"Contamination 4: Escape" takes over from where the Boxed Set 0-3 left off. Readers find Dan and his daughter trapped in the salvage yard by a new team of agents who have come to investigate the disappearance of the the other agents sent to the town earlier in the week. It is interesting how the author paints his characters into corners, making it appear impossible for them to escape, then finds inconceivable ways for them to escape. This happens several times in this book.

With nowhere else to go, Quinn suggests they head for Oklahoma to find Aunt Meredith. Dan affirms that it is a good idea and they head out. En route, they come upon hordes of zombies and different human groups, most, intent on killing them.

It seems like the virus is just beginning in Oklahoma - readers are introduced to Aunt Meredith and begin following her while the apocalypse unfolds in her small town - a deja vu to readers from Sam and Dan's experiences in earlier installments of the series (different names, places...same thoughts, same types of scenarios).

I am disappointed that there is no mention made of either Sam and his group or the aftereffect of the virus and destroyed control center as readers are left hanging at the end of the preceding installment, instead new characters are introduced into the story line. I am also perplexed to learn that this virus, which readers are led to believe is confined to the southwest states only, has spread to other states as Dan is informed on the radio by an Army Lieutenant in Ford Bragg, Georgia. How did this happen?

T.W. Piperbrook is a clever writer with a gift for story telling. However, since this is the latest book in the series, I am disappointed that he had not taken the advice of the critics of his earlier works to use a 3rd party editor prior to publishing; typos and inconsistencies continue as before. It is assumed that this series will continue and I remain anxious to see how the story progresses. Hopefully, the next installment will be more polished than its predecessors.

"Contamination 4" is still a fun and suspenseful story!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel ( )