[Review] Cocaine Zombies by Scott A. Lerner

About the Book:

Samuel Roberts, a small-town lawyer in Urbana, Illinois, is contacted by a prospective client accused of selling cocaine. Nothing Sam hasn’t handled before. Or is it? Thomas is accompanied by a mysterious and exotic beauty named Chloe. Who is she, why is she paying for Thomas’s defense, and why is the accused so antsy around her?

Soon after Sam takes on the case he is plagued by terrible nightmares. Only, in these nightmares, when he dreams of death, people die. Realizing that he is out of his depth, Sam enlists the help of his friend, Bob Sizemore. Bob is oddly insightful about the supernatural and deeply suspicious of big business and the government. Sam and Bob soon discover that a major German pharmaceutical company has been using human guinea pigs to test a highly addictive and dangerous derivative of cocaine first developed in Nazi Germany. Combined with ancient herbs provided by a Voodoo priest, the substance has become increasingly addictive and dangerous.

After Thomas’s head shows up in Sam’s refrigerator, suspicion naturally falls on him. Now he has no choice but to face the forces of evil head on. But how do a small-town lawyer and a computer geek defeat an enemy with the power to enslave mankind?

My Review:  I am a big zombie dork.  Big time.  So when I saw the title of this book, I had to review it.  I was not disappointed - the book is AWESOME!  But, there are no actual zombies in the book.  Not like the mindless, flesh eating Night of the Living Dead variety at least.  The zombies are more of a name for the addicts of this special highly addictive Nazi cocaine.  Yeah, Nazi's.  I think this is the third book in less than a month with Nazis. I think they're making a comeback in literature?

Anyway, back to the book. Wow!  Scott Lerner paints a vivid picture.  There were some pretty gnarly scenes - including the one with the severed head referenced in the author's blurb about the book.  Yuck!  But yuck in a good way.  So, we've got voodoo priests, Nazi cocaine, and a client, Chloe, who isn't what she seems.  The whole thing stinks of a set-up. 

Through it all, our lawyer and lead guy Sam puts on a brave front and maintains his snarky sense of humor.  I don't think I'd still be funny after finding a head in my fridge.  I like Sam, not only for being funny and brave, but also because he is clever and just an all around good guy.  His buddy, Bob, made me laugh too.

Cocaine Zombies is full of twists, great characters and I have to say that the voodoo and Nazi element give it an interesting twist.  I haven't quite read anything like this before, and I look forward to reading more by Scott Lerner.

About the Author:

Author and attorney Scott A. Lerner resides in Champaign, Illinois. He obtained his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and went on to obtain his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. He is currently a sole practitioner in Champaign, Illinois. The majority of his law practice focuses on the fields of Criminal law and Family Law. Mr. Lerner lives with his wife, their two children, and their cat Fern. Lerner collects unusual antiques and enjoys gardening, traveling, reading fiction and going to the movies. Cocaine Zombies is his first published novel. Coming soon, the sequel: Ruler of Demons.
You can find Scott online at scottlerner.camelpress.com.