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After The Fog Clears
When a policeman accidentally runs over a young boy on a fog-shrouded street in Saginaw, Michigan, it thrusts three families into a head-on collision with grief, violence and chaos…
Officer Nathan Hazzard: for years now a dirty cop and on the brink of losing touch with reality, willingly releases himself from society’s shackles…
Luther Anderson: a young man whose only true concerns up to the day of the accident is to care for his crippled brother and their grandmother, becomes the target of intense hatred…
Raul Spencer: a disgruntled son working at his father’s funeral home; an adulterer, who fears his sins will find him out, blames everyone else for his problems even as his selfishness leads him ever more astray…
Geneva Spencer: the wounded mother who holds her dying son in her arms and finds that there is no one there to hold her as the life she knew takes a dark turn once Officer Hazzard starts pursuing her for reasons she can’t begin to understand…
In the fast-paced Suspense novel, After the Fog Clears, author Lee Thompson probes the fractured psyches of the lost, the abandoned, and the psychotic.
Officer Nathan Hazzard: for years now a dirty cop and on the brink of losing touch with reality, willingly releases himself from society’s shackles…
Luther Anderson: a young man whose only true concerns up to the day of the accident is to care for his crippled brother and their grandmother, becomes the target of intense hatred…
Raul Spencer: a disgruntled son working at his father’s funeral home; an adulterer, who fears his sins will find him out, blames everyone else for his problems even as his selfishness leads him ever more astray…
Geneva Spencer: the wounded mother who holds her dying son in her arms and finds that there is no one there to hold her as the life she knew takes a dark turn once Officer Hazzard starts pursuing her for reasons she can’t begin to understand…
In the fast-paced Suspense novel, After the Fog Clears, author Lee Thompson probes the fractured psyches of the lost, the abandoned, and the psychotic.
Hardcover
Published February 1, 2016
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About the author
Lee Thompson
26 books186 followers“Lee Thompson knows his horror-noir. He fuses both genres together in the turmoil of terror, tragedy, blood, guilt, and lost chances at redemption.”–Tom Piccirilli, author of THE LAST KIND WORDS
Lee Thompson is the bestselling author of the Suspense novels A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS (August 2014), IT’S ONLY DEATH (January 2015), and WITH FURY IN HAND (May 2015). The dominating threads weaved throughout his work are love, loss, and learning how to live again. A firm believer in the enduring power of the human spirit, Lee believes that stories, no matter their format, set us on the path of transformation. He is represented by the extraordinary Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. Visit Lee’s website to discover more: www.leethompsonfiction.com
Some of my favorite authors: Clive Barker, Donald Westlake, Peter Straub, Stephen King, Greg Gifune, Lee Thomas, William Faulkner, Robert Dunbar, John Gardner, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, John Connolly, Jack Cady, Tom Piccirilli, Brian Hodge, Douglas Clegg, Jack Ketchum, Lee Child, James Lee Burke, and Cormac McCarthy.
"10 out of 10 Stars... GOSSAMER: A TALE OF LOVE AND TRAGEDY will blow you away my friends. It is that good." -- Peter Schwotzer/Famous Monsters of Filmland.
"WHEN WE JOIN JESUS IN HELL is as crazy as its tormented protagonist. Hard as nails.” – Jack Ketchum
"The voice of the deputy feels authentic: brooding, soulful, haunted. In fact, there’s a heartfelt quality to the whole grim book. Even some of the most grisly moments manage to be poetic and full of emotion, and the author’s literary influences echo loudly. At times, the mood evokes Piccirilli or Braunbeck or Gifune combined with Sherwood Anderson."-- Robert Dunbar, author of WILLY, THE PINES, and THE SHORE
“Thompson’s voice is his own — strong, hypnotic, and unsettling. Nursery Rhymes 4 Dead Children is a bleak fucking book, and therein lies its danger. So beautifully-constructed is Thompson’s prose, that the reader is often caught off-guard, mesmerized by a turn of phrase or a descriptive passage, until the book grabs you by the balls and rips them right off, breaking your heart and your psyche in the process.” — Brian Keene, author of GHOUL, DARK HOLLOW and THE RISING.
"I’ve said it many times and believe it more everyday, Lee Thompson is not only the next big name at Delirium Books but in the genre." – Shane Ryan Staley at Darkfuse Publications.
"The Dampness of Mourning is a riveting Thriller..." Midwest Book Review.
"Lee Thompson’s prose is electric!" — Bob Freeman, author of DESCENDANT.
"Like a dark Twilight Zone meets Alfred Hitchcock Mystery." -- Lee Thompson, author of NURSERY RHYMES 4 DEAD CHILDREN.
http://leethompsonfiction.com
Lee Thompson is the bestselling author of the Suspense novels A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS (August 2014), IT’S ONLY DEATH (January 2015), and WITH FURY IN HAND (May 2015). The dominating threads weaved throughout his work are love, loss, and learning how to live again. A firm believer in the enduring power of the human spirit, Lee believes that stories, no matter their format, set us on the path of transformation. He is represented by the extraordinary Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. Visit Lee’s website to discover more: www.leethompsonfiction.com
Some of my favorite authors: Clive Barker, Donald Westlake, Peter Straub, Stephen King, Greg Gifune, Lee Thomas, William Faulkner, Robert Dunbar, John Gardner, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, John Connolly, Jack Cady, Tom Piccirilli, Brian Hodge, Douglas Clegg, Jack Ketchum, Lee Child, James Lee Burke, and Cormac McCarthy.
