After The Rain

Phil Broker #5

by Chuck Logan

Phil Broker’s latest adventure hits close to home, when he finds his estranged wife and daughter caught in a web of deception that may conceal a terrorist plot to bomb Minneapolis’s nuclear power plant When Phil Broker’s estranged wife, Nina, and his daughter, Kit, disappeared months ago, he wasn’t surprised. Nina has a mysterious and dangerous job working for the government, and her work has taken her in harm’s way before. Broker sets out on a mission to find Nina and force her to choose between life as a soldier or a mother, and take Kit out of danger once and for all. At the end of Vapor Trail, Broker learns that Kit has been abandoned by Nina at a motel in Langdon, North Dakota. But when he arrives, the situation is far more complicated than he imagined. Kit is, bizarrely, accompanied by a “babysitter” named Jane, who claims to be Nina’s estranged girlfriend. Buddy Yelton, a local legend and hopeless womanizer, has apparently taken up with Nina. But Buddy Yelton is no harmless local―he has hidden connections to the Aryan Nation, and possibly Middle Eastern terrorists as well. And two motel guests are equally mysterious―Broker can’t help thinking he remembers them as former GIs he knew back in Laos in ’72. Obviously, all is not as it appears―and more than Kit’s life is in danger―the fate of the entire Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro area is in Broker’s hands.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Military Fiction, Espionage, Detective

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Chuck Logan is an author of crime drama and veteran of the Vietnam War, who lives with his wife and daughter in Stillwater, Minnesota.

He is best known for his series of novels featuring the character Phil Broker, an ex-Minnesota police officer. Logan's novels include Hunter's Moon, Absolute Zero, Vapor Trail, Homefront, and After the Rain. Homefront is now a major motion picture starring James Franco and Jason Stratham.

Reviews

[Bart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get a little tired of marital discord between crie fiction protagonists and their variously estranged spouses. And the relationship between Broker and Nina has always struck me as a semi-incredible one.

But in this book Logan plays it to good and relevant effect.

This is a good read.

[Phillip III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making my way through the Chuck Logan library, and enjoying the journey! Phil Broker is quickly becoming one of my favorite fictional characters, putting him just behind the likes of Easy Rawlins and Mitch Rapp.

In my last review (Vapor Trail), I said I would talk more about Phil Broker's wife, Nina Pryce. I didn't want to get into it then, for that review, because at the time I had already started reading After the Rain, and my emotions were hot. Capital H. O.T. So in this review I will cover my feelings on that character in far more depth.

Nina, active Army, took Kit, (Broker's daughter) and left the country. For two years Broker raised Kit while Nina was active in the military. And then, poof. Nina just takes their daughter and goes. Gone without so much as a good bye. Broker did his best dealing with it in Vapor Trail. But they were still working on their marriage some at that point, taking a break. Didn't excuse her taking their kid. I do not think I have ever hated a character more.

And then I started reading After the Rain. Nina is back in town, for the most part. She is on a special, secret op. Working off intel, they believe a a nuclear weapon is in play. The suitcase bomb is either on, or being moved onto U.S. soil. With a small team Nina is going undercover to expose the plot. Part of the props used is Kit. Her seven year old daughter.

Yep. Kit. Her seven year old daughter.

Broker is fit to be tied. He'd been doing his best at handling the situation, giving Nina the space she needed to get things right. So when Nina puts their daughter into play, he about loses it. Which is good, because as Nina penetrates a small family operation, one possibly behind the nuke, she needs Broker to make the ploy realistic. Broker's role? The angry husband.

The local police are not fooled by the sudden appearance of Nina and her team. They stick out like sore thumbs, and working closely with Broker, decide it is best to all play nice and figure out what's going on instead of finger pointing, and puffing chests over infringed territories. Things spiral out of control, and the weapon --the "suitcase" nuke is on the move.

There is little time, and little chance for planning as Broker moves to thwart insidious plans. He and his wife, and the other law enforcement and military personnel put their lives on the line. It isn't about them. Not anymore. It is about saving the city, the state, the country from a nuclear attack. Will they be able to uncover the devious plan and expose those behind it before the bomb is detonated?

