by Christopher Golden

St Martin’s Press, out now

After a horrific event at a 4th July parade, there’s a survivor that no one wants to approach…

“The Fendahl is death. How do you kill death?” Tom Baker’s Doctor asks in one of the more horror-laden stories of his tenure, and it’s one of the themes that Chris Golden tackles in his latest novel.

The stories featuring Ben Walker have been some of Golden’s best fiction in recent years, and he maintains the level of excitement and character work in this latest novel. It starts from what feels like a slightly familiar opening (someone ploughing their car into bystanders, exiting and passing on a deadly plague has echoes of Mr Mercedes and The Stand) but Golden takes this in a very different direction. For a lot of the time, we’re inside the head of Maeve, who’s been infected with something that seems far beyond just a virus, something that can talk to her…

Golden juggles the various strands well helped by strong characterisation of Walker, and various members of Maeve’s family and friends who want to try to help, even if, for reasons of their own, they may not be in a state to do so. There are some very tense moments during the pursuit, counterpointed with what’s happening in the lab at the heart of the problem as politics and human nature get in the way, and Walker has to try to achieve the impossible in a situation where there are no good options.

Verdict: With multiple twists and turns, a sometimes gruesome turn of phrase and characters that you want to spend more time with – even those without any redeeming features – it’s another strong book from Golden to dive into. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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