Ordinary Thunderstorms

By William Boyd

A thrilling, plot-twisting novel from the author of Restless, a national bestseller and winner of the Costa Novel of the Year Award.

It is May in Chelsea, London. The glittering river is unusually high on an otherwise ordinary afternoon. Adam Kindred, a young climatologist in town for a job interview, ambles along the Embankment, admiring the view. He is pleasantly surprised to come across a little Italian bistro down a leafy side street. During his meal he strikes up a conversation with a solitary diner at the next table, who leaves soon afterwards. With horrifying speed, this chance encounter leads to a series of malign accidents through which Adam will lose everything - home, family, friends, job, reputation, passport, credit cards, mobile phone - never to get them back.

A heart-in-mouth conspiracy novel about the fragility of social identity, the corruption at the heart of big business and the secrets that lie hidden in the filthy underbelly of the everyday city.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 9, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307358226

William Boyd

William Boyd is also the author of A Good Man in Africa, winner of the Whitbread Award and the Somerset Maugham Award; An Ice-Cream War, winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys War Prize and short-listed for the Booker Prize; Brazzaville Beach, winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize; Restless, winner of the Costa Novel of the Year; Ordinary Thunderstorms; and Waiting for Sunrise, among other books. He lives in London.

Reviews for Ordinary Thunderstorms

[pilgrimjess · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Climatologist Adam Kindred arrives in London from America for a job interview from after a sexual indiscretion has ruined his marriage and his academic career there. Dining alone in a Chelsea restaurant, he strikes up a conversation with fellow lone diner Philip Wang. When Wang, an immunologist, leaves the restaurant he also leaves a sheaf of papers behind. Adam, attempts to return the papers to his new acquaintance's flat only to find him with a knife sticking out of his side. Kindred subsequently does two incredibly stupid things: he removes the knife, hastening Wang's death and ensuring that his fingerprints are on the murder weapon, and then after hearing noises in the flat going on the run. Pursued by Wang's killer and the police he decides to shun the trappings of society and go underground living as a vagrant. Once there Kindred's intelligence and self-preservation instincts means that he is gradually able to construct some semblance of civilised life. Thus the novel begins as a thriller with an innocent man mistaken for a murderer who finds himself caught up in the murky world of major pharmaceuticals and drug patenting. However, it soon becomes apparent that identity and self worth are also important factors in this book.This idea seems to affect the author as much as the characters because I felt that Boyd struggled to decide what sort of book he actually wanted to write. Set along the banks of the Thames the action seems to meander along rather than rapidly flow downstream as you would expect in an out and out thriller. The twists and turns of the plot feel forced rather than free flowing. The chapters generally alternate between Kindred and Jonjo Case, the real murderer, as they take part in in a cat and mouse chase but are on occasions interwoven with the stories of a few minor characters, ranging from a semi-literate prostitute struggling to survive as a single parent living on a London sink estate, a charlatan preacher who provides free meals to those willing to listen to his sermons, a policewoman (who also adds the love interest of this novel) who lives with her father on a house boat, and the fat cat owners of a large pharmaceutical company. These sub-plots rather suggest that the author wanted to write a critique on London life, the differences between the disparate social classes but this idea is hinted at rather than fully developed. This is a real shame because I believe that Boyd had a real opportunity to shine a light on the murky, lawless, subculture of a London sink estate and the alienation felt by those who feel on the outside of society not to mention their desire to survive no matter what obstacles life puts in front of them. Consequently Kindred's own character comes across as lacking any real depth. This books therefore seems to fall between two very differing genres but that all said and done it is well written making this an enjoyable piece of escapism. I simply feel that it was a missed opportunity and could have been so much better. I have the author's A Good Man in Africa and Armadillo in my possession so look forward to reading them at some point.

[johnjgaynard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There were some good moments, but this is not one of Boyd's best. This comment does not mean that I won't continue to read him. I will.