Man. Man. Man. After the Rain was intense. The character development is phenomenal. The villains were villainous, and the heroes heroic! There was nothing about this book I didn't like. Readers get treated to some serious background that is dark, and compelling. Another fantastic installment in the Phil Broker series!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of Absolute Zero
and Damn the Dead 

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nina Pryce and her husband, Phil Broker, couldn't have more opposite views of the military. Broker's loyalty to the men he served with in Vietnam is matched only by his certainty that they shouldn't have been there in the first place. Nina, though, is a new breed, a decorated and ambitious vet of the first Gulf War. As Nina proceeds along her chosen career path, Broker -- until his recent "retirement," Minnesota's most effective, unorthodox, and controversial undercover cop -- finds himself struggling in the role of patient military spouse.

Incommunicado for months as part of a top-secret Delta anti-terrorist operation, Nina, with daughter Kit in tow, suddenly emerges in Langdon, North Dakota, a town in the heart of the Cold War Minuteman II missile belt. When Broker arrives to take Kit back home, he realizes that the legacy of those warheads still casts a sinister shadow across the desolate north border country, in the person of a damaged psychopath.

Broker discovers he's been drawn into an elaborate con within a con, made an unwitting participant in a black-bag anti-terrorist detail. But his anger toward Nina for involving him and putting their daughter at risk quickly fades as a larger, more deadly reality becomes evident. With time running out, husband and wife unite with local North Dakota law enforcement to form a last line of defense against a brilliantly simple act of espionage with potentially catastrophic consequences

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the Rain” is one of those novels that you can’t put down. Take it to the beach, on a slow boat cruise, a long plane flight, or a rainy weekend to make the time pass quickly. What makes this a good story is that you care about the leading characters—warts and all. None of them are the perfect humanoids one finds in other action novels, but rather realistic human beings trying to do the seemingly impossible. Chuck Logan did not leave reality out the door when he came up with the timely plot: biological terrorists and mercenary bad guys out to nuke the United States.

The author took time to develop all of the characters and seemed to have found the correct balance of feeding you information bit by bit, without unnecessarily taunting the reader. You can pick it up, read for a while, stop (if you can!), and the go back without loosing the context of the plot.

Another interesting observation: While I see this story as a realistic movie plot, it can easily stand on its own without any potential Hollywood connection. As this is not his first novel with the same characters, I find myself wanting more and will find his previous novels to entertain myself on the next rainy weekend.

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

finished 6th april 2023 good read three stars i liked it kindle library loaner first from logan entertaining story has elements that though used before by others in one shape or another they are presented here in a new light fresh...say like there's an outfit some sort of affiliation with delta force...that's one...and the "bad" guys...one is almost mystical with insight beyond the basic dumb neanderthal prone to violence...and his brother...plus some lebanese long in the country waiting and this is their moment. the language is a plus too almost poetic at times more than simple brush strokes. really enjoyed it all. i'd hazard that the early 30% (a relative point) is "better" than the later...but maybe i'd acclimated. looking forward to more from logan...and i just stumbled across him sniffing books digital library...they had a page set up april "rain"...this being the 3rd "rain" story this month...and about our third day of snowfall here in god's country. wind blowing hard. next week supposed to see 60. imagine that onward and upward.

[Nick Graziano & Pat Graziano · Rating 4 out of 5]

To. All the Heros

The book was well written but too technical for an average Joe like me thank goodness for the touch and define in my kindle also I am so surprised that
after serving in Vietnam you still had the ski!!s left to write books I myself did not serve Kennedy made guys with one child exempt all 5 of my brothers
Served and I know if I was called I would have gone thank you for your service You are one tough Dude.

[Janene Martens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled at the beginning with all the characters and their back stories. This was short and sweet. I like the Minnesota and Midwest references. Strong female character. I would listen to the rest of the series. I previously listened to Absolute Zero and I liked that book a lot more than this one. Maybe reading the books in order would be helpful.

[John Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review would be the same as most of the others so I'll save you, from me. I did struggle at times to keep interested. However like most good novels, the last few chapters were difficult to put down. I did kinda know how it would end, (tongue in cheek), but it was still a fun novel to read.

