Cutthroat Express
Bryan Cassiday
Independently Published (2022)
ISBN: 978-1737628286
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (12/2022)
CIA black ops agent Chad Halverson is back in action with “Cutthroat Express” the 7th book of the Zombie Apocalypse: Chad Halverson Series by Bryan Cassiday.
This suspenseful apocalyptic adventure begins at the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center bunker. A new president is in command. The oxygen supply inside the bunker continues to be depleted because the zombies are blocking the air ducts with their putrefying bodies and time is running out for those inside. The air outside is radiative because of the recent detonation of a nuclear bomb by the former president. Interest in piqued when an outsider shows up on a motorcycle, with news of a vaccine. He requests that a team of volunteers go back with him to get the vaccine. The president assigns Halverson to this mission. Unfortunately, the list of people willing to volunteer is minimal, so prison inmates are offered an opportunity to participate in exchange for a pardon after they return. Understanding that the likelihood of them returning is unlikely, only four death row inmates agree to take on this mission. Included in this group is a serial killer and a cannibal. Very slim pickings. Halverson and his ragtag team are in for many surprises after they set off on their adventure.
Having read several books in the Zombie Apocalypse: Chad Halverson Series, I found “Cutthroat Express,” to be my favorite. Cassiday’s imagination continues to take off in ways that provide interesting surprises, while he holds readers, sitting on the edge of their seats, in suspense.
I was happy to see that the protagonist and some supporting characters return in this book and the new supporting cast also add a great deal to the excitement. I had so much fun using my imagination to visualize some of them, especially the ones who went through some interesting changes. While it is a fictional story, individuals are acting out in ways that I am afraid would be true to reality if we were faced with apocalyptic events. Coming out of a pandemic really makes me think about this! I found it fascinating to see how extreme stress broke some strong individuals. There were also power hungry people looking to take over control by using any means at their disposal. Unfortunately, some of these aspects were disturbing because they seemed like they could be true to life.
The settings are well described in vivid detail and the nonstop action made me unable to put this book down! As with typical apocalyptic zombie novels, readers will see that there is plenty of violence and gore. This all adds to the fun! I look forward to the next book in this series!
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