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Storm Front
NATIONAL BEST-SELLING AUTHOR. A snow storm of epic proportions shuts down the town of Sheridan, Michigan. The weather is dangerous enough on its own, but it has loosed something even deadlier onto the town: a duo of sadistic killers.
No one thought much about the storm. Not the National Weather Service and not the big-name meteorologists. Experienced local weatherman Wally Wellman thought there might be trouble, but even he couldn't predict the natural disaster that was about to lay siege to the quiet suburb of Sheridan, Michigan.
Now, with resources stretched to their breaking point, Sheridan police officer Mike Stuart must try to keep the town safe. But something is lurking in Sheridan, something as cold as the snow and ice, and just as deadly. A pair of escaped convicts, on the run south, have been stranded in town. And they don't plan on laying low. As the death toll rises, Officer Stuart must face down enemies far more dangerous—and unpredictable—than any storm.
About Robert Conroy's Rising Sun:
“Conroy extrapolates a new and militarily plausible direction for WWII . . . A thrilling adventure.”—Booklist
About Robert Conroy’s Himmler’s War:
“[Conroy] adds a personal touch to alternate history by describing events through the eyes of fictional characters serving on the front lines. VERDICT: Historical accuracy in the midst of creative speculation makes this piece of alternate history believable.”—Library Journal
About Red Inferno: 1945
“An ensemble cast of fictional characters . . . and historical figures powers the meticulously researched story line with diverse accounts of the horrors of war, making this an appealing read for fans of history and alternate history alike.”—Publishers Weekly
“[E]ngrossing and grimly plausible . . .the suspense holds up literally to the last page.”—Booklist
About 1945:
“moving and thought-provoking . . .”—Publishers Weekly
“Realistic . . .”—Booklist
About 1942:
“. . . fans of Tom Clancy and Agent Jack Bauer should find a lot to like here.”—Publishers Weekly
“A significant writer of alternate history turns here to the popular topic of Pearl Harbor, producing . . . this rousing historical action tale.”—Booklist
“A high-explosive what-if, with full-blooded characters.”—John Birmingham, bestselling author of Without Warning
About 1901:
“. . . cleverly conceived . . .Conroy tells a solid what-if historical.”—Publishers Weekly
“. . . likely to please both military history and alternative history buffs.”—Booklist
No one thought much about the storm. Not the National Weather Service and not the big-name meteorologists. Experienced local weatherman Wally Wellman thought there might be trouble, but even he couldn't predict the natural disaster that was about to lay siege to the quiet suburb of Sheridan, Michigan.
Now, with resources stretched to their breaking point, Sheridan police officer Mike Stuart must try to keep the town safe. But something is lurking in Sheridan, something as cold as the snow and ice, and just as deadly. A pair of escaped convicts, on the run south, have been stranded in town. And they don't plan on laying low. As the death toll rises, Officer Stuart must face down enemies far more dangerous—and unpredictable—than any storm.
About Robert Conroy's Rising Sun:
“Conroy extrapolates a new and militarily plausible direction for WWII . . . A thrilling adventure.”—Booklist
About Robert Conroy’s Himmler’s War:
“[Conroy] adds a personal touch to alternate history by describing events through the eyes of fictional characters serving on the front lines. VERDICT: Historical accuracy in the midst of creative speculation makes this piece of alternate history believable.”—Library Journal
About Red Inferno: 1945
“An ensemble cast of fictional characters . . . and historical figures powers the meticulously researched story line with diverse accounts of the horrors of war, making this an appealing read for fans of history and alternate history alike.”—Publishers Weekly
“[E]ngrossing and grimly plausible . . .the suspense holds up literally to the last page.”—Booklist
About 1945:
“moving and thought-provoking . . .”—Publishers Weekly
“Realistic . . .”—Booklist
About 1942:
“. . . fans of Tom Clancy and Agent Jack Bauer should find a lot to like here.”—Publishers Weekly
“A significant writer of alternate history turns here to the popular topic of Pearl Harbor, producing . . . this rousing historical action tale.”—Booklist
“A high-explosive what-if, with full-blooded characters.”—John Birmingham, bestselling author of Without Warning
About 1901:
“. . . cleverly conceived . . .Conroy tells a solid what-if historical.”—Publishers Weekly
“. . . likely to please both military history and alternative history buffs.”—Booklist
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2015
8 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Robert Conroy
26 books198 followersRobert Conroy was a best selling author of alternate history novels. His 1942, which is set within a Japanese conquest of Hawaii, won the prestigious Sidewise Award for alternate histories.
After taking early retirement from automotive management, Conroy decided to combine his loves of history and writing. After discovering that Kaiser Wilhelm had plans to invade the U.S., he wrote his first alternate history, 1901 in which the invasion took place. He found alternate history fascinating and the possibilities never-ending. He also wrote for Military History Magazine.
Conroy had a MBA, was a US Army Veteran and was a retired instructor at Macomb Community College. He had a married daughter and two grandsons. He lived in southeastern Michigan with his wife of forty-plus years. He passed away in December 2014 from Cancer.
