A book that starts with the line 'I woke up this morning and decided to kill myself' isn't going to be the happiest one. And as soon as you find out that it comes from a female priest, you're settling yourself in for a nick, dark read. And you won't be disappointed. It's tense and compelling stuff, new ideas sitting happily alongside old cliches. It doesn't feel like a rehash and that is quite an accomplishment. Certainly not up there alongside 'The Passage' in terms of post apocalyptic masterpieces, but I can think of only one or two others that better it.

This is a bleak ‘end of the world’ tale and is a promising debut, Skeleton crew on an oil rig off the coast of Norway become aware that something significant has happened and are cut off. With a limited supply of food, drink and power they must decide what to do next. This starts off well with an easy style and it throws you straight into life on the rig, mainly through the eyes of a female on board vicar. What starts off as a survivalist/rescue story then diverts to a sci-fi/zombie novel with a strange and slightly odd change of pace. Those who are not into sci-fi may not like this although the sci-fi elements are not that complex, they are more a vehicle to explain the zombies. But the characters do develop, especially our vicar, and although consistently bleak there is pace and something to keep you turning the page. Have to say I liked the simple style and was sufficiently engaged to overlook minor weaknesses in what I thought was a pretty sound debut from author Adam Baker.