Fauna  by David Benton

CreateSpace, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1983765049

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

“Nature fights back” is a familiar theme. Making it special takes some tinkering and imagination, not to mention strong storytelling. David Benton succeeds on all fronts, keeping the teeth gnashing and adrenaline pumping until the final page. He combines the visceral brutality of Edward Lee or Richard Laymon with the globe-trotting skills of James Rollins, resulting in an exciting romp that evokes James Patterson’s The Zoo, albeit with a message.

In the Amazon, a shaman warns photojournalist Michael Keller that a big change is coming in nature. What Michael doesn’t know is that it will be a concerted, global effect, an attack on mankind everywhere. Dr. Andrea “Andy” Keller working in a lab back in Milwaukee, is struggling to find an answer for the sudden aggression in both wild and domestic animals. Officer Devon Coleman just wants to keep his family safe in the city, a tough task as the family dog fights off the change.

Benton strings together scenes that display both the savagery and grace of the animal kingdom, suggesting that maybe the world would be a better place without people. As the story unfolds and blood splatters, he brings the stories’ threads together at a rapid fire pace. The story doesn’t slow down to explain the catastrophe occurring across the globe– but it doesn’t need to. This rollercoaster of a novel hits its message home with a powerful punch.

Recommended for fans of old-fashioned fast-paced horror, especially killer animal books.

Reviewed by Dave Simms