Amazon Kindle/paperback

Twenty years ago a pair of serial killers terrified the nation. Their crimes made national headlines.

Their final target was The Hollow Campground. An entire family was dragged from their cabins and slaughtered. Then the killers vanished.

Now they’re back. And ready to hunt again.

The Hollow has recently re-opened, but people haven’t forgotten the carnage that took place there. Liz Mallory is taking a weekend camping trip to the Hollow with her old college friends.

Liz doesn’t know they’re being watched. The Hollow killers have come home, and the weekend plans are about to take a turn for the worse.

When the killers descend on the campground, Liz and her friends must wage a desperate battle to survive.

The Hollow. How long could you survive?

Heading out to the wilderness is a fun and peaceful way to enjoy time with friends and family. But when the cabins you are staying in have a macabre history, that little piece of heaven that looked so good can become a nightmare come true. A getaway from it all vacation is exactly what Liz and her small group of friends were hoping for, but it is far from what they got when the Hannah’s husband and Sonya’s fiancée are brutally murdered by the same group who wrecked havoc 15 years ago in the very same spot and now they are after the survivors.

Within the pages of The Hollow we are introduced to quite a few additional characters other than our group of campers, a gentleman, Jacob, who is in search of the murders of his wife and child. A few minor characters who were included to merely be redshirts introduced just long enough to be mutilated and,  of course, the psychopaths themselves play a prominent part in the gruesome action.

The attention to detail and setting is superb and the action is practically nonstop. To be sure, Anthony Izzo pulls no punches when it comes to violence. We get very detailed and grotesque scenes of what is happening to the victims.

I have to say the only real issue I had with The Hollow is some of the behaviors of the characters, particularly their internal monologue. For example, one girl has just witnessed a man be brutally killed and eaten when she is captured by the same group and is being led to the area where she witnessed the murder, all she is thinking about is how she wished she was wearing a winter hat because it’s cold? There were, also, several times where one of the survivors finally gets the upper hand and kills her attacker, but comments or thinks about how bad she feels. They have killed your family and friends and countless other people…they deserve no mercy. Like I said, it just seemed to be odd thinking on the part of the good guys.

If you  want to read something similar to Texas Chainsaw Massacre then hop on over to Amazon by clicking the cover image above and pick up your copy of The Hollow today.

Learn more about Anthony Izzo’s thrillers by giving his Facebook Author page a LIKE, following him on Twitter at @AIzzo or by checking out his blog The Horrible Truth

Espresso rating: Double with a splash of milk

Amazon Kindle/Hardcover

THE GEEKS HAVE INHERITED THE EARTH.

Computer nerds are our titans of industry; comic-book superheroes are our Hollywood idols; the Internet is our night on the town. Clearly, geeks know something about life in the 21st century that other folks don’t—something we all can learn from. Geek Wisdom takes as gospel some 200 of the most powerful and oft-cited quotes from movies (“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads”), television (“Now we know—and knowing is half the battle”), literature (“All that is gold does not glitter”), games, science, the Internet, and more. Now these beloved pearls of modern-day culture have been painstakingly interpreted by a diverse team of hardcore nerds with their imaginations turned up to 11. Yes, this collection of mini-essays is by, for, and about geeks—but it’s just so surprisingly profound, the rest of us would have to be dorks not to read it. So say we all.

‘”You have no power over me” Sarah, Labyrinth…She wasn’t just a babe-she was the babe with the power.’

‘”Snozzberries? Who ever heard of a snozzberry? ~Veruca Salt, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory….Being a know-it-all isn’t smart, it’s a sign of closed-mindedness.”‘

These two statements are merely just a taste of the thought-provoking and highly entertaining essays that you will find within the pages of Geek Wisdom. Some may consider some of the exposition to be obvious analysis’ of certain quotes from the geek pop culture, but I still found the various authors ideas refreshing and fun.

The sayings and quotes in Geek Wisdom come from a variety of pop culture references…books, TV, movies.  The chosen statements are organized into sections that allow the reader to examine the wisdom about the self, wisdom about the universe, and wisdom about the future, etc just to name a few. Leading the reader on a quest to discover more about themselves, the world and their inner geek.