[soradsauce_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I picked this book up randomly at the library when I went to check out some more Calvino, so I had no expectations, really, other than what one usually expects out of a rather trashy mystery thriller novel. I was really disappointed when it was even worse than that! I didn't finish this book - the protagonist makes every wrong move, with flawed and just bad logic behind it. The characters were flat, vulgarity and gore were thrown in gratuitously and just ruined the fast paced flow of a mystery novel. I'm one to give trashy crime novels a chance when I don't want to read anything overly challenging, but this was a complete disappointment.

[lesleynicol · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I would not normally read a book like this but it was set by my reading group. William Boyd is not a favourite of mine. His writing style annoys me. I did find the book intriguing and kept on reading to find out what happened. The plot was very contrived and the "crooks" among the characters very stereotyped.

[hardlyhardy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ordinary thunderstorms can sometimes turn into violent and destructive super-cell storms. William Boyd runs with this metaphor in "Ordinary Thunderstorms," his thinking-man's thriller from 2010.Adam Kindred, a climatologist in London for a job interview, has a casual restaurant conversation with another scientist, a drug researcher. When Philip Wang departs he leaves behind a file, which Adam finds. It has Wang's address and phone number on it, so Adams calls him and offers to drop the file off at his place. This minor inconvenience is the ordinary thunderstorm.When he arrives at the flat he finds the door open and Wang with a knife in his chest. He pulls out the knife, Wang dies and just like that Adam finds himself the chief suspect in a murder case, his fingerprints on the murder weapon and his name on the visitor register. But this is now a super-cell thunderstorm, and Adam's even greater danger is that Wang's killer, an ex-soldier called Jonjo, is hiding in the flat and, because of that file, wants to kill Adam, too.Boyd keeps up the tension in the novel's first few pages, but after that those who make a steady diet of thrillers, with their constant action and murders every other chapter, may get bored with "Ordinary Thunderstorms," for the center of this storm is prolonged lull, though hardly an uninteresting one for more discerning readers. The author takes us into the London underground, not the subway system but rather the shadowy world into which countless people disappear each year.Adam finds it amazingly easy to disappear from view, even in a city that has cameras everywhere. He supports himself by begging in the street, avoids using his real name or his credit cards, grows a beard and, for a time, sleeps outside. Gradually he forms a new identity, gets a job as a hospital porter and begins to probe the mystery of what got Philip Wang murdered.Some of this may strain belief, as when Adam starts dating a police officer and she falls in love with him without bothering to probe his past even a little bit. Still it is fascinating stuff. The novel ends with the suggestion that, while this particular storm may be over, another one may be just over the horizon.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There are some novels I read as a substitute for TV and for pure entertainment value. These include mysteries and some science-fiction. Ordinary Thunderstorms does not fit into either of these genres, but it is a novel to be read for pure entertainment value. It's not great literature, there are no deep revelations, no grand ideas, but it is well-written, highly readable and has an engaging story. It sucked me in, immersed me in its world for a while, and then let me off, not a better or more informed person, but a satisfied reader.The story begins as Adam, a climatology scientist, has just completed a job interview which he believes has gone extremely well. To celebrate, he treats himself to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Chelsea. In the restaurant he exchanges pleasantries with another solo diner, during which he learns that the other man is also a research scientist. After the other man leaves, Adam notices that he left some papers behind, and Adam decides to return them (he had been given the man's phone number). This was a big mistake, and Adam soon finds himself on the run from both the police, who want to charge him with murder, and from a hulking giant who wants to kill him. Adam goes underground, and must learn to leave without cash, credit cards, housing and readily available food. The story of Adam's survival on the streets as a homeless person is interesting enough, but at the same time Adam also must make sense of what has happened to him. This all makes the book a page turner.There is a small plot point at the end of the book that I was really annoyed by, so I was thinking of taking 1/2 star off, but since this didn't affect my enjoyment of the book until the very end I'm leaving my rating at 3 stars.

[benkaboo-51322 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pretty ordinary conspiracy thriller. However the descriptions of a character from a white collar background adapting to living a life off-the-grid is pretty interesting and where I started to really enjoy the book.

