A series of events separates Jack Broderick from the rest of his family, and he desperately tries to find his way back to them. Massive solar flares sent humanity back to the stone age. Ten days after the “Pulse”, a hurricane, several bands of armed thugs, his inner conflict, and his sense of duty to protect others stand in his way. But that won’t stop Jack from reaching his goal.

The Gulf is book three of Owen Garratt’s series The Pulse. Full disclosure: I did not read books one and two. Garratt’s series follows a specific set of events that lead to new events and the rest of the story. Even though book three is an action-packed thriller that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, there is a lot of background information needed to fully understand the plot. Read books one and two first.

The Gulf is a high-intensity thrill ride. At no point does Garratt let the reader relax. I began reading this book while Hurricane Milton was ravishing Florida. Garratt’s book starts out in the middle of a hurricane. The actual news reports combined with Garratt’s descriptions make me glad I was safe on the West Coast. But the calm after the storm does not happen for Jack and the crew. The action in this book never lets up. Garratt masterfully weaves in a whole story while bullets fly and storms rage.

The Gulf is a post-apocalyptic tale. But unlike many books of this genre, Garratt does not throw in zombies, mutants, or any other stretch of the imagination. Garratt pits his main character against nature, other humans, and, of course, himself. There is no need for the undead. Humanity is an evil enough adversary. Garratt also reveals much of the ongoing conflict in Jack’s own head.

This story would not exist if not for Jack’s past actions, and Garratt uses inner turmoil and personal growth as a major part of the plot. Everyone has flaws, and seeing Jack work through them can be uplifting to some. Much of the appeal of this book is the nonstop action. But the fast pacing sometimes gets bogged down with a lot of descriptions.

This is a logical next read for fans of Garratt’s first two books. For readers looking for a fast-paced, high-action, nonstop thrill ride, this book hits on so many levels. Let this book be the catalyst that introduces you to the rest of Garratt’s writings.