In this reviewers opinion, Geek Wisdom is a perfect bathroom reader. Not because it deserves to be in the crapper, but because each essay is rather short and to the point. Geek Wisdom was a fantastically well written book that I highly recommend to all those who proudly wear the title of geek and for any who think that deep down they just might have a bit of an inner geek in them.

So, may your mutton always be lean, your  power convertors always be working , and your cylons always respond with “By your command” and go buy Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture.

Espresso rating: Quad

Amazon paperback/Kindle

What began in the wasteland of DEAD MECH, continued alongside in Europe and Asia in The Americans, now has its epic conclusion in Metal and Ash! Commander James Capreze and his team of mech pilots no longer must battle just zombies, cannibals, religious cults and the ever dreaded dead mechs. Now they will be put to the test by the forces of the Three as the evil alliance bent on dominating every inch of the world attacks from two fronts, forcing Capreze to split his forces and make alliances with those he had been sworn to defeat. The wasteland becomes the setting for an epic fight for basic human survival like it hasn’t seen in hundreds of years. Will fifty foot battle mechs be enough against hundreds of thousands of techno-zombies ready to wipe everything living off the scorched map that is the wasteland? Join Capreze, his mech pilots, the refugee Americans, end every denizen of the wasteland as they make one final stand to keep the Three from bringing humanity’s downfall. Alliances are formed and broken, mech pilots are made and murdered, secrets are revealed and agendas destroyed, and thousands of bodies fall and rise again in the Apex Trilogy finale: Metal and Ash!

Metal and Ash is a nonstop, action packed, hold onto your seats cause it’s gonna get bumpy, conclusion to the Dead Mech trilogy. The survivors from both book 1 (Dead Mech) and book 2 (The Americans) come together to fight for the survival of the human race. The finale takes the Americans to the Wasteland and well, heck I really don’t want to get too into what happens because it is all over the place…in a good way. Suffice it to say the story progresses and wraps up nicely. There is much action and violence and lots of fun and entertaining dialogue, which is one of my favorite things about Jake Bible’s writing. The conversations between his characters are fantastic and quite often full of hilarity.

I will warn of one thing, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, especially if it’s been a while between reading Dead Mech and getting to Metal and Ash. I had to go back and refresh my memory on who a few of the characters were and how they connected. I will give the author props, however, because while there are a lot of characters, Bible does a very good job keeping them “organized”.

Assessment, the Dead Mech Trilogy, as a whole, is a must read for all who enjoy zombie, mechs, survival, violence and all the other things that go along with that world. Metal and Ash is the fantastic conclusion of the trilogy and makes the journey definitely worth your time.

Metal and Ash can be purchased for Amazon Kindle by clicking the cover image above or by heading over to Barnes & Noble (HERE) for you nook owners.

Learn more about Jake Bible over at his blog Brain Squeezin’s . By following him on Twitter @jakebible or “liking” his author page Jake Bible’s Wasteland

Espresso rating: Triple

Amazon Kindle/paperback

Brandt Evans is floundering. Leadership of their dysfunctional group wasn’t something he asked for or wanted. Their problems are numerous: Remy Angellette is grief-stricken and suicidal, Gray Carter is distant and reclusive, and Cade Alton is near death. And things only get worse.

While Brandt and Gray are on the hunt for supplies, a still-recovering Cade is kidnapped by a militant group of survivors. On Brandt’s return, he’s told of a conspiracy involving test subjects, pathogens, and CDC doctors.

Brandt’s race to save Cade takes him back to the dangerous streets of Atlanta, where not all is as it seems. And with a horde of infected closing in and the rescue mission in jeopardy he comes tantalizingly close to a cure that might save what’s left of humanity from the ravages of the Michaluk Virus.

The Becoming: Revelations is book 3 in The Becoming series being brought to us by author Jessica Meigs and published by Permuted Press. Yet again, readers are sent hurtling head first into the hordes. We gain friends, we loose friends and in between zombies are killed and one of the many secrets of the Michaluk Virus begins to reveal itself.

To say that Jessica Meigs has kept me enthralled in the world of The Becoming is an absolute understatement. The plot of the story keeps moving forward with very little down time. It’s kept me on my toes and only rarely did I have even a guess as to what was coming next. The characters, both new and old, continue to grow and change. The dialogue between the various characters, for the most part, is relevant to the situations at hand. There were a few times when, while I understand using humor to alleviate a stressful situation, I did not find it appropriate. This, however, may just be a matter of opinion and other readers may not feel the same.

