A literary thriller with huge commercial appeal, Noah Hawley’s Before the Fall is a master class mystery of secrets and suspense that plays alongside a social commentary that is timely, clever and knowing.

What does it mean to be a hero?

In this day and age of celebrity worship and fame that often disappears just as quickly as it is attained, Scott Burroughs really isn’t sure. All forty-something Scott knows is that he’s messed up his life more than most, and he’s certainly no hero. But that’s what the news outlets are calling him – at least for now. Scott, along with JJ, the four-year-old boy whose life he saved as he swam to shore, are the only survivors of a plane crash that killed a media mogul, a Wall Street power player and their respective families. What was Scott, a down-on-his-luck artist doing on a flight full of such prosperous business people? That’s the question the news networks are starting to ask, as it becomes clear the crash was no accident, and a feeding frenzy ensues.

Hero becomes villain in the turn of a news reel and the blink of an eye.

Before the Fall is a different type of thriller: a commentary on a vulture-like news media where everything and everyone is fair game and sensationalism trumps truth every time. Hawley writes like a dream and his clever turn of phrase deems this book a cut above many others in its genre. For me, though, it is Hawley’s characters who steal the show. Before the Fall is an extremely character driven novel; an ensemble movie in literary form that delves into the lives of characters both main and fringe to such an extent that by the time you finish reading you’ll feel as though each and every character deserves his or her very own spin-off novel. From Scott, the second-chance-at-life artist, to Layla Mueller, a billionaire heiress who offers Scott shelter from the ensuing media storm, each of Hawley’s characters is so richly drawn and multi-dimensional as to be completely compelling.

So, what exactly did happen on the doomed flight that left Martha’s Vineyard one foggy night only to crash into the sea a mere sixteen minutes later? Well, you’ll have to read this book to find out, of course. I highly recommend that you do read this one. As for me, I am eagerly awaiting the already-in-the-works movie. If any book was made for the big screen, this is it.

A real treat!


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Scott Burroughs is a struggling, almost penniless, artist who doesn't usually mix with the rich crowd that visit Martha's Vineyard over the summer but one day he gets chatting to Maggie Bateman, wife of a TV channel CEO, at the farmer's market. She takes a casual interest in his art and, when he mentions having to return to New York for meetings with galleries and agents, equally casually offers him a lift in the family private jet. What should have been an easy trip turns into a nightmare when, only minutes after take-off, the plane plunges into the sea, and, of the eleven people on board, only Scott and the Bateman's small son, J J, survive.
The media are immediately interested. One of their own doesn't die in such dramatic circumstances without a LOT of coverage, but Scott's heroic swim to shore with J J, and the illegal business dealings of one of the other passengers are also the stuff of headlines and the focus of investigation by the civil aviation authorities, FBI etc

Starting from the plane's departure, the story moves both back and forwards. In the lead up to the flight, it tells the lives of the passengers and crew on board that evening, while looking for clues to what brought about the crash - pilot error, technical malfunction or even a bomb aimed at either David Bateman or dodgy financier Ben Kipling. In the aftermath, the reader follows Scott's epic struggle to reach shore, and the unrolling of events as investigators and media begin to shape the story how they see it having happened.
I've not quite sure how I'd define the story - it has mainly similarities with a psychological thriller, but less of the tension. It's more an investigation into human nature, of what drives a person to make the choices they do, and how sometimes life can revolve around coincidence and chance.

I wasn't aware before that Noah Hawley as well as being the creator of Fargo, was also an author, but being a huge fan of the TV series, I was definitely intrigued when I heard about Before the Fall. It doesn't share the casual violence of Fargo but the themes of chance and coincidence are present in both, directing lives without regard to the people involved. It's an interesting read, of the sort you want to flip through as speedily as possible to found out how it ends, but maybe a little on the light side for my tastes.

3.5 ☆

Before the Fall is about a plane crash and the investigation as to why it happened.

Was it a co-insidence or just an accident....
18 minutes into the flight when it crashes into the Ocean.

On board are some influential people which could lead you to believe it wasn't an accident.
11 people board that plane and only 2 survivors. Scott and a young boy J.J
Both survivors have a great story background and the events after the accident are equally intriguing.

The story is cleverly written and flashbacks are used to tell the story of each passenger.

