I didn't realize how much I wanted some zombie non-fiction until I listened to this audiobook! It takes as it's basis the scenario the author deems to be the most likely cause of an outbreak, and from there explores different areas such as the science behind the virus, how the police would deal with the situartion, the legalities, how it would be reported in the media, and also looks at zombies in pop culture. I think perhaps the book could have been improved by having an uodate following the experiences we have all had in the last few years through the pandemic, it would have been interesting to have seen a potential zombie outbreak through that lens, but I don't think the absence of that update detracts critically from the enjoyment.
The audiobook was great, narrator did a wonderful job, and I found myself doing extra chores around the house to have extra listening time. I think I'll be buying a physical copy in the future also, as I can see it being the sort of book that I take off the shelf from time to time to browse through and reread.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* tbh i don't care much for zombies but this book was awesome and so much fun to read! would totally buy

If you're a hardcore zombie fan, this is a great look into the science of it all. If you are looking for something more... World War Z style, it's not quite that.

A paperback version might have been easier to follow but the audiobook version had me loosing interest occasionally as it felt like several of the passages were just filler.

DNF - 20% I had a tough time staying focused while listening to the Audiobook version. I want to delve back into this one via an eBook or physical copy.

I enjoyed the added snippets from various Authors’ takes on Zombies throughout. Sorry, no spoilers. ;)

Source:

Thank you, NetGalley and Tantor Audio, for loaning me an Audiobook in the request for an honest review.

Note: The Audiobook was archived on NetGalley before I reviewed this one, so I purchased the Audiobook version from Amazon.

Wonderfully weird but almost too densely informative to enjoy as an audiobook. I think I would've gotten more out of it if I had read it as an ebook instead of listening to it as an audiobook; but I still enjoyed it and would recommend it. Enjoyed the narration as well.

I was given a free copy of this e-book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Zombie CSU by Jonathan Maberry in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting book. I really liked how Maberry described what would happen if zombies did exist, and the reference to Argento St, was clever, as well as many other nods to horror writers and directors. I also enjoyed how he broke down where it all started, different cultures viewpoints and why they are so scary. Fun listen, thanks again.

If you are anything like me, you are waiting for the Zombie apocalypse to begin any minute now.
We have seen in the past ear more plagues, fires, earthquakes, riots, and floods that zombies are the next logical event. So when they rise, will police, doctors, politicians, or the CDC realize soon enough what is happening?
In steps Jonathan Maberry to answer all those questions and hundreds you never even thought to ask.
Zombie CSU explores how the police, the first to encounter the aftermath of a zombie attack, deals with what could be just a drug-crazed nutcase, maybe a sadistic psychopath, or a hundred other types of killers, as they would any other murder.
If you ever wondered if zombies left fingerprints or DNA, this book will answer your questions and explain how and why that answer was reached.
Jonathan Maberry, a personal favorite of mine, has been the voice of the zombie genre for years now and is sharing all the knowledge he has gained through interviews with police, forensic specialists, Medical examiner, and infectious disease specialist.
A very interesting book no matter how you feel about zombies. And as always with Mr. Maberry, well written.
Thanks to @netgalley and Tantor Audio for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I’ve been undecided on this book for years. On one hand I love Jonathan Maberry and want to read all of his books but on the other hand the premise seemed a little silly. So when I got a chance to get an audiobook version for free from NetGalley I couldn’t say no.

This novel was an interesting, well written, yet silly novel. There was plenty of research and expert advice placed in this novel so the actual police procedurals into a crime investigation was quite believeable. However, some of these sections felt quite dry as there was so, so much information. Unless you’re a crime buff you will get a little bored in some sections (I know I was).

Each crime section was broken up by types of zombie literature, debates on the types of zombies (whether slow or fast zombies are scarier) and Maberry’s opinion on the best and worst zombies tv/movies. I really enjoyed these sections as I learned a lot more about zombie literature, especially obscure and unknown movies. I also got really into the debate about slow versus fast zombies as I never really gave it any thought until now. I’m a fan of the slow zombies.

The conclusion was good as Maberry discusses whether humanity would survive based on the various zombie scenarios from popular literature. This was my favorite part of the novel as I’ve always wandered whether humanity would survive after watching a zombie movie. But I also found this portion the most unrealistic as Maberry was basing his opinion based on the USA police tactics. There would be no guarantee that it would start in the US versus UK or China (for example), and you can’t base different countries ability to prevent a pandemic on American procedures.

I also wish that an appendix or ammendium could have been added to reflect the current COVID-19 pandemic and make comparisons.

Overall I would recommend this novel to diehard zombie or Maberry fans. Thank you to NetGalley and
TantorAudio for this audiobook.

I received an audio copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was all it was advertised to be: A great analysis of the zombie craze that's been taking over popular culture in recent years. More specifically, it digs deep down, looking into the extensive police procedures and forensics in a sample case of a zombie outbreak. This gives a realistic approach to how a plague might begin and the likelihood of it raging out of control.

All in all we got some great perspectives from the professionals and experts, and their results were equal parts reassuring and frightening.

This made for a great audiobook too, as it was a very interesting listen that I could take with me while driving or doing other tasks.

The only thing I could add is that as this was originally written in the 2010-11 timeframe, it would have been useful to get an update on world events and zombie media in the ten years or so since then. While The Walking Dead comic series was mentioned, it would have been fun to include the television series. And more importantly, discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic would have made for some great comparisons. I wouldn't have rewritten the whole book, but perhaps a couple of add on chapters to address the recent events would have been useful.

Or perhaps...a sequel? hmmm

First off want to state that I enjoy Maberry's works. And when I saw that this was non-fiction based on zombies it piqued my interest. But this seemed more science-heavy with a lot of details around forensics. If you are someone who has an interest in science you may get more out of this book than me. I enjoyed it but got a little boring for me towards the end.

I’ve read a lot of Jonathan Maberry. This is my first nonfiction by him but it still has the humor you would expect as well as being insightful. I had considered some things about Zombies-where they come from, what the way they have evolved says about us-but not to this extent. A good commentary on this phenomenon that keeps making reoccurrences in popularity.

this book really appealed to me because i love horror/thriller books. i liked how this one focused on the legal aspects of a zombie apocalypse considering im a law student, it was fun to listen to and it was researched/opinionated well...this book i felt was a little long. i was zoning in and out, mostly just listened to it as background noise. a shorter version would have been nice!
the voice actor was good, i understood him. there was no mumbling or muttering. i could easily understand everything he was saying.
this book is worth reading or listening to if you're a fan of zombies! **although it is a bit dated** :)

3.5/5

This was an entertaining piece of non fiction which will appeal to horror readers like myself. I normally find non fiction dry, but this one was focused on the science, politics and legal repercussions of a zombie apocalypse which made for a fun read.

I will admit that the book felt overly long, especially since it was based around a fictional scenario. I would have preferred a shorter version of this book. Also, this book is clearly a bit dated since it was published in the peak of the zombie craze, which arguably has now passed.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the audiobook from the publisher.