Silent Night: A Standalone EMP Disaster Thriller

by Bobby Akart

This Christmas Eve, America goes dark.
Families are gathering in celebration. Presents wait under trees. Across America, it was to be a night of festivities and anticipation.
Then the night goes silent.

From International bestselling author Bobby Akart comes Silent Night, a heart-pounding standalone disaster thriller of America collapsing and the family trying to survive it.

In Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium roars as the Chiefs take the field. Shoppers flood the Country Club Plaza where the Dalton family’s barbecue restaurant glows with holiday lights.

A nuclear-tipped ballistic missile is fired from a container vessel in the Gulf and detonates high above the heart of America, unleashing a catastrophic electromagnetic pulse (EMP), instantly shattering the nation’s power grid. In a single, silent flash, planes fall from the sky, cars become frozen steel coffins, and the reassuring hum of civilization is replaced by a terrifying silence. From coast to coast, the modern world goes dark.

No power. No communication. No rescue.

As the temperature plummets and desperation spreads, the Dalton family is scattered throughout the city and caught in the chaos. Smoke Dalton and his wife Ruby, are in the midst of dinner rush at Dalton’s Smokehouse. Their son, Frank, is on the field of a packed football stadium. Their daughter, Charlie, an ER nurse, is racing to pick up her children from the airport.

In this relentless storm of catastrophe and courage, will their unbreakable bond light the way through the darkness?
Or will the silent night claim them forever? In the silence of collapse, family is all that remains.

This modern-day, fact-based novel will have you whispering just one more chapter until the end.

730 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2025

About the author

International bestselling author, Bobby Akart, one of America's favorite storytellers, delivers up-all-night thrillers to readers in 245 countries and territories worldwide. He's achieved Amazon Top 5 Author status in both fiction and non-fiction genres, Amazon Kindle All Star and Top 50 Amazon Author (#35) and Top 25 Best Selling Book on Amazon Charts (Yellowstone #25).
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"He's right up there with James Patterson, David Baldacci, Brad Thor and others that write thrillers. To me he actually surpasses them.”
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He has written more than 80 novels in the disaster, survival, medical and political thriller genres.

Reviews

[Maria Fledgling Author Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Warm Fuzzy

The best Bobby Akart book I've ever read, bar none. With tears streaming down my face, let me humbly thank my favorite author for the reminder to be grateful for the important things in life, faith, family, and food.

Merry Christmas to the Akart Family and to all of the readers who support them. May this next year bring your family great happiness.

[Bobby Akart]

This is my biggest book ever at over 700 pages and the Dalton family completely stole my heart while I was writing them. I hope they steal yours too.

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Silent Night.
—Bobby

[Cara Tafoya-Toste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brought tears to my eyes......

What can be said, but you did it again! From the start I could see everything happening, just as you told it. The start of the attack, the joys of those that had no idea what was coming to the struggles to make it through the night. A tale of family, hope and hardships. This is a story that needs to become a movie for Christmas that this generation can call its own, just like that of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard did in the 1980's! A tale too be remembered in both print and film. Thank you, and Merry Christmas to you and yours, Bobby! God bless us all,

[Matt Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Exceptional, THE standard in standalone EMP thrillers!

Silent Night, an EMP survival thriller is exceptional and sets the new standard in standalone EMP survival thrillers! It focuses on the Dalton family and city of Kansas City before, during and in the immediate aftermath of a devastating EMP attack. Akart takes the time to set the stage, build the world and get you invested in the characters before the mayhem starts, then builds the tension to an almost unbearable level as the scattered family fights through the end of the world to come together. This is Akart's best standalone book to date. Overall, the book deserves more than 5/5 stars! Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys post-EMP survival thrillers and perfectly composed thrillers in general! No reader who reads Silent Night will ever think of Christmas quite the same, and you can't praise a book more than acknowledging it changed the way you think!!

[David C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

silent night

I am an Akart fan. Have read his series for years. I had high hopes for this book and really had a hard time trying to finish it. The main characters with the exception of the children had zero knowledge about self preservation to the point of unadulterated stupidity. You will understand when you get into the story. This is a life or death story. So much failure of the characters.

