The Hungry 4: Rise of the Triad - by Steven W. Booth and Harry Shannon - A strong entry in the Penny Miller saga

5 Stars    Review Copy

You would think after three other entries in this series it might start to get a bit tedious.  Not so at all.  The writers continue to breath life into the Penny Miller saga, this time taking the action to the California coastline where the threat of zombies is little more than the occasional rumor.

At the outset, it's just Penny Miller, the former Sheriff of Flat Rock, Nevada and her boyfriend, Scratch trying to keep a low profile.  If you've read any of the previous books in the series, you already know that can't last long.

I was excited to get my hands on The Hungry 4: Rise of the Triad.  It was akin to being on a crash diet for six months and stumbling onto a bag of Halloween candy left unattended.  It might not be good for you, but it sure tastes sweet.

I love how the story gets right to the action, "The woman moved like a heat-seeking missile.  She closed the gap, lifted her bloody hands, reached out, and grabbed Carlos by the sides of his head.  She leaned closer in, as if to kiss him on the lips.  Alex felt queasy.  It was on."  It certainly was.

There were several plot twists that allowed us to get away from the incessant onslaught of zombies, oh there are still plenty of zombies, just that it's not ALL zombies, ALL the time, which I found refreshing.   Plus, there are characters and places that I thought were gone forever, but are back in book 4 and the explanations are quite acceptable.

One thing I found missing in book three was the snarky dialog from Penny Miller.  Well, it's back.  Stuff like, "We have to be careful as a virgin with a vibrator."  And, "They were both as dead as Lindsay Lohan's acting acting career."  As well as many not suitable for this review.  Did I mention The Hungry 4: Rise of the Triad is recommended for a mature audience?

The official release date is Friday, September 20th, but I see it available now as a paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com.  It's not 100% required that you read the first three books in the series to enjoy The Hungry 4: Rise of the Triad, but you're missing out of some great zombie fun, if you don't.

I absolutely give my highest recommendation to this one.  Will there be a book 5?  I think the authors already have the story idea, it all depends on if the interest in the series continues to grow and I don't see why not. Enjoy!