Journeying from relative safety into the city where the Michaluk Virus was created our friends must look inside themselves to find the courage, honor and strength within to keep going and fight for their lives and the lives of those who have become family.

The Becoming: Revelations, in this readers opinion, is another action packed must read from author Jessica Meigs. The characters I have come to love and hate continue to fight for their survival with some meeting an untimely end and others find a new beginning.

Learn more about the author, Jessica Meigs, and what she is currently working on by following her blog BecomingZombies.com or stalk her Twitter feed at: @JessicaMeigs

Espresso rating: Quad

Amazon Kindle

It’s the 1950s in New York City – the Cold War is in full bloom and the Red Scare is everywhere. Private Investigator Avery Nolan is hired by the daughter of a missing research scientist to find him. What he finds instead is the menace of the KGB, a possible U.S. government coverup, and the undead ready to tear America apart from the inside.

Equal parts detective noir and “Night of the Living Dead,” the story is carried into fascinating territory by the title P.I. and an eclectic cast of characters. Avery Nolan is a Lucky Strike-smoking, scotch-drinking, hard-fighting, straight-shooting private investigator from NYC. Sure, he takes his lumps every now and then, but he is always the first in line when payback is due. Add in a who’s-who of side characters, including plenty of dames with great gams, good-guy cops whose moral virtues may not be quite as shiny as their badges, egghead scientists who spout enough geek-talk to make Einstein’s head spin, a hot librarian with a cool hand – and, of course, the walking dead – and you’ve got yourself one killer mystery on your hands.

**Unbiased review from guest reviewer author, Tonia Brown

Hard boiled crime never looked undeader.

I must admit, I have a soft spot for the whole crime noir scene. Some of my favorite films are of the genre, but I must confess I had never really had the chance to read such a thing … until now.

Avery Nolan, Private Dick of the Strange: The Case of the Zombie Menace, is everything a gal could want in a noir story, with the added benefit of zombies. (Zombies! I know, right?) Toss this together with a well written story, superb pacing, awesome characters and amazing action scenes, and you have one hell of a tale. Faville sets out to explore the noir scene but does so much more. His characters are all typical of the genre, yet each one somehow manages to transcend the two-dimensional molds of which they were born. Especially the lead, Mr. Nolan. I have to admit, I fell head over heels for the big galoot. With his no nonsense attitude and quick on his feet thinking, Avery is the kind of guy who could have my back any day. Though, being the gentleman he is, he would probably remind me I am married and move along.

What moved me most about the story was the sense of realism. Not just the slang or metaphors remaining so true to the era, no, I mean the little touches and details I couldn’t help but feel came straight from Faville’s own personal history. The military references. The passionate concern for local characters. The well described action sequences. Even the epilogue gave me pause, and in that pause I wondered if perhaps Mr. Faville had drawn that story from his own life? Perhaps, but either way, such things gave it a memorable personal touch.

If I had one complaint about the tale, then it would be the style in which it was written— present tense. I am not a huge fan of present tense stories, but that said, Mr. Faville held his own. I can’t complain too much considering the thing, regardless of its style, was outstanding.

Thanks, Mr. Faville, for giving us Mr. Nolan. I not only recommend reading this adventure, I will be first in line for the next installment!

Learn more about Tony Faville and his other works by visiting and hitting the LIKE button on his Facebook fan page (HERE)

Espresso rating: Triple

Doubleshot Reviews wants to extend their appreciation to Ms. Tonia Brown for taking time out of her busy schedule to read and review Avery for us. Several of her books have been reviewed by this blog and I highly suggest you hunt down a few for your own reading pleasure. HERE is the link to her blog where you can find some of her books

Choose one of the reviews from this site of a book that sounds interesting to you and share it on your Facebook wall stating why. Don’t forget to tag Doubleshot Reviews Facebook page (HERE) so I can keep track. If you prefer Twitter over Facebook, then share your review of choice on Twitter with the hashtag #DoubleshotReviews. Share on both Facebook AND Twitter and you are entered to win twice.

Winner will be randomly selected on May 15, 2013 at 6pm PST.