[Gerry S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite. Skipped a lot of the last third. Improbable events made it frustrating. Minor point but Finding a working antique firetruck with a tank full of viable fuel?? I have driven a firetruck like that. Dinner plate size steering wheel? Try twice that size. Picked up again for last chapters. Ending was ok; unlikely but fine. Sorry. I still like your books!!

[Jason Dowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy a good EMP book and read these 700 pages in 5 days. It was a really good read. I don’t think it needed to be 700 pages necessarily, but it was hard to put down. I do know how big a dinner plate is as I think it was used a size comparison like 4 times. Lol.

[Beverly Gerke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional Story

I enjoyed this and finished it the week before Christmas—A good reminder of what this season is all about and who we are in the midst of all the noise and chaos. Thanks Bobby and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yoyrs

[Bobirley Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUTSTANDING SUSPENSE FILLED NOVEL

The conversations between characters made me feel as if I was in the same room. Topical subject that had me thinking what would I do if I was involved as the characters ... How would I act? So well written that I reread it again before writing this review. This book would appeal to all generations!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT EVERYONE GETS THIS BOOK! HOW WOULD YOU REACT IF YOU WERE A CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK?

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed reading Bobby's work. I found this book somewhat lacking but it's only because I live in the city the book is placed in.

When you read a Dan Brown novel and he says there are 9 steps, there are just 9 steps as he has been there an paid attention to details. I can't say the same for Bobby's book. Highways and directions are wrong which doesn't detract from the story unless you live there or know the city. Bridges and roads are just wrong in descriptions. Again, used to build suspense in the storyline, but wrong. These were minor irritations that just affects the story for me.

As for editing, there were misspelled words as well as words that joinedone another. See how that was done by me, it took you a second to decide where to split the words. The same can be said for storyline flow. It was something that just detracts from the story.

The ending could have been done much better. I'm 700+ pages into this novel and you can't write another 30 pages or so to finish it properly. They had a firetruck and keys with an old man who grew up driving vehicles like the old firetruck was depicted. This was really a missed opportunity to complete the story.

[Jeff Benham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just wow! It isn't even possible to describe the action in this. It is on every page and it is intense. Bobby Akart never fails to deliver. The work is fiction, but the possibility of it actually happening is very real. The Iranians launch a container missile that causes an EMP right over the Kansas City area and like affects the entire country. Smokey and Ruby own Smokey's Smoke House in the famed Kansas City Plaza. Their family is coming home for Christmas and it is Christmas Eve. Wyatt and Josie are arriving on the 10pm flight. Charlie and Jody have gone to pick them up. Frank an Eileen are at the Chief's game. As Wyatt and Josie's flight was approaching the airport, the EMP hit, frying anything with a circuit board. Imagine trying to keep your cool while everyone around them has lost theirs, but that is what they did. Meanwhile, at Smokey's, Smokey through out a drunk that thinks the booze is free. He plots his revenge. All this is happening in the middle of a blizzard. The ending will just blow you away!

[Jennifer L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bobby Akart is one of my favorite authors. Amazing character development -- I feel like I know the characters. However, this is probably my least favorite book of his -- but it still rates 4 stars and I stayed up until 6 AM to finish it, so a great book. I couldn't warm up to one of the characters (Frank) but that could be I'm not that into football. Wyatt seemed a little too mature for 12. I live in West Virginia, so I get that kids learn to drive young and such, but him being able to control such a vehicle, that's a little far fetched to me. Granted, I'm not sure the specs of that vehicle, but my dad was a 50+ year volunteer firefighter and he had to have CDLs to drive firetrucks, so to think that a 12 year old could handle that truck in a blizzard with black ice and no power steering. . . would have been much more believable if Cody had driven it. There wasn't quite enough "after" story for me. I usually love seeing how people survive for a while and what happens. But any book that keeps me up until 6 AM reading is still a good book.

