Before the Fall by Noah Hawley, Book Review

The mega rich think their money and power shield them from the vicissitudes of fate. But they are wrong. The crash of a private luxury plane into the sea one foggy night proves the point. Evil can strike anyone, at any time. Some survive, some don’t.

This is masterful story telling. You could build a writing class around the structure – how to circle  the solution while drip-feeding clues and back story and yet maintain suspense until the end. Or put another way - take an inventive plot with  interesting protagonists and let the thriller resolve itself in an emotionally satisfying conclusion.

The author Noah Hawley includes a fascinating cast of very contemporary American characters: corrupt financiers and bankers, nasty chat show hosts willing to destroy lives to boost ratings, washed-up artists, attractive but directionless young women, winners and losers, and a little boy who serves as the centre around which the mystery of the crash pivots.

Have you stocked up on holiday books yet? A great read, not just for the beach or the plane!

Noah Hawley is the creator and writer of the Emmy Award winning series Fargo and ‘Before the Fall’ is his fourth novel. It was released in June by Hodder & Stoughton.

Indiana Brown