Book - Yesterday's Hero

Coming out in paperback next week, author Jonathan Wood and our friends at Titan Books ask "What would Kurt Russell do?" a second time with Yesterday's Hero​. Well, Steve Taylor-Bryant?...

I reviewed the first Arthur Wallace novel, No Hero, earlier in the year (here) and I loved the comedic simplicity of the story. That was a gripping adventure that flowed better than most books of this type. I honestly didn't see Jonathan Wood being able to better it. I mean, where would he even start? The day after is the answer to that. A zombie Tyrannosaurus Rex is running amok in the National History Museum under the control of some Russians with mystical powers. Attempting to help are some civilian militia, The Weekenders, a small group of people who had previously failed to get into MI37 for various reasons. A new co-director, Coleman, is appointed to MI37 and moves them to London. He is an ex of Felicity Shaw, the current director and Arthur’s lover, and doesn’t want to hear Arthur's thoughts as they are a bit too radical for him.

Due to the events of yesterday, Clyde is now a computer program in a mask, placed on the head of a dead person to give him physical form, Tabitha is still angry at Arthur as he is responsible and Kayla the killing machine of yesterday seems to just be going through the motions after the loss of her daughters. Add to that Clyde not allowing MI37 to report him dead as he speaks to his present/ex girlfriend, Devon, who is now recruited as a researcher. With Coleman against any plans Arthur has to stop the Russians, Arthur quits MI37 with Devon tagging along, becoming a fugitive and working with The Weekenders to find out the Russians’ secrets. The journey takes them to Chernobyl where they discover the Russians are dead scientists affected by the radiation they consumed and plan an attack on London. Can Arthur and his new found friends stop the attack, get MI37 to trust him agai, and stop Coleman from making things worse? What would Kurt Russell do?

Picking up straight after the events of No Hero meant the ramped up tension at the end of the first book kicks in on the first page of this. The speed of the story and pacing of the narrative are intense and you really get sucked back into Arthur’s world. The mystical elements and action are written incredibly well and yet the book reads like an action film, which don’t normally have the best writing, and I wish Jonathan Wood would teach me this skill.

Bring on Volume Three!

Image - Amazon

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