Murphy Edwards ‘Dead Lake’ Review
Written by: Matt Molgaard
A little bit Lake Placid, a little bit The Raft, a hint of Piranha 3D, some Jeremy Wade influence and… A zombie Garp! How the hell can you go wrong with that unification of insanity? Murphy Edwards stepped up to deliver one seriously outrageous tale, and with elements like those forming the crux of the story, it’s hard to fail.
Charlie Nickles is the hero of the story, but he’s a hero stuck in an extremely harrowing scenario. The mutated, undead, massive man-eating fish dwelling beneath the surface of Vivid Valley Lake is hungry. Even worse, this monster seems to have an insatiable appetite, killing and eating on a constant basis. Lake visitors are fast becoming meals, and it’s up to Nickles and an unlikely sidekick, Kingfish to put an end to the aquatic massacre. Can they manage while keeping their appendages intact? That’s a fine question.
Edwards really surprised me with this one. Deep, deep down, it’s basically a zombie tale – but unlike most zombie tales, it’s got a genuinely original angle working for it. And I dug the hell out of it. Dead Lake is a classic monster movie on paper, never for one moment disappointing.
The character development is great. Murphy’s descriptive nature is successful enough to disrupt the inner workings of the belly, and the rate in which the madness unfolds is stellar. There’s virtually zero downtime in the book, and that makes for a lightning fast and thrilling read.
If creature stories are your forte, Dead Lake is a morsel to devour at first opportunity. This one is going to echo in the minds and memories of fans of 80s cinematic fare, and those dedicated readers searching for something a little different are also going to find themselves quite satisfied. This one is good (and a bit reminiscent of some of Hunter Shea’s work) – look into it!
Rating: 4/5
Horror Novel Reviews 
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