Tamara Thorne
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Thunder Road Book Review
Review by Garrett Peck, CemeteryDance.com Though Pinnacle Books released their edition of THUNDER ROAD was published by this June, it is not a new novel. It was originally published by Pocket Books (as by “Chris Curry”) in September ’95. The author has since earned a stronger following under her “Tamara Thorne” pseudonym. Pinnacle has made a wise decision to reissue this book, which was likely missed by many of her current readers on its original release, and given us a chance to rediscover a true gem of a horror novel. Things are going to hell in the California desert town of Madelyn. There are strange lights and shapes in the sky, followed by the discovery of mutilated animal carcasses. The military is conspicuously in town, denying UFOs are responsible. Several well known townsfolk have gone missing. The church is desecrated, the devil’s number painted in blood above the cross; maybe by Satanists, or perhaps by members of the local Christian doomsday cult, the Prophet’s apostles, who predict the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse are about to come riding down Thunder Road. One thing is for certain; evil has come to the desert, but its form and purpose may remain unknown until its too late. Thorne displays the ability to create and populate a small town with all the dexterity of Stephen King or Robert McCammon. Among her large cast of characters is Police Chief Moss Baskerville, who is having an affair with a local woman; cowboy Tom Abernathy, who also performs as sharpshooter in a local stunt show; UFOlogist Alexandra Manderly, who’s come to town to investigate those strange lights and animal mutilations; Justin Martin, a young psychopath who wishes to emulate and earn the respect of former undiscovered serial killer and current fortune teller Carlo Pelegrine, once known as “The Peeler”; and James Robert Sinclair, a religious charlatan who plans to bilk his believers out of their money before having a disturbing revelation. These and many other well-drawn characters weave in and out of a plot busy enough for three books. Thorne keeps the suspense taut throughout, keeping the readers’ expectations off balance. With so many things going on at once, she makes her story a wonderful guessing game. Where will the next threat come from? The UFOs? The Military? The cult? The young serial killer? Her many seemingly separate subplots are all interesting in their own right, yet all come together flawlessly to create tension and an impending sense of doom coming from all directions. All is resolved in an exciting and extended climax. Coupling ambition with ability, Thorne packs several books worth of thrills into one tight and satisfying package. Surely this novel deserved a lot more attention than it got the first time it was published. Pinnacle has given it another chance to find the large and appreciative readership it deserves. If you missed it the first time around, don’t make the same mistake twice.
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