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Recondito #1
Firewalk
A modern-day supernatural crime thriller set in a fictional west coast city, from the New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of the comic book-turned hit TV show iZombie.
Izzie Lefevre was the newest investigator for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit when she first came to Recondito, a coastal city that’s been shrouded in mystery and legend for centuries. Local law enforcement had requested the Bureau’s assistance in hunting a sword-wielding serial killer who’d left a dozen mutilated bodies in his wake. Patrick Tevake was a local homicide detective assigned to the taskforce, and together he and Izzie managed to track down and stop the killer before he claimed another victim.
Five years later, Izzie and Patrick remain haunted by what the killer said before he fell in a hail of gunfire. Izzie’s ancestors were “mambos,” voodoo priestesses who claimed to communicate with the dead and protect the faithful from evil spirits. Patrick’s Polynesian great uncle told stories of Recondito’s supernatural menaces that lurk in flame and shadow. The killer’s last words have brought up a past both Izzie and Patrick thought they’d long since left behind, and neither has been able to shake the feeling that their case was never completely solved.
So when Patrick, now working with the vice squad to investigate a dangerous new street drug, discovers a connection between the street drug and the serial killer’s victims, he realizes that their instincts were right: the threat is far from over. Reunited again, he and Izzie will discover that Recondito is a city of dark secrets, and their own pasts may be the key to unlocking them.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
Izzie Lefevre was the newest investigator for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit when she first came to Recondito, a coastal city that’s been shrouded in mystery and legend for centuries. Local law enforcement had requested the Bureau’s assistance in hunting a sword-wielding serial killer who’d left a dozen mutilated bodies in his wake. Patrick Tevake was a local homicide detective assigned to the taskforce, and together he and Izzie managed to track down and stop the killer before he claimed another victim.
Five years later, Izzie and Patrick remain haunted by what the killer said before he fell in a hail of gunfire. Izzie’s ancestors were “mambos,” voodoo priestesses who claimed to communicate with the dead and protect the faithful from evil spirits. Patrick’s Polynesian great uncle told stories of Recondito’s supernatural menaces that lurk in flame and shadow. The killer’s last words have brought up a past both Izzie and Patrick thought they’d long since left behind, and neither has been able to shake the feeling that their case was never completely solved.
So when Patrick, now working with the vice squad to investigate a dangerous new street drug, discovers a connection between the street drug and the serial killer’s victims, he realizes that their instincts were right: the threat is far from over. Reunited again, he and Izzie will discover that Recondito is a city of dark secrets, and their own pasts may be the key to unlocking them.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
356 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
21 people are currently reading
944 people want to read
About the author
Chris Roberson
565 books261 followersChris Roberson is the co-creator with artist Michael Allred of iZombie, the basis of the hit CW television series, and the writer of several New York Times best-selling Cinderella miniseries set in the world of Bill Willingham’s Fables. He is also the co-creator of Edison Rex with artist Dennis Culver, and the co-writer of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D, Witchfinder, Rise of the Black Flame, and other titles set in the world of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. In addition to his numerous comics projects, Roberson has written more than a dozen novels and three dozen short stories. He lives with a teenager, two cats, and far too many books in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
September 14, 2017
Unusual story which takes place in the West Coast city of Recondito. It's a combination of police thriller, sci-fi, and horror. And it's the first in a series. Izzie, the protagonist, is investigating some strange deaths. I really liked this novel.
March 6, 2017
Well, that was a fun one! It had me grinning from ear to ear several times.
At the beginning of the book Izze and Patrick, an FBI agent and detective respectively, have a showdown with a serial killer. Five years later Patrick calls Izze and tells her that something is up and he could really use her help. They begin investigating a drug called Ink and it leads them down an interesting path.
Despite having read the iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World comic series I didn't realize this was going to be a zombie book. What was fun about it was that it combined zombies with a crime story involving vice and homicide.
