This is the story that would have made the TV series Walking Dead a fantastic show. The book and the show are similar in taking place after a virus turns most of the world’s population into zombies (or something similar). The difference is that the book has much more character development, and a plot that you can follow. The TV series seems too much like a soap opera–the writers just wing it.
The book starts with the hero, Captain Lee Hardin, holed up in an underground bunker, as part of a military operation called Hometown. He thinks it’s just part of a drill, but when his handler does’t contact him when he’s supposed to, and even more days go by, Lee start to realize that his worst suspicions may have become reality.
But, he doesn’t have any idea what kind of disaster has happened. So, in spite of his orders, he ventures out before he’s supposed to. Big mistake. Lee soon discovers the enormity of the situation, but his day just keeps getting worse and worse.
The author, D.J. Molles, does a very good job of balancing the horror, the blood, the ferocity of the “infected,” and Lee’s search for other survivors. If you like the TV Series, you’ll love this book. And joy, there are three others. I’ve read them all, and they’re all great.