Free Kindle Books 3-15-13

From the top 100 free list.

What Zombies Fear


When Victor Tookes went to work that beautiful spring day, he never expected to see a man eaten alive in the street in front of his office. After convincing himself that they really were zombies, he makes a trip from his house in Pennsylvania to his family home in Virginia, battling zombies all the way. His three and a half year old son was bitten on the leg, but doesn't turn into a zombie. Instead, he turns into something more than human.

Victor quickly discovers that everything he knew about zombies was wrong. Not all of them were mindless, uncoordinated, rotting ghouls; some of them were bigger, faster, stronger or smarter than when they were human.

A small percentage of humans are genetically immune to the parasite. Instead of turning these humans into mindless shamblers, they gain enhanced abilities. These new abilities will be pushed to their limits in their quest to carve out a safe haven to call home.

[More than 90 4 and 5 star reviews. There are also 11 1 star reviews. There is also a note that the book has been professionally edited and revised so perhaps some of the 1 star review comments were addressed. hey, it is free. You get what you get.]

A Pledge of Silence


In January of 1941, Margie Bauer is called to active duty in the Army Nurse Corps of the United States Army Reserves, and her mother sadly laments, “You’re a capable girl, but the world’s a dangerous place.” Despite her mother’s concerns, Margie is delighted when she learns her assignment is to Sternberg Hospital in Manila, Philippines—the Pearl of the Orient. She falls in love with the beauty of the island, and the carefree lifestyle of bridge games, tennis dates, pool parties, and dancing under twinkle-light stars with handsome, young doctors. Though rumors of war circulate, she feels safe—the island is fortified, the airbases are ample, and the Filipino troops are training intensely. General MacArthur is upbeat when he announces that everything is splendid.

December 8, 1941, Japanese bombers roar into the Philippines, turning everything in their path to smoldering piles of rubble. Racing to stay ahead of the enemy, the U.S. Army evacuates to the jungles of Bataan where Margie tends to the wounded, sick, and dying soldiers in open-air field hospitals. With the Nips at her heels, she is relocated to an underground tunnel-hospital on the fortified island of Corregidor. Ultimately captured by the Japanese, she is interned in Santo Tomas, a prisoner-of-war camp.

For three years, Margie doubts her survival in the harsh environment where she faces escalating danger, starvation, and loss. Then, an airplane appears in the sky. An American airplane! “We’re here! We’re here!” she calls and waves. But, cruelly, she finds the liberation forces bring with them a danger more brutal than those of her evil oppressors.

A PLEDGE OF SILENCE is a historical novel based on the experiences of the nurses who valiantly served in the Philippines during World War II and became the first U.S. military women to be taken prisoners-of-war by a foreign enemy.

[Thirteen reviews - all 4 and 5 star.]

L.A. Rain: Three Novels


Three bestselling mystery novels by J.R. Rain—all set in the City of Angels, including:

ELVIS HAS NOT LEFT THE BUILDING
It's tough being the King. Which is why in 1977 Elvis faked his own death and endured massive facial reconstruction surgery, and disappeared from the limelight to live a normal life as the unassuming Aaron King. Unfortunately, leaving fame behind also meant leaving his fortune behind, too, and now Elvis finds himself broke and living in near poverty in a small apartment in Los Angeles. Luckily for him, it turns out he's a pretty good private investigator. Now in his seventies and contemplating a return to music (discreetly, of course), Elvis is hired to solve a baffling missing person case. A young starlet, at the beginning of a promising movie career, has seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. As Elvis digs deeper, he finds himself surrounded by the seedier elements of Los Angeles, from nefarious Hollywood producers who prey upon the young, to twin brothers with a very dark secret. And as Elvis pieces the bizarre puzzle together, he slowly makes his singing comeback—and will be reunited on stage with someone even the King himself never dreamed possible.

THE BODY DEPARTED
Two years ago, a man broke into James Blakely's apartment and shot him in his sleep. Twelve times, killing him instantly. Dead and confused, James discovers he has a choice: he can move on into the afterlife, or he can stay behind. Unfortunately, since James has done some very bad things, moving on into the afterlife can only mean one thing: the fires of Hell. Or so he thinks. Forgoing eternal damnation, James instead chooses to haunt his old apartment building. Now James's days are mostly spent visiting his daughter and ex-wife, welcoming new neighbors, and talking to those who can see the dead. It's a simple, peaceful life, but with each passing day, James discovers something more and more alarming: memories of his former life—and even his own identity—begin slipping away. Faced with the prospect that he is rapidly deteriorating into a state of nothingness, James sets out to save his eternal soul. With the help of his daughter and a world-class medium, his journey to peace and forgiveness will not be an easy one, especially for a ghost who still wishes to be a father—and who fears he is destined for a fiery Hell as punishment for sins he cannot remember. Now, as James begins to uncover the devastating secret that connects his soul to earth, he will discover that even in death life has a few surprises.

THE VAMPIRE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Three years ago, high school student Veronica Fortune witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. Now armed and dangerous, she sets out to hunt down the very thing that destroyed her life. That is, until she disappears. Spinoza is a private investigator who specializes in finding the missing. He's good at what he does. Damn good. But he's also a recovering alcoholic and a royal mess. Hired to find Veronica, Spinoza won't let his personal demons—or demons of any kind—get in the way of finding the truth about the missing girl. Now following a bizarre set of clues that leads him into stranger and stranger territory, Spinoza is about to come face-to-face with something legendary...and something thirsty for blood.

[57 reviews - all but 2 are 4 and 5 star.]

AMPED (The WIRED Sequel)


The highly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times & USA Today bestseller, WIRED.

Note: WIRED was the #1 bestselling Kindle book of 2011 in two major categories: science
fiction and technothrillers (and 19th overall).

Kira Miller is a brilliant scientist who discovers how to temporarily boost human IQ to dizzying levels. But this transcendent intelligence brings with it a ruthless megalomania. Determined to use her discovery to propel human civilization to a higher plane, despite this side effect, Kira and ex-special forces operative David Desh recruit a small group of accomplished scientists, all of whom are safely off the grid. Or so they think . . .

Soon Kira and her team are fighting for their lives against unknown but powerful adversaries. Worse still, while on the run and being relentlessly attacked from all quarters, Kira comes across evidence of savage acts that the enhanced version of Desh kept hidden, even from himself. Now both she and Desh must question everything they think they know. Can they trust each other? Can they even trust themselves?

And all the while, the greatest threat of all may be coming from an entirely unexpected direction. A threat that could lead to devastation on a global scale. And time is quickly running out . . .

Like its predecessor, AMPED is a smart thriller crammed with breakneck action, unexpected twists, mind-blowing science, and philosophical and ethical concepts readers will be contemplating long after they've read the last page.

[5 star: (94) 4 star: (43) 3 star: (25) 2 star: (8) 1 star: (4). Somewhat mixed reviews. I liked Wired - I think I gave it a 4 star review.]