(This, hopefully, will generate some traffic on my blog AND get one lucky person a pretty awesome book)

Philadelphia, the late 1870s. A city of gas lamps, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages—and home to the controversial surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a grave robber, young Dr. Black studies at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: What if the world’s most celebrated mythological beasts—mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs—were in fact the evolutionary ancestors of humankind?

This book was received as an ARC (Advanced Read/Review Copy) from Quirk Books. It is set to be released on May 21, 2013

The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black is essentially two books in one, the first being The Life of Dr Spencer Black.  Believing that mythological creatures are our (human) ancestors, Dr Black proceeds to embark on a journey of scientific discovery. A journey that seems to slowly drive him into madness and ruins any credibility he may have had within his field of study. I will give word of warning, this section is most definitely not for someone with a weak stomach. It is very descriptive and there is a good portion dealing with vivisection, which is essentially surgery/dissection of a living creature. While it is very descriptive and gruesome, I found it also very intriguing and actually wish this section was longer.

The second section is The Codex Extinct Anamalia in which Dr Black documents and illustrates his findings of the lesser known species of the animal kingdom. This section is mostly illustrations of various species muscular and skeletal structure done very similarly to Gray’s Anatomy. It is well done artwork and for those with great interest in the structure and anatomy of mythological species this is a wonderfully detailed and well done section. I could even see tattoo artists using this as inspiration for pieces.

The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black is a very unique piece of work that would fit very well as a coffee table book in the right household. Filled with highly imaginative and detailed illustrations and a disturbing view into the psyche of what I view as a highly intelligent doctor turned mad by his obsession.

The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black is available for pre-order by clicking the cover image above to be directed to Amazon for either a Hardcover copy or to purchase for your Kindle. Release date is May 21, 2013.

—OR—

Want to win a copy of The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black? Head over to Doubleshot Reviews Facebook page (HERE) and give it a LIKE. I will post how to win your very own hard copy of The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black in the next day or so.

Espresso rating: Triple

Amazon Kindle

Hundreds of years after the United States is turned into a radioactive, zombie infested wasteland, the descendants of peacekeeping troops stranded abroad are now the world’s marshals, keeping law and order in a futuristic landscape of high-tech feudalism and raw, bioorganic metal.

They are known simply as: The Americans.

The exciting sidequel to DEAD MECH takes you on a hellride through Europe, Asia and beyond as American Ghost Heather Walton must save her family, her friends, and an all important cargo, as all Americans struggle to maintain their place in a world where the powers that be no longer want them. And will stop at nothing to put an end to their standing and their very existence!

Haven’t read DEAD MECH? Not a problem! The Americans is a stand-alone novel that takes place at the same time as the events in DEAD MECH. Read either one first then get ready for the third and final book in the Apex Trilogy, Metal And Ash
(which Doubleshot Reviews will be reviewing soon)

Man, am I behind in the times. I read DEAD MECH back in March of 2011 and loved every second of it. (See my full thoughts HERE) But, work, life and a crap ton of review requests kept me from reading it’s “sidequel”, The Americans, until now. Yes, that read sidequel…meaning it takes place at the same time as DEAD MECH , but with different characters and in a different location.

The Americans continues with the author’s tradition of colorful language, fun and engaging dialogue and action….lots and lots of action. The characters are well fleshed out. And while there are a plentiful number of characters, I did not feel as if I struggled to keep them squared away in my head as to who’s who and what role they played in the story. As I mentioned, Jake Bible, has a knack for fresh and captivating dialogue which aids in keeping the narrative flow going thus keeping the reader in the story.

Our journey takes us to various locations from America through Europe and into Asia. All locations are given the detail needed to allow the reader to paint a picture in their mind of what the areas look like without being too wordy, which is a problem I have with many authors. Detail is great, but sometimes there can be too much and it can come off as having too much flourish. This is not the case with The Americans.

Essentially, my two cents is this, if you like a story involving good sci-fi technology,  the survival of a race and the conspiracy behind their attempted destruction, then The Americans will have you buzzing with enjoyment. So go pick up a copy today!

The Americans can be purchased for Amazon Kindle by clicking the cover image above or by heading over to Barnes & Noble (HERE) for you nook owners.

