Someone knows about the hat. The creature from another dimension that helps Lizzie fight against the creatures of darkness.They are summoned to a cryptic meeting with a secret society, where they meet other people with enhanced skills. It turns out someone, or something, has been tampering with the world’s vaccine supply. The goal doesn’t appear to be political or financial, but biblical … biblical pestilence.
Can this group of loners come together in time to make a difference when even the proper authorities are obstacles?
Check out Viral Blues, for your dose of paranormal adventure, with a strong sample of dark humor. And in recent superhero style, don’t miss the secret last chapter after the back material.
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When an underground organization tampers with the world’s vaccine supply, endangering thousands of lives, Lizzie and The Hat are brought in to help a group with supernatural abilities to find, and stop, whoever is behind the scheme.
Using their band as a way to infiltrate local hangouts in a search for the culprits, Lizzie is joined by a robotic covergirl, a guy who can turn himself into fog, a take-no-prisoners thug who likes to break knees and ask questions later, along with a few more interesting characters.
They are faced with zombies, mobsters, and diabolical scientists intent on annihilating the world.
The pacing is fast in this highly inventive story of the battle between good and evil. The author added a number of twists and turns that kept this reader guessing what would happen next!
If you like supernatural suspense thrillers, Viral Blues is a must-have addition to your #readinglist!
I give Viral Blues 5 lovely kisses- Imaginative storyline!
Fast, Fun, and Fabulous
I’ve read many of Boyack’s titles, and one of the reasons I’m devouring his backlist is because of his characters. When I saw he published something new that took characters from many of his works and combined them into one unified story, I had to snatch it up.
It was everything I expected and more.
Viral Blues reminds me of A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen—a large cast of heroes with various powers/talents/strengths who band together to stop a nefarious organization from issuing in an apocalypse. Boyack’s villains plan to infect the world with a deadly virus by distributing the illness through tainted batches of the vaccination that should save the population. Thank God he’s created many story worlds with heroes who can rise to the challenge. The motley cast of characters is assembled, and what ensues is brilliant—stealthy surveillance, epic zombie battles, and action-packed shoot-outs, all under the umbrella of snarky banter Lizzie and the hat are famous for. (Clovis and Lisa more than hold their own, and the rest of the group rises to the challenge, as well.)
The plot advances at a blistering pace climaxing in a final battle I couldn’t read fast enough. Kudos to the author for a masterful work. And bonus points for the teaser at the end. I’m really looking forward to more in this series.
Having read and enjoyed The Hat, I was looking forward to meeting the crime fighting duo of Lizzie and the Hat again in Viral Blues. And I was not disappointed,and in fact in this book, you get a great many superheroes for your money, with characters drawn from other books by C.S. Boyack.
Lisa Burton is well known as the interviewer of authors on Boyack’s website and her voluptuous figure is present on social media. Sartorially elegant this AI enhanced member of the team can gain access to any system, backing up Clovis and his dog, the smokey Jason, blunderbuss carrying Gina, supernatural Justine and Lizzie and her hat.
There are zombies and other worldly combatants which makes for some action packed encounters as the crime fighters attempt to find the blonde devilish lynch – pin fulfilling the 16th century prophesies of birds falling from the sky and pestilence. In a race against time to save people from the infected vaccines they stay one step ahead of the authorities who have little idea of the paranormal force they are up against.
Brilliant characters and superpowers, a stroke of genius to add the dog into the mix to enhance the dry humour running through the plot. A very satisfactory conclusion to the story, but clearly the door left open for more adventures to come.
At the end of the book, the author provides a background to the characters and their previous appearances and an epilogue that ties up a couple of loose ends.
If you love supernatural action adventures I am sure you will enjoy this book.
When nefarious forces tamper with the population’s vaccine supply, substituting lethal viruses in place of inoculations, a group of players with unique gifts unites to bring down the supernatural forces responsible. Think a mash-up of superheroes, zombies, and music, and you’ve got a hint of the fast-paced and highly imaginative story that comprises Viral Blues.
Our group of power players includes an ex-thug who hasn’t lost his knack making people talk, a sexy, brilliant robot girl, a street savvy detective with a habit of evaporating into fog, a girl as handy with pistols as she is fronting a band, and an extra-terrestrial being in the guise of a hat. Yes, a hat.
Boyack gives each of these colorful characters (and more) a chance to shine in his high-octane tale. Our heroes battle hordes of zombies, organized crime bosses, and supernatural bad guys. The action sequences are peppered with near escapes and shoot-outs, and the dialogue flies as fast as the bullets (I love the hat’s snarkiness). Most all of these characters have appeared in other books and novellas Boyack has written, but tossing them together in a melting pot was a stroke of brilliance. I loved watching them interact, particularly Lisa, the robot girl (a favorite of mine) and Clovis, the thug. The hat pretty much steals every scene he’s in (did I mention I love his dialogue?).
