Book Review and Giveaway: Survival (Fallout, #1) by Lisa Harris | Lone Star Book Blog Tours

In today’s world, law enforcement agencies across the country rely on forensic tools, DNA testing, and crime labs. But what if that technology was suddenly no longer available? No one in the small, west Texas town of Shadow Ridge knows what took down the power grid, or when it’s going to be back up, but everyone knows exactly where they were the moment it went down. And now, with no electricity, no internet, and no modern technology, the men and women responsible for keeping the town safe are going to have to learn how to fight crime all over again.

When one of the men in charge of storing food for the town of Shadow Ridge is found murdered execution style, it’s up to Jace McQuaid to find the killer. What he discovers is a group of organized raiders who are stealing supplies and selling them on the black market—and the survival of the town depends on stopping them.

Morgan Addison’s estranged brother, Ricky, shows up at her house demanding weapons and confirming her fears that he’s a part of the outlaws. Tensions are raised further when Ricky kidnaps her son to ensure his safe passage out of town. Jace must find a way to save Noah and ensure the survival of Shadow Ridge.

I live in southeastern Louisiana. Hurricane country. We often consider and plan for situations where we might find ourselves without power for a day or two, maybe as much as a week. We have a good supply of bottled water and a stash of emergency food. We have a gas stove, so we’d be able to cook without electricity. We make sure we have batteries and flashlights and battery packs to keep cell phones charged. For a handful of days, we’d be okay. A little inconvenienced, sure, but okay.But what if the grid as we know it was just…gone? And it didn’t come back. Days, weeks, what would people do? No cars. (I live about eleven miles from work. Without a car, I wouldn’t be working.) No cell phone. No computers. No refrigeration. No running water without electricity to power the pumps. This is what the folks in Shadow Ridge, Texas are dealing with in Survival.

The book opens roughly nine months after what people are calling “the Quake.” Basically cut off from the world, they have no idea what caused the grid failure. Was it an EMP? A terrorist attack? Did it affect just their town? Their county? All of Texas? The entire country? Imagine how unsettling that would be, simply not knowing.

Jace McQuaid is our reluctant hero. He came back for a family celebration, and now he finds himself pressed into service as the town’s sheriff. He had no intentions of following in his father’s law enforcement footsteps, but here he is. Morgan Addison lost her husband at a young age, and now she’s a single mom raising her 6-year-old son Noah. She’s grieving her husband’s death while trying to help her son adjust to this new, vastly changed world.

By and large, people are working together to help each other and their community. The library is a gathering place and information hub, and people are digging up all the information they can get on how to do things without the technology they used to have. But when one of their own goes rogue and holds one man hostage, and another man is found murdered, Jace has to figure out how to solve a crime the old-fashioned way.

Jace and Morgan are the most fully developed characters, and they’re both easy to love. I was a single mom for a handful of years, so I can relate a little to Morgan. It’s hard work, even without the added stress of finding yourself basically in pioneer times. Imagine telling your 6-year-old that there’s no more TV, no more internet. Mine wouldn’t have taken it well! Morgan is doing the best she can with what she has, and trying desperately not to let herself fall for Jace. Likewise, Jace is trying to resist the growing feelings he has for Morgan. The romance isn’t center stage in the story, but it’s enough of a thread to be engaging, and I hope to see their relationship grow in future books.

The story has a little something for everyone. It’s got romance, action, family drama, suspense, and dystopia. And faith is an important aspect of the story. Harris doesn’t just pay lip service to the idea that people might rely more heavily on God in a very challenging time. Jace and Morgan, in particular, clearly demonstrate how central their faith is, even when it’s hard to trust that God is still at work.

The ending seemed a bit abrupt, but that isn’t enough for me not to love this book. It was a quick read and left me wanting to know what happens next, and that’s what good stories do. I’m glad there are more to come in the series. What would you miss the most if you were in a situation like Survival? Leave a comment and let me know!

Five construction paper stars for Survival (because with no power, I can’t have ones that light up!).

Keep scrolling to enter the giveaway for some delightful prizes! Deadline to enter is February 24.

LISA HARRIS is a USA Today bestselling author, a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom, Vendetta, and Port of Origin, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has fifty plus novels and novellas in print. She and her husband currently live in Texas.

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