Learn more about Jake Bible over at his blog Brain Squeezin’s . By following him on Twitter @jakebible or “liking” his author page Jake Bible’s Wasteland

Espresso rating: Triple

Sonya Garret is a nurse at the local hospital, but she has a side job trafficking in human ‘parts’ – what she makes in blood pays more than any salary. Hearts and livers, bone marrow and brains; they all sell great on the black market.

Drunk men at bars, prowling for any willing woman, are easy pickings when she goes looking for victims to chop up and sell.

One lucky night she picks up a man with a rare blood type, and after her team cashes in on him, they decide to go for the big money and ‘harvest’ his entire family.

Will the F.B.I. – who is hot on the trail of Sonya and her team as they cross the U.S., leaving a trail in blood and death – be able to catch up with them in time to stop the ongoing slaughter? Or will Nurse Blood get her money…again?

As I was reading, Nurse Blood, I went to the author’s, Rebecca Besser,  Facebook page, and told her that she has some of the most fucked up characters I have read in a long time (or something like that)….yeah, she LIKED my comment. Seriously though, the characters Besser has created are really out there. They are messed up in the head and one  really can’t say they like any of them, yet there is that aspect of  loving to hate them. Even though some have a twisted past that may have led them to the life they choose, it is sometimes hard for me to feel pity for them. However having a slew of characters that one loves to hate was definitely a different twist.

One thing that I have come to greatly enjoy with this authors writing is her dialogue. It feels real. Her dialogue flows very smoothly where it feels like a conversation that I would  have with  good friend. Not that I’m going to plan the murder of someone so I can harvest their organs for money, but you know what I mean. Along with witty dialogue, the author excels at simplistic setting which are used to keep the reader easily focused on where things are happening, but without a long drawn out description of their surroundings, which can be very off putting in particular types of stories.

So, put Nurse Blood into your MUST READ pile and enjoy a wickedly, funny, sick and twisted tale of blood, betrayal and just a bit of boobs.

Learn more about Rebecca Besser over at her blog (HERE), like her author page (HERE) or stalk her, I mean, follow her on Twitter: @BeccaBesser

Espresso rating: Quad

Amazon Kindle

Pamela just wants to reunite in the afterlife with her dead fiancé, Grady. Problem is, Grady was a secret agent, and his coded emails have infuriated both his employers and his enemies. They need Pamela alive. So, instead of her planned suicide, she is kidnapped by black ops agents, tortured by mobster warlords, hunted by a psychotic killer, and chased by zombies … all necessary evils in order to ultimately walk into the sunset with her true love.

This novella (approximately 28,000 words) is adapted from a screenplay written by the author. As such, it is best to let the story wash over you … like you would watch a movie. As an added bonus, this version includes a twelve-chapter excerpt from the novel, After the Virus. (Which Doubleshot Reviews really enjoyed giving it a Triple espresso rating HERE)

WARNING: Love Lies Bleeding is a darkly comedic, bloody romance about love conquering all, even death. This is NOT a young adult novel. It contains graphic violence, nasty language, and more than a little bit of flesh-eating. There are no soft kisses, soulful stares, or moonlit rainstorms.

With Love Lies Bleeding initially being written as a screenplay, it started off a bit slow as there is quite a bit of world building and I was a little confused as to where things were headed. However, once the action started it was practically nonstop. I have to admit that no one character really struck me as fantastic. I am by no means saying this story had poorly written characters, Doidge has created several very interest and fun characters. I just didn’t connect with them as much as another reader might. I was more taken in by the environment and action, which includes the actions and interactions of the characters amongst each other.

A few descriptor words I would use to give an idea of the range of feelings Love Lies Bleeding can leave you with would be: odd, funny, tense, confused, cute, disturbing, heartbroken, happy and the best adjective….quirky. It was a highly enjoyable read, definitely worth the time. It’s not your typical zombie story, but there are definitely zombies in it.

Short review, but as Love Lies Bleeding is a novella I don’t like to get too in-depth, plus the synopsis above gives all the information that is needed. So go buy yourself a copy today!

You can learn more about Meghan Ciana Doidge by checking out her blog MadebyMeghan , ”Liking” her Facebook author page (HERE) or by following her tweets at: mcdoidge 

Love Lies Bleeding is available at Amazon by clicking the cover image above.

Espresso rating: Triple