Assessment:
Plot: The moderate pace of this novel is sometimes slowed down by the in-depth descriptions of police procedures and medical details, but that insider information can also be very appealing to forensics fans. The book offers a skillful, suspenseful ending and a satisfying denouement.
Prose: Thomason and Hunter deftly employ industry-specific dialogue to both help with the pacing of the plot and lend authenticity to the conversations and events at hand, providing clear descriptions of characters, technical information and trade secrets, and engaging dialogue.
Originality: Techno-thrillers are becoming a more popular genre, and this one possesses a highly original storyline, replete with impressive characterizations and the intriguing theme of violent domino murders.
Character Development: The book provides wonderfully succinct character descriptions that are blended with their background stories and fleshed out with illustrative behaviors that chart their ongoing growth and progress. There is a marked distinction between the strong protagonist and competing antagonist personalities and their respective schemes.
Blurb: This techno-suspense novel is filled to the brim with fascinating details about a mysterious murder trail, deceit, crime scenes, and the strange domino effects that ensue.
Date Submitted: August 20, 2018
Mobsters, murders, mermaids
A Jacksonville Beach-based police procedural
“First, imagine a line of dominoes, all standing on end, carefully arranged so that when the first one is tipped, it starts a chain reaction. Now, imagine that each domino represents a criminal act. So, when the first crime is committed, the chain reaction was set in motion.”
In “The Domino Event,” author Bruce Thomason’s fourth in the series (“Body Toll,” “The Six O’Clock Rule,” and “Perception of Power”) about police work, the first domino gets a little personal for series protagonist Clay Randall, Jacksonville Beach police commander. An arrest brings his brother-in-law Jason Bell pounding on his door — one of Bell’s computer-firm employees has gone over to the dark side. Things quickly go downhill when the employee is found hanging from a tree in his backyard.
Thomason, a former Jacksonville Beach police chief, knows of what he writes. In a straightforward police procedural style, he gives the reader a ground-level feel for what actually happens in daily police work. His wife and editor for the first three novels, JD Hunter, also a former police officer, is added as a co-author in “Domino.”
“… (W)hen the first one is tipped, it starts a chain reaction…” As the murders mount, Commander Randall and Sgt. Summer Hayes trudge from strip clubs to beachside mansions in search of the killers. The plot thickens as things get out of hand, with a policeman shot, car bombs, hired assassins and an incursion by the Russian mob. And, in what has become a Thomason trademark, the climax is as intense as ever, with both Randall and Hayes fighting for their lives.
And about that red-haired mermaid …
“… as Phil Gouthier drove along the beach in his patrol car … checking for homeless people sleeping in the dunes … And then he saw something … He drew a deep breath. She was almost at the end of the pier. While the figure was tiny, he could see a hint of red hair and a large tail that flipped in and out of the water. She was waving her hand. Waving at him … He slowly raised his hand and waved back. With one flip of her tail she disappeared.”
I enjoyed reading “The Domino Event” and haven’t read any of the previous books featuring Clay Randall, and after reading this book, I’m going to read more Clay Randall books as I’m a fan now.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began reading the story, and found the story catching more of my attention as I read each brief action filled and thought-provoking chapter.
This intriguing story was intelligently done, fast moving, suspenseful, and left you hanging at the end of each chapter. The authors put you right in the scene of the action watching it all happen. It’s like you’re standing next to the police listening to them as they discuss crime scenes, their analysis, and police procedures.
Likewise, it was like being in the background listening to the bad guys scheme.
Very well done, and the excitement builds upon itself which made this book hard to put down. Keep them coming, please.
The Beaches Leader, Jacksonville Beach, FL
THE DOMINO EVENT
Bruce Thomason, who was Jacksonville Beach’s police chief for 21 years, started the fourth of his Detective Clay Randall series in September of 2015, and it was on the shelves in November. But this time the writing process was different. JD Hunter is on the back of the book and is co-author with Bruce. Who is JD Hunter? Folks around the Beaches know that it’s Jackie Thomason, the former police chief’s wife. She had been content editor on all three of the first books and has a background of law enforcement also, as well as human resources and project management. She also worked for 20 years at the PGA Tour. The name of the fourth book is “The Domino Event” and some can’t figure out what that has to do about murders, mayhem, crime bosses and even scam computers. In the front of the book, Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Mike Wilson (who isn’t a real person, but Bruce might think so), is talking to a reporter about the Domino Event. “Imagine a line of dominos, all standing on end, the dots gone, carefully arranged so that when the first one is tipped, it starts a chain reaction. However, as long as that first domino remains upright, untouched, unmoving, nothing happens. Now, imagine that each individual domino represents a criminal act. When the first crime was committed, the chain reaction was set in motion.” The Domino Event book starts off with a bang, of course, and keeps getting bigger. A computer fraud scheme is discovered, then multiple murders, explosions, stolen cars, hanging, explosive destruction - you get the idea. The fun part for locals is reading about places right in our Beaches. People all over the country read “our” books. For Bruce and Jackie, it was sort of difficult to change the way they write together. Jackie took over Bruce’s office, and he worked in the kitchen instead. They had spirited conversations that would go on and on. Bruce said, “During the first three books we would discuss and discuss, and we couldn’t come up with anything. Finally, I would say, “My name on the book, I get to decide, and she would go along with it.” The couple admit they have conversations that would go on and on to resolve things. If they couldn’t solve it, they went so far as flipping a coin. While working on the current book, Jackie read about a drone in Georgia that was being used to look for a fugitive, and she thought it was a great idea. It’s part of the book now. Both of the couple enjoy finding things that will go well with their story. Bruce loves doing research, such as police procedurals and autopsies. Jackie’s theme is family dynamic and she believes that there are dynamics in a police station that makes them a family. But not everything can be good – Detective Randall’s brother-in-law is another bad guy. The couple share many of their ideas. Jackie said she feels strongly that most people are not all good or not all bad. She also is strong on emotional aspects and loves to write dialogue. Bruce and Jackie talk about getting started on the next book, but decided to wait to get one started in three or four months. Some may think that discussing and pacing and not agreeing and so on could hurt a marriage. But, when asked if having coauthors was a mistake, the two said it gave them a better marriage. They had spirited conversations that could go on and usually resolved the issue. Book clubs like to read and meet authors and Bruce and Jackie enjoy it also. They have a mailing list of close to 1,000. The other three books, all in and on our beaches, are Body Toll, The Six O’Clock Rule and Perception of Power and have earned several awards.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lake Buena Vista, FL – The Annual 2018 Florida Authors and Publishers Association President’s Book Awards recognized The Domino Event by Bruce Thomason & JD Hunter, in the category of Adult Fiction: Suspense/Thriller, as a Bronze medal winner.
Hosted by the Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA), this prestigious national award is open to books published between 2017 and 2018. The judges for this national competition are librarians, educators, and publishing professionals.
FAPA s an organization for authors, publishers, illustrators, editors, printers, and other professionals involved in the publishing industry. It focuses on providing the highest quality of information, resources, and professional development to members and others interested in the writing and publishing profession.
