Rolling Thunder

By Chris Grabenstein

Being a cop on the Jersey Shore has its ups and downs in a series that’s “far more than a beach-book romp. Taut and satisfying crime fiction” (Booklist).
  A prominent citizen suffers a heart attack on the opening day of a brand-new boardwalk roller coaster in the seedy seaside resort town Sea Haven, New Jersey. Initially ruled a tragic accident, it isn’t long before there are suspicious hints of foul play—especially after the corpse of a stunning young beach beauty is discovered. Fortunately for mystery lovers, the straight-arrow cop John Ceepak and his wisecracking young partner Danny Boyle are on the case, a detective/sidekick duo critics have compared to Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pegasus Books
• Release date: May 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781453249215

Chris Grabenstein

Chris Grabenstein is an award-winning author. His debut John Ceepak mystery Tilt-A-Whirl was included on several "Best Mysteries of 2005" lists and won the Anthony Award for "Best First Mystery." Mad Mouse, the second series title, was named one of the ten best mysteries of 2006 by Kirkus. Chris is also the author of the Christmas thrillers Slay Ride and its sequel Hell for the Holidays. Chris lives in New York City with his beloved wife J.J., three cats and a dog.

Reviews for Rolling Thunder

[dorie.craig · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great entry in an entertaining series. I love Ceepak and Danny (Ceepak Jr.) This case has the two following up on the suspicious death of the wife of the owner of the new roller coaster ride, Rolling Thunder. Her death is determined to be a heart attack, but then the girlfriend of the coaster owner is found dismembered. I love how in these books Danny seems to be everyone's friend or "buddy".

[bookswoman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is so much fun to fall back into the world of Ceepak and Boyle. The Jersey Shore is so vividly drawn that I would swear I've been there, except for the fact that I've never set foot in the state!This time round Danny and Ceepak are at the grand opening of a new ride on the boardwalk, an old-fashioned wooden roller coaster called, you guessed it, Rolling Thunder. The owner and his family are taking the first ride and have just started into the second hill when the wife suffers a heart attack. Although it appears to be natural causes, questions arise when the coaster owners "girl friend" turns up dead. I absolutely love these characters, Ceepak has relaxed a little but not a lot from the first books but the changes in Danny Boyle have been wonderful to watch. He has basically grown from a cocky teenager (even though he is over 20 when the series starts his behavior is very immature) to a responsible police officer who is learning from his older partner. They make a fascinating contrast as well as a smooth partnership. Can't wait for the next in the series.

[cathyskye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you like wonderful characters, action sequences that can curl your hair, and a delicious sense of humor, you can't go wrong with Chris Grabenstein's Ceepak and Boyle mystery series. Ceepak is the straight arrow, "an ex-military man who looks like he could still jump out of a helicopter with a Humvee strapped to his back." Young Danny Boyle looks up to him as a father figure, and he's the older man's Watson-like sidekick who takes us through their investigations. Danny has been learning and taking on more responsibility with each book, and it's a pleasure to watch him grow. Even Ceepak the Magnificent is slowly being revealed-- mostly through the presence of his no-good father, Joe. Once you learn about Joe, you know why straight-and-narrow Ceepak doesn't contradict people when they denigrate their parents.Grabenstein is an expert with his fast-paced stories, and Rolling Thunder is no exception. The problem in this installment is the O'Malley clan. Most of the O'Malleys are unpleasant (starting with the father), most of them have a motive for committing the crimes, but it takes time for Ceepak and Boyle to work their way through them-- and that clock is ticking away precious minutes.New Jersey seems to have its own special breed of mystery writers with a wonderful sense of humor. Chris Grabenstein, Brad Parks, and Jeffrey Cohen immediately spring to mind. Whenever I need a break from the psychologically dark crime fiction that I read, I know I can journey to Sea Haven to experience a fun and exciting investigation with two of my favorite policemen: John Ceepak and Danny Boyle.

[tymfos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this series set at the New Jersey shore! This was one of the better ones in the series, too. Straight-arrow Iraq war vet John Ceepak of the Sea Haven PD is back with his sidekick Officer Danny Boyle, whose irreverent first-person narration makes for great reading. As a new roller-coaster opens on Pier 4, the wife of the coaster's developer has a heart attack on the first run. Or is it a heart attack? Then a beautiful woman is brutally killed (no doubt that this one is murder) and Ceepak & Danny must find out what's going on.The atmosphere of the Jersey Shore permeates the whole book, from the putt-putt miniature golf to the tacky boardwalk eateries. Love it!

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After a summer of audiobooks and a busy fall, I'm beginning to catch up on my reading and to get up to date on some of my favorite fictional characters. These would definitely include Danny Boyle and John Ceepak, local cops in "sunny, funderful" Sea Haven, NJ. Danny, who narrates the books, is a local boy who more or less drifted into police work. Under Ceepak's expert tutelage, Danny is becoming a better detective and a better man with every book in the series.

One thing that sets this series apart from most of the police procedurals I read is Danny's status as a hometown cop. Quite often, the victims, suspects, and perpetrators, as well as many of the witnesses, are people Danny went to high school with or their parents or siblings. This makes for a completely different police-citizen relationship than one might find in, say, a Michael Connelly book. Danny's hometown status also means that he has something to contribute when he and outsider Ceepak are investigating a crime, which keeps their relationship from being just another "great detective and bumbling sidekick."

In ROLLING THUNDER, a sudden death mars the opening day of a new rollercoaster and gives Danny an opportunity for heroism. But suspicions soon arise: was the death really a heart attack? When a local good-time girl is found dead, Ceepak and Danny must unravel a tangled web of relationships == family and sexual -- among Sea Haven's wealthy and politically connected developers. Maybe it's because I'm personally terrified of carnival rides, but Chris Grabenstein writes some of the most heart-stopping climactic scenes I've ever read, and the situation that occurs at the end of ROLLING THUNDER is one of his best.

If you're new to Chris Grabenstein's work, ROLLING THUNDER can certainly stand on its own, but once you've read it I guarantee you'll be seeking out the earlier volumes in the series! Highly recommended.

[condorena · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Chris Grabenstein always takes me to the Jersey shore for an escapist interlude that is filled with excitement, fun and laughter. Is there a better time to be had than that? These interludes are few and far between that is my only complaint.

[crazybatcow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Each book in the series does stand alone so don't worry too much if you've read them out of order. That being said, however, you won't fully appreciate the story if you don't know the background of Ceepak and his father, of Danny and Sea Haven, of Ceepak and Danny's earlier "adventures" because the book is nearly equally about exploring these characters and their motivations and solving a crime/mystery.It is a decent mystery too... lots of suspense and frustration with the roadblocks Danny and Ceepak have to overcome (interfering officials and rich citizens). And there is a little vein of humor throughout the whole story - particularly when Danny communicates with a suspect, or about people in Sea Haven.All in all, an excellent addition to the Danny & Ceepak world.

[imbookingit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I always enjoy this series! This one doesn't disappoint, and may actually be moving the characters along even more than usual.