[mkunruh-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book, but I didn't love how craft-like it felt. I have trouble with over-plotted books, and although I appreciated how he provided a reason for all the actions (and reactions) I got tired of seeing that happen in the book. Plus, what a missed opportunity, with "Ordinary Thunderstorms" as the title and a main character who studied clouds for a living I expected that science would play a bigger role.

[lara335 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Adam stumbles upon a dying man, and flees, fearing he will be accused of murder…. And so, William Boyd delves into the underbelly of down-and-outs, the wretchedly poor, and, in contrast, the machinations of a money-grabbing pharmaceutical company.Interesting story but, unlike the usual classic literature, there was no neatly tied-up ending.

[hemlokgang · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about falling from grace. What happens when all money, safety, power are stripped away overnight, by mistake. How do people survive? To what lengths will they go? How does one build a new identity and a new life. All of these questions are addressed in the midst of a murder/suspense novel. Well done, William Boyd, well done!

[ectopicbrain · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A tale of a young man who makes a tough decision and ends up being hunted for murder and forced to live in the underbelly of London. No the best of his books but the main character is very well written.

[dhealy_21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I normally shy away from British novels as too, well, British. This one reads like an American thriller.

[mumineurope · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Adam going underground in London. Great page turner

[bhowell_35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

William Boyd is such an accomplished writer that when he decides to write a thriller , it is a very exciting read. The bad guys are sinister but occasionally quite humourous and the plot is tight . I thought I had it figured but was delighted to be wrong.Highly recommended.

[ameise1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is a thrilling and breathtaking fast-paced story. The language is absolutely brilliant. It shows how the life of a young man was turned upside down. Getting back a worth living life he has to solve a murder. He isn't helping the police which are hunting him, quit the contray he is playing a pharmaceutic group off against a bounty hunter. In the end he is getting a new life back. Probably a better one?

[diccon1bewes · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A literary thriller? Or an unbelievably contrived story? Maybe a bit of both. Definitely a page-turner that's well-written and enjoyable.

[joecflee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book started off welll, but can't get away from the impression that it was just a mish mash of characters and plots from a variety of "seen that, been there" thrillers. First, the "save the asthma pharma drug" plot seemed a bit mundane, along with the children dying and drug company trying to hide that. Being framed for that and then going underground without any idea of what's happening required quite a leap of faith by the reader.In the end, there were too many loose ends that cry for a sequel, except, I'm not sure I'll be getting that.Having said that, the book was generally well-written... just the story...

[lizchris_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, it was a gripping thriller that kept me hooked almost to the last page. The sense of place is fantastic, it really brought London to life. There are loads of big themes - homelessness, poverty, corporate crime, surveillance society - but these serve the story rather than weigh it down. Having been so absorbed by the story, I did wonder how the various strands would get resolved and found the ending a little limp. But that's a small criticism, I recommend this highly.

[sinaloa237_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book.William Boyd is an incredible story teller. Might not be the most important book of the year, and surely not the best book by this author, but once you have begun, you just cannot stop and cannot wait to get to the end!Highly recommended to anyone, very entertaining.

[tigsw · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not one of Boyd's best books but still very readable and interesting. The story line is implausable at the beginning, but the book is definitely still worthwhile carrying on with. Some really good character developments. Much lighter in content than his earlier works.

[bobbieharv · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Boyd is one of my favorite authors, so maybe I should give this a second chance, but I just gave up in the middle of this book. I couldn't wrap my head around the premise, that a guy from an academic background who didn't commit a murder would become a homeless person hiding from the police after he was wrongly accused. And his hookups also strained my credibility. Maybe it turned out he did it after all, but I didn't stick around long enough to find out.

