Before the Fall Audiobook By Noah Hawley cover art

Before the Fall

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Before the Fall

By: Noah Hawley
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
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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 Crime Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime Exciting
Compelling Opening • Intricate Character Development • Complex Protagonist • Suspenseful Mystery • Engaging Performance
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Finally someone says it as it is! This is a look at society today and how the news is reported to us and how we react. Each character is explained and the hero struggles with the defined images forced upon him. And finally a character who challenges these views. Great read. Great discussion book.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally!

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This is a very well written, whodunit mystery. I really enjoyed hearing it. The characters are interesting and very well developed. It was the kind of book that keeps you wondering what happens next. The only drawback for me was that all the bad people in the story were, what else, conservatives.

great book

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I don't often write reviews but I wanted to on this one. Solid story & good characters ! The reader was excellent. Some of the reviews complain about the end of the story... it's a story about a mystery and the people that surround it. I guess if you wanted a cliche ending you would be disappointed. I was pleased. Hope we see more books by Noah Hawley.

Really GOOD read

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The story was provocative and engaging but the ending fell short. Long exciting build-up for a lackluster conclusion. With no clear main character, the development could have been deeper but in general, a well put together narrative.

Keeps you guessing until the very end

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Where does Before the Fall rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top ten

What other book might you compare Before the Fall to and why?

I don't listen to much crime- so comparisons probably wouldn't work

What does Robert Petkoff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The voices are the characters--they had to the narrative and the understanding and emotion.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but I had to get a life

Any additional comments?

I need a new book to read

I listened until I dropped

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Interesting premise. Captivating beginning. Weak weak weak ending embracing cliche at every turn. I do not recommend.

Weak

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Any additional comments?

An excellent thriller where a luxury plane crash leaves to survivors and the driving question of why the plane went down. Though the book is centered on two main characters (the survivors, a young boy and a 40-something painter) you actually care about, Hawley introduces the reader to each of the victims in turn, as well as a few people connected to the victims. In these introductions, which take the form of a single dedicated chapter to each victim and a few vignettes from others (a television bombast, an engineer investigating the crash, the sister of a victim), Hawley manages to make each person feel real and full with mere sketches of their history and a few details of the days leading up to the flight. He expertly reveals a number of events that may (or may not) have had a bearing on the crash, lays bare foibles and motives. Through the painter, Hawley is able to muse on ideas of identity and disaster, the turns life may take, perseverence and redemption. Some have complained that the ending is too pat, but I felt it was appropriate and tied up enough loose ends in a plausible way to be satisfying, yet left enough questions about where the characters will end up to allow readers to ruminate on their own. Recommended.

Thoughtful thriller

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I enjoyed the storyline but I wasn't swepted away by it. There were some unexpected twists and turns which is always a good thing.

Interesting storyline

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I enjoyed every word of this book. The characters were thoroughly engaging and the plot compelling. You couldn't help but root for the hero and you never had an idea how it would turn out until the end. I highly recommended it.

Not a dull moment

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What made the experience of listening to Before the Fall the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the media coverage and how the news media can actually impact the lives of the people involved in the event. It really made me think about how manipulative the 24 hour news programs can be.
I enjoyed the Jack LaLaine references.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was suspenseful and I was intrigued to hear the next chapter.

Any additional comments?

There were just too many strange co-incidences to be plausible.

A little too tidy.

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