Red Hail

Written by Jamie Killen

Narrated by Stacy Gonzalez

Professor Colin Ayres has spent years researching the strange story of Galina, Arizona, a sleepy border town ripped apart by violence and paranoia after the outbreak of a mysterious illness in 1960. Colin is certain the Galina Incident was simply a case of mass hysteria. But when his partner, Alonzo, starts exhibiting strange symptoms, Colin is shocked to realize they are the same as those that emerged in Galina decades ago.
As Alonzo’s condition worsens, Colin scrambles to piece together what really happened during that terrible summer in the past. He uncovers a story of murder, corruption, and fanaticism. The deeper he digs, the more he becomes convinced that what happened in Galina wasn’t mass hysteria after all.
When others start to develop the same eerie symptoms, Colin must confront the possibility that someone—or something—is driving the plague. Guided by rumors of a person who found a way to stop the plague in the sixties, Colin races to find answers before the disease destroys Alonzo and everyone else it touches.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Everand Productions
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781094433813

Jamie Killen

Jamie Killen is a writer of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Mythic Delirium, Heiresses of Russ, Space and Time, SQ Mag, Grievous Angel, and Drabblecast. She is the creator of the acclaimed audio drama SPINES and has several other audio drama projects in production. Her first novel, The Wandering Land, was released in 2018 from Solstice Shadows. You can check out her blog at https://jamieskillen.wordpress.com/

Reviews for Red Hail

[mkatzorreck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I greatly enjoyed how the story turned from a fascinating type of epidemic to a laudably modern take on a classic sci fi plot. The protagonists are very fitting to the topics addressed by the story, and the narrator, Stacy Gonzalez, did a great job in giving each one of them a unique voice. I also liked how well-thought the author plotted the narration over two timelines (Jamie Killen also wrote the podcast "Mirrors", which I love for its flawless narration over three different timelines, so I really had my hopes up for this novel - and was not disappointed!). However, I found that some problems regarding communication got solved a bit too quickly in the final chapters - not in a way that makes the story feel implausible, but I personally preferred the slow progress of the chapters before. Still, this is a very well-thought story with interesting insights into important topics. Everyone who has a heart beating for mysteries and a mind gravitating towards science fiction might wish to give this tale a try.

[Jenna Vaughn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Definitely an interesting take. The ending felt a bit rushed but I appreciated the mystery and drama

[Jesscam Campbell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I greatly enjoyed this story. I'm looking forward to this author's next book.

[Remi Hoerr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book! It has strong female characters throughout and the story was interesting throughout!

[mysubs2crafts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The fast pace and narrative, the way the 1960 events plays into the current events, even the narrator contributed to making this a book I enjoyed listening to.

[Karen Chandler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an interesting storyline with a mixture of a town, the supernatural, and a mystery. It has enough tooth to get your curiosity inspired. You have two timelines. They are 60 years apart. Enjoy!

[Lori Yudiskas · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not what I expected. It was extremely well written but crawled at the pace of a snail on a crutch and was mostly about racism, misogyny and homophobia. It had real potential and a good storyline but the other issues absolutely dominated the story to the exclusion of the story itself.

[Monique Regala · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was gripped from the very first chapter. I don't usually read science fiction but this one has a way of drawing you in. Exciting and curious, a bit scary at times. Was it aliens, God or something more sinister... or benevolent even? Dive in and find out.

[tiffany ford · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was gripping from beginning to end! I never predicted what was coming next but there were no unbelievable logical leaps. I will read more from this author!!

[Lillie Sperry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed listening to this book very much as it was not your typical alien invasion story. Warning: There is some homosexual characters, so if you can’t handle gays, this book is not for you.

[Everett Abbott · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little contrived, and a little sappy... Over all, a great read. The characters are robust (even a couple you may not even like, fit the narrative). I like the voice of the narrator, but her inflections and emotional takes seem to bother me. Is reading a novel for audio book actually harder than reading for personal consumption? I keep having this thought.

Read/listen to this book if you like suspenseful scifi narrative... But don't expect a hard scifi bent.

[Brian Grange · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A story that goes back and forth between what has happened 60 years ago, and what is going on now. Written in a way that you feel invested in these characters. Red Hail makes me Hope that there will be a follow up to this story set in the future.

[Georgina Kretschmar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favourite part was probably the concept because it was really interesting.

[Constance Sahlmark · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Held me from beginning to end! Excellent characters and plot development!!

[Aubrey Kurlansky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really superb story telling love how it unfolds across to separate timelines and so riveting and suspenseful
Like watching a great science fiction movie
I loved it
Great characters too and superb hopeful ending

[Sonya Roberson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was a very interesting ? book....I actually like it alot...just wish it had sequel to it.So we can see how the new terms worked out...but overall it gets a 5...I Loved it

[Testy Possum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a good solid sci-fi with great characters. It seamlessly shifts into the past and present to build the narrative. Also, the narration is well done and makes the characters easy to distinguish. I'll be keeping an eye out for more audio books from this author.