[kathleen r. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just boring. I got about 200 pages into this mess and just gave it up. The individual persons just don't merge into a cohesive narrative, all the varying degrees of involvement and continuity are missing. The struggle between forces in a moot point; after surviving something like this "horror" wouldn't anyone in their right mind be interested in working towards a common goal? Apparently not.
I found it to be so rigid and determined to be "right" that it quickly became too boring to continue.
I put it down and thought I might continue, in the future; was not sure.
About 3 months later, bored, I found this again and started where I'd left off.
Sadly, the narrative just keeps getting more and more maudlin, more locked into the "we can't possibly" scenarios that just bedraggle what could be good story telling.
I really can't say I enjoyed it. There were absolutely no surprises, no sudden rewriting of the narrative that might have saved this hot mess.
I found it not worth my time-twice.

[Paul Eastley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read quite a few books and only rate the ones I feel I really want to rate. Now, If ever I really needed to to rate one this is the one that needs rating. It is absolutely awesome. The amount of detail Mr Akart has inputted is incredible. I just couldn't put it down. Each chapter doesn't necessarily follow the last one which makes one continue reading to follow up on it, so you can get to the bottom of what's going on. It's one continuous read. This is not a short book so patience is a virtue here. Each character is essential for the storyline as the Dalton Family fall apart and gradually under tremendous pressure slowly try to get back together again. This is my first EMP book as I'm usually into time travel so this is very new to me. In my list of revues I've mentioned a few "This is the best I've read in a long time books", But believe me this is the very best of the best.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the EMP destroys the nation's power grid and everything goes dark and stops working The Dalton family are separated around the city on Christmas Eve. Smoke and his wife Ruby are working their Smokehouse Restaurant while their son Frank, an ex pro football player and his wife Eileen, a cop are both at the packed Arrowhead Stadium. Their daughter Charlie, an ER nurse and her nephew are on the way to the airport to pick up her two children coming in on a flight. What they all have to go through to try to get together is terrifying but family is everything. I sat crying towards the end of the book when people started coming together to help each other because in this time of hate and division that won't happen. I want that world back,

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silent Night is one of author Bobby Akart’s best books. I started reading it, but because I absolutely LOVE listening to Andrew Wehrlen’s narration, I decided to stop reading and wait for the Audible version to come out. (I drive a lot and have more time to listen than to read.)
Back to the book review.
Mr Akart does an amazing job of capturing the reality of what our (more than likely) future holds. He perfectly describes the worst of humans, the best of humans, and what the deep love of family can accomplish. The perils of the Dalton family are heartbreaking. Mr. Akart’s books are always nonstop action and filled with lots of emotions, but in this story, he out does himself. This story deserves a standing ovation.

[Cedar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book

Silent Night was really good! A few types not yet corrected, more than I usually expect it from this top notch writer. However the book is so great. I can't take off any stars. I do hope publishers look at the notes I sent off on most of them..

When I woke to see the time at midnight, I made a mistake and opened kindle again and read for three more hours. It's just that good and captivating a story. The Dalton's were strong, capable and imperfect, showcasing strength in continuing to exhibit humanity even in crisis and stopping short of going to far in vengeance and despair. Fictional role models worth following!

[Renae Baukema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very beleivable

Spoilers ahead

The EMP was very believable
a 14 year old driving a fire truck was not.
A drunk man surviving the cold that had killed others, just to terrorize people was not.
Many, many other examples to the point that it distracted from the story and I was mentally composing this review while I read,which hI have never done in the thousands of books I have read in my lifetime.
Very poorly edited. Missing or added words in sentences. Contradiction of facts like seeing by the emergency lights to them not working, in the same scene!

The premise of the story was great, but too many of the details just didn't work

[Robin S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reality wrapped in fiction, heart stopping pace-- what/how would you do?

EMP - and everything stops. The conveniences cease to exist. Your questions go unanswered. In a world where desperation is the norm, where fear rules supreme, a family survives because, no matter what, they remember that Family sticks together, that sometimes you have to make hard survival choices and that when push comes to shove, we are truly capable of going beyond what we thought we could, that we have within us the gumption and the moxie to do what we need to do to survive and not lose who and what we are in the process.

Kudos to Bobby Smart for doing it once again!

[Cynthia L. Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dalton Gang

Kansas City is the setting of this standalone novel. When an EMP strikes The United States Of America, one family's fight to reunite on Christmas Eve is a struggle for survival. This novel explores how The Dalton Family, scattered across the Kansas City Metro Area, at various places, learns how to reunite under extreme circumstances and situations. Read this inspiring novel to learn how the members of The Dalton Family come together and learn more about survival, love, community, and commitment.

