Silent Thunder

Review - Silent Thunder by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen

Expert submarine designer Hannah Bryson has been hired by a museum to inspect a Russian sub about to be open to the public for display. Along with her brother, Connor, she is to inspect every nook and cranny of the sub to make sure it is safe. When her brother discovers a plate with mysterious markings, a deadly tragedy occurs that catapults Hannah into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a former Russian submarine captain.

I don't know why I don't read more books like this. Sometimes I get so caught up in reading "serious" novels that I forget how much fun reading can actually be. This book by the mother-and-son Johansen team reminds me. They give the reader a spunky, smart heroine, fast-paced action, just enough love interest to keep things interesting, and some really great bad guys. Hannah is easy to root for - several times other characters refer to her tendency to relate better to machines than people, so when she allows herself to be vulnerable she becomes even more endearing. Her secondary characters are an entertaining mix of good and bad - noone is ever quite what they seem, which keeps the tension building right up to the end.

I'm not really sure how the writers divided up the writing tasks, but the result is seamless. The book has a consistent voice, and if I hadn't been told I would not have known it was the work of two authors. The Johansens are a great writing team, and I certainly hope there will be more from them in the future!

Finished: 7/5/08
Rating: 8/10
Source: Review copy from publicist