Quote from David Attenborough:
". . . The problem with rats is that they have no fear of human beings . . . "

RATTUS NEW YORKUS is the second novella in Hunter Shea's "One Size Eats All" series. In this one, the master of creature-features takes on the rats in Manhattan.

". . . Most people don't realize how smart rodents are. They learn from their mistakes and from watching the mistakes of others . . ."

Chris and Benita (Benny) Jackson--a soon-to-be divorced couple, run a business together as New York City exterminators. They've seen what rats are capable of, and are ready for just about anything. When Dr. Randolph Finch--"Ratticus" to Chris--develops a new rodenticide that is supposed to render rats sterile, the exterminators begin using it and monitoring the results.

"A healthy fear of rats kept exterminators exterminating."

"Maybe they hold little rat seminars . . . 'You ARE Smarter Than the Exterminator'."

The problem is that while the new product--Degenesis--is supposed to reduce the rat population over time, quite the opposite seems to be happening.

And then some.

". . . I'm not normally a claustrophobic person, but there was a definite you're doomed vibe going on . . . "

Shea takes you into the minds of his characters. Irregardless of their impending divorce, Chris and Benny work well together. They know the tenacious nature of these rodents, and they're not afraid to use a little brute force when all else fails. We get to see how the knowledge they've accumulated begins to crumble in the face of what this new poison actually does to the city's rat population.

". . . got me to worrying that the rats could now strategize and plan ahead. It was hard to find a silver lining at that moment."

The comedic banter that I love so much is clearly in full force here. Let's face it--if your job was killing rodents for a living, you'd need a large dose of sarcastic humor to get through the day. From their own comments, to the actions of "Ratticus" and the citizens of NYC, I found myself laughing--often inappropriately--throughout much of this book.

"They're moving . . . "
"'They can't. They're dead', Marvin kindly reminded her."

Of course, no creature feature would be complete without buckets full of gore and carnage at every turn. You'll find that in the most "inventive" and horrific ways all throughout. While the altered rats are doing their worst to reduce humanity into a large, panicked, "all-you-can-eat" buffet, the humans--mainly Chris and Benny at first--are up for some rodent bone breaking and skull crushing of their own.

I bet you never envisioned some of these unconventional uses for a hockey stick or fireplace poker!

". . . It was like watching the world's most horrid game of dominoes . . . "

Overall, in my opinion, the combination of the main characters, NYC residents, and the formidable rat population, makes RATTUS NEW YORKUS one of Shea's most gruesome--and sarcasm-laced novellas to date. The action started in rapidly, and increased dramatically as the book moved forward. The main characters were impossible NOT to root for, and their darkly comedic outlook gave the story some truly memorable moments that I can still picture.

". . . Lots of somethings dead."

So far, RATTUS NEW YORKUS is my favorite in Shea's new "One Size Eats All" trilogy.

Highly recommended!

Another great, fast read from Hunter Shea. The author knows how to craft a tight, fun, action-packed story. I was especially fond of the rather grim ending.

Hunter Shea is on my 'must-read' author list now.

The stuff of nightmares! A new rat poison causes a mutation in the rat population of New York City, and nuisance vermin become dangerous attackers. Exterminators are overwhelmed, residents are besieged, and people are dying at the claws and teeth of common rats.

They seem to be based at Grand Central Terminal, down in the lower tunnels...where they found plenty of food.

I hope rats don't evolve to a more sophisticated species. This book gives an idea of what might happen if they did.

This is a quick and enjoyable read, although the pace is so breakneck that you might forget to breathe as you are nearing the end of the story. I read another review that compared this novelette to a disaster movie from the 1970s and I think that is a pretty good description.

All in all I enjoyed it.

I am a sucker for monster tales. Big or small, creature rampages are always a hit with me! Hunter Shea has entertained me with man eating lizards in Florida, the Jersey Devil, swamp creatures, Loch Ness.....lots of monster goodness. This time....it's very angry, swarming rats attacking New York.

Rats are definitely in my top 5 of things I don't like. Not just because they helped spread the fleas that killed millions during the various outbreaks of plague several hundred years ago, but because they are still spreading disease, biting people and popping out from unexpected places even today. I have not had the joy (note sarcasm) to meet a New York rat up close, but I have heard stories. Where I live in NC most rats invade derelict or abandoned homes and then wreck havoc on others who own surrounding properties. Yuck! The thought of millions of rats....angry....clawing, biting...CHASING people.... EEEEEKKKKK!

The basics: A well meaning scientist creates a new bait for rats which is supposed to sterilize them, preventing them from breeding and increasing the rat population. He gets an exterminator to test the new product on several locations in New York so they can track its effect on the rat population. Unfortunately, the chemical just makes the rats super aggressive, violent and seemingly even more intelligent than normal. New Yorkers are resilient, but what will they do when faced with millions of Super Rats?

I enjoyed this story! Very creepy and just an entertaining fun read. At 112 pages Rattus New Yorkus is an afternoon's entertaining creepy read. I sat on my porch with a big glass of iced tea and let myself just enjoy being creeped out by a story about rats. Lots of Rats. Angry rats. Rats that want to eat people. All the people. That night I kept waking up thinking I heard skittering and squeaking. It was my foster kitten, not a rat....but it did prove that Hunter Shea managed to creep me out once again!

For those who love cheesy monster stories, this book is perfect! And I'm definitely up for the next Hunter Shea book! :) I wonder what he will scare me with next time? :)

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No rats were harmed during the writing of this review.**

What to do if your house is invaded by any species? Look at reality shows when critters are driving people out of their own homes!! Call the exterminaters!! What if there are too many to get rid of and you give up your home?? Now, suppose your home is - or was - in NYC?? Scary thoughts!! We are no longer safe - anywhere!!!! Great, quick read!