[Karen Holman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story fits into the thriller group more than a cozy mystery. The characters give the reader pause in terms of what they do and accomplish, and the setting is North Dakota. copy right 2004

[Chris Bridson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broker and Nina battling domestic terrorists. A pretty good thriller.

[Randy Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Rain

As always Chuck Logan’s Phil Broker doesn’t disappoint. The story has complex elements and a diverse story line. I do not get tired of reading this series.

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the Rain is an okay read. However, the way Nina used her seven year-old daughter was extremely unrealistic and eye-rolling that it really weakened the rest of the story.

[Mike Granlunf · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book,

[Rob1109 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simply awful.

From time to time as I walk around the library I’ll pick up a book by an author I’m unfamiliar and try him or her out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I recently tried Chuck Logan’s “After the Rain.’ This time not only didn’t it work out but I wasted 2 hours out of my life I’ll never have back.

I respect all authors. Or try to. I try to find something positive but in this case, it was impossible. This book was just total garbage.

I am a big fan of this genre. Some of my favorite authors are Vince Flynn, Brad Thor and David Baldacci. Just my opinion, but not only does Mr. Logan come nowhere close to them, he falls far short of being a good story teller.

If a book has a so-so plot but is an enjoyable read I will finish reading it. If it has so-so writing but a good plot I will finish reading it. After the Rain had neither. I could only suffer through about 85 pages of this trash before throwing my hands up.

The plot: Nothing original, nothing new. Granted, this book was written in 2004 when 9/11 was still fresh in everyone’s mind. But still, terrorists sneaking a nuke into America? It’s been done a million times but I figured and hoped there’d be a new twist on an overplayed storyline. There wasn’t.

Writing style: This is just my opinion. Each and every author has their own ‘style.’ A Thor novel differs from a Baldacci novel differs from a Connelly novel and so forth. But they each have their own style. I felt Mr. Logan has NO PARTICULAR STYLE. In one paragraph he can use big words and try to impress us with the use of a thesaurus while describing a landscape. Then, the very next paragraph is short. Choppy. One Word. Maybe two.

At times it seems like he just uses adjectives for the heck of it in one paragraph before returning to choppy writing in the next. Or just words on top of words that make no sense other than to fill up a novel:


*****an exact excerpt from page 64*****
D-girls. Nothing but hardcore. Behind the bravado they were all picturing Paula Zahn on CNN going zombie-cottonmouthed, trying to get her words out while in the background a nuclear plume mushroomed over downtown Chicago or Kansas City or…
F**k it.
Nothing else mattered.
Mission first.
********

Huh???? What does that mean???

I also got the impression the author was trying to be…well, cutesy. I’m paraphrasing here but this will give you an idea:
---She walked into the bedroom above the bar and—Good Lord—it was clean.
---The terrorist, part of a sleeper cell in America, was becoming Americanized. He took his daughters to—Jesus Christ!—soccer!

In addition to writing style, which, yes, is just opinion, I need to feel something—anything—for the characters. To me, it’s imperative I feel connected to the protagonist(s) on some level and in some way. If not, let me at least hate the antagonist. This had neither.

I found the protagonist, Nina Pryce, totally reprehensible and repulsive. I’m no prude but this “woman” was an embarrassment to women—and to America. Where should I begin?
---She goes to interrogate a terrorist, Rashid. How does she get information from him? By lowering her skirt and exposing her panties. When that didn’t work, she leaned in and bent down so he could look down her shirt. When THAT didn’t work, she took him into the ladies room, tied him up on a toilet seat, rifled through the garbage, removed a used tampon and then dropped it on his lap.
---She also stated to a friend that—(pardon my language)—she has no problem sucking the d**k of a terrorist to get information.
---Later on, she is preparing herself to sleep with a bad guy for the sole purpose of getting information. As she mulls this over and readies herself to have sex with the bad guy, she is concerned about getting an STD. Well, God Bless America.
---She also, for some unknown reason, decides to bring her 7 year-old daughter into the fray in a staged altercation with her “supposed” lesbian lover. Of course, she is NOT a lesbian. She just pretended to be one in an effort to arouse the bad guy in preparation of turning him on to get information, also hinting about a 3-some.