[Susan Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One can only pray that this situation, an EMP exploded over America, never happens. I can remember when I was a kid and when bad things happened, e.g. Columbus Day Storm, neighbors helped neighbors, etc. Now, we see where our country is today and how quickly things deteriorate, and I feel the scenes described in "Silent Night" are very likely.

I liked the Dalton family in the story...their strength and faithfulness. I would like to see Bobby Akart maybe do a story with them in it after several years or when things begin to recover and see how they have coped through the entire time.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

Amazing story. Great character POVs. This family is as enchanting as Taylor Sheridan families are. Binge read the entire book in one day. As a KC local, the emotional ties to the city, familiarity with the landmarks—make for something emotionally captivating and feel like an alternate reality that might be around the corner. There are no inaccuracies in TEOTWAWKI, the detail in the story is riveting. I thoroughly enjoyed being along for the ride with the Daltons.

[Elaine M Bak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t read it fast enough

This book is outstanding. The characters are fully developed and meaningful, the story is deeply researched and absolutely terrifying. I was so eager to find out what happened that I was having to force myself to slow down and not skip ahead. The prose is beautifully written, and the tension is palpable and so very believable. This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I can’t wait to read more. I read mostly survival, post-apocalyptic, end-of-the-world type books, and this one definitely stands out top tier.

[E. Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep trying…

…to like Bobby Akart’s work, I really, really do try. He is admirably prolific, and I’ve more or less read several. Initially, his story and characters really draw me in, then repetition and not-very-meaningful (sometimes excruciating) detail kicks me back out. In this case, repeating at least 10x that a couple married 40 years can communicate without words truly set my teeth on edge. Once or twice is lovely, nearly a dozen not so much. I likely won’t have learned my lesson and will read more Akart—at least his Kindle books are free for me on Amazon Prime.

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good

I liked this a lot at first but i got tired of the endless scuffles & fights. After an hour and a half? Eileen’s fight with the 6ft, 250 lb guy was ridiculous. And Frank kept shooting & missing? And what happened to the two babies that Wy & Charlie saved? They dumped em? But the premise of the book was really good. Turns out the way the EMP missile was launched is actually a very real threat. But that that the three missiles they deployed all missed. I guess they need to or there would be no story.

[Elizabeth Lian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Winner!

what a novel! this 'stand alone''is another book by america's author bobby Akart, A man who knows his readers just as well as he does. He gives us shock,, wonderment, danger, and just simply puts us smack in the middle of his tales by weaving us right into the storyline. Read this novel if you want to be drawn into another Bobby Akart story of our worst fears, and how to navigate thru them!

[Bill Zawrotny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like Bobby Akart, but this book was terrible. Definitely rushed and not edited well. A lot of repeated sentences and phrases...repeated multiple times. And the chronology falls apart at times...tomatoes don't go soft two hours after a 10:00 p.m. EMP...same with wilting lettuce. And a city isn't "starving" 9 hours after the EMP. The whole book was one long cliche.

Read his other books, but leave this one on the shelf.

[Linda Disharoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best "Bobby" book ever!

I have read several of Mr Akarts' series and enjoyed every one. Aside from scaring the life out of me, they have been some of the greatest novels that I have had the pleasure of reading.
Read this in 2 days while traveling from Dallas to Chicago for Christmas with our family. I kept looking out of the car window expecting snow! Loved this book and would highly recommend it to all.
Thank you, Mr Akart!

[Kathleen L Wisely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way way way too choppy

I wanted to like this book. I have previously read and enjoyed books by this author. And, the plot of the book was solid. BUT - the choppy way it was structured, jumping so quickly between 4 different story lines became so extremely frustrating. It was impossible for me to get into the flow because there isn't any flow. I gave up, somewhat reluctantly, about halfway through. I read for enjoyment, and the chop made it more frustrating than enjoyable.

[Frank G Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOT YOUR NORMAL AKART BOOK,perhaps even Better

Throw in a major snowstorm with human frailties (the very good and very bad) and Bobby Akarts idea an old style Christmas without power and you have a wonderful, entertaining,and downright good FEELINGS great book!! You have to love the characters!