[shawnd_72 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a fast-paced action novel with an sympathetic but only somewhat believable young protagonist, Adam Kindred. Kindred ends up a victim of circumstance implicated in a homicide while in London, and finds himself on the run from the law. Taking a tour through homelessness, a cast of characters emerges including a former military operative, a prostitute, a marine policewoman, and pharmaceuticals executives. Most all of them are trying to find Kindred to be the first to catch him and kill him.The first chapter or two are off-putting and cliche, and a reader needs to stick with it to see the beauty of the book. The pace speeds up, the mysteries begin, Kindred becomes more believable and three dimensional. The ending is somewhat surprising, and at points the book is heart wrenching. This is a fulfilling action thriller that consistently increases in momentum until the pages are turning themselves.

[doondeck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As always, Boyd's writing is so good, holds the thread of the story so well and keeps you involved. Each character was well developed. Adam's actions at the beginning of this mystery seemed unbelievable, but like Adam we get caught up in the story. A strange ending but I think it was well suited to this tale.

[safetygirl_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was great. Will definitely read more by this author.

[wodehouselib · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book will have you hooked from the first three pages - its fast paced, not too violent, and an interesting view of London in the 21st century. Would recommend. HF.

[carothelibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

PLUS - * Lots of different threads in the story serve to keep the pages turning so you can find out how all the characters and plots join up towards the end.* Some interesting points are made about city life, and how people could (in theory) just disappear from mainstream society,MINUS - *Some of the plot seems highly implausible. The book may be set in 'real world' London, but I'm not sure it could be called realistic.*The ending seemed a little too simplistic, bordering on predictable. I'm not saying I guessed what would happen, but all the 'bad-guys' got their comeuppance in the end. I was expecting a final twist that never came.OVERALL - Fairly enjoyable, fairly straightforward, not too brain-taxing. Wouldn't recommend it as a must-read though. One to read on the train or plane maybe.

[kltmd_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stick with it. First chapter makes you look over your shoulder to make sure no one saw you start reading, but perseverance yields a very interesting story. Flawed though clever protagonist, ambiguous ending make a very interesting read.

[ronrose1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Have you ever set aside a book promising yourself to read it later, because another book came along that you were dying to read? Then another book comes along that was well hyped and then another. Eventually you find that first book under a pile of other books you have read. You finally get a chance to read it and it turns out this book is better than many of the other books you read since you first set this one aside. Ordinary Thunderstorms: A Novel is that book. Adam Kindred is a young man who strikes up a casual conversation with a stranger in a small Italian bistro in a suburb of London. From this minor encounter his life begins to fall apart like a tumbling row of dominoes. He is soon running from not only the police, but also a killer who is desperate to find him. Adam sees only one way out, to disappear. But how do you disappear in a city that has more closed circuit televisions scanning the populace than any other city in the world. How do you not leave a trail, when any financial transaction or a meeting with a public official could be recorded and lead back to you. It is after all, the information age. We are all tied in myriad ways to the grid. How do you utterly disappear in the heart of London? I enjoyed this book very much. I felt a couple of the scenarios were a bit thin, but the author pulled them off. The writing was very good overall. The characters were deftly brought to life. I found myself routing for the hero to persevere. Perhaps we all have that subliminal desire from time to time to vanish from our present lives and see if we could start over again. This book was provided for review by the well read folks at Harper Perennial.

[yossarianxeno · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another highly readable William Boyd novel, albeit not as as original or convincing as other things he's written. The subject - a falsely accused murder suspect fleeing injustice in London - is a little more mainstream than other Boyd works, but in plotting, character development and general description this remains well above that of your average book. But my gripe about this novel is the ending: what happened? Essentially, when it feels like there should be a few more chapters describing how events unfolded, there is just a brief, unsatisfactory summary chapter. Did Boyd suddenly decide he couldn't be bothered to finish the book?

[clara53_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As I started reading this book, I knew it: I discovered another talented writer. "John Grisham" format, but much richer style. An excellent thriller. If at all I have anything negative to say, it would be that at times (only at times) it seemed a bit too easy for the protagonist to avoid his pursuers, but then how true it is: if you don't have any paper trail - how easy it is to just "vanish"... Also, the police woman Rita's character promised more depth at the beginning, but turned out a bit superficial as the story progressed; still, she wasn't the main character, after all. But that put aside, a quite worthy read.