Deadfall
Written by: Shaun Jeffrey
Published by: Leucrota Press
Page Count: 260
ISBN-13: 978-0-9824713-4-0
ISBN-10: 0-9824713-4-3
Where to buy:
Amazon, Leucrota Press and other fine horror retailersPublishers Comments:
“Kill them or convert them – either way we win.”
A team of mercenaries race to an abandoned mining village to rescue two children held hostage by rogue ex-soldiers. But the kidnappers are a ruse, the real threat more terrifying than any of them could imagine.
Aided by a couple of unsuspecting eco-warriors, mercenary team leader Amber Redgrave must fight to survive against foes that don’t sleep and don’t feel pain.
Now as the body count rises, so do the stakes, and when the dead won’t stay dead, there’s going to be hell to pay.
About the Author:
Shaun Jeffrey was brought up in a house in a cemetery, so it was only natural for his prose to stray towards the dark side when he started writing. Among his 30-plus writing credits are short stories published in Surreal Magazine, Dark Discoveries, Shadowed Realms, and Death Grip: Legacy of Terror. He has also published three novels Evilution, The Kult, and Deadfall - as well as one collection of short stories Voyeurs of Death . His latest short story will be published in Cemetery Dance.
Hello Ghouls and Boils,
I have some terrorific news to announce – we have a new member to the She Never Slept Staff, Alanna Quinn. Alanna has been watching and reading SciFi, Strange Tales and Horror since childhood. Please stop by the staff page to find out more about her, and don’t forget to welcome her aboard. Her first review is on Shaun Jeffrey’s Deadfall. Zombies are one of her main areas of expertise! So, I won’t make you wait any longer. I am thrilled to present our newest Minion, Alanna, with her thoughts on Deadfall! Enjoy, my fiends!
Abstrusely,
Sarah L. Covert
The horror genre author has many tools in their macabre toolbox, and sometimes when an author creates a contemporary work, there can be a residual feeling of familiarity when using certain characters – or they leave behind a certain resonance. This is what I encountered while reading this title for review. Deadfall is a story that read very smoothly for me. It was similar to watching a PBS episode of Mystery, with fast paced action and dialogue that at times great or good, but when not so hot or even groan-worthy is not enough to stop everything and look for something else.
I liked the elements of undead, the military and detailed carnage in Deadfall, and I also appreciate this being a title that I did not have to go back and reread when I had to shut down for the night (this copy is in eBook format and on a computer that’s not a laptop). My only issue was that, although a fast read, the material struck me as too familiar. That did not stop me from enjoying this, but my expectations and notions changed midway from how I was originally felt about this review.
Deadfall begins with Amber Redgrave, “security consultant to the highest bidder”, to paraphrase from the introduction. While on assignment, events occur that lead to a deadly outcome for her client and a case of nerves for Amber. A visit to former lover (and the client’s usual bodyguard) John Richmond’s office has her in range of a ringing phone that she eagerly answers. There is an assignment that she ends up taking rather than the intended recipient. Before long she is in charge of a small unit of men specifically picked out by a presumably wealthy and influential client. This cast of characters have been hired to carry out a rescue mission that involves retrieving the son and daughter of the client, by any means necessary. In a later chapter, Jill Peters and Samuel Green (nicknamed “Lofty” due to his 6′ 4″ frame) are introduced; a young couple of opposing social classes who combine activism and journalism with a bit of photography. An article about an “animal test facility” nearby inspires them to grab their gear and go investigate.
From this point on, the narration continues in a descriptive vein that made me think of Hellsing and Dawn of the Dead, two of my particular favorites and the best ways for me to convey the feeling my imagination was getting from reading without giving any spoilers. I will say this – the weaponry Mr. Jeffrey has his characters using is an impressive list and this enriches the detailing of the action that ensues.
Towards the end, I found the action predictable but not unpleasantly so but had to shake my head about the ending because it was a very, very familiar moment that some readers will pick up on when they see it.
Final Thoughts:
This is the kind of book to pick up when the reader wants to be entertained – to be reading film styleaction when not able to get to a theater. For people with many mundane moments that get in the way of their day (waiting for a ride, doctor appointments, Department of Motor Vehicle waiting rooms), stories like Deadfall make these moments less annoying and can actually improve temperaments. And to be honest, there is nothing like a gut munching to make a Monday bright; thank you, Mr. Jeffrey! I give this a 3.5 of 5.Alanna Quinn, Minion(Reviewer)