From time to time I’ll read an author who doesn’t quite pull me in but I often will try a second novel, perhaps a third. I’ve done this with Catherine Coulter and J A Jance. With Chuck Logan, there wont be a second chance.

I truly wish I could rate this lower than one star.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The character Phil Broker gets sucked into an investigation that his wife is running on some terrorists up north when his wife uses their 7 year old daughter as part of her cover. Number 5 in the series, I somehow skipped this one and went to the last one. I am glad I caught this and did a bit of backtracking. Logan has written a great series filled with some really interesting characters and this one is no exception. This wife, part time at that, of Brokers is a real strange one. Sometimes you have to wonder if she had taken to many hits to the head. And after reading this one I would say it is confirmed. If you are interested in the series and where it all started the first one is called The Price Of Blood. If you are already into the series it does help to read these in the correct order, and After The Rain is as good as the rest of them.

[Aaron Goodyear · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the best of the Phil Broker series. By now if you have read the books in order (I made the mistake of not doing that) you know these are complex and interesting characters. This plot is original and believable all while being unbelievable at the same time. Great descriptions of the Upper Midwest / Southern Canadian landscapes.

This was actually the first book in the series I read, someone had a reviewers copy and it looked interesting so I read it. I am about to reread it after reading the rest of the books out of order.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#5 in the Phillip Broker series. Finalist 2005 Shamus Award for Best Novel. Broker continues this action packed series after his wife dropped his daughter off in ND at the end of Vapor Trail (2003).

Phillip Broker arrives in ND to pick up his daughter, Kit. He finds that his wife and her Delta team members are there to intercept a nuclear shipment by terrorists and wanted to use Phil and Kim as cover. The bad guys don't buy the cover and figure Nina as a cop from the outset. A cat and mouse game ends up in a bloody finale.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knight-errant Phil Broker and estranged special forces wife Nina Pryce become involved in anti-terrorist activiteis on the northern plains...Maj. Price and her group also involve their child Kit for window dressin in the undercover operation...It all takes off on a page turner with plenty of twists and fascinating characters on both sides...I particularily enjoy the local flavor developed in the characters personally having deep midwestern roots

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thriller envolving a terrorist plot between a homicidal maniac and lone terrorist, with plans to blow up a nuclear reactor. Vietnam Vet and retired undercover police officer Phil Broker must rescue the country and his family, fast paced action, and subtle twists that make you turn the page in anticipation.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a new novel, but it's a pretty good yarn about terrorism coming over the border from Canada into, of all places, North Dakota, to cause an explosion near a nuclear power plant near the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Good characters you'll care about, and that'll keep the pages turning.
Fair warning: It's more than just a little violent.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Homefront and loved it so much that I then decided to work my way through the rest of Chuck Logan's books. This was a really interesting book with some extremely creepy characters. I definitely plan to read another.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never read anything by this author but the action kept you interested in finding out what was going to happen. About Nina Price & Phil Broker, husband & wife, who are trying to find the H bomb that they were told is going to explode in Northern USA.

[Kris Laabs Malmberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed listening to this book and I like this series. While it is predictable I like the characters. The audio book voices are well done. Recommend starting at beginning as later books do give earlier stories away.

[John Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great-not your typical story-story from Chuck Logan. It took a while to develop but, as a result, maybe the character development was that much better. Once things got rolling I couldn't put it down.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

a most excellent read!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, four stars

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 5th book in the excellent Phil Broker series did not disappoint. I really like this author and his books. I'd rate this book a solid 4 - 4 1/2 stars.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical entertaining thriller. Nothing unique or significant that differentiates it from any other typical entertaining thriller.

[Carolina Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Scary plot that makes you think it could happen and what if it did? Love Phil, for all his shortcomings, he's a helluva man. Page turner in it's truest form. Excellent.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Broker is angry with his wife at being drawn into a con within a con - an unwitting participant in an anti-terrorist plot.