Sea Sick by Iain Rob Wright

Description from Goodreads:

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RELAXING…

Police Officer Jack Wardsley’s life ended the moment his partner died, stabbed to death by a deranged druggie. Now, years later, Jack is a changed man, with a head full of secrets driving him insane. His recent record of police brutality and a reputation for not following the rules has prompted his seniors to give him an ultimatum: take a few weeks off, relax, and find some way to let go of all the anger – or else find another job.

That’s why Jack is about to board The Spirit of Kirkpatrick, a cruise liner built for relaxation and fun. Pretty soon, however, Jack realises that a little R&R is the last thing he’s ever going to get aboard the cursed ship. There’s a virus onboard, making people insane and bleeding from the eyes. The whole ship is overrun with blood and death, and there is nowhere to escape. 

Just when Jack thinks his number is up and his life is over, he wakes up. The day is exactly the same. In fact, everything is the same. Jack is forced to witness the viral outbreak again and again as it ravages the ship and its passengers over and over, day after day. Jack finds himself trapped in a repeating hell. 

It won’t be long before Jack realises there are others onboard just like him – and that some of them know more than they’re letting on."

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To be totally honest, I was expecting a cheesy zombie novel especially as it was a free download from Amazon but I was pleasantly surprised; it kept me entertained from start to finish.

I don't need to go into detail about the story itself as it's clearly described in the blurb above but what I will say is that I found it different to the usual zombie books that are around in that it's not just about blood, guts and gore which, I'm not going to lie, there is some graphic scenes of death but this is not the main focus of the book.

The main character, Jack, is an interesting one.  He did take time to grow on me because I felt like he was wasting time rather than trying to figure out what the heck was going on but once he did, his police instinct kicked in and that determination to get to the bottom of the dire situation in which he finds himself in came to the fore.

Written at great pace, this is an easy book to read.  There are a few grammatical errors but it didn't distract me from enjoying it and I will certainly be reading more by this author.

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Author website:  Iain Rob Wright

Author twitter:  @IanRobWright

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Other books I've read and reviewed by this author:

Click here for my review

Adrift - intense, thrilling and full of suspense

Adrift

by K.R. Griffiths

For artist Dan Bellamy and his new bride Elaine, a trip on the world's biggest, newest cruise ship represents more than just the honeymoon of a lifetime: it is also a celebration of the progress Dan has made toward beating the agoraphobia that has plagued him since he suffered a horrific knife attack two years earlier.

The ship is a perfect floating paradise, but when Dan spots what he thinks is a body being thrown overboard, he begins to suspect that not everybody aboard the Oceanus is there for a vacation.

Soon, Dan will discover that there are some things worse than murder, and the body he saw is just the beginning. Because something is coming for the passengers on the Oceanus.

Something that isn't supposed to exist...

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I received a copy of this book direct from the author in return for an honest review and I want to thank him for this.

This is the second book I have read by K R Griffiths author, the first one being “Survivor” (http://haziegaze.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/my-review-of-survivor-horror-thriller.html), and the second one by him that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

What a story from start to finish … intense, thrilling, full of suspense, great characters, excellent twist on the “monsters” and an imaginative setting. The main character, Dan, was developed in such a way that I was really rooting for him. He had the perfect mix of vulnerability and bravery going from unsuspecting victim to unsuspecting hero. The supporting cast were equally interesting and enhanced the whole thing.

I can see this story being developed into a series and if it is written half as well as this one, it will be just as good.

If you like a good horror/thriller, then give K R Griffiths a try ... you won't be disappointed.