There was a moment in the book when I had to stop and ponder what the most disruptive song on my phone was. I may have snickered a bit when I realized it was Die & Rise by Lacuna Coil. Really, is there a more appropriate song to have stuck in your head when you're reading a zombie book?
Die and Rise,
And take a bite of life!
This was a fun book. I do wish I had known it was a Book 1, though.
At the beginning of the book Izze and Patrick, an FBI agent and detective respectively, have a showdown with a serial killer. Five years later Patrick calls Izze and tells her that something is up and he could really use her help. They begin investigating a drug called Ink and it leads them down an interesting path.
Despite having read the iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World comic series I didn't realize this was going to be a zombie book. What was fun about it was that it combined zombies with a crime story involving vice and homicide.
There was a moment in the book when I had to stop and ponder what the most disruptive song on my phone was. I may have snickered a bit when I realized it was Die & Rise by Lacuna Coil. Really, is there a more appropriate song to have stuck in your head when you're reading a zombie book?
Die and Rise,
And take a bite of life!
This was a fun book. I do wish I had known it was a Book 1, though.
October 7, 2016
Firewalk is a thriller that you won’t be able to put down
A case that haunts their dreams, Izze and Patrick were there when the mysterious scientist-turned-psychopathic-killer took his last breath. Izze still has the scars from that day, but now there are things that point to the same things that were happening before. Even things that weren’t ever listed in the police report. Things that only the original killer would know. So Izze and Patrick are back out trying to find a killer that they thought they left in the past.
If you don’t know R.C. Bray by now, you must be living under a rock or something. Bray has narrated a ton of amazing audiobooks, and I honestly haven’t listened to enough of them yet. But, he narrated The Martian, which jump-started my love for audiobooks. Bray’s voice is perfect, and he lends it perfectly to this story. It’s a very technical “cop thriller” and he does a great job differentiating between different characters.
The intro Firewalk was good, it really hooked me, but it almost felt like it started too fast. At first, I thought I had my chapters switched. Then I quickly realized that we were going back to the original scene with the original murderer. After that, things slowed down a bit and allowed me to get a grip on what was going on.
Izze is a really likable main character. She has her feet on the ground and asks all of the right questions. Patrick was meant to be a little more out there and brings Izze out of her comfort zone on numerous occasions. The duo worked really well together with one trying to look at everything in a very scientific and fact-based way, while the other was trying to see other things that were related in some way. Working together, they bring out the best in each other.
The story was great. A well-written Thriller with a ton of details. Firewalk is a weird name for it (I thought at one point I would figure it out, but I only have a slight idea of why it was called that).
Overall, a wonderful story with lots of intimate details that will keep you coming back for more and more.
I was given a copy of this book
A case that haunts their dreams, Izze and Patrick were there when the mysterious scientist-turned-psychopathic-killer took his last breath. Izze still has the scars from that day, but now there are things that point to the same things that were happening before. Even things that weren’t ever listed in the police report. Things that only the original killer would know. So Izze and Patrick are back out trying to find a killer that they thought they left in the past.
If you don’t know R.C. Bray by now, you must be living under a rock or something. Bray has narrated a ton of amazing audiobooks, and I honestly haven’t listened to enough of them yet. But, he narrated The Martian, which jump-started my love for audiobooks. Bray’s voice is perfect, and he lends it perfectly to this story. It’s a very technical “cop thriller” and he does a great job differentiating between different characters.
The intro Firewalk was good, it really hooked me, but it almost felt like it started too fast. At first, I thought I had my chapters switched. Then I quickly realized that we were going back to the original scene with the original murderer. After that, things slowed down a bit and allowed me to get a grip on what was going on.
Izze is a really likable main character. She has her feet on the ground and asks all of the right questions. Patrick was meant to be a little more out there and brings Izze out of her comfort zone on numerous occasions. The duo worked really well together with one trying to look at everything in a very scientific and fact-based way, while the other was trying to see other things that were related in some way. Working together, they bring out the best in each other.
