Into The Sounds book review (Taine McKenna Adventures #2) by Lee Murray…

Living in New Zealand, I am fascinated by the prospect of a lush, horror book set in this lovely part of the world. This is the second book in the NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna series (haven’t read the first one, though!).

Taine accompanies his girlfriend and biologist Jules Asher on an expedition to the Fiordland Sounds to help cull the deer. But that ends up being the least of their problems.

The book scores big with me, as our heroes helicopter in, rappel down into the bush and make a series of strange discoveries… a survivor from an ancient helicopter crash; poachers stealing rare New Zealand birds; an ex-US-military submarine lurking in the depths of a fiord; and a long-lost New Zealand race — the Tūrehu tribe.

But there’s a primordial monster lurking beneath the depths, protecting the entrance to the Tūrehu hideout. If you haven’t been to the New Zealand bush, you will realize why great swathes of the South Island and North Island hasn’t been conquered yet. We all know it’s a gorgeous place, but she brings Middle Earth to life.

Never fear, though, there is a very large creature in this creature feature. And we are not talking about aliens, genetically engineered critters or mutated half-spawn hobgoblins. These creatures are actually possible, and that adds a nice element to the story.

Be it the aspects of Maori culture or the adventures of Taine, this one matched up very well. A story from a talented Kiwi author, Lee Murray.

Kindle Edition, 235 pages

Published August 9th, 2018 by Severed Press

4/5 STARS