First, what an unfortunate title! This book deserved something better. But, if you can get beyond the witless name, expect to be very entertained. Garton creates villains a la Stephen King and doesn't shirk when it comes to the titular baddie, Hurricane Quentin itself. If there are heroes to be had, Garton is a little more tentative and that keeps the story from being entirely engaging. Still, an interesting cast of characters fight to survive both hurricane and virus in the course of one awful night. And then... well, that's the only serious problem: it simply ends as if Garton had reached some magical word count. Weak finish that felt like a cheat, but no reason not to enjoy interesting roads that lead to the final pages. ( )

Frankenstorm by Ray Garton was originally published as a set of six short serial stories and gathered together for this edition. In Frankenstorm a huge, freak hurricane is bearing down on the West Coast. The media is calling Hurricane Quentin "Frankenstorm," but the hurricane is not the real storm in this recommended disaster novel.

It appears that the homeless population is being picked up off the streets and transported to In a secret lab located in the now closed Springmeier Neuropsychiatric Hospital near Eureka, CA. The Springmeier estate "had leased it to DeCamp Pharmaceuticals, who then rented the facility to Vendon Labs, a wholly owned subsidiary of DeCamp. Vendon was a biochemical company that popped up often in the world of conspiracies because of its history as a government contractor."(location 270) There Vendon Labs is performing deadly experiments on human subjects against their will.

A vigilante conspiracy theory group gathers a small army to break the test subjects free, but then, as the hurricane hits, they learn the truth. The lab has created and infected the homeless "test subjects"with a virus that alters behavior. It is a blood-borne virus that creates and maintains a state of violent rage and paranoia. If you get the blood of a carrier on your skin, you will contract the virus.

Admittedly and unashamedly I was hoping for more of a story about people struggling to survive an epic hurricane on the West Coast. This is really more about the virus and the violent behavior it causes in those infected. As the natural storm hits, the viral storm is unleashed.

This novel is all about the action. There is a large cast of characters and several story lines going on so it pays to pay attention to who's who and where they all are located. Expect language and violence in this one, but... the novel is entitled Frankenstorm for goodness sakes. The title should give you a clue what to expect. This is an airplane book for me; great escapism, lots of action, some interesting scenarios and an engrossing story, but I wouldn't cry if I misplaced it at the airport.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Kensington Publishing via Netgalley for review purposes. ( )

I'm not sure where to start this review of "Frankenstorm". First off, the title will be enough of a grabber to at least get people to read the blurb on the back of the book where they will also see plugs from such notables as Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

There's a LOT of stuff going on in this book. To begin with, there is a (rare) Category 4 hurricane that threatens to wipe the city of Eureka, CA off the map. Outside the city limits, there is a basement full of genetically altered homeless people who have been used as guinea pigs in a government experience to create a new military weapon. Oh yeah, there's a mad scientist who's behind these experiments. There's a paramilitary unit with the goal of freeing the homeless captives. How about a deranged sheriff's deputy who's already killed his wife and child and now decides to start taking the law into his own hands? And, not to be forgotten, a down-on-her-luck woman who agrees to deliver a package to a group of drug dealings only to generate enough cash to help pay for her crippled son's medical bills. And certainly not to be left out, a father who rescues his son from his doped-up ex-wife, but soon finds himself in an even more dangerous situation.

Somehow, author Ray Garton keeps all of the parts of this plot in the air at the same time. The book was originally released as a serial novel, so each major section ends with a cliffhanger of sorts. The story does just fine as a complete book.

It would take too much space to try and explain how all of these different characters come together in this plot, so I will refrain from attempting to do that. Just let it be said, that the book is difficult to put down, even though there are parts that make it wholly unbelievable.

The ending seemed a little rushed and too pat for my liking, but this is a solid thriller that will satisfy Garton's fans and the casual reader alike. ( )

Homeless people have been disappearing off the streets of Eureka, California and some conspiracy buffs are convinced they have been kidnapped, taken to a supposedly abandoned psychiatric facility and are now being used as guinea pigs in a very disturbing military experiment. The conspiracists decide to mount a rescue operation just as the worst storm in recorded history is bearing down on them. At the same time, in another part of town, a deputy sheriff with a decidedly psychopathic bent is having a very bad day. When he runs into Andy, an old ‘friend’ and his son, he decides to take the pair on his own version of patrol – whether they want to go or not. Needless to say, these two events are heading for a collision of epic proportions and things will go horribly wrong for everyone concerned.

Okay, so admittedly, this all sounds like one of those wild and wacky shows from the Syfy channel like Sharknado known mostly for their absolute over-the-top violence, gore, and crazy and their complete and utter disregard for the laws of, well, anything. And there is no question that there are some of these syfy or, if you prefer, scifi elements in Frankenstorm, the latest from author Ray Garton.

However, more than anything, Frankenstorm is horror and, like the first Frankenstein tale that pitted man against science and man against man, it makes the point that science without ethics and people without morals are both terrible to behold. And what makes these tales so horrifying is the very real possibilities they offer; we all know a story like Sharknado’s just make-believe (thank goodness because that would be really messed up) but, let’s face it, even those of us who don’t think fluoride in the water is a secret government conspiracy (to do what we don’t know but it’s got to be really bad because, ya know, government ) do wonder occasionally what new horrors science may unleash upon the world in the name of National Defence.

But put aside the scary possibilities it evokes or, for that matter, the impossibilities, Frankenstorm is one heck of a thrill ride. It’s chock full of really bad bad guys and some very eccentric but likable good guys who, despite their love of conspiracies, are just your everyday Joes willing to do what they think is right no matter the risk. It is also one heck of a pageturner with pretty much non-stop action. Throw in a scumbag scientist with a sex and drugs addiction, some rampaging zombies, and a virus that, if set loose from the lab, can destroy us all and you’ve got one fun read. ( )

A perfect summer, lay by the pool, book. A catastrophic storm, a secret biological government facility, a breach of said facility by a local militia, and pandemonium ensues. ( )