Story
Dead Lines: EMP Prepper Thriller (911) by Grace Hamilton and Jack Colrain is the first in a new series from this collaborative effort of the authors. The narrator is provided by Andrew Tell. The story straddles the line between thriller and EMP post-apocalyptic fiction. Fan’s of the EMP genre may be disappointed or bored by the mystery thriller aspect of the world building that goes into this first novel as this strays from the standard EMP formula that harm become well recognized.
The main character is a 911 operator that is on the line with a young woman who is kidnapped and in serious trouble when the event happens. Jim Parker is a former LEO and a broken man with a tragic past. He is also a prepper, his goals should be his own safety but he wants redemption and to save the girl. Jim meets the victim’s roommate and they continue to hunt for her as the city crumbles.
Attention Holding
The story holds the listener’s attention but this collaborative effort is going to be noticeable for fans of Ms. Hamilton’s previous series. There is more mention of identity politics and progressive ideology in the story and as part of the storyline. For some fans for the EMP genre, this may be off-putting and not what they want to hear in an EMP based fiction. There is plenty of action, mystery, and standard post-apocalyptic material.
Narration and Production Value
The narration for this audiobook is provided by Andrew Tell. Mr. Tell narrated Ms. Hamilton’s previous series and does an equally amazing job on this audiobook. He does a fantastic job of express the emotions of Jim as he is stressed and needing to medicate for his PTSD but does not so he can carry on clear-headed. The tone of his voice, the delivery of the lines, makes a stunningly realistic portrayal of a man in deep psychological pain. The audiobook is produced by Relay Publishing the book has a clean, crisp sound, no flaws, or defects throughout the entire audiobook.