Review: Post-Apocalyptic Action Sans Zombies
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2013
Trent Hazen is a Marine Corps Veteran who has lost his way.  Following a medical discharge, the Devil Dog drifts along, hustling to make ends meet.  He finally finds himself selling meth in a small Southern town.  Against his better judgment, Trent begins a drug deal with a guy who has all the signs of a narc.  But, pressure from his supplier makes the Marine desperate to sell.  It turns out the addict is a cop.  The undercover officer tries to apprehend Trent, but the Vet is able to flee to safety.Trent goes on the run deep in the local mountain area.  After several weeks in the wilderness, he meets Ben and Michelle, a couple hiking through the woods.  They befriend the wanted man, and offer to share their food in return for a night's stay in his camp site.  The starving Marine agrees.  The next day, the hikers pack up and move on.  At Ben's recommendation, Trent decides to go back to civilization and lay low.  He follows the couple's trail south, and is reunited with the hikers.  But, it is their dead, diseased bodies that he's greeted with.Survival is the name of the game as Trent tries to stay alive, and find answers about the mystery illness that has become a pandemic nightmare.This was a good first novel from an indie writer.  I enjoyed this book because it was fast-paced with plenty of action.  It was hard to stop reading because the Public Health Specialist in me was anxious to find out more about this disease killing everyone.  As a Veteran, I also found it refreshing to have a Veteran as the protagonist.  He was a good guy who'd made bad choices, and I really wanted Trent to find a way to redeem himself.  By the ending, he does.  My only issue was with the dialogue.  Sometimes, it just didn't sound genuine.  But overall, this was a well written novel.