After taking early retirement from automotive management, Conroy decided to combine his loves of history and writing. After discovering that Kaiser Wilhelm had plans to invade the U.S., he wrote his first alternate history, 1901 in which the invasion took place. He found alternate history fascinating and the possibilities never-ending. He also wrote for Military History Magazine.
Conroy had a MBA, was a US Army Veteran and was a retired instructor at Macomb Community College. He had a married daughter and two grandsons. He lived in southeastern Michigan with his wife of forty-plus years. He passed away in December 2014 from Cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 29, 2020
Well, I finished it at least.
The good: Some of the consequences of the storm were striking, like . The premise of a major snowstorm was somewhat interesting, and it was an easy read.
The bad: The reader is treated to hearing about how every single male character (even those who we only encounter for a few pages) thinks about the women around him. Okay, sure, describe what your characters look like. But I don't need to hear multiple times how one woman (who isn't even a main character) is good looking and could stand to lose some weight. Not only is it 2020 and I expect better, but it was also just boring and repetitive. A man whose wife cheated on him with another woman thinks "Thank God they'd never had kids, because he wouldn't know how to explain to them that mommy was a lesbian." Did the author, editor, and publisher not know that bisexual people exist? Sleeping with one woman does not a lesbian make. Now, sure, there are people who think like that, but this was played straight as humor and from a character who we were supposed to have a somewhat favorable opinion of, which is . . . not good. I could go on about these types of things - they are scattered throughout the book.
The severity of the storm was a little unbelievable - sure, 5 feet is a lot of snow, but that's only an average of 2.5 inches an hour. Which is heavy snowfall, but . . . not enough that so many people would be trapped in buildings and every road impassible with parked cars. Even setting aside the interstates, why were the regular roads not plowable? I can forgive that kind of thing in an easy beach read, but the unrealistic moments made the entire plot less engaging. Speaking of plot, there wasn't much of it. There were so many little "vignettes" of minor characters and how the storm affected them, that it left little time for plot and character development.
The good: Some of the consequences of the storm were striking, like . The premise of a major snowstorm was somewhat interesting, and it was an easy read.
The bad: The reader is treated to hearing about how every single male character (even those who we only encounter for a few pages) thinks about the women around him. Okay, sure, describe what your characters look like. But I don't need to hear multiple times how one woman (who isn't even a main character) is good looking and could stand to lose some weight. Not only is it 2020 and I expect better, but it was also just boring and repetitive. A man whose wife cheated on him with another woman thinks "Thank God they'd never had kids, because he wouldn't know how to explain to them that mommy was a lesbian." Did the author, editor, and publisher not know that bisexual people exist? Sleeping with one woman does not a lesbian make. Now, sure, there are people who think like that, but this was played straight as humor and from a character who we were supposed to have a somewhat favorable opinion of, which is . . . not good. I could go on about these types of things - they are scattered throughout the book.
The severity of the storm was a little unbelievable - sure, 5 feet is a lot of snow, but that's only an average of 2.5 inches an hour. Which is heavy snowfall, but . . . not enough that so many people would be trapped in buildings and every road impassible with parked cars. Even setting aside the interstates, why were the regular roads not plowable? I can forgive that kind of thing in an easy beach read, but the unrealistic moments made the entire plot less engaging. Speaking of plot, there wasn't much of it. There were so many little "vignettes" of minor characters and how the storm affected them, that it left little time for plot and character development.
October 17, 2015
This book got off to a very slow start. Books need to grab my attention quickly or I move on to another book. I read 23% of this book, and I still wasn't interested. Snow storms are commonplace and are not inherently thrilling. They are mostly just annoying, but occasionally dangerous. To amp up the suspense, the author added two very violent escaped convicts who are caught up in the snow storm.
By the time I quit reading, the author had introduced too many characters in tedious detail, but zero suspense. Maybe it picks up later, but I didn't stick around to find out.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
By the time I quit reading, the author had introduced too many characters in tedious detail, but zero suspense. Maybe it picks up later, but I didn't stick around to find out.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
December 4, 2019
A departure from Conroy's usual alternate-history military fiction, this is a disaster movie in novel form.
An unexpected snowstorm drops five feet of snow on a suburban town in Michigan, clogging roads, trapping children in school and shoppers in stores, and causing general mayhem. And then there are the escaped murderers passing through town. The overwhelmed police department does their best to cope, but some problems are too big to be solved.
The characters are high-grade cardboard, but the writing is smooth and the plotting competent. It's not a demanding read, but it's a reasonably good example of its type.
An unexpected snowstorm drops five feet of snow on a suburban town in Michigan, clogging roads, trapping children in school and shoppers in stores, and causing general mayhem. And then there are the escaped murderers passing through town. The overwhelmed police department does their best to cope, but some problems are too big to be solved.
The characters are high-grade cardboard, but the writing is smooth and the plotting competent. It's not a demanding read, but it's a reasonably good example of its type.
April 13, 2024
A really,really good thriller about the devastating effect a powerful,unexpected snow storm has on a small town in Michigan.
