Noah Hawley's [b:Before the Fall|26245850|Before the Fall|Noah Hawley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1462515889s/26245850.jpg|42901355] is a terrific summer vacation kind of book -- just don't plan to start reading it as you settle into your airplane seat while jetting off for a trip. This book starts off with a mysterious airplane crash, and jumps back and forth between past and present to uncover what really happened on that fateful day.

More mystery than thriller, "Before the Fall" is full of red herrings which will keep the reader guessing whether the airline crash was an accident or intentional, and which passenger on board may have been targeted.

Hawley draws readers in with interesting descriptions and back stories of the characters he introduces, particularly Scott, the adult survivor of the crash.

As with most books in the genre, some disbelief must be suspended, but overall this was a very entertaining read and a definite cut above other "disaster" books.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley an Grand Central Publishing for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

liked it

This was a very decent mystery. Well plotted with an interesting and diverse set of characters. What sets it apart , though, is the spot on social commentary about the world we live in. The media cycle, pundits, class warfare, the arts , sports, bullying.The author is a regular Dickens in using peoples interest in murder to shine a light on current societal problems. highly recommended ( )

Flying High

Media: Audio
Read by:Robert Petkoff
Length: `13 hours

A private jet takes off from Martha’s Vineyard with a bunch of rich passengers on boards. Also along for the ride are an ex-Israeli security guard and an artist who was invited by one of the passengers.

The plane crashes into the Atlantic about 20 minutes after take-off and only two of those on-board survive. It’s a 15 mile swim to shore and it’s night. There’s heavy fog and huge waves. Only two survive, the artist an a four year old boy.

As the book rolls along we get to know the major players, and the suspense level is kept high as the authorities try to unravel the cause of the crash. We learn about the pre-flight lives and social circles of those on board. There is a crooked money-launderer with links to the baddies, a good-natured trophy wife, a beautiful Manhattanite, a ‘90s hippy loser, a cute kid, a drowned sister, a nice black cop, a nasty white cop and a farmers’ market. It sounds like the sort of novel I’d normally avoid. But Hawley/ pulls it off.

Hawley is best known as a script write and his work for the U.S. film industry shines through in his highly visual writing style. He paints cinematic pictures of the crash, the passengers’ lives before, and the survivors’ lives after. Hawley’s exposure to big media is also evident in his depictions of the Murdoch media empire, specifically of right-wing hosts à la Hannity which are spot on.

I can easily recommend this book. There are a couple of gray spots where chapters are devoted to some boring passengers and their sub-plots, but despite these the reader is kept in suspense through to the final pages.

The ending was a little too “American”, but we can’t have it all. I enjoyed reading this book. ( )

Thriller