The story was great. A well-written Thriller with a ton of details. Firewalk is a weird name for it (I thought at one point I would figure it out, but I only have a slight idea of why it was called that).
Overall, a wonderful story with lots of intimate details that will keep you coming back for more and more.
I was given a copy of this book
July 1, 2018
I didn't know much about this book going into it. For the most part, I enjoyed it. It's a mixed mystery, supernatural and zombie story. I liked all of the characters. I'm not sure that all of my questions were answered, but the book ends in a cliffhanger, so hopefully the next one will give me some answers.
February 14, 2017
Well this was interesting. I loved the mash-up of a police procedural, the scientific and the the supernatural. It took a direction I didn't expect and which I've steered clear of in the past but I think it works well in this because everything was dished out in the right dosage.
The main character is an African-American woman and there are also LGBTQ elements present so yay for diversity.
I loved the pacing and the storyline itself. I felt it could easily have become too techy but it didn't and the supernatural elements are well-woven into the story with references to various myths and legends mostly from the Voodoo and Mayan cultures.
Overall, a really interesting start to a series for lovers of the Agent Pendargast series by Lincoln & Child and the Jack Nightingale series by Stephen Leather even though it has a totally different twist. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to Firewakers the second book.
The main character is an African-American woman and there are also LGBTQ elements present so yay for diversity.
I loved the pacing and the storyline itself. I felt it could easily have become too techy but it didn't and the supernatural elements are well-woven into the story with references to various myths and legends mostly from the Voodoo and Mayan cultures.
Overall, a really interesting start to a series for lovers of the Agent Pendargast series by Lincoln & Child and the Jack Nightingale series by Stephen Leather even though it has a totally different twist. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to Firewakers the second book.
June 25, 2016
This should be called "buy my next book." I was enjoying the premise of the story but was disappointed when it ended with no real closure and a note that says the story is to be continued in his next book.
February 6, 2017
Very much in the vein of X-Files, iZombie, etc.
February 4, 2018
*Although I received a free copy of this book for review consideration, my opinions are my own.
This review first appeared on http://bthreviews.com
Quick Review: A mashup of so many things that my head spun, but generally an interesting story, mainly because of the investigative process.
My Thoughts…
I don’t know if “supernatural crime thriller” is enough to describe Firewalk. It’s a mix of crime thriller, horror, mystery, and supernatural book. The author tried to cram too many things into one book. He works in multiple occult beliefs, religions, magical practices, and folklore. One mythology would have been sufficient because there is so much other stuff being squished into the story like physics, technology, medicine, drugs, history, etc.. There are zombies, drug dealers, cults, and more. It was just too much for me.
It seemed like the author struggled to make everything fit together, in some cases having to force the connections. Maybe that wouldn’t have bothered me so much if the author hadn’t gone into long descriptions about practically every element that got added into the story, which at times seemed contrived. For example, what is the likelihood that the detective knows enough history about a particular location to explain it to the main character, Izzie, at length–so much so that it takes like 4 pages to explain it? The setting details drag on, in more than one place in the book. I made a note at one point that it sounded like a travel guide. Then, right after that, I asked myself why I had been given a long history lesson. These types of details needed to be worked in, not dumped in huge chunks like they were.
The author takes forever to get around to making the characters address certain questions. At the beginning, the killer mentioned a student who would have been the last victim. The characters never come back around to the student until the book is almost over. Another time, there was a question about what caused something, but we already knew the answer, but the answer was forgotten or ignored by the characters.
The characters were pretty boring. I appreciated that the main character was an African-American lesbian, which made her less cookie-cutterish. But, she doesn’t have a lot of personality. Also, the characters didn’t react naturally. For example, after seeing a zombie, the characters go about their normal lives and don’t even talk about it until much later. And when they do talk about, it’s clinical. They act like it’s not a big deal to see a dead person get up and walk around. Unusual, yes, but not cause for concern.