[Peggy Brunson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Blasphemy and woke junk! Nothing but dark social garbage spewed out!

[irenecole · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Told on 2 timelines, 1960 and the present day this is a tale that straddles the line between horror and scifi.
It was 1960 when the Red Hail fell in Galina and the town was forever changed. Men, women, children, and animals were soon afflicted with mysterious and frightening symptoms. Racists and religious fanatics alike were quick to cast blame on everything from the Devil to the Mexicans, leading to dire consequences. Three brave souls dared to seek the truth behind this blight on the town and were able to put an end to it, but only for 60 years.
Now it's begun again. This time not in Galina but to those whose grandparents were the first stricken with symptoms there. Again it falls to 3 unlikely heroes to uncover the mystery of this terrifying ailment.
I'm not normally much of a scifi fan but this story had so many great horror elements to it and a great mix of characters that I couldn't help but enjoy it.
4 out of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review.

[Sean Bennett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Strong characters and an interesting plot. If you haven't listened to her podcasts like "Spines" and "Mirrors" I strongly recommend you check them out.

[Danielle Johnson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Terrible book. The beginning is terrible. The middle is terrible. The end was beyond terrible

[Daisy Kirby · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not frightening, but suspenseful and tense nonetheless. I enjoyed all the lead characters, and appreciated their level-headedness, as usually writers will make the characters act foolish just to up the drama, so this was a pleasure to listen to.
Not being a science fiction reader normally, this was a cool hypothesis of an old idea, for me.

[avoraciousreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5Book source ~ Review copy. My review is voluntary and honest.In 1960, Galina, Arizona was a typical border town until a strange atmospheric event led to an even weirder plague. As the town’s citizens developed unusual symptoms and it spread through nearly every family, the townspeople became paranoid and racism led to violence, ripping the town apart.In 2020, Professor Colin Ayres has been doing years of research while writing a book about Galina. He believes the town experienced mass hysteria since there was no indication the mysterious symptoms or illness spread outside of town. In the course of interviewing survivors and their descendants he meets Alonzo, a grandson of one of the town’s citizens. When Alonzo starts experiencing the very same symptoms that showed up in Galina 60 years ago, Colin is dumbfounded. As he puts his research in high gear to help Alonzo, he finds more and more people are also experiencing the symptoms. The only connection these people have keep leading Colin back to Galina. What the hell is going on here and what the hell happened there in 1960? Colin needs answers and needs them now.Holy shit. This is quite a ride! It has alternating POVs with Anza in 1960 and Colin, Alonzo, and a woman named Sonia, all in 2020.The underlying story is sci-fi, but what it really boils down to is a mystery. And suspense. I can’t emphasize enough how much of a mystery this book is. Reading it is an agonizing process. And I mean that in a good way. Because I was right there with the characters trying to figure out what the hell was going on and not only in the past. But now there’s the present, too! Just, what the hell?! The slow deterioration of Galina is so painful to watch. Not to mention the people who are infected. The disease is so incredibly weird, too. I was on the edge of my seat, just waiting for it all to be revealed. And what a revelation it is! The characters are great, the writing is smooth, and the mystery is a head scratching hellofa stumper. Don’t pass this up!

[lilyroseshadowlyn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Red Hail is not your typical sci-fi book. A little bit of sci-fi, a little bit of mystery, and a powerful story that spans generations. They say that those who forget history are destined to repeat it. Sometimes, history repeats itself no matter how much you think you know about it. Killen masterfully weaves together a captivating tale, giving hints from 1960 with the story unfolding in today's world. I was reluctant to put this down even for a little while once I started reading, and I easily lost hours within it's pages. If I could I'd have given this more than five out of five.

[tumbleweeds_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even though this book was partly outside my usual genre (thrillers and EOTWAWKI), it captured my imagination and my interest. It took place in a small desert town in both 1960 and 2020, and characters in both timelines were well developed. The author’s strength in dialogue was exceptionally good. The plot moved along steadily, and I didn’t figure the ending out until I was about 80% through the book. Was it God versus Satan, magic, aliens, some strange bacteria or a fungus, or mass hysteria that caused these bizarre behaviors, not only in humans but in coyotes, birds and other local fauna? I also appreciated that the book’s main characters were all flawed—some more than others—and most were living some sort of alternative lifestyle, yet that was never the focus of the story. Kudos to the author for that!To summarize, this was an excellent book, superbly written, and entertaining from the first page to the last. I received a free copy of this book as an early reviewer, but wouldn’t hesitate to buy another book by this talented author. Five stars!