Concurrently, a small band of enterprising crooks is taking advantage of the wrath of the storm to keep people either at home trying to keep their possessions in one piece or evacuated to safer locales. They have determined that there are a number of secluded retreats owned by the wealthy that will have their contents up for grabs because their owners will be otherwise occupied after the storm abates.

Edward Harmon and his associate Squires, both having had successful military careers, have found civilian life more than a little boring. To amuse themselves and keep up their income they have hired out their services as under cover operators for private industries that would like to keep certain of their activities under the radar screen. Their latest assignment is to check on a facility well hidden in the Everglades in the aftermath of Hurricane Simone.

As most readers will quickly determine all three of these plot lines are destined to become one. How and why the separate parts intercept provides the tension and excitement to the novel, with Hurricane Simone providing the stimulus and catalyst.

What author King has done that provides something out of the ordinary for his readers is to utilize extreme weather as a character in his book. Simone shows her own brand of fury that far surpasses anything any human being could imagine. King’s vivid descriptions of the sounds and feelings experienced during the height of a category 4 hurricane will make most readers feel distinctly lucky to be sitting safe and sound in a cozy easy chair. Even Harmon who has little, if any, fear of humans had a healthy respect for hurricanes.

An equally detailed portrait of the ecosystem that is the Everglades is presented in memorable fashion. It is secluded and quiet, but not without danger. Predators both human and animal take advantage of the watery environs which make usual modes of escape impossible. Alligators, for instance, are incredibly quick and tremendously strong. Humans who have made this area their home understand the terrain which is to an outsider a place where no road map can provide assistance.

While humans square off against humans in this unusual thriller, humans are equally doing battle against Mother Nature at her most violent. It is almost impossible for someone who has not personally witnessed the effects of hurricane force winds combined with wind fueled water to picture the devastation that can occur. Jonathon King has made an heroic effort to put this devastation into words that can be comprehended.

As a mystery story Acts of Nature is not out of the ordinary, but the descriptive passages of actual events that happen during a hurricane make the book worthwhile. In addition, the unique characteristics of the Everglades are described in evocative terms that will grab the attention of many a reader.

--Andy Plonka