“Full of heartbreak, revulsion and black humour, a scientist desperately searches for a cure to a zombie virus while also hiding a monumental secret – her undead husband.

Kesta’s husband, Tim, was the last person to be bitten in a zombie pandemic. The country is now in a period of respite, the government seemingly having rounded up and disposed of all the infected.

But Kesta has a secret . . .

Tim may have been bitten, but he’s not quite dead yet. In fact, he’s tied to a bed in her spare room. And she’s made him a promise: find a cure, bring him back.

A scientist by day, Kesta juggles intensive work under the microscope alongside Tim’s care, slipping him stolen drugs to keep him docile while knowing she is hiding the only zombie left. But Kesta is running out of drugs – and time. Can she save her husband before he is discovered? Or worse . . . will they trigger another outbreak?”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford. One Yellow Eye was published by Tor Nightfire on 17th July 2025 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow in May 2026.

I remember the exact moment I saw this book for the first time. I can’t say that about many other books on my shelf, that’s for sure! I was sitting in a Starbucks, doomscrolling. When a bright yellow cover with pink text and a beady eye popped up on my Facebook feed. Instantly, I knew I had to read this book, based on the cover alone. Then I read the blurb and I was convinced my gut reaction was right. I needed this book. Trust your gut, people!

And you thought COVID-19 was a nightmare! The latest pandemic to hit London is a virus that turns people into zombies. Yup, zombies. There’s no treatment available; the zombie must be fully beheaded to ensure it is dead. One tiny bite and guess what, you’re a zombie too! The good news is, it looks to be over. London is in respite. The government assures everyone that the worst is over. But can that ever really be true? Scientist Kesta hopes it is the case, but she’s keeping an explosive secret of her own in her spare room. Her zombie husband, Tim. Bitten, turned, but not quite dead enough to be officially classed as ‘dead’. Definitely more ‘undead’. It’s Kesta’s one mission in life now to find a cure for the virus and fully restore Tim to full-human-health. Can Kesta keep Tim’s survival ‘of a sort’ secret? And most importantly of all, can Kesta find the all important cure before it’s too late….?

Oh my goodness, I loved this One Yellow Eye! On one hand, it’s very much my sort of thing. The blood, the gore, the zombie apocalypse! On the other, it isn’t really because one of the main plot points is the relationship between Kesta and Tim, and that’s something I tend to avoid in fiction. I’ve never really been one for romance/relationships in my crime fiction, so why start now?! Seems to be a bit of a trend in my book choices at the moment, so perhaps I’m maturing (🤭). Kesta’s unflinching, relentless drive to restore her husband to the man she once knew is the motivation behind everything she does, all the good and all the bad. And oh boy, does she make some questionable decisions!

Grief plays a large part in this novel. Despite still having her husband shut away in the spare room, heavily sedated and groaning, the rest of the world – her friends, colleagues – believe Tim died a grisly death as a slathering, blood-hungry monster. So Kesta has to play that part convincingly, remembering to keep her secret locked away (he is handcuffed to the radiator!) whilst playing the grieving spouse. But let’s face it, that’s probably not too difficult when the man you loved with a passion is no longer a man! I loved Kesta. I thought she was multi-layered, fascinating, and a terrific lead character. There’s something charming about her. Something where, despite what she does, you can’t help but feel for her. Comparisons have been made between this book and Frankenstein. Interesting that Kesta’s surname is Shelley!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. If you’re looking for something a little different, One Yellow Eye is it! In amongst the blood, guts. and dissection gore is a story with a whole lot of heart. I’m not one to mention trigger warnings in my reviews, but this one does have a large chunk of animal testing in it, which made me feel a little queasy (more to do with the situation as a whole than any specific detail though). There’s animal and human death too, which I think you have to expect with a novel based on this particular subject matter. There’s science as well, but it didn’t feel overwhelming. Nor did it leave me feeling inferior or a bit on the simple side. The plot moves at an intriguing pace and I was kept in the story throughout. This isn’t a high spills thriller though. There’s definitely a more literary tone to proceedings. Personally, I couldn’t fault the pace. The characters are well-written, with Kesta leading the way. The story is told mainly from her point of view. Her unrelenting drive to cure her husband of his zombie status colours everything to the point where she may be doing more harm than good. And that ending…*chefs kiss*. Perfection. Beautifully done by the author. By this point you’re emotionally invested in what is happening on the page, so when what happens happens, it’s breath-taking. Gasp-inducing brilliance. I loved One Yellow Eye. I’m impatiently waiting to see what Radford publishes next. Highly original, completely engrossing, and heartbreakingly emotional. Highly recommended.

One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford was published in the UK by Tor Nightfire on 17th July 2025 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Leigh Radford trained as a broadcast journalist. She produced and presented arts and entertainment content for commercial radio, Time Out, The Times and The Sun, along with documentaries for the BBC, including Rilke’s Women for Radio 4. A former book publicist, she is a 2023 graduate of Faber Academy. She is currently developing content for film and television through her production company Kenosha Kickers.