Book Review: THE DOWN HOME ZOMBIE BLUES

THE DOWN HOME ZOMBIE BLUES
By Linnea Sinclair
Science Fiction Romance
Bantam Books
(Release date: November 27, 2007)

OPENING NOTES FROM THE REVIEWER: This review is based on an Advance Review Copy. The scheduled release date is November 27, 2007. Just in time for the December holidays. Good timing, since that’s when the story takes place. As in all reviews, I try to avoid spoilers for potential readers but give enough details for each reader to determine if it sounds like their kind of read. However, I would like to say this: Never judge a book by its title. Not that the title THE DOWN HOME ZOMBIE BLUES isn’t catchy, but it does suggest a sort of Sci-Fi/Fantasy slipstream concoction. My preconceptions were blown out of the water—in the best possible way. I hope yours are, too.

COVER ART: The infrared tones suggests hot and steamy. That’s fitting since the setting is in Florida. (Yes, Florida.) The female MC has one of those faces—you know the type--the “cool and collected in a sauna” sort. She’s got some high-tech toys on display, too. The male is more shadowy, less defined. He stands behind the female, but his eyes are fixed on the reader. And yes, they do follow you wherever you go. There’s not a zombie in sight. Probably a good thing. Let them be a surprise.

INITIAL IMPRESSION: The story opens with a pseudo-military team, headed by a female commander, arriving in a dark, stinking alley and starting to get oriented to their surroundings, which they don’t hold in particular esteem. Meanwhile, Bahia Vista homicide detective Theo Petrakos and his peers are investigating a disturbing crime scene. The victim, and how he came to be in his particular state of dead, is a puzzle and something Theo has never seen before. Great hook. I had a few giggles when Jorie and her team attempted to navigate a “nil-tech” vehicle in unfamiliar territory.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Being a former member of law enforcement I was immediately intrigued by Theo, a mature detective that acts, thinks and speaks with the believable mindset of a modern police officer--one who does the job for all the right reasons. When Commander Jorie Mikkalah and her covert team arrive on the same scene from parts unknown my interest level bumped up a notch or two. She is there for the same reason that Theo is, but with a difference. She knows what happened to the victim and it’s her teams' mission to stop it from happening again. Theo is just an obstacle to be relocated, at best, or eliminated, worst case scenario.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: Ezequiel “Zeke” Martinez is Theo’s ex-patrol partner, friend, and very reluctant accomplice. Zeke’s wife, Suzanne, a vet, takes the situation in stride and is willing to lend what she can to the effort. Jorie’s team, Lieutenant Tamlynne "Tammy" Herryck and Ensign Jacare “Jack” Trenat fill their roles quite well, but the enigmatic Commander Kip Rordan is a standout who sometimes seems lost in Jorie’s wake, and sometimes seems set on making waves for her. Lorik Alclar is a minor character who had a major influence on Jorie’s past, his main influence being via backstory and ongoing grudge. There are also other personalities who help define Theo and Jorie as characters and various authorities and peers who help or hinder the pair as they attempt to do the impossible.

VILLAIN: Oh, you’ll never hear the word “zombie” and think of the Night of the Living Dead variety again. This brand of zombie is almost guaranteed to satisfy any Sci-Fi/Horror lover. No spoilers, but let me just say the first zombie sighting was a surprise for this reader. I love being happily terrified. And I was delighted they didn’t turn out to be what I expected. In fact, I’m not sure why they are even called “zombies.” But the zombies aren’t the only players in the Evil, Wicked, Mean and Nasty category. They may have accomplices. The more Jorie investigates, the more she’s convinced of it, and the chilling repercussions it suggests.

WORLD BUILDING: The setting was very well described, coming from one who has tromped through some of this real estate in the past. The off-site world building was equally engaging, especially the explanation of the zombies’ origins and their “culture”. To quote one of my favorite Vulcans: “Fascinating.”

CONFLICT: A culture clash of epic proportions, and I don’t mean just Theo’s pride and passion in his Greek heritage. I thought the societal politics was handled particularly well. I could appreciate the characters’ dilemma in a high-charged “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” situation. The disdain by one of the team members toward “nil-techs” was well drawn. Two of the characters also have high stakes in achieving their own professional goals. A successful mission could spell a major career advancement for one, but when the competition is a team member, distrust and doubt incubates. Superb tension.

ROMANCE: Like GAMES OF COMMAND, the relationship between the two main characters required time for this reader to develop an emotional investment. Although the tension builds and often crackles between Theo and Jorie, there aren’t a lot of romantic scenes. Considering the stakes and the constant live-or-die threat, that seems appropriate.

READABILITY: Major Snarf Factor again. I wolfed it down over the course of four days. That may sound about average for many readers, but I rarely have blocks of free time available to just read, so a book has to grab me by the throat and demand I rearrange my schedule in order to finish it. I did.

EVIL AUTHORS GUILD STAMP OF APPROVAL: The Evil Authors Guild exists to encourage writers to inflict appropriate amounts of terror, angst and torture into their characters’ lives, and to leave them twisting in the wind at every opportunity. Ka-chunk! Big red stamp of approval.

NEAT, CATCHY LINGO:
Spontaneous mummification – I laughed out loud when I read that line. Still giggling.
C-Prime – Oooooh. The big kahuna.
PMaT – Acronyms aren’t just for Terrans.
Sweeps – An increment of time that makes sense when you think about it in visual terms.

SECOND READ: I had to go back and scarf down a couple of scenes again upon finishing the story. Yes, this one has repeata-reada-bility.

OVERALL RATING: I don’t rate novels on a number scale. Each novel is unique and, just like sightseeing in a strange city, you learn about the literary ‘points of interest’ as you get to know the territory. Ok, too easy. This one is has a dark, steamy, humid tone and a healthy dose of scary fun and chills, just like a balmy night at a major Orlando theme park. Orlando, it is. Great place to spend the holidays, don’t you think?

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