The Trouble in Thor

by Charlotte Armstrong

Thor is a little mining town in Michigan. It's 1920 and the whole town depends on the mine. The book tells the stories of five families and what happens to them and the rest of the townsfolk when the mine collapses, trapping several men underground.

Genres: Gothic, Mystery

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Full name Charlotte Armstrong Lewi. Wrote 29 novels, plus short stories and plays under the name Charlotte Armstrong and Jo Valentine. Additional writing jobs: New York Times (advertising department), Breath of the Avenue (fashion reporter).

Reviews

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of mysteries and Charlotte Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. I started this book assuming it was a mystery. Well it's not a mystery, its more like a Sinclair Lewis novel. Things proceed slowly as you become engaged in the character's lives, emotions tighten and relax, bravery resides alongside fear, emotions evolve with events. If you are trying to figure out the good characters from the bad characters, you wont. Rather, people move along a spectrum of emotions and reactions both good and bad as events transpire. The central story is about a mining accident and how it effects members of a small company mining town in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

Expect a story about the human condition but don't expect one with a clear verdict or a conclusion. Expect a realistic view of people reacting to stress and maybe some thoughtful reflection as a result.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thor is a little mining town in Michigan. The whole town, from top to bottom, depends on the mine. In this book, Armstrong takes a look at several different families, with all kinds of relationships, and then examines what happens when a mine caves in, trapping 5 men. All kinds of tensions and drama erupt in the little community while they wait to see who will emerge from underground alive.

I enjoyed this story. Sometimes the dialogue was a little hard to follow, but the portrait of an older time was a convincing one. I wasn't quite clear on exactly when this was supposed to be set, but certainly times have changed. Still, just last year, here in Utah we had another cave in, and the drama and emotion while the whole town waited, holding their breath, that tension has not changed. Good solid book.

Oh, and ignore the lurid cover! I thought this was a Gothic romance, but it was not what I expected at all.

[Louise Hendricks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book, from the publisher and author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher, Open Road Integrated Media, the author, Charlotte Armstrong, and NetGalley.

This novel is not centered around one person, but it looks at several families and how they are affected when the mine caves in. The emergency seems to be too much for this little mining community as they wait to see who has survived and who has not. The view of the small town is extremely realistic.

The plot is well put together, and very well written. I enjoyed the colloquialisms of the time period it is set in. (Set in the 1920s, the author references things such as party lines and floorboards in cars.)

A much as I enjoyed this novel, it did not hold my attention. I found myself putting it down more often than not. This fact alone bumped it from a 4 to a 3 star.

[Debra Bates · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book I will never read again. I don't like plots built around extramarital affairs.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mild climax of the book occurs well over halfway through; not a very exciting book, just an interesting overview of the characters emotions regarding the mine cave-in. Not so scandalous as the sleeve suggests.