Another unnatural reaction I saw was when Izzie told people to hit the druggie “as hard as you can. Try to snap his neck” (location 1737). At the time, she believed the person was just hyped up on drugs. So, why would she say this? That’s nowhere near what someone in law enforcement would actually do to apprehend a criminal.
Also, if there was a pattern of people who had holes in their brains, why wasn’t the CDC ever called? It seems to me to be a logical step for a cornorer to take, but it never happened, not even when more victims showed up with this same problem. It also aggravated me that it took forever for them to ask the question about if Ink was causing the holes. They acted like this was a big a-ha moment, when it was painfully obvious and any idiot would have asked this much sooner.
The only thing that saved this book for me was the investigative process the characters used.
Something I’ve Learned
I learned a lot reading this book because it’s so crammed with information. One thing I thought was interesting was Clarke’s Law. The author states it is “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” (location 2800).
Do I Recommend?
Not really, but it’s up for you to decide. Reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are mixed. Most people got upset because of the to-be-continued cliffhanger.
If you’re up for a book that goes on and on about history, geography, and more, then you could give this a try to see how the characters try to figure out the mystery of what caused a man to go crazy and kill his academic colleagues, amongst questions about zombies, a new street drug called INK, and more.
This review first appeared on http://bthreviews.com
Quick Review: A mashup of so many things that my head spun, but generally an interesting story, mainly because of the investigative process.
My Thoughts…
I don’t know if “supernatural crime thriller” is enough to describe Firewalk. It’s a mix of crime thriller, horror, mystery, and supernatural book. The author tried to cram too many things into one book. He works in multiple occult beliefs, religions, magical practices, and folklore. One mythology would have been sufficient because there is so much other stuff being squished into the story like physics, technology, medicine, drugs, history, etc.. There are zombies, drug dealers, cults, and more. It was just too much for me.
It seemed like the author struggled to make everything fit together, in some cases having to force the connections. Maybe that wouldn’t have bothered me so much if the author hadn’t gone into long descriptions about practically every element that got added into the story, which at times seemed contrived. For example, what is the likelihood that the detective knows enough history about a particular location to explain it to the main character, Izzie, at length–so much so that it takes like 4 pages to explain it? The setting details drag on, in more than one place in the book. I made a note at one point that it sounded like a travel guide. Then, right after that, I asked myself why I had been given a long history lesson. These types of details needed to be worked in, not dumped in huge chunks like they were.
The author takes forever to get around to making the characters address certain questions. At the beginning, the killer mentioned a student who would have been the last victim. The characters never come back around to the student until the book is almost over. Another time, there was a question about what caused something, but we already knew the answer, but the answer was forgotten or ignored by the characters.
The characters were pretty boring. I appreciated that the main character was an African-American lesbian, which made her less cookie-cutterish. But, she doesn’t have a lot of personality. Also, the characters didn’t react naturally. For example, after seeing a zombie, the characters go about their normal lives and don’t even talk about it until much later. And when they do talk about, it’s clinical. They act like it’s not a big deal to see a dead person get up and walk around. Unusual, yes, but not cause for concern.
Another unnatural reaction I saw was when Izzie told people to hit the druggie “as hard as you can. Try to snap his neck” (location 1737). At the time, she believed the person was just hyped up on drugs. So, why would she say this? That’s nowhere near what someone in law enforcement would actually do to apprehend a criminal.
Also, if there was a pattern of people who had holes in their brains, why wasn’t the CDC ever called? It seems to me to be a logical step for a cornorer to take, but it never happened, not even when more victims showed up with this same problem. It also aggravated me that it took forever for them to ask the question about if Ink was causing the holes. They acted like this was a big a-ha moment, when it was painfully obvious and any idiot would have asked this much sooner.
The only thing that saved this book for me was the investigative process the characters used.