"10 out of 10 Stars... GOSSAMER: A TALE OF LOVE AND TRAGEDY will blow you away my friends. It is that good." -- Peter Schwotzer/Famous Monsters of Filmland.
"WHEN WE JOIN JESUS IN HELL is as crazy as its tormented protagonist. Hard as nails.” – Jack Ketchum
"The voice of the deputy feels authentic: brooding, soulful, haunted. In fact, there’s a heartfelt quality to the whole grim book. Even some of the most grisly moments manage to be poetic and full of emotion, and the author’s literary influences echo loudly. At times, the mood evokes Piccirilli or Braunbeck or Gifune combined with Sherwood Anderson."-- Robert Dunbar, author of WILLY, THE PINES, and THE SHORE
“Thompson’s voice is his own — strong, hypnotic, and unsettling. Nursery Rhymes 4 Dead Children is a bleak fucking book, and therein lies its danger. So beautifully-constructed is Thompson’s prose, that the reader is often caught off-guard, mesmerized by a turn of phrase or a descriptive passage, until the book grabs you by the balls and rips them right off, breaking your heart and your psyche in the process.” — Brian Keene, author of GHOUL, DARK HOLLOW and THE RISING.
"I’ve said it many times and believe it more everyday, Lee Thompson is not only the next big name at Delirium Books but in the genre." – Shane Ryan Staley at Darkfuse Publications.
"The Dampness of Mourning is a riveting Thriller..." Midwest Book Review.
"Lee Thompson’s prose is electric!" — Bob Freeman, author of DESCENDANT.
"Like a dark Twilight Zone meets Alfred Hitchcock Mystery." -- Lee Thompson, author of NURSERY RHYMES 4 DEAD CHILDREN.
http://leethompsonfiction.com
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 18, 2016
'You have to do what is uncomfortable to go anywhere worthwhile…'
After the Fog Clears is a harrowing tale of loss, betrayal and destructive madness all packed tightly into an emotional kaleidoscope.
After receiving a frightening call from his Nan, Luther Anderson rushes home through the deep fog and early morning stillness, speeding, his blood screaming he narrowly avoids a young child unwittingly playing at the roadside. Not quite as lucky is the Saginaw police officer Nathan Hazzard chasing Luther, he loved the chase but the fog was dense and he didn't see the child until it was too late.
'Listen to the squawk of a radio so you don’t have to hear the unrestrained volume of a torn-apart heart. Close your eyes so you can’t see a stricken mother outliving her little one; a woman who wishes she could follow him, to protect him, to never fail him again. Whisper to yourself, and to her, and to the thing she holds: Eventually the fog will burn away…'
This single act, the death of a child, sets off a devastating chain of events for all concerned, the cracks and obstacles blighting the paths of these characters are ruinously explored amidst deceit, disloyalty and ultimately, death.
Lee Thompson is adept at portraying flawed characters and their destructive actions, this story is certainly shrouded in darkness. It's difficult to see any goodness for the main part and there's no light at the end of this tunnel. The ending could have been handled differently in my opinion, for the half dozen characters this story revolves around to all come together in the same place was way too convenient. It didn't however ruin my overall enjoyment of the fluid writing and desperate characters.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
After the Fog Clears is a harrowing tale of loss, betrayal and destructive madness all packed tightly into an emotional kaleidoscope.
After receiving a frightening call from his Nan, Luther Anderson rushes home through the deep fog and early morning stillness, speeding, his blood screaming he narrowly avoids a young child unwittingly playing at the roadside. Not quite as lucky is the Saginaw police officer Nathan Hazzard chasing Luther, he loved the chase but the fog was dense and he didn't see the child until it was too late.
'Listen to the squawk of a radio so you don’t have to hear the unrestrained volume of a torn-apart heart. Close your eyes so you can’t see a stricken mother outliving her little one; a woman who wishes she could follow him, to protect him, to never fail him again. Whisper to yourself, and to her, and to the thing she holds: Eventually the fog will burn away…'
This single act, the death of a child, sets off a devastating chain of events for all concerned, the cracks and obstacles blighting the paths of these characters are ruinously explored amidst deceit, disloyalty and ultimately, death.
Lee Thompson is adept at portraying flawed characters and their destructive actions, this story is certainly shrouded in darkness. It's difficult to see any goodness for the main part and there's no light at the end of this tunnel. The ending could have been handled differently in my opinion, for the half dozen characters this story revolves around to all come together in the same place was way too convenient. It didn't however ruin my overall enjoyment of the fluid writing and desperate characters.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
January 30, 2016
Lee Thompson is a master at what I call "empathic noir". He knows his characters....the good, the bad, and the broken souls that populate his stories....and he shares that connection with his readers like no other author in my memory.
