Behind the smiling face of America’s Best Coastal Small Town lies a twisted web of blackmail, drugs, and murder. Veteran Brady Sullivan gets far more than a quiet, unassuming place to process Army paychecks in Bryan W. Conway’s debut thriller Sandusky Burning. And it will take everything he’s got to keep his family, and his nation, safe.
Fiction’s Crime-Ridden Campground
The story begins at the end, with the bound carcass of an RV screeching alongside the train it’s chained to. From there, Conway takes his time introducing several characters. In doing so, he gives us plenty of time to get to know what makes them tick. We get an inside look at everyone from Randy, an up-and-coming crime lord, to Mike, Brady’s new friend and battle buddy. Randy has everyone at his campground under his thumb. Then things take a dark turn when he sets his sights on Brady’s Top Secret security clearance. Mike and Brady soon find themselves knee-deep in Randy’s sinister operations. Together, both have to rely on their combined cunning and battle training to get them out alive.
In Sandusky Burning, Conway writes complex characters, the most notable of which are on Randy’s crew. Each one has unique motives and desires, but they’re controlled completely by Randy. A believable villain, I loved him the whole way through. With the bird’s eye view Conway presents to his readers, we know that Randy is a slimy opportunist. He gets just lucky enough to make Brady think he’s omniscient. I found myself gripping the pages, waiting anxiously to see how Brady was going to get himself out of each mess I knew was coming.
Conway’s Gritty “NoirV” Style
Reminiscent of classic, hard-boiled detective stories, his book is not for the faint of heart. Conway promised a gritty crime thriller. And he delivered. Characters begin their days with “black coffee, sweetened with whiskey.” They end them “too deep in the bourbon for their own comfort.” Murder, drugs, prostitution, and suicide permeate the story, making it unsuitable for younger audiences. My household has taken to calling the novel a “NoirV” story, which accounts for many of its shortcomings.
The book is a decent size, and, due to the slower start, it can take a bit of time to get through. I had a difficult time finding a print copy in brick and mortar stores, but the Sandusky Burning is available online anywhere you buy ebooks. (For audiobook enjoyers, the audiobook is read by an AI voice, which I found rather jarring.) The writing itself could have done with some revision, namely Conway’s habits of writing certain characters as pure stereotypes and slipping into overly specific descriptions, but the plot is solid. He does a great job of orienting his reader within the lesser known aspects of post-military and RV life, as well as establishing the (very convoluted) campground setting.
Sandusky Burning Isn’t the End: A Sequel Awaits
Conway is living the dream, writing novels from his RV to yours. He has been a soldier, factory worker, fitness trainer, lawyer, and now an author. If you enjoy shows like Ozark and Yellowstone, then Sandusky Burning is for you. I’m not sure what comes next for Brady in the sequel, Sandusky Reckoning, but I know that regardless I’m excited to see what Bryan W. Conway comes up with next.
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