Storm Runners

Matt Stromsoe and Mike Tavarez were the best of friends in high school. They marched in the band at the same time although Stromsoe was the Drum Major in their late years of school. Both boys loved Hallie, but Mike ended up winning her in marriage, which disappointed Matt. Mike was always into gangs in school and afterwards. Matt became a cop. Little did Matt know that his future included a marriage to Hallie after Tavarez had beaten and abused her during their married years. And, also unknown to Matt was that Tavarez would kill Hallie and their son Billie while intending to kill Matt because he had taken Hallie away from him. Matt survived the blast that occurred in their garage but with many injuries including a lost eye that was replaced by a glass eye. His physical injuries were terrible but his mental anguish was even greater. Tavarez had become a thief and armed robber and was eventually caught and sentenced to prison while Matt went on to work for a private investigation firm. Tavarez became a controller of Mexican Mafia and other gangs in prison and by communication devices; he also was a boss of gangs outside of prison. His control dominated most of the gangs throughout the nation with the assistance of some corrupt prison guards. Matt finally felt more comfortable in talking with a woman reporter and told his story so all could know it. His story to the reporter started from his youth, his friendship with Tavares, the terrible torture given to Hallie, the marriage of Matt and Hallie, the birth of Billie, and the horrible death of Hallie and Billie. Dan Birch, the owner of the PI firm that hired Stromsoe, received a call from a weather reporter in San Diego requesting protection from a stalker she had been seen too many times near her and taking pictures of her. The reporter, Frankie Hatfield, had also taken pictures of the stalker and was fearful for what his intention might be. Birch placed Stromsoe on the case. He was sent to San Diego to meet with and gather the facts of the case, view the pictures, and ascertain what needed done to protect Frankie. Frankie and Matt hit it off very well and Matt knew he had to protect this woman to keep her safe and not hurt or killed like his wife and son had been. Frankie had a secret formula to make rain more intense that had been passed down from her grandfather but never written down. The formula was kept entirely in Frankie's memory. Matt accompanied Frankie from site to site as she moved her reporting locations to various areas and backgrounds. Almost at once Matt saw the stalker and gave chase. The first chase was unsuccessful but he didn't give up. His aching bones and joints gave him problems chasing but his desire to keep Frankie safe intensified his efforts. The Department of Water and Power for the area was led by some that had heard of Frankie and her grandfather before her and their experiments about rain. They desperately wanted that formulas so the

This was a great book by T Jefferson Parker. His knowledge of the Spanish Gang called La Emme is very insightful and believable. He also takes you back and gives you history of the LA DPW. Very good book from start to finish.

One of Parker's best. No gruesome ways to kill or torture women as in the sex criminal who practiced taxidermy on them, no people-eating serpents, which had turned me off to his books. Ditto tired jaded cops in all mystery fiction, a boring stereotype. Here a cracking good story. Parker's typical damaged hero rehabilitates to bodyguard a San Diego TV weather woman, the romantic interest--but a bit too convenient. Why do women always fall into the arms of a PI hero with no effort on his part? Too common, unlikely male fantasy. The woman is also more normal vs so often so off-center as to be unbelievable in some of his books, though she has an unusual obsession. Only plot flaw: Why would a major bad guy only decide to break out of prison at the end when he had the means and know-how to do it all along? Again too convenient to the plot. Parker's lyrical and fresh descriptions of nature always illuminate, now that he has dropped sleep-inducing multi-page descriptions of setting. His voice is unique and fresh, the menace in the plot one not explored to my knowledge, and twists of plot and character make STORM RUNNERS a standout, and a fast satisfying read.

T. Jefferson Parker's STORM RUNNERS receives Christopher Lane's powerful audio narration skills, which have backed over 100 previous winning audiobooks, as it tells of one Matt, wounded and bereaved after an explosion kills his family. He has largely recovered from his losses and is ready to take on another case at his police force job - only to find it leads him back to his loss and the killer who caused it.

In California, Mike Tavarez, a top gun in the Mexican Mafia La Eme, sets off a bomb intended to kill Orange County detective Matt Stromsoe. Matt is severely injured, but his wife and son die in the blast. As he heals physically, the scars remain mentally although Tavarez, his former high school classmate, is convicted of murder and sentenced to spend life in prison. Finally able to go back to work, Stromsoe accepts work guarding San Diego meteorologist Frankie Leigh from a stalker. Stromsoe soon realizes that the culprit was hired by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to prevent Leigh, whom they consider a major nuisance, from presenting her research into rainmaking. This is an exciting suspenseful thriller that has a great opening sentence that sets the stage for the two antagonists. The story line is fast-paced with the audience totally hooked with a High Noon anticipation from T. Jefferson Parker cleverly building up from that first line crescendo. The deep look at La Eme interwoven into the plot is fascinating and Mr. Parker provides a fabulous crime thriller with a touch of weather science to enhance the stormy confrontational expectations as everyone knows what weather is coming. Harriet Klausner