I must confess that the title brought this book to my attention. I love fast cars, so Thunderbird jumped off the page.
Publisher: Quiet Owl Books (June 29, 2012)
Category/Genre: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 978-0615658353
Tour Date: October 21/November, 2013
Available in: Print & ebook, 338 Pages
Just in time for the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death!
The Thunderbird Conspiracy is the remarkable tale of Robert Kaye, a Hungarian freedom fighter who claimed he knew and collaborated with JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. R. K. Price’s second novel is also a tale of a Nebraska farm boy who was a great admirer of President Kennedy and a true patriot who desperately wanted to believe his government’s hurried conclusion that Oswald had no accomplice. Yet his own harrowing experience at the hands of his government created profound doubt in his mind, and it haunted him to his death.
These two men, one willfully acting, the other a true victim, became entangled in the most notorious crime of the 20th century. This saga of intrigue and murder was revealed to the author on a wintry Colorado day about three weeks before the farm boy’s ravaged heart gave out.
That man was R. K. Price’s uncle. His name was Bud Carlson. Price stashed away Bud’s account of Robert Kaye, letting it lay dormant for nearly forty years until he could corroborate his uncle’s story with the release of previously secret FBI files from the National Archives.
Now nearing the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination Price has brought Robert Kaye and Bud Carlson back to life. Their incredible story will leave you questioning just how and why JFK was taken from America far too early.
BUY LINKS
Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository
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MY REVIEW
I saw the cover and read the title. I am a car nut, so this made me pause, thinking, what is this about?
Thunderbird by R K Price is a historical fiction novel that tells of two men’s “involvement” in the JFK assassination.
How much is true? How much is false? You decide.
I am not sure what I expected from the book, but I am a conspiracy buff and have never been satisfied with the results of the investigation into the JFK assassination. I knew I wanted to read on.
I found it very interesting and it created as many or more questions I had after reading it as I did before.
Thunderbird touches on many of the current events that went on during that era – immigration and segregation.
The rise and fall of money – the cost of a car or a gallon of milk.
It brought back memories of the times, like the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
R K Price writes about an immigrant’s life and the adjustments he has to make to assimilate into the US culture.
I feel it could be titled The Making of a Radical.
Two men trying to live their lives, but outside influences play a disastrous part, changing them forever.
I guess you could say Robert Kay, who is really Roman Sokolowski from Hungary, was doomed as soon as he came to the United States.
“you aren’t never gonna get along…..in this US of A with a name like….”
Thus, he became Robert Kaye.
I thought the women in this book were slightly nuts.
The book did what a book should do. It got my wheels turning
Thunderbird brought to mind ideas I had never thought of.
Did the Warren Commission write it up and drop the ball to keep the country intact?
Or to cover up the government’s part in it?
What do you think?
4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others
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Praise for The Thunderbird Conspiracy
“I have always been a JFK assassination conspiracy theorist and R.K. Price’s fictionalized account was a very believable account of what could have happened. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it. I was glad that the author provided such a thorough epilogue to explain what was actual and what was fictional. Great job!”– Judy, Amazon Reviewer
“Price does a wonderful job unraveling the behind the scene plan to assassinate President Kennedy, while entertaining the reader with fictional characters that make the story intriguing. Robert Kaye has a dark upbringing that haunts him in his dreams and eventually takes hold of his personality. The kindness that he bestows upon his boss and the love for his girlfriend gets upended by a woman that he meets in the boardinghouse. His goodness quickly fades and an accomplice to the one of the most tragic events of the 20th century is revealed. This plausible account convinced this reader that Oswald did not act alone.”– Trish, Amazon Reviewer
“This is a thought provoking novel that I just couldn’t put down. Historical fiction based on facts. How many other things in our past have been hidden from us? Cant wait for Volume 2 Mr. Price!! Bud would be proud of the excellent presentation…. job well done!”– Deb, Amazon Reviewer
“If you like historical fiction, Price will knock you out. This clever mix of detailed factual elements mixed with a wildly creative fictional storyline will keep you reading – even if you’re really supposed to be cooking a holiday dinner. The Characters are real enough to draw you into their world and era – you will have stepped back into history in a way that is immediate and sensitive to modern sensibilities.”– Luanne R. Haggerty: Theater Professional, Amazon Reviewer
“What a page turner! It was such an interesting story interspersed with so much real history and intimate details. I think the author really paid a fine tribute to his Uncle Bud and the story he carried to his grave. The characters were very real and so were the locations. It was a fast-paced read that I was disheartened to see finished. Can’t wait for the real history to reveal itself in documents released or uncovered in our lifetime. Thanks to the author for sharing family lore and crafting an engaging narrative.”– Michael D. Bluestein, Amazon Reviewer
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About R.K. Price:
R.K. Price is a Colorado native. He lived in Pueblo for a number of years, earning his way through college as a radio/television and newspaper reporter. He moved north to Denver in the mid 70s, joining a major advertising/public relations firm as a writer, producer and press agent. Later, he formed his own media relations and political consulting firm. He spent the early 1980s in Washington D.C. actively involved in national politics, and returned to Denver in the mid 80s to become an investment and mortgage banker — a profession he remains in today. He now lives in the Washington D.C. area with his wife Janet and daughter Sara in Alexandria, Va.
