Silent Thunder by Chuck Yeagley

About the book

Pittsburgh, 1970

Craig James, successful thirty-three year old advertising executive, has been shot. His girlfriend has also been shot, is missing, and is probably dead. The police suspect he is a drug dealer, and his boss fires him to avoid bad publicity. Another attempt is made to kill Craig the day he is released from the hospital. His best friend, Bill Fredericks, is savagely murdered a day later. Totally innocent of any wrongdoing, Craig finds himself the bewildered prisoner of a living nightmare.

While Craig desperately hunts for any trace of his beloved Sharon and struggles to keep ahead of his unidentified pursuers, the mystery unfolds. But, that is only the beginning of the real dilemma. Sharon is still alive, and eventually finds him. She explains she was shot with a tranquilizer dart and kidnapped by soldiers of her old boyfriend, Mafia Capo Joe Bella of Cleveland. She admits lying about her past, but convinces Craig her love for him is very real and permanent.

Craig's first instinct is to go to Lieutenant Patrick Anders, but Sharon feels certain they will never live to testify. After weeks of exhaustive anguish and soul-searching, Craig and Sharon conclude their only chance for survival is to accomplish the unthinkable -- kill Bella before he kills them. They plan, practice, and torture themselves over their decision, but are convinced no other viable choice exists. Several amateurish attempts fail. Then, they find the power, courage, and determination to succeed -- "silent thunder" is born within them -- Bella dies and their magnificent love story continues.

While attempting to build new lives from the devastation of the old, they learn the nightmare hasn't ended with Bella's death. Mafia gunmen are still on their trail. All the while, Lieutenant Anders has been tenaciously working the case. He finds and arrests them for Bella's murder. However, within a few blocks of the stationhouse, Anders has a change of heart. He realizes that justice and the law aren't necessarily the same, and that both will surely be murdered by the mob in prison.

To their complete surprise, Anders unlocks the cuffs and sets them free at the bus station. Craig and Sharon climb aboard a Greyhound and vanish. They have gotten away with murder, or have they?

About the author

Chuck Yeagley was born and raised in a small town in the Laurel Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, served in the U.S. Navy, worked as a commercial artist, and later graduated cum laude from La Roche College with a B.A. in History and Commercial Art. For nearly three decades, Chuck has had a successful career in insurance claims investigation and management. At present, he is a national technical advisory and troubleshooter for a property and casualty company.

Silent Thunder is the author's first novel, but he is far from a novice at life. Chuck has enjoyed, endured, and survived -- just barely at times, with eight near-death experiences so far -- more than most folks can begin to imagine. In addition to writing, Chuck's interests include photography, golfing, sailing, watercolor painting, traveling, and sports cars (currently a rare LT4 Corvette convertible).

Chuck lives in Brandon, Florida with his wife, Linda and their daughter, Elizabeth. He is at work on a second novel. His dream is to move on from his current career and become a full-time author.