Before the Fall – A Fun Summer Read If You Enjoy Thrillers & Mysteries

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
First published on May 31, 2016
Grand Central Publishing
Source: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

“On a foggy summer night, eleven people-ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter-depart Martha’s Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs-the painter-and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul’s family. As the passengers’ intrigues unravel, odd coincidences point to a conspiracy. Was it merely by dumb chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something far more sinister at work? Events soon threaten to spiral out of control in an escalating storm of media outrage and accusations. And while Scott struggles to cope with fame that borders on notoriety, the authorities scramble to salvage the truth from the wreckage.” Source: Hachette Book Group.

Review:

Before the Fall captures the spirit of ‘beach reading’ perfectly: it is a feel-good, semi-philosophical, mysterious page-turner about an event that I’m sure horrifies most people: a plane crash. A story that titillates and keeps the reader engaged through an atmosphere saturated with all the known pleasure-pain triggers: the devastation wrecked by tragedy; the ambiguity and uncertainty of love; the thirst for money and power; the journey into finding personal meaning in a chaotic, senseless world.

A Subtle, Insightful Debut Novel & a Brilliant Atmospheric Rendering of the Utah Desert

The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson
Published March 22, 2016
Crown Publishing
Source: theReadingRoom Advanced Readers Program ARC

“Ben Jones lives a quiet, hardscrabble life, working as a trucker on Route 117, a little-travelled road in a remote region of the Utah desert which serves as a haven for fugitives and others looking to hide from the world. For many of the desert’s inhabitants, Ben’s visits are their only contact with the outside world, and the only landmark worth noting is a once-famous roadside diner that hasn’t opened in years. In this unforgettable story of love and loss, Ben learns the enduring truth that some violent crimes renew themselves across generations. At turns funny, heartbreaking and thrilling, The Never-Open Desert Diner powerfully evokes an unforgettable setting and introduces readers to a cast of characters who will linger long after the last page.” Source: Penguin Random House.

Review:

“Most people associate the desert with what is missing – water and people. They never think of the one thing the desert has more of – light. So much light.”