So, I love killer animal books, and I recent read Jurassic Florida by Hunter Shea not to long ago, unfortunately I did not really enjoy this book. I gave it a 3 Star and not a 2 Star because I like how Shea keeps the story atleast interesting and does not fill it with unnecessary plot points. I thought the flow of the book was kind of weird and choppy and I had no attachments to any of the characters. I found the ending to be very rushed, and surprisingly, I wanted more gore and violence. All in all this was not my favorite book so far by Shea but I will continue to read his books!

I love Hunter Shea's books. I have read all of them. I think most of us agree that we don't like rats, especially the ones that are not invited into our homes. Benny and Chris own a pest extermination business in Manhattan. They are divorced and still love each other and still work together. They are trying out a new formula to prevent rats from reproducing.. Instead of it working like it is supposed to, the rats are smarter and more aggressive, reproducing at a phenomenal rate. People are being attacked and eaten in large numbers. The military is called in to take care of the rats. Will they be able to get rid of the rats? Will anyone survive? Great book for those who love horror/monster stories. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review and no compensation otherwise.

I'm not that familiar with the five boroughs of New York City. Luckily, you don't have to know anything about New York City to enjoy this fast-paced thrill ride. When it comes to Hunter Shea's writing, all you have to do is buckle up because it is full tilt boogie from the first page to the last.

Deep in the sewers of New York City, the rat population is growing. Dr. Randolph Finch is determined to break the cycle. His new rodenticide, Degenesis, doesn't kill rats. It sterilizes them from reproducing. But nothing adapts faster than a New York rat...

What starts out as a common infestation turns out to be much more than anyone expected. I'm terrified of rats. They creep me out. They make me want to gag just thinking about them. City exterminators Chris and Benita Jackson come face to face with rats every single day, but today is different. The Jacksons think they know how the rats think, but something strange occurs.

The rats disappear. They eventually reappear beneath Grand Central Station, feeding on the homeless. The rats operate like a hive mind. They are hungry. They are ready to eat.


Hunter Shea manages to take a gross topic like rats and make it compelling. All of his books are nail-biters. This one is no different. This book could easily make a great creature feature at the local matinee. This is a strong outing by Hunter Shea.

I liked the setup and execution. The characters were solid. The premise was crazy good. This is a very entertaining read. It's a great way to spend an hour. Basically what I'm trying to say is read it and tell me what you think.

Recommend!

4/5 stars!⭐⭐⭐⭐

4 stars

Chris and Benita “Benny” Jackson are in the process of getting a divorce, but are partners in the extermination business. Their goal in this story is to eradicate the rat population by feeding them Degenesis. It’s a new invention by Dr. Randolph Finch. Benny and Chris’ nickname for him – behind his back, of course – is Ratticus Finch. It is supposed to work by sterilizing the rats.

The rats are very smart and adapt astoundingly quickly. The sad and surprising fact is that Degenesis doesn’t work. If anything, the rats are breeding faster, they’re meaner and they are beginning to attack humans – in a concerted and organized manner.

The rats are going mad. They attack a family in their apartment and Benny and Chris just manage to save two of the children trapped in the house. Dr. Finch and Chris go to an old abandoned building, another site where Degenesis was used, and escape, but barely. Dr. Finch can hardly believe what he sees.

Then all the rats disappear. Where did they go? An old exterminator named Marvin, Chris and Benny follow the rats to the Tombs. It is an area under Grand Central Station. Thousands upon thousands of rats are in there in a huge hollowed-out cavern they apparently dug themselves. There are also many homeless people, who are dead, of course.

With the aid of the army, Marvin, Benny, Chris and DR. Finch make an attempt to eradicate the rats under Grand Central by the means of poison gas and flamethrowers. Their attempt fails miserably. Many soldiers are swamped and killed. Neither the poison gas, nor the flamethrowers work.

What is humankind to do?

I absolutely love creature features, whether in print or in film. I’m always looking for something new and inventive. Although Hunter Shea’s novella Rattus New Yorkus is a theme that is certainly not new, he has a new twist on it. I really like that way he injects humor into his little horror books. It is well written and plotted and I truly enjoyed the story. Keep writing them, Mr. Shea. Your stories are delightful!

I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books/Lyrical Underground for forwarding to me a copy of this fun book to read and enjoy.

Rattus New Yorkus is a book that would have been at home with the other mass horror books of the 1970s -- Earthquakes, giant crabs, killer bees, alligators in the sewers, and of course Willard. Rattus centers on a husband and wife exterminator team, Chris and Benita (Benny) Jackson. The Jacksons are going through a divorce, but still working together. A recently developed rodenticide, Degenesis, doesn't kill rats but rather renders them sterile. The idea was that if rats can't reproduce, they would eventually die out solving New York's rat problem.

Chris and Benny discover that Degenesis does not have the desired effects, in fact, it is creating a hive mind in the New York rats. What may have worked on lab rats certainly is having the opposite impact on the city rat population. The inventor is in denial. The city government begins to panic. Will man remain at the top of the food chain?

Written in the 1970s pulp horror style Rattus proves to be entertaining:

"I made the mistake of turning around. Jumping Jesus! Possibly a thousand rats were on our tail, their own tails bobbing like Satan’s spaghetti."

The idea is to present the horror, so it is a little short on the science as well as detailed personal information on the characters. That creates the downside in the page count. At only one hundred and twelve pages there seems a little more story could have been written.

This was a fantastic, creepy, gross, and very unique story! It makes you think..."what if this really happened?".
I can't recommend this one enough!!!