The Dad With a Flamethrower

By: Don Shift

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

A suburban father is plunged into an icy heart of darkness that threatens his family and everything he holds dear. When a cataclysmic combination of a polar vortex, power grid failure, fuel shortage, and violent pre-election riots converges on his city, Ross’s complacent existence shatters into a deadly struggle for survival. To top it off, a communist revolution is being launched in his brother’s city, depriving the family of a place of refuge.

Ross, a software engineer turned executive, has always felt more comfortable behind a computer screen than dealing with the chaos of the outside world. But when the world starts spiraling towards chaos, the protective bubble around his suburban existence bursts, and his worst nightmares come to life. He finds himself frightfully underprepared and seemingly doing everything wrong.

The city descends into anarchy, the grocery stores are emptied, and the roads become battlegrounds. His refusal to heed his brother’s warnings about these high-impact, low probability events comes back to haunt him. A fateful encounter results in a self-defense shooting that marks him for death, with the perpetrator vowing to hunt him down.

As Ross battles the savage cold, the dwindling resources, and the dangerous predators lurking in the city, he must confront a chilling question: how far will he go to keep his family safe? As the violence escalates, Ross finds himself creating a homemade flamethrower, an act that symbolizes his transformation from a mild-mannered suburban dad to a fierce protector.

But when the floods come and they are forced to flee their home, Ross has to face his greatest challenge yet. Can he defend his family when the fugitive burglar comes to exact his revenge? Will his newfound tenacity and resourcefulness be enough to keep his family safe in a world gone mad?

This book is a thrilling exploration of fatherhood, suburban masculinity, and the depths of courage that emerge when everything is on the line. It is a harrowing tale of survival, transformation, and the enduring power of a father's love amidst the cold fury of a world falling apart. Can Ross, an unprepared everyman, rise to become the hero his family needs him to be? Or will he succumb to the overwhelming forces of nature and human savagery that threaten to consume him? The future of his family hangs in the balance, and every decision could mean the difference between life and death.

Easy listen

A lot of the prepper novel series are way too prepperpornish. This was more of an easy listen with a shtf theme but not the typical survivalist story trope. Easy to listen to straight through without rolling the eyes too many times.