And his grasp of the trappings of noir itself is equally good. He knows the terrain, and his voice is strong as he guides you through the dark labyrinth of his tales, no matter how twisted, without a misstep.
This particular offering is another fine example of his talents, a dark gem that misses being flawless simply for the lack of a larger canvas to give it the room it needed.
Highly recommended
This was an eARC from Netgalley
And his grasp of the trappings of noir itself is equally good. He knows the terrain, and his voice is strong as he guides you through the dark labyrinth of his tales, no matter how twisted, without a misstep.
This particular offering is another fine example of his talents, a dark gem that misses being flawless simply for the lack of a larger canvas to give it the room it needed.
Highly recommended
This was an eARC from Netgalley
August 10, 2016
After The Fog Clears by Lee Thompson is one crazy mofo of a tale with several intersecting plot lines that come crashing together, destroying everything and everybody in its wake.
I am a big Thompson fan and have been reading him for several years now. He is definitely on my “must read” author list and I look forward to and have enjoyed everything I have read from him. ATFC is no exception.
The only real problem I had was that there seemed to be three novels worth of dysfunction here and it got to be exhausting after a while.
Let the carnage commence and the emotional rivers run red with blood. 3+ Stars
*As a member of the DarkFuse / NetGalley Readers Group, I received an advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
I am a big Thompson fan and have been reading him for several years now. He is definitely on my “must read” author list and I look forward to and have enjoyed everything I have read from him. ATFC is no exception.
The only real problem I had was that there seemed to be three novels worth of dysfunction here and it got to be exhausting after a while.
Let the carnage commence and the emotional rivers run red with blood. 3+ Stars
*As a member of the DarkFuse / NetGalley Readers Group, I received an advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2015
2.5 stars.
AFTER THE FOG CLEARS, by Lee Thompson, starts out promising enough. A horrific accident involving a toddler provokes an instant emotional reaction. I was anxious to see the repercussions of this; however, the story quickly morphed into a multitude of different story lines. These separate situations, naturally, ended up all interconnecting.
We have our crooked cop, Nathan, that I had a very difficult time believing had never been caught at what he was doing in the past two decades. The most sympathetic characters, Geneva and Luther, just seemed to lack something to make them truly "real" in my eyes. Luther was the more convincing of the two, but even his story got caught up in too many convenient "coincidences", that made this book start to fall apart. I felt there were too many, unnecessary, scenes that failed to add to the central plot, and only served to divide my attention more so.
To some extent, this novel reminded me of another title by Thompson, WITH FURY IN HAND, but with less "complete" characters and a story that just didn't have the strength to pull together all of its "connections". Had there been more believable interactions, situations in general, with less filler and too many unbelievable backstories, AFTER THE FOG CLEARS may have been able to keep the tension tighter and more compelling, overall.
*I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, DarkFuse, in exchange for an honest review.*
AFTER THE FOG CLEARS, by Lee Thompson, starts out promising enough. A horrific accident involving a toddler provokes an instant emotional reaction. I was anxious to see the repercussions of this; however, the story quickly morphed into a multitude of different story lines. These separate situations, naturally, ended up all interconnecting.
We have our crooked cop, Nathan, that I had a very difficult time believing had never been caught at what he was doing in the past two decades. The most sympathetic characters, Geneva and Luther, just seemed to lack something to make them truly "real" in my eyes. Luther was the more convincing of the two, but even his story got caught up in too many convenient "coincidences", that made this book start to fall apart. I felt there were too many, unnecessary, scenes that failed to add to the central plot, and only served to divide my attention more so.
To some extent, this novel reminded me of another title by Thompson, WITH FURY IN HAND, but with less "complete" characters and a story that just didn't have the strength to pull together all of its "connections". Had there been more believable interactions, situations in general, with less filler and too many unbelievable backstories, AFTER THE FOG CLEARS may have been able to keep the tension tighter and more compelling, overall.
*I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, DarkFuse, in exchange for an honest review.*
December 21, 2015
AFTER THE FOG CLEARS is the latest Lee Thompson release from DarkFuse publishing. This is only my third Thompson novel, but it feels strangely derivative of his previous titles, WITH FURY IN HAND and IT'S ONLY DEATH.
The tone and atmosphere struck me as overly familiar, which I'll chalk up to the author's style, but little in this book felt fresh or original. Coupled with that are an insane amount of coincidences that align the characters a little too neatly in service of the plot. Everyone is exactly where they need to be when they're needed, particularly in the over-the-top finale that finds literally every surviving cast member in the same convenience store truck-stop for the big showdown purely by happenstance. There are more than a few other examples throughout, although I won't be a spoilsport about it despite several scenes setting off my BS-alert rather loudly in their bombastic improbabilities.
This is a shame, really, because there's an intriguing enough story here that, if handled less clumsily, would have had me rather enamored. After a crazed cop involved in a high-speed pursuit kills a young child, we get the aftermath of a family falling apart, while another family strives to come together, and several man run parallel paths as they descend into mania. It's a good story that gets mangled by too many unlikely scenarios.
I will say, though, that the very last chapter really tugged at my heart-strings. When Luther learns about his parent's history, and the cause of his older brother's paralysis, I was absolutely glued to my Kindle screen with horrid fascination. The circumstances are awful and tragic, but the resolution it provides are perhaps this novel's largest saving grace.