Something I’ve Learned
I learned a lot reading this book because it’s so crammed with information. One thing I thought was interesting was Clarke’s Law. The author states it is “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” (location 2800).
Do I Recommend?
Not really, but it’s up for you to decide. Reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are mixed. Most people got upset because of the to-be-continued cliffhanger.
If you’re up for a book that goes on and on about history, geography, and more, then you could give this a try to see how the characters try to figure out the mystery of what caused a man to go crazy and kill his academic colleagues, amongst questions about zombies, a new street drug called INK, and more.
May 20, 2017
Absolutely the best piece of zombie-fiction I’ve encountered. Don’t be put off if you aren’t into zombies, Firewalk is a first class science fiction crime novel that stands far apart from the plethora of zombie novels cluttering shelves. It is a nice blending of investigative fiction and paranormal suspense successful both as a stand alone novel and as the first of a series.
Five years ago Special Agent Izzie Lefevre nearly lost her light pursuing a serial killer, the Recondito Reaper. The pursuit ended in his death, but Detective Patrick Tevake, who worked with Izzie on the case has called her back as evidence from his recent drug case seems connected. A new drug has hit the streets in Recondito. Ink not only makes the users forget, longterm use leads to lesions, strange black marks and death. The more they investigate, the more they begin to understand why Nicholas Fuller acted as he did, and the immense threat posed by Ink - for it is far more than a drug.
Zombies are the “in” thing. Unfortunately that means that all that glitters is not gold. Chris Roberson has a winner - a zombie novel that is ‘fresh’ enough to appeal to jaded readers and fans alike. It is no surprise that he is one of the creators of the popular TV show iZombie. Personally I haven’t seen the show, but I can say I was impressed by Firewalk. The characters not only have depth, they have intriguing cultural backgrounds. Their actions and responses are believable, even as the situation expands far beyond their expectations. The explanation of the how and why of the “zombies” is one that works well within the context of the novel’s world. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
5/5
I received a copy of Firewalk from Night Shade Books in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
Five years ago Special Agent Izzie Lefevre nearly lost her light pursuing a serial killer, the Recondito Reaper. The pursuit ended in his death, but Detective Patrick Tevake, who worked with Izzie on the case has called her back as evidence from his recent drug case seems connected. A new drug has hit the streets in Recondito. Ink not only makes the users forget, longterm use leads to lesions, strange black marks and death. The more they investigate, the more they begin to understand why Nicholas Fuller acted as he did, and the immense threat posed by Ink - for it is far more than a drug.
Zombies are the “in” thing. Unfortunately that means that all that glitters is not gold. Chris Roberson has a winner - a zombie novel that is ‘fresh’ enough to appeal to jaded readers and fans alike. It is no surprise that he is one of the creators of the popular TV show iZombie. Personally I haven’t seen the show, but I can say I was impressed by Firewalk. The characters not only have depth, they have intriguing cultural backgrounds. Their actions and responses are believable, even as the situation expands far beyond their expectations. The explanation of the how and why of the “zombies” is one that works well within the context of the novel’s world. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
5/5
I received a copy of Firewalk from Night Shade Books in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
May 15, 2017
Started out as an interesting take on supernatural/"scientific" story
First of all, I would have probably rated this higher if I had known up front that this book is the first in a series. And I had no clue until almost the end of the book that there wasn't going to be closure to the story. And I fringing hate that. This book could have worked very well as a standalone. It could have been trimmed up front and had an actual ending put on it instead of a cliffhanger.
I was enjoying the story and I usually don't read books that are about what I call "woo-woo" supernatural themes. But this blended some science and some science fiction in and I was liking the path the story was taking.
And I liked the main characters - a cop, a medical examiner, and two FBI agents.
It just fell all to pieces about 90% into the story. I guess the second book FIREWALKERS is due out in 2018 and I have no desire to keep reading the series.
I received this book from Night Shade News through Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.
