SILENT THUNDER - Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen
St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-0-312-36799-2
July 2008
Suspense/Thriller

Rock Harbor, Maine, the Present

Before the maritime museum at Rock Harbor adds a Russian submarine to their facility, it must be meticulously checked out and rendered safe for the public. Marine designer Hannah Bryson and her team have been hired for the job. Hannah has designed cutting edge underwater vessels and became quite famous for her part in exploring the Titanic. Hannah's right hand is her brother Connor. The two of them get started inspecting the Kulyenchikov (translation: Silent Thunder) while awaiting the rest of the team.

At least one American and two Russians are very interested in what might be found during Hannah's inspection.

While removing metal panels in the control room, Connor discovers an extra set of plates that have weird markings on them. Before long, Hannah is pulled from the harbor in a daze, and Connor is dead. The plates are gone, but did Hannah get a good look at them? She has a photographic memory, but her recall of events surrounding her head wound and near drowning is hazy.

SILENT THUNDER is very much a suspense-filled, exciting thriller, but characters are as important, or more so, than the plot. Even Connor, though his time is short, plays a big part. He's the reason that two strong women who love him -- his sister and his wife -- are dead set on discovering the identity of his killer. Who can blame them? Hannah and Connor's relationship was tight and deep, and Connor was a doting husband and father of two. Hannah is devoted to the sea and the vessels that ride on and under it. The only personal life left to her at the beginning of the novel was Connor, his wife, Cathy, and their children.

Dan Bradford, the State Department's liaison, bears close scrutiny, as do several Russians: Pavski, definitely a villain, and his minion, Koppel; and Kirov, on whom it's best to withhold judgment for a time. Which side is he on? Or does he have a side of his own? For whatever reason, he and Hannah team up in the hunt for answers. Then the tension really escalates.

Iris Johansen and her mystery-writer son, Roy Johansen, combine their separate talents to present readers with a finely crafted tale indeed. Deep characterization, fascinating protagonists, and a look back at the old cold war's balance of power that kept it cold and the part submarines played. On that front, however, all is not yet serene. Agencies and individuals still operate sub-rosa, and this provides the background of intrigue for SILENT THUNDER. I highly recommend SILENT THUNDER for readers of both sexes.

Jane Bowers