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Welcome to the Textro Truck Stop…where they have hot food, hot coffee, and even hotter waitresses.

It’s a slow Friday night at the Textro, and business isn’t expected to pick up until the football game lets out in nearby Masonfield. Deke, backed up by his friend Harley, is here on a mission of romance. Rachel Sutherland has come to unwind from a bad day at the clinic. Thomas “Grandpa Tom” Burns and “Leaping” Larry Brown are just dropping in for some diesel and coffee, while across the diner Holly just wants to get her socially disastrous boyfriend, Gerald, home. Waitresses Stacey and Marisa are taking it easy, serving the few patrons while waiting for the game crowd to arrive.
But things are about to get busy in an unexpected and very deadly way.

There is a storm coming in and the crowd that arrives with it isn’t from Masonfield…at least, not anymore. These unexpected guests are from the nearby Mazon County Cemetery, and they have their own idea of what should be on the menu. Now a dwindling collection of locals, waitresses, truckers, out-of-towners, and one astonished veterinarian find themselves in a desperate fight for survival against a foe they thought only existed in the movies. And as the night wears on they discover that if they don’t escape by dawn, they will lose all hope of getting away.

I love a great diner. You know, those greasy spoons that really make you begin to reconsider even going through the doors. The saucy waitresses,  the belligerent cook and, of course, the questionable clientele. Well, in Dead Stop we have all these elements PLUS zombies that  just happen to be dropping in for a bite.

Set in a small town in Texas, the Textro truckstop and diner is having a rather slow night, thanks to the local football game going on just down the way. Deke and Harley, a couple of local boys, have managed to talk Stacey into a date with Deke on the condition that her friend Marissa joins them as Harley’s date. However, before these budding lovebirds have a chance to make further plans all hell breaks loose. Somehow, what appears to be dead people are attacking the truckers and attempting to gain entry to the restaurant and storefront. The small group, consisting of the aforementioned couples, the local veterinarian and a few other patrons, must now hunker down and decide what to do. Do they wait things out and hope that help comes for them or do they make an attempt at getting out of the diner and to someplace safer.

The characters, to me, were very believable for small town dwellers. As I mentioned, I loved the setting, the action was intense and hard core. There were definite moments of suspense, not knowing how someone will react to a certain threat or how they will survive the situation they have been put. Of course, as always, there was one character I was most thrilled to see get turned into the late night blue plate special.

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. It was so much fun. Filled with interesting characters, a great setting and lots of blood and guts. If you like a little comedy, a little romance and a LOT of undead/action then definitely give DeadStop a try!

Learn more about the author, D Nathan Hilliard by frequenting A Dark and Stormy Blog to keep up to date on what Mr Hilliard is writing.

Espresso rating: Quad