First of all, I would have probably rated this higher if I had known up front that this book is the first in a series. And I had no clue until almost the end of the book that there wasn't going to be closure to the story. And I fringing hate that. This book could have worked very well as a standalone. It could have been trimmed up front and had an actual ending put on it instead of a cliffhanger.
I was enjoying the story and I usually don't read books that are about what I call "woo-woo" supernatural themes. But this blended some science and some science fiction in and I was liking the path the story was taking.
And I liked the main characters - a cop, a medical examiner, and two FBI agents.
It just fell all to pieces about 90% into the story. I guess the second book FIREWALKERS is due out in 2018 and I have no desire to keep reading the series.
I received this book from Night Shade News through Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.
March 2, 2019
Chris Roberson's FIREWALK is a fun police-procedural/supernatural action thriller that's very much in the vein of THE X-FILES. It's a fast, easy read populated with some pretty interesting characters, and it's refreshing to see a different take on zombies, done this time with a Haitian and Polynesian slant. I really enjoyed the characters, Detective Patrick Tevake and FBI Agent Izzie Lefevre, and the fictional coastal city of Recondito is developed really well. FIREWALK could have used a few more action/horror set pieces in it's early goings, but that's a minor point really. It's a fun read that ends of a great cliffhanger, and I'm really looking forward to the second installment. Recommended.
June 14, 2017
Firewalk seems like a run-of-the-mill urban fantasy from the start, but then Chris Roberson flips and flops it around, providing a super-intelligent and fun version of a genre that is pretty set in its ways.
The smattering of the supernatural is not forced or out of place, even though this is coming from the writer of one of my favorite books, Paragaea: A Planetary Romance, which had a talking panther-man.
It's also hilarious. You don't get that from murder books.
I'm going to have to insist that Roberson deliver the sequel promised at the end of this book, toot suite. Is he done yet?
What about now?
The smattering of the supernatural is not forced or out of place, even though this is coming from the writer of one of my favorite books, Paragaea: A Planetary Romance, which had a talking panther-man.
It's also hilarious. You don't get that from murder books.
I'm going to have to insist that Roberson deliver the sequel promised at the end of this book, toot suite. Is he done yet?
What about now?
April 29, 2018
3.5 Stars. I’m sorry I haven’t updated my last couple of reviews yet but life has been very busy the last couple of weeks. Hopefully next week I will get this and several others updated!
I will be recording a podcast episode on this one shortly.
Quick note though. I’d really like to see this series as a Bones style tv show. This isn’t my usual fare as a reader and I did find myself having to re-read sections a lot to make sure I got all the clues I should have. If I had been able to sit down interruption free it probably would have been much easier to read but a 3 year old rarely allows that to happen! If you like mysteries or supernatural thrillers then you’ll really e joy this.
I will be recording a podcast episode on this one shortly.
Quick note though. I’d really like to see this series as a Bones style tv show. This isn’t my usual fare as a reader and I did find myself having to re-read sections a lot to make sure I got all the clues I should have. If I had been able to sit down interruption free it probably would have been much easier to read but a 3 year old rarely allows that to happen! If you like mysteries or supernatural thrillers then you’ll really e joy this.
June 1, 2017
Izzie was an FBI agent who was called to help find a serial killer in Recondito. She has come back to Recondito to track down some weird stuff happening that seems a lot like what the serial killer was doing.
The book is well written - a little slow until near the end, and fully in line with Xfiles or other mystery turned fantasy style books. Like other reviewers, this is Book 1 - the end of the book is a huge cliffhanger.
*I got this book through GoodRead's Giveaways - an excellent source of interesting books!
The book is well written - a little slow until near the end, and fully in line with Xfiles or other mystery turned fantasy style books. Like other reviewers, this is Book 1 - the end of the book is a huge cliffhanger.
*I got this book through GoodRead's Giveaways - an excellent source of interesting books!
