The Return Man

By: V. M. Zito

Narrated by: Bernard Clark

Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

The outbreak tore the US in two. The East remains a safe haven. The West has become a ravaged wilderness, known by survivors as the Evacuated States. It is here that Henry Marco makes his living. Hired by grieving relatives, he tracks down the dead and delivers peace.

Now Homeland Security wants Marco for a mission unlike any other: He must return to California, where the apocalypse began. Where a secret is hidden. And where his own tragic past waits to punish him again.

But in the wastelands of America, you never know who - or what - is watching you.

©2012 V. M. Zito (P)2012 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Thrilling, melancholy, and stomach-churningly gory... This is a sturdy and crowd-pleasing novel that squarely hits its target." ( Publishers Weekly)

"A hair-raising quest ... Zito expertly piles on thrills, cliffhangers and numerous twists ..." ( The Guardian, UK)

First rate apocalyptic fiction

Would you consider the audio edition of The Return Man to be better than the print version?

haven't read the book

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

non stop action with heart wrenching emotion

Which character – as performed by Bernard Clark – was your favorite?

excellent narration

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

hard to put down.

Any additional comments?

this was an excellent story rich in scope and full of emotion

great twist on zombies

different twist on the standard zombie book. hope there is another book coming out some time soon. diffanetly Worth the credit

Very good plot, kept me involved as a listener

Thank you Mike Naka for suggesting this. (This guy has the best reviews on Audible, worth checking out).

I'm not going to say too much here. A good zombie story. Worth listening to if you are into the genre even slightly. I am mostly wanting to Say something to V.M. Zito if he reads these reviews:

In your next book... if you have two characters working side by side as you have here... I would suggest that you don't repeat action scenes in order to show two points of view from different perspectives. You did this 4-5 times here. Every single time, it didn't work very well. Other than that, I applaud your writing efforts here. I hope you endeavor to write stand alone books. Why constrain yourself with this well constructed world? You've explored it, try something new... though I'll get a copy of whatever it is for sure.

Not your typical zombie book

This story is very detailed, and while it is about zombies, it is not your typical zombie read. Without giving much away, I would say it's a mixture of zombies, survival and mystery. There are a lot of gruesome details included here, so much so, I definitely thought it was overkill. The narrator pretty much uses the same tone throughout the entire story, and tells the entire tale at the same pace, which is something that I don't really care for when I am listening, vs. reading. There has got to be a sequel, and I don't feel compelled to continue to the next installment, so I will end here saying, that I was a bit underwhelmed.

An A+ story and narration

One of the better storylines. Great narration. Very easy to listen to and get sucked into for hours.

What a great story!!!

I have listen to this before and it was worth the buy.. I will always have hope there will be a part to or more additions some day…

Riveting !!

Would you listen to The Return Man again? Why?

I would listen to the book again. A creative thriller.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Return Man?

The Horseman encounter.

What about Bernard Clark’s performance did you like?

Mr. Clark's voice and demeanor was an excellent fit for this audio book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Near the end when he realized that all of his efforts to find his wife were in vein.

A good balance between action and character dev

The Return Man takes you on a trip through the bad lands which used to be part of the USA but has been ceded to the Zombies. The main character is likable but has his own flaws and demons which he must overcome. The story does a good job of balancing character development with action and mystery which keeps you engrossed in the telling. The author does have a habit of using metaphors to describe the scene (Flowing like water from a spigot) which seems a bit gimmicky to me, but doesn’t really take away from the story. Certainly not what I would call a happy ending, it certainly wraps it all up and even leaves room for another book if the author chooses.

The Performance was a bit lacking. When not doing dialog Mr. Clark was dry and monitone. When interacting with the characters he was really good.

A must read of zombie lovers

What made the experience of listening to The Return Man the most enjoyable?

The narrator did a great job with the voices of the different characters. He has a voice that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

What other book might you compare The Return Man to and why?

There aren't any other books that I would compare it too.

Have you listened to any of Bernard Clark’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't remember listening to any of his other books

Who was the most memorable character of The Return Man and why?

The main character

Any additional comments?

This book was a refreshing change to the other zombie books I have been listening. I really enjoyed the entire book. It was easy to listen too. The author did an awesome job with the characters.

Good Book.

Will buy the next book in the series. Fun story line, and entertaining reader