After dinner, Wang mistakenly leaves behind a folder containing important papers and his business card. Kindred arranges to return the folder and upon arrival at Wang's flat, finds him with a knife in his chest and a stranger lurking outside the window. Kindred grabs the folder and returns to his hotel only to find that same stranger waiting with a silencer and police sirens in the distance.

Kindred escapes harm and spends the night by the river. The following morning, he arrives at the police station and sees his picture with the caption "Wanted for Murder." He bolts from the station and decides to go underground. From this point, Adam embarks upon an unbelievable adventure to prove his innocence.

  Rita Nashe is a London policewoman who inadvertently discovers Wang's body when she is called to the scene by a neighbor. Later she transfers to the MSU (Marine Suport Unit) and while investigating a call about a swan being barbecued along the river, arrests the stranger Jonjo Case, ex-military who drives a London Cab but also works freelance security. Case is found with several weapons but is mysteriously released in less than 24 hours.  

Ingram Fryzer is the CEO of Caleunture-Deutz (CD) Pharmaceuticals which is about to submit Zembla-4 for FDA approval. Wang was having some concerns about this. 20% of CD was recently purchased by Rilke Pharmaceuticals on the presumption that this drug will return billions once Zemla is marketed.

  William Boyd has won numerous awards for literature. In Ordinary Thunderstorms, Mr. Boyd develops the characters Kindred, Wang, Nashe, and Fryzer almost to the point of being tedious. Although the writing is above average and the author poses many interesting questions, the rather implausible combination of corporate deception, a revivalist mission, and how the homeless survive in London just didn't work.

--Jerry Solot