Thursday, December 5, 2013

Mark Tufo

Zombie Fallout 7: For the Fallen
by Mark Tufo
372 Pages
Published by CreateSpace, October 7, 2013
Genre: Horror, Zombies, Apocalyptic, Humor
ASIN: B00FP87V6I
ISBN: 1492953261 

Review by Shay Festa, A.K.A. The Bookie Monster

Mike is back. The battle with Eliza is past. Now Mike must strike out once again in a desperate race against time as his son and best friend are succumbing to the zombie virus within them. What he does not know is that an old foe has risen up and a more insidious threat has emerged to not just the Talbots but all of humanity.

When I grow up, I want to be Mark Tufo! This author is fantastic. He manages to once again spin a tale of terror while still managing to make me laugh out loud. His newest piece of work has earned the coveted Five-Star Fire Rating from the Bookie Monster.

Zombie Fallout 7 is the latest in Tufo's line of great titles. Without Eliza to keep the zombies at bay, it's an all out dog fight for the survival of Mike Talbot and company. The race against time is on for BT and Justin, still infected and in danger of turning. Once again they battle zombie and man alike. Not to mention the ever present Henry the dog stinky pooting, which is almost worse than zombies. (Having two dogs, I can tell you...there is nothing worse than puppy poots)

The zombies are getting smarter. They show signs of thinking and planning. They've even begun assessing situations and running away when risk outweighs reward. But the real stand out for this reader is the banter between Mike and BT. Tufo continues telling the story from the perspective of Mike's journal entries. And Mike continues to be a highly sarcastic and sometimes self deprecating narrator.
Mike: "I don't know what you're talking about. Blame the black man carrying it." 
BT: "Oh, it's always the black mans fault, right Talbot?" 

Mike: "Look at the evidence.
"
The only problem with a Tufo book is that it ends! This reader is impatiently already waiting for book 8. If the humor doesn't get you, then the unique story line and well thought out characters will. Much like me, I suspect you won't be able to put it down. This latest installment is every bit exciting and captivating as the first book. A feat hard to achieve as most series fall victim to waning and regurgitated story lines. Each book in the Zombie Fallout series has been original and there has been no decline in momentum.
'The nose of the truck dipped down as I drove off the road and into a culvert. My heart skipped a beat or seventeen as I dug the front end into the upslope. The wheels spun for a moment. I think it was zombies who actually saved us. A few slammed into the rear end and lent just enough force to allow my rear wheels to catch and make the truck start up the other side. I rolled down my window. "Thanks for the push," I yelled as I waved. It's quite possible I wasn't completely under control of my own emotions. Lack of blood flow to the brain most likely being the cause. See earlier part about heart skipping beats. "You are fucking nuts," BT yelled, looking around I think for another seat belt to strap over himself.'
I listened to the audio version, narrated by Sean Runnette, and was pleased at the dry humor his voice injected into the story. The only thing I would have liked to see differently is the voice chosen for Tommy. It was just a touch too juvenile for me.

Zombie Fallout is one of the best zombie series on the market. It doesn't hurt that Tufo is a fellow Bostonian, either. If you haven't read them yet...well, shame on you! Get to reading! You won't be disappointed.

About the Author:
Mark Tufo was born in Boston Massachusetts. He attended UMASS Amherst where he obtained a BA and later joined the US Marine Corp. He was stationed in Parris Island SC, Twenty Nine Palms CA and Kaneohe Bay Hawaii. After his tour he went into the Human Resources field with a worldwide financial institution and has gone back to college at CTU to complete his masters.

He has wrote the first installment of the Indian Hill trilogy in college, it sat in his garage until July 2009 when he published it on Kindle. He has since written the Zombie Fallout series and is working on a new zombie book. He lives in Maine with his wife, three kids and two English bulldogs.


For news on his next two installments of the Indian Hill trilogy and upcoming installments of the Zombie Fallout series, visit him on the web at www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Tufowww.marktufo.com, or zombiefallout.blogspot.com. And follow him on Twitter @ZombieFallout.

Purchase Links:
Amazon
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Audible.com





About the Reviewer:

Shay Festa a.k.a The Bookie Monster reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis (but not limited to) zombie fiction. She is currently working hard on completing her debut zombie fiction novel, Time of Death.

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