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Bob Lee Swagger, former Marine sniper in Vietnam, is now in his mid 60s. You could almost believe that he is becoming domesticated, in that he has a happy home life with his wife Julie, their young daughter, Miko, and a successful adult daughter, Nikki, a beginning journalist who is currently working on a series of articles about the methamphetamine trade in the Virginia/Tennessee area. She's just completed an interview when she is pursued on a treacherous mountain road by some kind of lunatic. It's only thanks to her skillful driving that she is able to avoid being catapulted off the road but there was also a bit of luck involved when the driver finally does hit her and her vehicle doesn't roll over. A situation that should have resulted in instant death leaves Nikki in a coma instead. The investigators believe that she was the victim of a joyriding teenager; however, Bob wonders if someone with a grudge against him has targeted his daughter. Bob immediately leaves his ranch in Idaho to see what happened. He finds himself in the middle of an area preparing for a major NASCAR event. As he follows the wispy path behind Nikki's accident, he begins to believe that Nikki's investigative reporting may have unsettled some folks who wanted to shut her down permanently. It isn't long before the investigation leads him to the Grumley family, whose patriarch, Reverend Alton Grumley, has spread his seed throughout the land, having seven wives and various other liaisons that have produced a plethora of Grumleys. The various members of the family operate almost like a mob family - they are known for doing whatever needs to be done, without remorse or question. The more intelligent members of the clan are shunted off outside the community, while the ones that remain are vicious, stupid and inordinately loyal to their leader. What Bob doesn't immediately know is that they are involved in a very nefarious plot to rob the NASCAR event of its proceeds. The conclusion of the book is an action-packed view of how the Grumleys and the driver that targeted Nikki, "Sinnerman," hijack the event proceeds and prepare a bold getaway. Of course, Bob is able to thwart them. There are a couple of well-done twists that reveal the surprising head of the operation. As is often the case in the Bob Lee Swagger books, Bob appears to be the hunted but in reality is the hunter. A few things don't quite work, beginning with Nikki's accident as the book opens. She is driving against a man who is a truly expert driver and almost outsmarts him. I wondered where she had gotten these skills, why she didn't react in the normal ways that most people would when facing such a threat. Secondly, the dialogue in the book is quite formal and Swagger is almost courtly. It was an odd contrast to the testosterone-fueled story. There were a few other male characters who talked in almost the same fashion as he did, which made it difficult to distinguish one from another. The plot is a bit farfetched and the characters not very developed and even over the top. NIGHT OF THUNDER has lots of action for the thriller junkie, and the depiction of the NASCAR experience is very well done. If you mostly want excitement from your reading, then you'll enjoy this book.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, October 2008
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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