The climatic confrontation is explosive and should be filmed. If you like imaginative stories, memorable characters, and superhero theatrics, you’ll love Viral Blues. As an extra treat the author adds a secret chapter at the end, much like the final in a movie after the credits roll. Highly enjoyable!
Avengers Assemble!
Okay – maybe they’re not the real Avengers, but these characters are still a talented team fighting for the same cause, each bringing a different skill set to the table. Although I wasn’t as familiar with a couple of characters, I’d had such fun reading about Lizzie and the Hat in the first book, knew Lisa (one of my favs) from the author’s blog, and adored Clovis (love his style) and his dog from The Playground. With such a stellar collection of characters, I had high expectations for this novel – and Boyack didn’t disappoint. The addition of zombies (I’m a big fan) to the story just made it even better.
With a touch of the paranormal, witty and amusing dialogue, thrilling action scenes, and a cast of lively characters, Viral Blues is a rousing adventure I highly recommend. Once you’ve finished, you’ll be anxious to check out each character in their previous books.
Someone is tampering with the world’s vaccine supply, replacing life-saving therapies with virulent viruses that threaten to overtake the earth’s population. Sound familiar? Now, who’s going to fix this mess?
Remember the superhero comics you read as a kid? Personally, I loved the Fantastic Four! How can you forget the iconic figure of “The Thing?” So, now that you have that visual in your mind, imagine a group of unlikely players, an extra-terrestrial disguised as a hat who is an ancient monster hunter, a sexy robot-girl, a guy who can turn into fog, and a normal American girl named Lizzie who sings in a band. They all unite to combine their magical gifts to fight a bunch of zombies! Throw in some great music and you have everything you need to save the world.
Boyack’s characters are always fun. He lets them be who they are, playing up their paranormal abilities along with their inner strengths. This time, the heroes rise to the occasion as they battle supernatural villains, swarms of zombies, and even some mob bosses. Be ready for surprise shoot-outs and a few near misses as the non-stop action ramps up to a fever pitch.
Just like in the first book, “The Hat,” the dialog between Lisa and the Hat is full of cynical humor that will leave you quaking with laughter. Their banter is always magical. They behave like two old friends who know each other so well; they know what they can get away with. As usual, the Hat steals the show.
“Viral Blues” is a fun read and perfect for the Halloween season. It’s filled with amazing characters and I found the story highly entertaining. Not my usual read, but the holiday calls for stepping out of your comfort zone, if you catch my drift!
Lizzie and The Hat are Back…
And this time they bring a cast of characters with them. Fans of C. S. Boyack’s work will recognize several characters— including Jason Fogg, Gina Greybill, Mohan Gupta, and my favorite, Lisa Burton.
Someone has tampered with the world’s vaccine supply and this mixed group band together to stop whoever is responsible.
The action is fast-paced and the storyline highly imaginative and entertaining. Throw in a little music and you have the elements to keep you turning the pages.
I’m glad I read “The Hat” before taking on this sequel. Some familiarity with Boyack’s creative characters and wild shenanigans helped ease me into another fast-paced literary ride that might have left me wondering what just happened.
A diverse group of “superheroes” fights zombies while trying to stop a deadly nano-virus from killing off the human race. The characters are all distinct and include a talking hat who loves internet shopping, a female robot/expert hacker, a man who can vaporize into fog, and a brutal enforcer with a goofy dog, to name a few.
There are plenty of chases and gun battles, as well as periods of plotting, shopping, and outmaneuvering zombies. The story doesn’t get too deep so don’t expect raw emotion and profound contemplation. This story is all about action, blood, and banter. A quick read and lots of fun.
All of the Imaginative Fun From The Hat and Then Some!
I am fast becoming a huge C. S. Boyack fan, and happy to let the world know! I loved The Hat, so had to read the next in the series, and believe me, Viral Blues did not disappoint. Funny lines, funny events, funny characters, all the while having an undercurrent of really creepy zombies and other ne’er-do-wells, bent on doing well … NE’ER! It’s a fast read that packs in a ton of action and snark, and I highly recommend you check it out. You won’t be sorry!
I give this one 5 spooky-funny stars!
I read and loved “The Hat,” so I was sure I’d be entertained in “Viral Blues.” This is an action-filled story of an unlikely group being thrown together to stop a plot to spread illness and death. It had a superhero feel with an apocalyptic-supernatural scenario and a lot of humor. The talking hat provided for much of that humor. I enjoyed the hat’s relationship with Lizzie and their band, but there were characters I enjoyed getting to know from previous books that I haven’t read. This includes a man who turns into a mist, a tough guy, and a robot, all adding their flavor to this wonderful mix of personalities. Each one had a different approach, but they found a way to work together. It wasn’t necessary to have read the past books, but after reading this story, I’ll be reading them. I highly recommend this humorous, thrilling ride!