I found 'Zombie Road: A Convoy of Carnage' to be an engaging read with plenty of likeable characters. Book 1 is actually three stories in one. The main act follows a group of truckers, et al, at a truck stop in Reno, NV. There, the occupants learn about the viral breakout and see it develop first hand. They are quick to set up their defenses and protect one another. The owner and his wife keep everyone in line and ensure they work for their food and lodging. Gunny, the trucker protagonist, is anxious to get back on the road so he can join up with his wife and son.

The sub plots follow Gunny's wife, Lacy, in a high-rise in Atlanta and her fellow workers as they try to survive, and his son, Jessie, as he does the same with those other students locked in detention with him.

Ham operators join up and provide status updates of their particular city / country, and then finally hook-up with a US general in an underground bunker at Norad. The world is in a bad way because all the nuclear reactors will soon have a meltdown and contaminate the planet with radiation. However, those who are eventually blamed for releasing this virus are also expected to band together and stop all the meltdowns, so this is something the truckers and others shouldn't have to worry about. When I got to that part of the story, I watched as the plot headed way out into left field for plausibility. Foul Ball? Won't know for sure until I read the next installment.

The truckers do a fantastic job modifying their trucks - a la Mad Max - and begin slicing and dicing the zombies en route to their destinations which is a unique way of killing the infected. Oh, I also forgot to mention that these zombies are superfied and can run almost 20 mph, never fatigue, are stronger than ever, and never give up.

The groups first seemingly routine rescue mission of a fellow truckers' family is far from routine and almost gets everybody killed. I enjoyed Zombie Road and can recommend it to others within the genre who want a change from the norm.

John Podlaski, author
'Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel' and 'When Can I Stop Running?' ( )