[Note: I received a copy of this title from the publisher for review via NetGalley.]
The tone and atmosphere struck me as overly familiar, which I'll chalk up to the author's style, but little in this book felt fresh or original. Coupled with that are an insane amount of coincidences that align the characters a little too neatly in service of the plot. Everyone is exactly where they need to be when they're needed, particularly in the over-the-top finale that finds literally every surviving cast member in the same convenience store truck-stop for the big showdown purely by happenstance. There are more than a few other examples throughout, although I won't be a spoilsport about it despite several scenes setting off my BS-alert rather loudly in their bombastic improbabilities.
This is a shame, really, because there's an intriguing enough story here that, if handled less clumsily, would have had me rather enamored. After a crazed cop involved in a high-speed pursuit kills a young child, we get the aftermath of a family falling apart, while another family strives to come together, and several man run parallel paths as they descend into mania. It's a good story that gets mangled by too many unlikely scenarios.
I will say, though, that the very last chapter really tugged at my heart-strings. When Luther learns about his parent's history, and the cause of his older brother's paralysis, I was absolutely glued to my Kindle screen with horrid fascination. The circumstances are awful and tragic, but the resolution it provides are perhaps this novel's largest saving grace.
[Note: I received a copy of this title from the publisher for review via NetGalley.]
December 11, 2015
Full disclosure: I read a draft of this book as a pre-reader. I have also received an advance copy from the publisher Darkfuse through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. With a very talented group of regular authors, Darkfuse is a leader in dark fiction, whether you are interested in horror or crime stories.
I have been reading Lee Thompson for years and can tell you that he will never have one of his novels adapted for the big screen by Pixar or Disney. His stuff is dark and heart wrenching. His characters are damaged souls limping along through sheer will and a slight chance of deliverance. You will anguish for them and hope against hope that something can be salvaged. There is hope because Thompson’s world, although dark, contains its own sense of savage justice. Redemption is possible, but the price is often very high.
One of Thompson’s strengths as a writer are his characters, and After the Fog Clears contains some of his best, including Herman, the innocent whose very existence is a daily reminder of the selfish past of his parents, and Officer Hazzard, the nastiest cop I have encountered since Entragian in Stephen King’s Desperation.
Thompson is one the new crime writers writing in a gritty yet literary noir style. He reminds me of Cormac McCarthy, James Ellroy, or a modern James M. Cain. Anyone interested in the new generation of crime/noir writers needs to read him. I would also heartily recommend “With Fury in Hand,” a novella, also published by Darkfuse.
4 Stars.
I have been reading Lee Thompson for years and can tell you that he will never have one of his novels adapted for the big screen by Pixar or Disney. His stuff is dark and heart wrenching. His characters are damaged souls limping along through sheer will and a slight chance of deliverance. You will anguish for them and hope against hope that something can be salvaged. There is hope because Thompson’s world, although dark, contains its own sense of savage justice. Redemption is possible, but the price is often very high.
One of Thompson’s strengths as a writer are his characters, and After the Fog Clears contains some of his best, including Herman, the innocent whose very existence is a daily reminder of the selfish past of his parents, and Officer Hazzard, the nastiest cop I have encountered since Entragian in Stephen King’s Desperation.
Thompson is one the new crime writers writing in a gritty yet literary noir style. He reminds me of Cormac McCarthy, James Ellroy, or a modern James M. Cain. Anyone interested in the new generation of crime/noir writers needs to read him. I would also heartily recommend “With Fury in Hand,” a novella, also published by Darkfuse.
4 Stars.
December 19, 2015
Patrolman Nathan Hazzard's life is about to change. Chasing a speeding car one foggy morning, he hits a small child, killing him. His career and his marriage evaporated in that fog.
That traumatic death causes a series of events that no one could have foreseen. Hazzard is a man on the edge. He blames the driver of the speeding car ... he blames the mother because she should have been watching him.. he blames the father because he didn't have his wife 'trained' properly .. he blames his own wife because she was always demanding something and he was stressed.. and now he's blaming his Captain for ruining his life over this 'little accident'.
All these lives become intertwined in coincidental fashion. And then the bodies start falling.
There is a lot of violence in this book. While I don't mind violence, as it adds to a story, I'm not quite sure that holds true in this one. Some of it seemed a bit over the top .. violence just for the sake of violence doesn't always work.
The characters were not quite believable to me. It was hard to feel sympathy for the parents. The antagonist was exaggerated as a bad guy. The suspense didn't reach out and grab me. By the time I got down to the last 2-3 chapters, I just wanted the book to end.
3 Stars is as high as I can go, and that's pushing it.
My thanks to the author / DarkFuse / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased revew.
That traumatic death causes a series of events that no one could have foreseen. Hazzard is a man on the edge. He blames the driver of the speeding car ... he blames the mother because she should have been watching him.. he blames the father because he didn't have his wife 'trained' properly .. he blames his own wife because she was always demanding something and he was stressed.. and now he's blaming his Captain for ruining his life over this 'little accident'.