The story is slow to begin with but I think it was needed as the reader needed to build up a clearer picture of the characters and the story behind the crash.
Some of the characters stories did drag on a little which I felt at points I lost interest, but I was quickly drawn back into the story.

I did enjoy reading Before the Fall. It wasn't my usual type of book but it was very different.
I'm not sure I would say it was a thriller, neither a crime but possibly a mystery. It is very hard to categorise.
Overall a good read with some intriguing characters.
For this reason I am giving a 3.5☆

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this book. I read to the end of Part 1.
The beginning of the novel is quite fast paced, and as it starts with a significant event, it shows potential to be a thrilling and suspenseful plot. However, it did not live up to its early promise. I found that most of the narrative felt laborious and there were some long winded descriptions, especially the descriptions of the characters' financial dealings and work meetings. I was not interested in these and it slowed the pace of the novel down to a point where it was difficult to read.
I enjoyed some of the detail about the characters, but again felt this was quite long winded in places. I found it difficult to connect with the characters and care about them.
I appreciate that some of the themes may develop further as the novel progresses, but unfortunately the slow pace of the book meant it was not for me.

A real page turner, love this type of cliff hanger novel. Will definitely look out for this author in future

Sometimes when you finish a book you want to tell everyone you know how good it is and persuade them to read it and share your pleasure...Before the fall was such a book for me. I told my husband how much he would enjoy it so often whilst I was still reading it that he placed an order for it himself.
The story is beautifully drawn using not only dramatic incidents but clever character descriptions. The tension built as you went along and I wanted to shout out to Scott what he ought to be doing and saying! I won't give any of the plot away so will say no more...just read it please.

One of the most interesting and captivating thrillers that I have read. A variety of story arcs twist around each other, layers of mystery and intrigue.
Why did the plane crash, who were the people on the plane and what motivated their lives and ultimately their deaths.
Excellent work from a very talented author.

Scott Burroughs is delighted when a casual acquaintance offers him a ‘lift’ off Martha’s Vineyard back to the mainland in an executive private jet. He is a struggling artist and has never had an opportunity to sample the millionaire lifestyle that the Bateman family have been accustomed to. They have already offered spare seats to another couple, so as well as the crew, the party will consist of the Bateman family with their two small children, the friends, Scott and the bodyguard.
Scott almost misses his ‘lift’ when the taxi fails to collect him, but he actually gets there in the nick of time. The jet is luxurious and the short flight is soon ready for takeoff. The two men are watching the game on TV, the daughter of the Bateman’s is listening to her music on her headphones, the toddler JJ is asleep with his mother looking over him, so Scott lifts his pencil to do a sketch of the scene. Minutes later there is banging and screams as the jet suddenly plunges downwards into the sea below, and only Scott and JJ bob up out of the sea after they ditch. Scott reassures JJ that they will be able to make it to the shoreline and he starts to swims miles through the dark night, hampered by the debilitating injury to one shoulder, with JJ holding tight and shivering on his back They eventually see and make for the beach as daylight has broken, exhausted but mightily relieved. They are rescued and taken to a nearby hospital. Then the furore begins.
Scott’s life is changed forever in a blink of an eye. The investigation quickly gathers pace and he is hailed a hero, but as time goes by questions are raised about why he was a passenger on the private flight. He cannot believe he is under suspicion. He is forced to abandon his home and leave his dog with a neighbour. His artwork is seized and everywhere he goes he is recognised. It is like a nightmare that has become true. Painstakingly the search for bodies goes on and everyone on the jet comes under scrutiny. One by one the eight passengers and three crew members are scrutinised to determine how and why the jet ditched – whether it was an accident, a terrorist attack, and act of revenge; the questions go on and on. Scott cannot help but feel disappointed and frustrated.
‘Before the Fall’ is a scintillating crime thriller full of tension and mystery. The story is fast paced with well crafted characters, each with their own personal story under investigation. Suspicions bubble and simmer as one by one each person on the fated flight is eliminated from the investigation. Wreckage and bodies are brought up from the sea bed or washed ashore as the waters become turbulent under the threat of storms; each discovery adding to the story of the plane that fell from the sky until at last the grisly realisation of what happened is revealed. I enjoyed this novel and would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton for my copy, sent out to me in return for an honest review. This is a really good read within the genre, but I would have liked the ending to have been expanded for perhaps another chapter or two - or perhaps an epilogue added - so that my last questions about the story were answered. Nevertheless, my congratulations go to Noah Hawley and his publisher for a sterling and thought provoking thriller.