Sheridan is only an hours drive from Detroit, but they are a world apart from the crime that runs rampant there.
Mike,comes to the sheriffs dept,after working big time crime in Detroit & finds it a bit boring, but soon meets a lovely fourth grade school teacher named Maddie & falls hard for her.
After, the massive storm hits with the death toll mounting,he never looks at the town,the same way again.
This grabbed me,from the first few pages & maybe the interest was there, because of all the unusual weather,that we have had these past few months & all the unsettling weather across the nation at this time.
Pick it up & enjoy the ride,you'll be glad you did ?
Sheridan is only an hours drive from Detroit, but they are a world apart from the crime that runs rampant there.
Mike,comes to the sheriffs dept,after working big time crime in Detroit & finds it a bit boring, but soon meets a lovely fourth grade school teacher named Maddie & falls hard for her.
After, the massive storm hits with the death toll mounting,he never looks at the town,the same way again.
This grabbed me,from the first few pages & maybe the interest was there, because of all the unusual weather,that we have had these past few months & all the unsettling weather across the nation at this time.
Pick it up & enjoy the ride,you'll be glad you did ?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2022
Conroy usually writes alternative history, which he is better at than this book. This is a story about a storm of the century and how people cope with it and throw in two murderers on the loose. A good read on a snowy winter night.
August 1, 2017
A good disaster 'movie'.
January 1, 2019
ok enough read - was not sorry to see it end.
December 31, 2016
Not alternative history still good.
February 6, 2017
This was a good thriller. Something to read when it's snowing especially! It's a disaster movie in book form and without the celebrity cast.
July 15, 2016
This was published after the author's death, and I wonder if that could be blamed for the problems here. It comes across as a first draft that needed a lot more work.
Basically, small sleeper community near Detroit is hit by a massive winter storm. We then get a series of vignettes about people trying to deal. The closest thing to plot was the romance (painful) between the cop and the teacher, the hunt for two killers who seem to be killing for no real reason as they run around town, and a touch of the barely touched romance rekindled between the weather man (who of course wanted to warn about the storm that no one else believed would be serious) and the governor who is (of course) sassy.
But those plotty elements are so vague that the book just does not congeal into a novel. Not recommended.
Basically, small sleeper community near Detroit is hit by a massive winter storm. We then get a series of vignettes about people trying to deal. The closest thing to plot was the romance (painful) between the cop and the teacher, the hunt for two killers who seem to be killing for no real reason as they run around town, and a touch of the barely touched romance rekindled between the weather man (who of course wanted to warn about the storm that no one else believed would be serious) and the governor who is (of course) sassy.
But those plotty elements are so vague that the book just does not congeal into a novel. Not recommended.
December 13, 2015
3.5 stars
January 10, 2016
An interesting premise.
March 5, 2024
Don't add erotic scenes to books just because you can
July 22, 2016
Should have stuck to history
March 29, 2017
Storm Front is a week written fast paced story. The plot is fairly straightforward, a town is hit by a large unexpected snowstorm and the residents have to cope. There are some plot twists and turns. Some of the buildings may not be safe due to fraudulent construction. The snow comes down so fast that cars are stranded in the streets. This prevents the snow plows from coming out. In addition there are two dangerous killers on loose and stranded in the town.
The book reminds me of a classic 70s movie. The natural disaster, the political corruption, and the criminals on the loose. I can see someone like a Charles Bronson or Clint Eastwood starring in it. Perfect rainy Saturday afternoon movie.
The book reminds me of a classic 70s movie. The natural disaster, the political corruption, and the criminals on the loose. I can see someone like a Charles Bronson or Clint Eastwood starring in it. Perfect rainy Saturday afternoon movie.
April 8, 2017
3.5 review
Storm Front takes place in Michigan during a blizzard. It was amusing that we were getting our Blizzard around the time I was reading this - we got two feet...the community in this book got 5. In many ways, I could see similarities to the real world and the fictional one...
But 5 feet of snow is quite a bit, and I can imagine that there are dramatic differences and Mr Conroy hit most of them. Folks stranded, issues with power, transportation, communication, food and infrastructure were all within.
Overall, it was ok. It kept me reading, which is good, but I didn't feel the novel was special in any way. Its a standard 'Blizzard with problems' story, with a few memorable characters.
Storm Front takes place in Michigan during a blizzard. It was amusing that we were getting our Blizzard around the time I was reading this - we got two feet...the community in this book got 5. In many ways, I could see similarities to the real world and the fictional one...
But 5 feet of snow is quite a bit, and I can imagine that there are dramatic differences and Mr Conroy hit most of them. Folks stranded, issues with power, transportation, communication, food and infrastructure were all within.
Overall, it was ok. It kept me reading, which is good, but I didn't feel the novel was special in any way. Its a standard 'Blizzard with problems' story, with a few memorable characters.
May 2, 2017
Different feel
Normally an alternative history writer, this book is more natural disaster. Writing prose was ok. I sure miss Mr. Conroy.
Normally an alternative history writer, this book is more natural disaster. Writing prose was ok. I sure miss Mr. Conroy.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews