Aftershock - Hardcover

Scarborough, Chuck

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0517580144 ISBN 13: 9780517580141

Publisher: Crown, 1991

Synopsis

In the wake of a mammoth and lethal earthquake, a colorful cast of New Yorkers--including seismologist Sam Thorne, crime boss Domenico Rizzo, and fashion designer Matt Devon--struggles to carry on in spite of the disaster

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

Although New York City's WNBC-TV anchor Scarborough has followed the standard procedures in creating a disaster novel--the plot concerns a massive earthquake that strikes the Big Apple in 1994--his thriller never unsettles the reader's equilibrium. Scarborough has done thorough research, and he's assembled the requisite array of characters affected by the disaster. The nominal hero is earthquake expert Sam Thorpe; much of the story centers around the separate efforts of Thorpe and his semi-estranged actress wife to find and rescue their young son. Perhaps the most interesting character, however, is Thorpe's mother, an avid rock climber who puts her expertise to good use in the rubble of the leveled city. Other subplots deal with a quartet of AIDS patients who leave their beds to join the rescue effort, and a group (which includes the mayor's daughter) trapped in the subway. Mafia boss Domenico Rizzo's efforts to profit from the catastrophe and political battles between the president and the New York governor are meant to add depth, but are relayed in matter-of-fact and predictable fashion. Ultimately, Scarborough's general inability to build tension keeps Aftershock becalmed.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The threat of an earthquake destroying New York City is a real possibility, according to the experts. Although it takes nearly 100 pages for the disaster to finally strike, once it does this novel by NBC-TV anchor Scarborough picks up pace and never lets down. The aftermath of the quake of 1994 is a nightmare, much worse than San Francisco, with people trapped in buildings and subways, on bridges, and in tunnels. Electricity is out and looters take to the streets. Domenico Rizzo, head of New York's largest crime family, quickly moves to exploit a city in chaos. Sam Thorne, earthquake expert, is a vital cog for the rescue operation. The mayor's daughter tries to lead a group of survivors out of the subway. A large cast of characters, including squabbling politicians, almost overwhelms the reader, but the author basically manages to juggle their stories creditably and keep the tension high in this rousing tale.
- Marilyn Jordan, Keiser Coll. Lib., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Crown
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0517580144
• ISBN 13: 9780517580141
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 435