All these lives become intertwined in coincidental fashion. And then the bodies start falling.
There is a lot of violence in this book. While I don't mind violence, as it adds to a story, I'm not quite sure that holds true in this one. Some of it seemed a bit over the top .. violence just for the sake of violence doesn't always work.
The characters were not quite believable to me. It was hard to feel sympathy for the parents. The antagonist was exaggerated as a bad guy. The suspense didn't reach out and grab me. By the time I got down to the last 2-3 chapters, I just wanted the book to end.
3 Stars is as high as I can go, and that's pushing it.
My thanks to the author / DarkFuse / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased revew.
December 13, 2015
2.5 stars.
The story has a decent premise and could have been great but there was too much inconsequential rambling with every scene and a plethora of unlikable characters. Every one of them was overly sappy and lacking basic common sense. The men are all misogynists and the women are all portrayed as weak and clueless. The only close to likable character in the story is Luther and even he doesn't seem to have a consistent personality. The main character is a psychopathic cop who somehow is able to run amok in the police force for twenty-something years without anyone noticing that he's absolutely insane and dangerous. The rest of the story is just the train derailment that follows in his wake.
I received this e-ARC from NetGalley/DarkFuse in exchange for an honest review.
The story has a decent premise and could have been great but there was too much inconsequential rambling with every scene and a plethora of unlikable characters. Every one of them was overly sappy and lacking basic common sense. The men are all misogynists and the women are all portrayed as weak and clueless. The only close to likable character in the story is Luther and even he doesn't seem to have a consistent personality. The main character is a psychopathic cop who somehow is able to run amok in the police force for twenty-something years without anyone noticing that he's absolutely insane and dangerous. The rest of the story is just the train derailment that follows in his wake.
I received this e-ARC from NetGalley/DarkFuse in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2016
Review copy
A tragic accident is just the start of a series of events that ripple from the incident the way a tsunami grows from an earthquake in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
One event, one small moment in time, touching and destroying the lives of so many. Lee Thompson has assembled a diverse cast of characters, each with their own quirks and nuances. In the words of one of those characters, "The world is full of surprises when you're out there on the razor's edge."
Filled with twists and turns the story starts fast and the pace continues to grow right through to the pulse-pounding conclusion.
After the Fog Clears left me drained and completely satisfied.
Available as a signed limited edition hardback for now. After the Fog Clears is published by Darkfuse. Hopefully there will be an e-book soon.
Definitely recommended.
Lee Thompson is a bestselling author with an emphasis on horror, crime, and dark fantasy. The dominating threads weaved throughout his work are love, loss, and learning how to live again. A firm believer in the enduring power of the human spirit, Lee believes that stories, no matter their format, set us on the path of transformation.
A tragic accident is just the start of a series of events that ripple from the incident the way a tsunami grows from an earthquake in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
One event, one small moment in time, touching and destroying the lives of so many. Lee Thompson has assembled a diverse cast of characters, each with their own quirks and nuances. In the words of one of those characters, "The world is full of surprises when you're out there on the razor's edge."
Filled with twists and turns the story starts fast and the pace continues to grow right through to the pulse-pounding conclusion.
After the Fog Clears left me drained and completely satisfied.
Available as a signed limited edition hardback for now. After the Fog Clears is published by Darkfuse. Hopefully there will be an e-book soon.
Definitely recommended.
Lee Thompson is a bestselling author with an emphasis on horror, crime, and dark fantasy. The dominating threads weaved throughout his work are love, loss, and learning how to live again. A firm believer in the enduring power of the human spirit, Lee believes that stories, no matter their format, set us on the path of transformation.
June 16, 2016
This was the eighth book by Lee Thompson I have read. Its been awhile since I finished the book . Forgot to write the review. So here goes, do the best I can. The story takes place in Saginaw, Michigan. Starts out with eighteen year old Luther Anderson getting a frantic phone call on his cell from his grandmother. He is speeding home in the fog being chased by the police. Almost hits a young boy in the street. The cop Nathan Hazzard didn't see the boy in time and hit him. Mother came out picked up boy, then went over to police car and start banging on window. I'll stop here. This event starts a chain reaction of more characters coming into the story and more things happening. The story seemed to be cluttered, had a lot of stuff it could of done without. Missing was a good strong main character. The story seemed to drag a little at times, didn't have that good flow like other books Lee had wrote. This was not one of his better books but still a okay read. I gave After The Fog Clears 3 stars.
