The Return Man by VM Zito

Henry Marco makes his living tracking down the dead and returning them for their loved ones. For... not to. It's 2018, four years after the outbreak of The Resurrection, a zombie plague that left everything west of the Mississippi a virtual wasteland. US citizens were evacuated to the Safe States and have remained there ever since. Jobs are scarce, resources are drying up, and laws are meant to keep everyone in their place. And while the evacuation was going on, Henry Marco hid out in his house waiting. Waiting for his wife to come back one way or another. If you're missing someone in the Evacuated States, chances are they're dead. But the dead do not rest since The Resurrection. Now the government wants Marco to find and return someone. Someone Marco once had dealings with. Someone who may have made an important discovery about The Resurrection. 

This is the basic makeup of V.M. Zito's debut, The Return Man (out now from Orbit), a dark, action-packed, post apocalyptic(outbreak) zombie thriller. 

Course there's more going on. The government doesn't entirely trust Marco to get the job done and they haven't provided all of the information he'll need. But the man who shows up to help Marco isn't quite what he seems. 

And that's my one down side to the book. See, I really liked Marco. He's an ex-neurologist, so his insight into The Resurrection and his knowledge of the zombies, plus what he's made of himself, are super cool elements that drive the story. When Wu's narration cut in, it always felt like an abrupt break from the story I really wanted to continue with. And because I didn't like Wu, I never did get used to - or settle into - his parts of the story, just anxiously waited to get back to Marco. 

As an aside, switching narrators isn't usually a problem for me. I really just didn't care for Wu.

Anywho, The Return Man is perfect for zombie horror fans. It does offer up a little bit different perspective and a bit of a different spin. The Return Man is especially perfect for folks anxiously awaiting Mira Grant's latest (out from Orbit in June). 

And check out this cool trailer for The Return Man from Orbit: