Mercy / Joshua Grover-David Patterson

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: YES Paper: NO
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Author:

A freelance writer and screenwriter, Patterson’s films have won awards in film festivals all over the world. He has four other works of varying lengths available from the major e-book stores. Patterson lives with his family in Wisconsin. For more, visit the author’s blog.

Description:

Flying home to the U.S., Georgina Fulci’s plane crashes near a remote island in the Atlantic. She and her fellow survivors soon discover that zombies have overrun the island. Can Georgina find her way off the island and return home to her husband and Mercy, her daughter?

Appraisal:

I think it is fair to describe Mercy as a genre hybrid. The opening plane crash in the middle of the ocean could signal the beginning of a straight thriller. The addition of zombies doesn’t take away from any of the qualities that make it a thriller, but do cross the line into horror (or whatever genre you think applies if a zombie has you targeted as their next meal).

My personal tastes generally include thrillers and shy away from zombies. Once I accepted zombies as real (an obvious requirement of the reader for any zombie book), then the zombies magnified the positives of the thriller storyline. Written as entries in Georgina’s journal, Mercy has a unique voice, which makes the reader identify with her plight, and pulls us deeper into her world. Mercy should be a satisfying read for both thriller fans and those who like zombie books. If you like both, it’s a no-brainer.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four stars