Before the Fall

By: Noah Hawley

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Winner of the 2017 Edgar Award for Best Novel and the 2017 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel.

From the Award-Winning Creator of Fargo comes "One of the year's best suspense novels". (New York Times).

©2015 Noah Hawley (P)2016 Hachette Audio

The end sure does fall...

Interesting book. Plane goes down in water shortly after it takes off. Nine known people on board but the only survivors are a forty something year old artist and a four year old. Miles from shore the artist a former long distance swimmer is able to swim to shore with the boy on a flotation cushion. The boys father (a media mogul) was worth over $100m and so the suspicions begin. One employee on a news show begins stalking the artist and publicly accusing him of somehow being responsible for the plane crash, as if he would crash to plane he himself was on! How would he know that he would survive?
As the book continues it examines the life of each of the passengers in detail. The media mogul and his wife, the banker who launders money for terrorist countries and is under investigation and his wife, the employees on the plane and the artist.
I wouldn't exactly call this a thriller. It is somewhat of a mystery as throughout the book you are lead in different directions as to why this plane literally fell out of the sky. Was it bombed or tampered with? Or was it simply an accident ? Or was this a purposeful act by someone on the plane?
The author fleshes out every single character, some from childhood right up to the time of their death. And then the plane crash and then THE END. It's not that the end was bad, it's that after all this build up it is very anticlimactic and abrupt.
Robert Petkoff does a fantastic job narrating this book.
I purchased this book on sale for $4.95 and for that price I would recommend purchasing it. If you read this review right after it is written (9/16/17) I believe this will be on sale for another few days.
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'Give Us Dirty Laundry'

I'd say the perfect beach read for any of you summer readers looking for the perfect BR, but if you take this one to the beach you won't be doing anything other than reading -- and maybe getting a sunburn, because this is 13 hours of thriller you won't want to set down. I love it when I finally - finally -- come across a book that isn't just a good read, but also the rare grabber you can get lost in. Hours tick by, the tide come in, goes out, the seagulls eat your lunch... If you are a fan of Fargo, you may be familiar with Hawley's myriad of skills. Not a television person myself, I haven't seen the series, but am certainly compelled to do so after reading this book! If he is half the screenplay writer that he is novelist, I am a newly devoted fan.

Hawley writes with a distinct clarity of language, creating a strong narrative with a powerful momentum that doesn't just recount this story, but has you experiencing the story, connected with these characters through profiles that act like connective tissue. Even recalling it to write this review it plays in my head vividly. It's refreshing, original, it doesn't waste a word or miss a move. BTF is a bonafide thriller; a who-dunnit-and-why that continuously expands. It is multiples that intersect with a pounding heavy after effect.

Jumping right in...Hawley crafts the opening mise-en-scène deliciously, infusing the cast with an importance that portends something to come. On a warm summer night in Martha's Vineyard, a private jet readies for take-off, bound for New York. Aboard, a pilot with an outstanding record; a co-pilot that jockeyed his way into this assignment to be with one of the flight attendants; 2 world-class-beauty flight attendants; David Bateman, a multimillionaire media mogul, his wife, Maggie and their two children, 9-year-old Rachel and 4-year-old JJ.; their private security guard Gil; Ben Kipling, a mega star of the financial world currently under investigation by the FBI, and his wife Sarah; and hitching a ride by invitation of Maggie, a 40-something struggling artist and former alcoholic, Scott Burroughs. Each has a story worthy of more than their introduction -- but that is yet to come.The back-stories of each character are revealed as the investigation is carried out. Each personal history seems to suggest some kind of connection to the accident, questioning whether it is purely coincidence or strategy.
18 minutes later, the plane plunges into the Atlantic Ocean. Surviving are Scott and 4 yr. old JJ.

The real meat of the story, and the moral driven to with such force, begins when Scott drags himself and little JJ. out of the drink after an exhausting swim (including fire in the water, wreckage, and sharks) and becomes the *hero.* In an act probably understood by Captain Chesley Sullenberger, *Sully,* after landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, Scott becomes a reluctant hero, craving solace and reflection. In place of a personal and public account, conspiracies began to grow and distort, fanned by a loudmouth news anchorman, Bill Cunningham. From his popular bully pulpit, he conjures up his own scenario of the accident, until once a hero, Scott becomes the villain, suffering all manners of assaults on his person. Here Hawley doubles down and dishes out a hefty serving of what ails our own society. The public clamors for more dirt, hungry for scandal and gossip; Cunningham uses his role of *newsman* and the power he has to bug phones, prey on the families, and twist the truth for ratings..."I make my living off the evening news; Just give me something, Something I can use." Facts don't feed the audience as much as a juicy story and some dirty laundry.

As the investigation concludes it becomes a pyrrhic victory for Scott, and a glaring look at where we are as a society. Instead of giving us a who-dunnit wrapped in a scathing commentary, Hawley gives us a thrilling story where the answers aren't as important as the questions, and the story will leave you wondering where 12 hours just went. I enthusiastically recommend this page-turner!

Could have been better

It was a four-star book until the very end, where the conclusion felt like a let down. Of all the possibilities, this seemed the least plausible. Perhaps that was part of the moral of the story, but still...The characters seem to realign themselves with too much ease. And yet, I had to give the overall story 4 starts because it WAS very entertaining and I will definitely give the author another chance.

A Must! Narrator Robert Petkoff was phenomenal!

My first audio book ! I truly enjoyed it and couldn't push the stop or pause button when going to work. Robert Petkoff really brought the characters alive .

Bold, fresh novel

I was riveted to this novel from start to end. It's the story of two survivors - a middle-aged artist and a boy - of a private plane crash. The story bounces between the present (the man and orphaned boy dealing with the aftermath) and the past (the backstories of all the characters connected to the plane crash). I am usually not a fan of novels with so much flashback, but each character's story was so interesting, I enjoyed each segment. This is a deep, philosophical novel which is emotionally engaging as well. One of the casualties is the head of a cable news network, similar to Fox News. The angry, right-wing news anchor is a great character. This novel captures modern society much like Bonfire of the Vanities captured the 1980's. I don't want to tell too much, except that I was enthralled listening, and thought about the book a lot when I was not listening. This made the NY Times Best 100 Books of 2016. I can see why.

I was enthrawled.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book. It ended rather abruptly and I felt unsatisfied with the end, but I still enjoyed the trip getting there.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the time jumping. We flash back and forth between what happened to each person before the plane crash, and then back to present, where we still flash between several different points of view; in that way it reminded me of "Big Little Lies" by Liane Moriarty.

Which scene was your favorite?

I like any scene where someone asked Scott a question. "Scott thought about that..."
EVERY TIME, at a certain point, after hearing it so much, I found extremely funny.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't feel any extreme emotions, although I think the author was trying to get some from us, at certain points.

Excellent - suspenseful and compelling

A very compelling story, great narration. The only negative was some over-long character exposition which slowed down the pace of this otherwise page-turner.

Intense!

Noah Hawley writes in a way that you get to know the characters through and through. Understanding the character of each person, why they react in the way that they do and where they have come from is a talent many do not have. The mystery of the 'why' in this story is intertwined in each character and the end result was a complete shock. Robert Petkoff narrates this story to perfection! His character voices are done in such a way that each character is recognizable with each change. The emotions and thoughts are actually felt via his voice, and the actual narration of the story is done in such a way, that if this were a movie, his voice would mimic the 'music' background that creates the emotions in you.
All in all, excellent story, excellent narration. Recommended 100%.

bad timing

With all the ass's in the news these days listening about more of the same was just too much.

Language

This is a good book and compelling. Would have rated it higher without offensive language.