Thunder Road

Chasing down a small-time gambling debt in the summer of 1947, down-on-his-luck former Ranger Jefferson Sharp realizes that more than a few poker chips are at stake when he stumbles upon an interplanetary cover-up.

When an Army Air Force major vanishes from his Top Secret job at the Fort Worth air base in the summer of 1947, down-on-his-luck former Ranger Jefferson Sharp is hired to find him, because the major owes a sizable gambling debt to a local mobster. The search takes Sharp from the hideaway poker rooms of Fort Worth’s Thunder Road, to the barren ranch lands of New Mexico, to secret facilities under construction in the Nevada desert.

Lethal operatives and an opaque military bureaucracy stand in his way, but when he finds an otherworldly clue and learns President Truman is creating a new group called Central Intelligence and splitting the Air Force from the Army, Sharp begins to connect dots. And those dots draw a straight line to a conspiracy aiming to cover up a secret that is out of this world⎯literally so.

The Reviews are In!

“[In this] intriguing debut . . . clear crisp prose . . . morphs from a western into a detective story with an overlay of conspiracy theories.” —Publishers Weekly

“I need to write a full, glowing, gushing review of what may just be my favorite book of 2022. AMAZING, intriguing, unique, and chock-full of Fort Worth history with some Twin Peaksy terrific-ness, too…and maybe some aliens. Colin Holmes has a new fan, and securing Grover Gardner to narrate this gem absolutely seals the deal. Outstanding in every aspect. I will be getting a print copy to hug and read with my eyes the 2nd time around.” –Kristine Hall, Lone Star Literary Review

“This genre-defying and enormously entertaining romp is Mickey Spillane meets Whitley Strieber meets Woody Allen. I can’t remember when I’ve had so much plain old fun reading a book and just didn’t want it to end. The dialogue is classic late ‘40s, as are the nostalgic descriptions of people, places and things. Las Vegas has one traffic light, which makes it a burgeoning metropolis compared to Roswell. Sharp is constantly feeding dimes into pay phones to make calls. Air conditioning is an exotic novelty, as people relish being immersed in “refrigerated air.” My highest recommendation. Enjoy the ride!” –Thomas J. Howley, Historical Fiction Society

“Every so often—and it is, as it should be, very rare—I read a book for review and think, “If only there were six stars in the rating system, instead of five…” So imagine my surprise when I realized that this is the author’s debut novel.” –Joey Madea, Goodreads

“Sparkling 1940’s dialogue, wry humor, an unpredictable yet coherent storyline, and a breezy style all his own, make Colin Holmes’ somewhat spooky novel, Thunder Road, a winner. I’ll be on the lookout for his next novel.” —Rob Leininger, author of Killing Suki Flood and the Mortimer Angel “Gumshoe” series

“. . . one of the best mysteries I’ve ever read. The plot, characterization, timing, setting, dialogue, and tension was spot on. Love the noir feel of the past. Have to admit the ending twist caught me by surprise. Well done..” —Larry Enmon, author of Class III Threat, City of Fear and The Burial Place

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