This is an outstanding piece of fiction. From the opening chapter you are taken on a roller coaster ride of brilliance. I loved the writing style, where everyone had their own cameo slot, the storyline and particularly the hero, Scott who is a fascinating, and wonderful,but hard to believe unreal, character. This book should be made into a film and I can see Justin Hartley playing Scott, somehow his face fitted perfectly for me. Right until the end you have no idea why this drama took place, it's an ending that you could never have a hope of guessing. I was so sorry when I reached the final chapter, I wanted to find out what the future held for Scott, maybe there will be a sequel. Now I'm looking forward to reading more by the same author.

I wasn't really sure what genre I was reading, I thought it was a thriller but it was also very character driven, not a bad thing but quite different in it's own way.The main character Scott was likable and it was easy to be on his side and feel affronted on his behalf when the press start sniffing around looking for an angle to discredit him.The story jumped about quite a bit and I had to keep my wits about me to keep up when I was reading ,not a bad thing although as I read late at night in bed I had to make sure I was keeping up and not skipping chunks of the book at times.I wasn't sure about the ending, but it didn't ruin the book or anything as dramatic as that.I would say it was well worth a read but you will have to concentrate I didn't find it an easy read,but I'm not knocking it.Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up.
When I read the blurb, I was expecting a "who dunnit" or "what happened" kind of book. Whilst I did actually get that, I also got a great character driven story also containing quite a bit of insight into the way the media reacts after a tragedy such as the plane crash depicted in this novel. The fact that one of the passengers on the plane, one who died, was a rich and well connected media mogul skewed the impartiality somewhat.
So, eleven people take a short plane ride. Three crew, two couples, two children, a bodyguard and a painter depart Martha's Vineyard, bound for New York. Not long after they take off, the plane goes down. There are only two survivors. The painter, Scott, and the young son of the media mogul, JJ.
And so begins the fall out. The media speculation into who Scott is and why was he aboard? The investigation into what happened to the plane and, if foul play, who was the target? As each character is introduced and their backstory is divulged, the picture gets bigger and clearer. We learn that each character has a colourful story to tell. At the same time, the investigators find more bodies and uncover more evidence and they start to piece together the events leading up to the crash. And then there's the media with their treatment of Scott through muckraking and speculation via some rather dubious methods. In amongst all this loss, grief and hassle, we have the relationship between Scott and the boy he saved.
I found this book to be very episodic in nature, and it's also quite visual in nature. Knowing the author's background, I wouldn't be surprised to discover that it had been written with half an eye on the screenplay it could become. The method of storytelling in the book was quite unique, to me anyway. We have the investigation going on and then we cut to talk about one of the characters, then back to the action, then a bit of what happened next with Scott, then another character and so we go until we get to the final piece of the puzzle. And, if I am honest, when I started meeting the characters, I really didn't think we would end up there at all. But we did, and it worked, and it left me feeling a bit sad. What a tragedy.
The characters were all very well drawn. Some I liked, some notsomuch but all easy to connect with in some way, the majority pretty negative, but connection was made nevertheless. I did love the journey that Scott took throughout the book. But I'll say no more of that here.
Pacing was, on the whole, quite slow and It did drag a bit for me in places. Not too much and I think it was mostly due to the writing style and delivery and to be honest, not necessarily a bad thing. Usually I whizz through books but it did make for a bit of a change to have to actually stop and digest what I was reading rather than just speed on. It also made me stop and think a couple of times. Quite a cerebral read for me this.
Anyway, if there is a movie or mini-series, I will be quite interested in watching the transition from page to screen. I might even be tempted to check out the author's other books.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is an utterly gripping book - almost like lethal candy you cannot stop eating. The characterisations thread through as the narrative progresses, and all that we thought and imagine about this awful event of a plane crash is twisted and turned in astute assembling of human reaction - the survivor and how to remain human when there is so much money at stake on thie other survivor's head, the boy who made it too. We liked the painter from the start and we want it to work - he's flawed - so are we - and then the investigator who is our moral compass zeroes in on it .. I should not give more of this away but it's an astute and charged thriller - almost important too in its commentary on media response to a big 'entertainment' that is news of a plane crash with an important television mogul on board. Amazing

