I got this softcover from an online seller. Between the Netflix series "The Last of Us," about a fungus-based zombie apocalypse, and the fascinating non-fiction book Entangled Life, fungi have been on my mind lately {wry grin}, and this horror novel about a parasitic fungus sounded entertaining. (Will see how it compares to Henry Adams Knight's The Fungus, though that one was more of a horror/comedy.)

Later: The novel opens with a scientific team exploring the Venezuelan rainforest in search of a particular parasitic fungus, a variety of cordyceps. The team does not always display the best scientific practices - or even common-sense survival, at times - what with the wandering off alone, shrieking at encounters with perfectly ordinary spiders, etc., but they do seem a well-intentioned bunch.

Ah, but once they've retrieved their specimens and taken them to a research facility in Colorado, it turns out that someone has pretty dark plans for the fungus, and (surprise!) when it gets out of control the nearby town turns into a horror show, one that may require draconian measures to stop...

While the main plot is a nicely creepy (if a bit standard) zombie-plague-disaster, I did find the writing a little too heavy on the telling-rather-than-showing, especially as regarded the main characters.

I left this book in the large "book nook" near the playground in the park, on this warm, breezy day; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]

** Released for the 2023 4 Elements challenge. **