don't sleep and don't feel pain. Now as the body count rises, so do the stakes, and when the dead won't stay dead, there's going to be hell to pay.

Author Website - www.shaunjeffrey.com

'The novel's action dashes forward like a ravenous ghoul, building in tension and suspense until at last, with an adept hand, Jeffrey puts the bullet of a finale right between its eyes.'

Review by Nigel (310512) Rating (8/10)

Review by Nigel
Rating 8/10
Amber Redgrave is having a bad day, a very bad day. It all started when her client, a nice little old lady who wouldn't say boo to a ghost, is assassinated in the middle of a crowded department store. Since Amber is a Security Consultant (she really doesn't like the term Bodyguard or Mercenary) this is not a good career move. Having only just escaped the Police she returns to confront her agency boss for whom she has a few questions, such as why the client, described as "she's a nutter but the moneys good", was in fact the target of an assassin.

Answering an unattended phone Amber talks her way onto an elite squad to undertake a clandestine mission that evening to rescue some kidnapped children being held in a deserted welsh village. Once on the ground things start to unwind and the group realise they are being attacked by a horde of Zombies. As the unreal becomes horribly real Amber and her team's skills are tested to the limit.

Meanwhile, back at a secret research facility animal activists Jill and Lofty have bitten off a little more than they can metaphorically chew after breaking in to rescue the animals only to find the source of the Zombies.
Deadfall is a fairly typical take on the Zombie story and fans of the genre will enjoy it although will find nothing new, however, the story is very well written and the gore equally well described. Definitely one for the genre fan and maybe for the mainstream reader wanting an entertaining introduction. Bottom line if you can't accept the concept of Zombies in a story and find them silly you won't enjoy this book... which is sort of the point.

The best way to enjoy Deadfall is to read the Kindle edition which is a bargain (£1.94 at the time of review), the paperback is no longer available and is far too expensive on the used market.
Nigel (31st May 2012)