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A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave.  But all drugs have unforeseen side-effects.  Before he could be buried, the killer wakes up.  Hungry.  Infected.  Contagious.  This is the way the world ends.  Not with a bang…but a bite.

Over the past year, I have read MANY zombie novels and there have been some excellent tales to be told, but VERY few have grabbed me right from the beginning and continued to hold on tight. Dead of Night by Jonathan Maberry grabbed me by the back of the neck keeping my eyes trained on the story that was unfolding on the pages and I loved every second.

The characters are well detailed and very compelling. One of our main characters, Desdemona (Dez), could possibly be seen as an unlikable character, her character comes with a lot of baggage and she can come off as very hard. However, the elements in her life that make her the way she is is fully explained, therefore understandable.  J.T. is Dez’s partner and father figure. I loved his character. Just a lovable guy who would do anything for his partner. Billy Trout, a reporter and Dez’s on again off again boyfriend, is yet another great character who has his flaws, but ultimately is the type of guy you’d want on your side should bad things happen. I loved learning about their history and reading the love/hate scenarios that played out between these two people. Then you have the executed serial killer, Homer Gibbons, who has been modified and while he is a zombie he has a presence of mind that allows him to make coherent decisions. He is patient zero. The second and third generation undead on down the line are much less cognizant of anything but their main goal. 

While the location of each scene are important to the story, they are not the main focus. Dead of Night does not have paragraph upon paragraph detailing the setting. I liked this. It allows us to focus on the characters and action happening on the page and ‘boy howdy’ is there a lot of action!  Maberry hold no punches when it comes to action and gore. There is fighting, fleeing, dismemberment and ghoulish delights for all to read. It was AWESOME!

For this reviewer, Dead of Night has everything a fan of zombie literature needs and wants. Unique and interesting characters, action, gore, believable scientific explanations and a great story to tie it all together. A definite must read for any and all zombie fans!

*side note: if you pick up Dead of Night you will occasionally see references to the Mayor of Stebbons and eventually you will learn her name. Hmmm, anyone you may know?

Learn more about the author by checking out his self titled website Jonathan Maberry where you can find out what he is currently up to and how to contact him with feedback after you have picked up and read Dead of Night. Mr Maberry can also be followed on Twitter: @JonathanMaberry

Click on the cover image above to purchase your paperback or Kindle copy of Dead of Night via Amazon or go (HERE) to visit Barnes & Noble for your paperback/nook copy!

Espresso rating: Quad