Incredible novel from the creator of IZombie
Firewalk
by Chris Roberson
Night Shade Books
Mystery & Thrillers, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Pub Date: 4 October 2016
Review
Absolutely the best piece of zombie-fiction I’ve encountered. Don’t be put off if you aren’t into zombies, Firewalk is a first class science fiction crime novel that stands far apart from the plethora of zombie novels cluttering shelves. It is a nice blending of investigative fiction and paranormal suspense successful both as a stand alone novel and as the first of a series.
Five years ago Special Agent Izzie Lefevre nearly lost her light pursuing a serial killer, the Recondito Reaper. The pursuit ended in his death, but Detective Patrick Tevake, who worked with Izzie on the case has called her back as evidence from his recent drug case seems connected. A new drug has hit the streets in Recondito. Ink not only makes the users forget, longterm use leads to lesions, strange black marks and death. The more they investigate, the more they begin to understand why Nicholas Fuller acted as he did, and the immense threat posed by Ink - for it is far more than a drug.
Zombies are the “in” thing. Unfortunately that means that all that glitters is not gold. Chris Roberson has a winner - a zombie novel that is ‘fresh’ enough to appeal to jaded readers and fans alike. It is no surprise that he is one of the creators of the popular TV show iZombie. Personally I haven’t seen the show, but I can say I was impressed by Firewalk. The characters not only have depth, they have intriguing cultural backgrounds. Their actions and responses are believable, even as the situation expands far beyond their expectations. The explanation of the how and why of the “zombies” is one that works well within the context of the novel’s world. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
5/5
I received a copy of Firewalk from Night Shade Books in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
Description
A modern-day supernatural crime thriller set in a fictional west coast city, from the New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of the comic book-turned hit TV show iZombie.
Izzie Lefevre was the newest investigator for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit when she first came to Recondito, a coastal city that’s been shrouded in mystery and legend for centuries. Local law enforcement had requested the Bureau’s assistance in hunting a sword-wielding serial killer who’d left a dozen mutilated bodies in his wake. Patrick Tevake was a local homicide detective assigned to the taskforce, and together he and Izzie managed to track down and stop the killer before he claimed another victim.
Five years later, Izzie and Patrick remain haunted by what the killer said before he fell in a hail of gunfire. Izzie’s ancestors were “mambos,” voodoo priestesses who claimed to communicate with the dead and protect the faithful from evil spirits. Patrick’s Polynesian great uncle told stories of Recondito’s supernatural menaces that lurk in flame and shadow. The killer’s last words have brought up a past both Izzie and Patrick thought they’d long since left behind, and neither has been able to shake the feeling that their case was never completely solved.
So when Patrick, now working with the vice squad to investigate a dangerous new street drug, discovers a connection between the street drug and the serial killer’s victims, he realizes that their instincts were right: the threat is far from over. Reunited again, he and Izzie will discover that Recondito is a city of dark secrets, and their own pasts may be the key to unlocking them.
