Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Thunder Road

SERIES: Badlands #7

AUTHOR: Morgan Brice

PUBLISHER: Darkwind Press

LENGTH: 204 Pages

RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2024

BLURB:

Simon and Vic are home from their honeymoon, just in time for a brand new case!

Mysterious missing person reports, a cursed motorcycle club, and an ancient entity add up to trouble. A bad bargain to stop a long-ago gang war requires a yearly sacrifice from a tightly-knit group of riders, and even their coven of witches hasn’t been able to stop the deaths.

Then the granddaughter of a former lighthouse keeper comes to Simon for help. When the lighthouses were automated, they lost their live-in guardians, who worked protective spells to shield the coast from killer storms and a murderous creature. Those protections are fading, and an old evil has gained power, growing stronger with every life it claims.

Can Simon and Vic end the deaths and disappearances, or have they finally found a foe too powerful to stop?

Thunder Road is an action-packed MM paranormal romance chock full of old magic, protective guardians, found family, an ancient monster, brave motorcyclists, helpful ghosts, loyal friends, psychic visions, hurt/comfort, supernatural suspense, and an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels.

REVIEW:

Upon returning from their honeymoon, Vic D’Amato and Simon Kincaide find themselves embroiled in a reformed outlaw biker club mystery. Years ago, the bikers made a deal with a member of the paranormal, but something’s not right. Simon and Vic must determine whether the anomalies are the tip of the iceberg or something much bigger.

Thunder Road is book seven in the Badlands series, and while previous reading is of benefit, it is not essential. I have read many of Morgan Brice’s books, but Thunder Road is the first I’ve read of the Badlands – I will read more. Also, there were super overlaps with some characters that fans of any Brice Paranormal books will recognize. This is one of those stories where investigations get the reader’s anticipation ramped up, and I was pleased to say that the finale didn’t disappoint. The phrase ‘Someone’s watching’ is in full force, and it’s not just the baddy. I love it when ghosts get involved, and an element of the clergy is badass. This story crept up on me, and by the end, I was hooked on all the characters.

The tale is told in the third person from the alternating viewpoints of Simon and Vic. Given that Vic is a homicide detective and Simon is a psychic who owns a ghost tour business that helps both living and dead as a sideline – worldbuilding is a compelling combination of cop and paranormal factfinding, with differing avenues of exploratory expertise. The situations presented, alongside the writing style, made this form of fiction believable. There was only one area where I got a bit confused: the timeline of the disappearance of James Hinton and how it related to his brother. Aside from that, I loved the inclusion of characters from other books, albeit in a background capacity.

Vic and Simon are delightful. The way Vic has embraced Simon’s world and supports him as much as possible is inspiring. Simon’s visions and other abilities take it out of him, and Vic is there to ensure Simon gets what he needs to recover.

As for the baddy, I won’t give you any info or spoil anything. However, he’s a being who intends to use his powers to stop Simon and his entourage from restricting him. Simon’s circle includes library personnel, ghosts, witches, nuns, and clergy. In comparison, Vic’s world involves cops, bikers, and individuals with firepower—the mix of investigation, events and paranormal elements made for an excellent sense of anticipation.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

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