I received an e-arc of this book from DarkFuse/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an e-arc of this book from DarkFuse/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2015
REVIEW: AFTER THE FOG CLEARS by Lee Thompson
Oh wow! I am so impressed with this novel. Author Lee Thompson continues to deliver Noir in a special category all his own, without comparison. Yes, there is grit and death and blood and bloodthirsty, anger and rage and pain, but also love and character strength, determination and family loyalty, beauty and joy. The cast of characters is not vast, but it is tautly interwoven. I wanted to finish in one session because I couldn't tear myself from the book. The characters, their interconnection, and the plotting, are so enthralling. I had to keep on to discover, from page to page. I count AFTER THE FOG CLEARS as a Best of 2016 [release Feb. 2]
Oh wow! I am so impressed with this novel. Author Lee Thompson continues to deliver Noir in a special category all his own, without comparison. Yes, there is grit and death and blood and bloodthirsty, anger and rage and pain, but also love and character strength, determination and family loyalty, beauty and joy. The cast of characters is not vast, but it is tautly interwoven. I wanted to finish in one session because I couldn't tear myself from the book. The characters, their interconnection, and the plotting, are so enthralling. I had to keep on to discover, from page to page. I count AFTER THE FOG CLEARS as a Best of 2016 [release Feb. 2]
December 15, 2015
Lee Thompson is back! After a run of horrible, poorly written books apparently Thompson's own fog cleared long enough to successfully pen this beautiful piece of noir.
It all starts with a stupid -how in the hell did that happen- car accident. And as the characters begin to breathe, you realize that stereotypes were created for a reason. That's simply how people are.
Good for you, Lee! A great book that I highly recommend.
I received my copy of AFTER THE FOG CLEARS from the publisher.
It all starts with a stupid -how in the hell did that happen- car accident. And as the characters begin to breathe, you realize that stereotypes were created for a reason. That's simply how people are.
Good for you, Lee! A great book that I highly recommend.
I received my copy of AFTER THE FOG CLEARS from the publisher.
Want to read
October 6, 2016This book is number 88 of 100 signed and numbered copies, signed by Lee Thompson
June 14, 2016
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This is one of those times when I really wish Goodreads had half stars. This is not quite a 4 star book for me but it's not a 3 star read either.
After The Fog Clears is several stories in one. It all starts with an accident that takes the life of a small child. The blurb and my full review go into details about all the characters so I won't rehash it all here. I will say that every single character and story (within the story) is connected to that one horrific accident.
I really enjoyed this book but I had a few niggles with it. I had no problem at all keeping up with all the characters and their stories. What I had a problem with was that everything came to a head in such a big rush that it was too much too fast. I was at 94% of the book still wondering how on Earth the author was going to answer all the questions that were still left hanging. He did in the final pages but, again, too much too fast.
I've never read anything by this author before, though I've seen his name all over the place. While this might not have blown me away, I will still be reading more of his work.
Full review can be found at -
This book was provided by DarkFuse, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is one of those times when I really wish Goodreads had half stars. This is not quite a 4 star book for me but it's not a 3 star read either.
After The Fog Clears is several stories in one. It all starts with an accident that takes the life of a small child. The blurb and my full review go into details about all the characters so I won't rehash it all here. I will say that every single character and story (within the story) is connected to that one horrific accident.
I really enjoyed this book but I had a few niggles with it. I had no problem at all keeping up with all the characters and their stories. What I had a problem with was that everything came to a head in such a big rush that it was too much too fast. I was at 94% of the book still wondering how on Earth the author was going to answer all the questions that were still left hanging. He did in the final pages but, again, too much too fast.
I've never read anything by this author before, though I've seen his name all over the place. While this might not have blown me away, I will still be reading more of his work.
Full review can be found at -
This book was provided by DarkFuse, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 24, 2016
After the Fog Clears, the newest novel from Lee Thompson, is a thematic sibling with his previous novella With Fury In Hand. Both deal with a large cast of interlocking characters, each with their own brand of desperation and brokenness. After the Fog Clears is much more effective, partly due to the longer length that fleshes things out, but the characters this time around were more effective to me.
The synopsis of any book gives far too much away, so I won't comment specifically on the plot. In general, a horrific accident in the opening pages as an effect that ripples outward and forever changes many lives. Mr. Thompson dedicated this book to John D. MacDonald, which is appropriate because the structure of After the Fog Clears reminds me of Cry Hard, Cry Fast, one of my favorite MacDonald novels.
I'm a fan of Lee Thompson's writing so expected to like this regardless, but the twists and changes in the characters were genuinely surprising and I didn't have an idea where the plot was going to go next (other than things were probably going to get worse!). These twists were not gimmicks and done for shock; they make sense within the story. When great writing and a great plot come together, there isn't much better. One tiny gripe: there is a scene where one character calls a random number in the phone book, and who he ends up calling is such a HUGE coincidence that I rolled my eyes. It is a small scene and doesn't really amount to anything, so I wish it had just been removed.
After the Fog Clears is a difficult read, not in terms of language but in subject matter. It deals with heartrending loss, regret, old betrayals, and savage violence. It is not a "fun" read, but I think it has something important to say about the human condition besides being an accomplished piece of writing. 5 stars, highly recommended.
The synopsis of any book gives far too much away, so I won't comment specifically on the plot. In general, a horrific accident in the opening pages as an effect that ripples outward and forever changes many lives. Mr. Thompson dedicated this book to John D. MacDonald, which is appropriate because the structure of After the Fog Clears reminds me of Cry Hard, Cry Fast, one of my favorite MacDonald novels.
I'm a fan of Lee Thompson's writing so expected to like this regardless, but the twists and changes in the characters were genuinely surprising and I didn't have an idea where the plot was going to go next (other than things were probably going to get worse!). These twists were not gimmicks and done for shock; they make sense within the story. When great writing and a great plot come together, there isn't much better. One tiny gripe: there is a scene where one character calls a random number in the phone book, and who he ends up calling is such a HUGE coincidence that I rolled my eyes. It is a small scene and doesn't really amount to anything, so I wish it had just been removed.
After the Fog Clears is a difficult read, not in terms of language but in subject matter. It deals with heartrending loss, regret, old betrayals, and savage violence. It is not a "fun" read, but I think it has something important to say about the human condition besides being an accomplished piece of writing. 5 stars, highly recommended.
January 27, 2016
After The Fog Clears by Lee Thompson is a so-so novel that deals with the abandoned and the psychotic.
Saginaw police officer Nathan Hazzard accidental hits a small child while in a high speed pursuit of Luther Anderson. Luther was speeding home because he received a disconcerting phone call from his grandmother and is concerned that something is wrong with her or his crippled brother. The child was the son of Raul Spencer, who just heard before the accident that his father was temporarily laying him off from the family's funeral home business, is walking home when his wife calls. Raul's wife, Geneva, is devastated as she tries to reach him without success.
The story deals with these three families and the aftermath an accident that sets into motion a violent chain of events. Luther was the only character I could even remotely care about. Hazzard is psychotic, aggressively so, and quickly determines that he has nothing left to lose, so it's time for him to take matters into his own hands. Raul is just as bad - in his own way. He calls his wife's best friend, with whom he is having an affair, and wants her support.
The story is simple and the main theme is the violence that will be taking place due to the whiny psychotics who want to blame everyone else for their problems and their actions. Obviously, I grew tired of them. Handled differently, the story could have been a psychologically tense thriller. However, this is more a laundry list of what happened next and then and next...
Is it awful? No, but it wasn't very believable. There were to many coincidences. Additionally is a lot of gratuitous violence. I had a hard time finishing this one. The fact that I did is worth 2 stars.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of DarkFuse for review purposes.
Saginaw police officer Nathan Hazzard accidental hits a small child while in a high speed pursuit of Luther Anderson. Luther was speeding home because he received a disconcerting phone call from his grandmother and is concerned that something is wrong with her or his crippled brother. The child was the son of Raul Spencer, who just heard before the accident that his father was temporarily laying him off from the family's funeral home business, is walking home when his wife calls. Raul's wife, Geneva, is devastated as she tries to reach him without success.
The story deals with these three families and the aftermath an accident that sets into motion a violent chain of events. Luther was the only character I could even remotely care about. Hazzard is psychotic, aggressively so, and quickly determines that he has nothing left to lose, so it's time for him to take matters into his own hands. Raul is just as bad - in his own way. He calls his wife's best friend, with whom he is having an affair, and wants her support.
The story is simple and the main theme is the violence that will be taking place due to the whiny psychotics who want to blame everyone else for their problems and their actions. Obviously, I grew tired of them. Handled differently, the story could have been a psychologically tense thriller. However, this is more a laundry list of what happened next and then and next...
Is it awful? No, but it wasn't very believable. There were to many coincidences. Additionally is a lot of gratuitous violence. I had a hard time finishing this one. The fact that I did is worth 2 stars.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of DarkFuse for review purposes.
January 13, 2016
Like most/all of Lee Thompson's work, this is a very bleak novel. It starts with the accidental death of a small child who is hit by a cop during a chase, where the cop is driving too recklessly for the conditions (fog). It follows the cast of characters involved, rotating between the different people and how their lives are impacted by the event, until in the end it weaves everything back together in a (IMO really improbable) final confrontation.
I never really connected with this book in the same way I have his previous titles. I never felt like I got close enough to any of the characters for me to feel the same emotional impact when bad things happen to them that I've had with his previous works. I think it's the erratic, inconsistent behavior of many of them that seems off-putting - just when I thought I had them figured out, they would do something that seemed really out of character for what we had seen from them up to that point.
The pacing was good, and as the build to the climax really picked up speed toward the end, I found the book really hard to put down, but in the end, I didn't really find the the ending that satisfying. It's clear that a lot of thought went into the plotting, and it was woven together well, there were just too many coincidences that stretched believability.
I definitely plan to read more of Lee Thompson, because I have greatly enjoyed some of his previous works, and there are some good things here, but if you're new to his work, I'd suggest starting with a different title, perhaps "With Fury in Hand".
I never really connected with this book in the same way I have his previous titles. I never felt like I got close enough to any of the characters for me to feel the same emotional impact when bad things happen to them that I've had with his previous works. I think it's the erratic, inconsistent behavior of many of them that seems off-putting - just when I thought I had them figured out, they would do something that seemed really out of character for what we had seen from them up to that point.
The pacing was good, and as the build to the climax really picked up speed toward the end, I found the book really hard to put down, but in the end, I didn't really find the the ending that satisfying. It's clear that a lot of thought went into the plotting, and it was woven together well, there were just too many coincidences that stretched believability.
I definitely plan to read more of Lee Thompson, because I have greatly enjoyed some of his previous works, and there are some good things here, but if you're new to his work, I'd suggest starting with a different title, perhaps "With Fury in Hand".
