Madness (Madness Chronicles #1) by M.L. Banner (Narrated by Gary Tiedemann)

Ted and TJ Williams are on the way to their cruise ship when their flight is diverted due to a Volcanic eruption. While they are waiting for another form of transportation they witness some birds attaching people. They put it down to a freak accident and secure a car to take them to the port, but with rumors and news of other attacks, they realize that something might be happening. On the ship, the dogs aboard are starting to act weird and things escalate quickly. With evidence mounting, Ted knows that things are only going to get worse.

This was terrifyingly real!! As the author says at the start “FACT: There’s a real-life parasite that rewires mammals brains for extreme aggressive behavior…” The author portrays the events of this in such a way that you could see this happening…. well most of it anyway. It was hard to put it down because I had to see what would happen next.

I really liked both Ted and TJ. TJ has a real fear of animals because her partner was attacked by a dog and she froze up. The thoughts of any animal attack leaving her terrified and I can relate to that. I wouldn’t say I’m terrified of dogs, but I do have a fear of them. Ted is a scientist and author and wrote a book about animals turning rabid because of a parasite. He also studied the parasite and knows all there is to know about it, it’s why the Captain of the ship turns to him when things get bad.

The plot was fast paced, well written and action packed. The science was well told and easy to follow and I had no problem believing it. I loved the twist the author added to the book. I don’t want to say that because it will spoil it but it was a unique way to get there. I’m really looking forward to the next one to see where the story goes.

In all, this was a great read and a fantastic start to what’s sure to be a brilliant series.

Gary Tiedemann was clear, easy to follow and had plenty of different voices and tones for the characters. He was able to bring the atmosphere to life and gave a brilliant performance.