This is a new genre for me. I'm not sure that I've ever read or watched a zombie party. However, I am a fan of mystery so the unknown/surprise element of the multiple infected was pretty interesting to me from the get go. I was also drawn to the diversity of setting and cast, which I always think can help make a story more rich. Because I wasn't familiar with his prior work, I didn't know much of what to expect from this story. I understand that there is some history of the story within this genre and franchise, but it was nice to be starting fresh with this story. I'm not sure that I'll be leaping into the genre anytime soon, and it may be awhile before I read another Zombie novel, but it's always nice to have something new!