Noah HawleyCritiques

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

3.5 stars. A slow burn thriller that also focused on the media today and how news is no longer just reported, it’s shaped into a story they want to tell.

Perfect book for the beach! Not too dense and kept me wanting more.

Story revolves around the crash of a private plane and the book takes a closer look at everyone on board as investigators try to figure out exactly what happened.

Page turner.

A minor mystery plot that rolls you along a very good character study.

Half way through this “thriller”, waiting to be thrilled rather than bored. Weird tense changes, over the top descriptors ... not for me.

Excellent slow build story telling, person by person, piece by piece. Loved it.

Rating; 3* of five

I voted for this book in the 2016 Goodreads Choice awards. It was the best of the lot in terms of other nominees I'd read.

I don't feel compelled to regurgitate the plot. I do feel compelled to say that the TV show LOST was ever-present in my thoughts as I read the book. Hawley's got a line-by-line ease with words, but his plot is so bog-standard that I was unimpressed by the end of the first third of the story.

And this was the best choice. 2016 wasn't a great mystery year for this mystery addict.

Wow! Hawley covers so much in this action-packed novel which covers the way our world is now. Filled with believable characters (even the despicable ones). Petkoff does a great job of narration. The portrayal of how the media is willing to do anything for a story and truth is not important is what I see happening in our current times. Highly recommended!

FROM LIBBY: On a foggy summer night, 11 people - 10 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 the painter Scott Burroughs and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family.

Was it by chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something more sinister at work? A storm of media attention brings Scott fame that quickly morphs into notoriety and accusations, and he scrambles to salvage truth from the wreckage. Amid trauma and chaos, the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy grows and glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, morality, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

Anxiety inducing in not an enjoyable way. Narrator borders on too witty and introspective at times. Plot movies with good speed but I really just didn’t like the situation that propels it. Leaves you feeling empty

3.75 * A good story but wasn't overly keen on the writing style.

The Good Father is a story of a father/son relationship that goes awry after a divorce. The son ends up dropping out of college and ends up being accused of a terrible shooting. The story is part psychological portrait, part mystery, and while I wouldn't call it fine literature, it was a very fascinating read. I finished it in a couple of days because it was hard to put down for me.

Most of the story is told through the eyes of the father, and I found this point of view to be very interesting as a parent.

Interwoven into the perspectives of the father is the story of the son and how he gets in such deep trouble. There are many anecdotes of the most famous assassins/shooters of modern day times - - and these serve to illuminate the tale of the son.

All in all, a great read, albeit not an uplifting one. I think parents and/or children of divorce will find it easier to relate to the storyline as a whole. I was quite tempted to give it five stars, but I usually reserve those for books with more literary merit, and there were some elements that weren't totally believable. . .but it was a thoughtful, well crafted, and disturbing story. It would be a strong book club selection.

It took me 3 weeks to finish this book. Which tells you all you really need to know.

Honestly, I really liked [b:The Good Father|12246894|The Good Father|Noah Hawley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1321627557l/12246894._SY75_.jpg|17221254] so my expectations for this one were on the high side, but alas, it was not my cup of tea. For a suspense novel, it was pretty boring. It starts off well with a plane crash. Unfortunately, it's all down(hill) from there.

The characters are mostly caricatures (with a few exceptions). But to be honest, the book mostly commits the cardinal sin of being boring. I think the author's choice to devote a chapter to each character on the plane really slowed the narrative roll. The third section which focuses on the mystery of why the plane went down, was definitely more interesting; however the cause of the mystery was seriously lacking in creativity. There's a lot of loose ends left hanging to boot.

All in all, I'm just mad at myself for spending 3 weeks on a throwaway beach type read. So 2020.

The hottest summer on record in the story and in the world. No thank you.

4.5 stars.

As with most books by this author, it's well written, paced and shed's light on areas most of us have put aside. Sad in many ways, its story told by a father crushed by his past whose sadness grows with each chapter. Being in denial of decisions we make never moves us forward and in this case, he has to come to grips with it. I was particularly moved myself since in ways, my life paralleled his son, minus the violence. Regardless I also enjoyed details from assassinations I was familiar with yet unaware of the particulars.

A debut novel, this story is terrific as is the word smith abilities of the author. I couldn't put it down finishing the book in a matter of days. Great characters, subplots and twists and nicely paced too. In some ways it reminded me of the Mel Gibson/Julia Roberts movie minus the wacko character Mel plays. Good stuff all the way to the end

My first book by Noah Hawley, I enjoyed reading it tremendously, though the ending was a bit disappointing especially since Noah is a seasoned show runner/producer/writer for TV. He uses a nice technique switching back and forth between the plot and bios of the characters helping paint the picture. Regardless it's a good read, flows nicely and paced well too.

Underwhelming and disappointing conclusion. The revelation was one of those “Seriously…” moments.

Perhaps I’d feel differently if I didn’t read the audiobook tho. It was extremely difficult to determine when a chapter switch happened because they aren’t numbered, just labeled. Without the visual cues I frequently missed the change in subject. The frustration of the audio coupled with the dive-bomb ending was a letdown.

Finished in less than 24 hours. I was stealing minutes anywhere I could find them so I could read just one more chapter. Finally a summer read that lived up to the hype for me!

Excellent read.....total twist at the end. Highly recommend it!