August 15, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
The author did a good job describing the characters, and making them feel realistic, even in such a difficult plot. All situations here ended up interconnecting, but often through an insane amount of coincidences. Despite that, the story was intriguing enough to keep me entertained. I would’ve given it a higher rating had some of the scenarios not seemed so unlikely.
The author did a good job describing the characters, and making them feel realistic, even in such a difficult plot. All situations here ended up interconnecting, but often through an insane amount of coincidences. Despite that, the story was intriguing enough to keep me entertained. I would’ve given it a higher rating had some of the scenarios not seemed so unlikely.
December 9, 2015
This book reads like a movie, a fast-paced thrill ride, unfortunately I found the story very implausible and the characters completely unlikeable. I have a hard time enjoying a book when I don't care about the characters in the book. If you want a mindless thrill ride than this book is for you, it was a quick entertaining read and I didn't hate it but if you are looking for something with more depth I would look elsewhere.
December 13, 2015
I know I'll probably catch some flak for comparing Lee Thompson to another famous author whose last name is Thompson but dang it After the Fog Clears stands out as one of those types of novels that demand comparison to some of the older finer works of the crime novel masters. Bleak, scary, bloody, tragic and an absolute pleasure to read. I blitzkrieged through the last half of this fine crime novel in a whiplash span of time this very morning. How is Lee going to top this offering?
July 15, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
When a policeman accidentally runs over a young boy on a fog-shrouded street in Saginaw, Michigan, it thrusts three families into a head-on collision with grief, violence and chaos…
Officer Nathan Hazzard: for years now a dirty cop and on the brink of losing touch with reality, willingly releases himself from society’s shackles…
Luther Anderson: a young man whose only true concerns up to the day of the accident is to care for his crippled brother and their grandmother, becomes the target of intense hatred…
Raul Spencer: a disgruntled son working at his father’s funeral home; an adulterer, who fears his sins will find him out, blames everyone else for his problems even as his selfishness leads him ever more astray…
Geneva Spencer: the wounded mother who holds her dying son in her arms and finds that there is no one there to hold her as the life she knew takes a dark turn once Officer Hazzard starts pursuing her for reasons she can’t begin to understand…
*3.5 stars*
I have read a few of Lee Thompson's books previous to this and enjoyed them quite a lot. So I was excited for this one. And it was pretty good, too - not as good as the others, but well worth reading.
The book starts out well enough - the tragic accident involving a young boy which starts the varied storylines for the characters. It was like a chain reaction of small incidents that lead to the tragedy. And from that chain reaction, the story explodes...I think the storytelling was pretty good here. Sure, there were some plot threads that were just a little bit unbelievable - but I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I read these kinds of stories cos I don't want "normal" or "everyday" - I want to be taken by surprise - and this book did that (for the most part.)
The only real issue I had with this book were the characters - apart from the fact that Officer Hazzard had been a lunatic on the job for twenty years and never been caught - I just found them to be a bit awful. Misogyny among the men, and the women were cast as hopeless and needy.
Overall, a good story that, with a few tweaks, would have really been a fantastic story!
Paul
ARH
When a policeman accidentally runs over a young boy on a fog-shrouded street in Saginaw, Michigan, it thrusts three families into a head-on collision with grief, violence and chaos…
Officer Nathan Hazzard: for years now a dirty cop and on the brink of losing touch with reality, willingly releases himself from society’s shackles…
Luther Anderson: a young man whose only true concerns up to the day of the accident is to care for his crippled brother and their grandmother, becomes the target of intense hatred…
Raul Spencer: a disgruntled son working at his father’s funeral home; an adulterer, who fears his sins will find him out, blames everyone else for his problems even as his selfishness leads him ever more astray…
Geneva Spencer: the wounded mother who holds her dying son in her arms and finds that there is no one there to hold her as the life she knew takes a dark turn once Officer Hazzard starts pursuing her for reasons she can’t begin to understand…
*3.5 stars*
I have read a few of Lee Thompson's books previous to this and enjoyed them quite a lot. So I was excited for this one. And it was pretty good, too - not as good as the others, but well worth reading.
The book starts out well enough - the tragic accident involving a young boy which starts the varied storylines for the characters. It was like a chain reaction of small incidents that lead to the tragedy. And from that chain reaction, the story explodes...I think the storytelling was pretty good here. Sure, there were some plot threads that were just a little bit unbelievable - but I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I read these kinds of stories cos I don't want "normal" or "everyday" - I want to be taken by surprise - and this book did that (for the most part.)
The only real issue I had with this book were the characters - apart from the fact that Officer Hazzard had been a lunatic on the job for twenty years and never been caught - I just found them to be a bit awful. Misogyny among the men, and the women were cast as hopeless and needy.
Overall, a good story that, with a few tweaks, would have really been a fantastic story!
Paul
ARH
January 5, 2016
Another great noir novel by Thompson
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/after-... or http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... or even my slowly growing website www.areviewerdarkly.com and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/after-... or http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... or even my slowly growing website www.areviewerdarkly.com and follow me on Twitter @josenher
July 9, 2016
A perfect storm of events leading to a vortex of violence. A crime/suspense masterpiece. Highly recommended.
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