March 24, 2017
A quick read . Izzy (FBI) and Patrick (local police) are working together to tie up some ends on a 5 year old case they settled but some new information has come up. The city history, mining, a workers' guild and a light house all play an important part in the old solved case and new leads that are coming up in a drug case. These facts get tied up with cults, mysticism, Mayan mythology and Haitian Voodoo to make the new case somewhat otherworldly.
September 7, 2017
Not sure how I feel about the ending. Good writing. Good characters. Good narrator. Good use of science. Good blending of science and religious / mystical beliefs as explanation for things happening. Questionable ending. 3 stars because of that. Epilogues are for something that has happened a way after, not immediately after as a sorta-kinda summation of the characters' next steps, which we'll never see because this is a stand alone and it came to an end.
September 28, 2021
Received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Five years ago, Izzie Lefevre, FBI agent, and Patrick Tevake, Recondito homicide detective, brought down a serial killer.
Izzie is back in Recondito, both she and Patrick have ancestors that dealt with the supernatural and they're afraid that what happened five years ago has spilled to now and it has supernatural elements. What is happening now goes beyond anything imaginable, what will it take to stop what is happening now?
Five years ago, Izzie Lefevre, FBI agent, and Patrick Tevake, Recondito homicide detective, brought down a serial killer.
Izzie is back in Recondito, both she and Patrick have ancestors that dealt with the supernatural and they're afraid that what happened five years ago has spilled to now and it has supernatural elements. What is happening now goes beyond anything imaginable, what will it take to stop what is happening now?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2017
At the end of the day, I was a bit indifferent to the book.. Based on the blurbs on the jacket I was expecting a lot more suspense and horror but I never really felt it. Izzie should have been an engaging character but it just didn't happen for me. It's the start of a series, but I don't feel compelled to keep reading future books in the series.
May 13, 2019
A crime thriller with supernatural overtones set in a fictional CA town. The plot is interesting but the execution not well written. I didn't feel a connection with the characters even though the author tried to give them some substance. This book ends in a manner that requires reading the next book to get to a satisfactory conclusion. I am not sure I will seek out the next one.
August 12, 2024
I didn't realize that I was into this book until the end, on the very last line. I thought some of the sentences were pretty long and it was hard to keep up with at some point because of it, but it ended up being a good read. I don't think I would read again, but still would recommend for anyone who likes plots revolving around the supernatural.
June 5, 2017
What started as a detective story with a splash of supernatural is turning into 'zombies' being manipulated in sync by someone who has supposed control over the new drug, Ink, that is hitting the streets. Curious to see where this will go.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2017
Most interesting quasi-zombie horror book I've ever read. Extra points for tying in the Graham Hancock work and lending a realistic edge to this unreal adventure. Would read every other book in what I can only assume is or will be a series.
October 19, 2016
This is very different from my usual sort of books (thanks Edelweiss for the ARC) but I enjoyed it, even if it sometimes was a bit much for someone not as smart about zombies etc. Izie and Patrick are good, sympathetic characters. The plot moves quickly and it's well written. I had not read Roberson or much of this genre before but I'll admit I'm looking forward to the next book so I can find out the resolution.
December 7, 2016
A well-written thriller type story filled with a ton of details. Engaging from the beginning. Definitely will read the next in line.
December 24, 2016
Glosses over too much (to save on pages? to not have to fully explain half-formed ideas? both?) but otherwise ok.
January 15, 2017
Highly enjoyable page turner with characters that I really liked and am looking forward to future books in the series.
February 5, 2017
Felt a little rushed with the explanation toward the end. However, I'm definitely looking forward to a sequel. Also, with a lesbian protagonist? How can I resist that?
March 26, 2017
Thrill every turn of the page. Wish it was longer though. But seriously, I never knew what could be on the next page... unless i read it.
May 29, 2017
I really dislike books that are cliff hangers and this book is close to that.
September 19, 2017
Good story, great plot, occasionally somewhat stilted and jarring writing. Supposed to be the start of a series, but I can't find any info on a second book, which would be a shame.
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