The Return Man
V. M. Zito
Read by Bernard Clark

Hachette Audio
April 1, 2012 / ASIN: B007QIAN56
Horror / Audio Download (Unabridged)/ Run Time: 14 hours, 2 minutes
Amazon

Reviewed by Jo Rogers

"The Return Man" is a horror story deluxe. Set in the near future, this is the story of Dr. Henry Marco, a neurologist who had been working at St. Joseph's Hospital in Arizona. That was before the catastrophe known officially as "The Outbreak." An apocalyptic disease broke out in a California prison. It was fatal one hundred percent of the time with no cure, not even a preventive vaccine. The problem was the disease didn't leave you really dead. Though you had no blood and didn't breathe, the body still felt the pangs of constant hunger. People with flesh rotting away still hunted the living for food.

It was Henry Marco's job to hunt down the "resurrected" relatives and loved ones still in The Resurrected states. Then he "returned" them, returned them to the dead. When he found the specified walking corpse, he either shot them or stabbed them, making them truly dead. It gave the families somewhat more peace and reduced the danger in the evacuated states. Those were all the states west of the Mississippi River. The safe states were all in the east. The economy tanked, and few living people lived in the west. Marco stayed to find his wife, Danielle. She left him on the day of the outbreak. He'd found her car covered in blood and knew she was dead. He wanted to find her and make sure she wasn't a zombie.

This book is filled with action and constant movement. The characters are normal for their time, place, and circumstances. You get insight into the workings of the human mind through the characters' thoughts. In my personal opinion, the big drawback to this book is the profusion of profanity and the graphic gore. But you listen to "The Return Man" and make your own judgment. It's a good story.