The Hungry - Steven W. Booth and Harry Shannon

I don't read a lot of horror novels, as I've mentioned before, but when I do, I go more for action-oriented horror rather than slow-paced psychological horror. And action is what you get in THE HUNGRY by Steven W. Booth and Harry Shannon. Set in the wide-open spaces of Nevada, this novel tells the story of an outbreak of rampaging zombies, their condition caused by experiments at a top-secret government lab. (That's not a spoiler, by the way.) Trying to survive and maybe even stop the zombies is a small group of human survivors led by the local sheriff, Penny Miller.

Miller is at the center of this novel, and she's a great character: tough, determined, possessed of a wicked sense of humor, a real valkyrie in a bloodstained wedding dress. For a novel with a ton of gory action, THE HUNGRY is actually pretty funny in places, due to the skill with which Booth and Shannon develop the characters. Everybody is believable, and the reader can't help but root for Penny and her allies.

Booth and Shannon keep things moving along at a really fast pace, making this a perfect book to read in a sitting or two. It seems likely there'll be a sequel, and I certainly hope so because I'm ready to read it.  Recommended.