I stopped reading the X-men about the same time as Charles Xavier's son, Legion turned up. I didn't like the character and although I've watched the movies, I didn't think much of Apocalypse. So I was surprised when, having watched the first episode almost by accident, I was blown away by the Legion TV series. Even more so when I discovered the series was written and created by Noah Hawley and that he is also behind the Fargo series, another I had avoided simply because I enjoyed the movie so much. And then, courtesy of Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley, I received a review copy of the same Noah Hawley's Before the Fall. Synchronicity...?

Before the Fall is the story of Scott Burroughs, a down on his lunch artist, who accepts an invitation to travel by private jet from Martha's Vineyard to New York. When the jet crashes into the sea all but Scott and the jet-owners' four year old son are killed. Scott becomes part of, perhaps subject of, the investigation and is pursued by news agencies eager for the story. That is essentially the plot. A large part of the narrative is the backstories of the passengers - the 24-hour news mogul and his wife, the dodgy businessman, the bodyguard, the flightcrew - and how they came to be on board the doomed plane.

But plot is not what Before the Fall is about. The novel is an exquisitely written examination of life in the 21st century; what it means to be living in a society where news has to have an 'angle', where so many people base their world view on 'what's in it for me' that it becomes impossible to comprehend that someone may just act rather than act selfishly. It is in the passengers individual stories, the little connections, the seemingly unrelated choices, that lead to larger consequences, where the real weight of the book, the message, is contained -

"Life is a series of decisions and reactions. It is the things you do and the things that are done to you."

Noah Hawley has a real gift for language, an ear for dialogue. Whole passages deserve re-reading, the reader's appreciation of the lyrical, mesmerising quality of the writing only grows. I will be going back to watch Fargo and The Good Father is on my to-read list and i might have missed it all had I not read the X-men....

Not to be read whilst on or about to board the plane but a really well paced and gripping read from start to finish. I loved the details about swimming and painting techniques.

Even non thriller lovers will enjoy this book. Well written with a fantastic plot which just keeps you reading into the small hours. Written by the writer and producer of "Fargo", it is more than just a book about a plane crash and the two survivors. A fast paced and a very interesting read but I never liked the ending! Many thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads.

I love a good suspense, and Noah doesn't disappoint. A loving family board a plane at Marth's Vineyard, minutes later it dives into the sea. Why? Scott, one the passengers survives to find a four-year floating on a cushion next to him. As he miraculously saves the boy, Scott becomes a hero until the FBI put a spanner in the works. What's it all about? Read this intriguing tale to find out. You won't regret it.

Overall - a very good read. I was "hooked" and used every available moment to read a few more pages. I tried to guess the ending, and succeeded, but only in the last few pages. I was sorry when I reached the end and had to put down finally, what seemed like "an old friend"!

Really enjoyed this book,but didn't like the jumping about..Wanted to get on with the story.I know some backstory is necessary but felt it was too much.

In The Undoing Project, Michael Lewis explains how psychologists Kahneman and Frederickson demonstrated the peak-end rule – that when we remember an experience we give undue prominence to how it ends. And that’s why I’m probably going to be more critical of this book than it deserves.

Scott is a not-quite-successful artist spending the summer on Martha’s Vineyard when he is offered a lift back to New York on the private plane of an acquaintance. She is married to the plane’s owner, who runs a right-wing cable network. Also travelling are their two children, their friend, a hedge fund billionaire and his wife, and the crew and security staff.

The plane crashes over the water, and only Scott and four-year-old JJ survive. The rest of the book follows the story of Scott after the crash interspersed with flashbacks to the stories of the other characters immediately before the flight. Scott has to come to terms with his own experience, his new found celebrity, and the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile we try and get a sense of what might have happened in the past to lead to this horrific event.

The endings to the two stories are also intercut: the revelation about the last moments of the plane and a denouement in the present for Scott. The problem for me is that it becomes clear what has happened to the plane some time earlier, both because of the way the story is structured and through some over-zealous seeding. I kept hoping it was ingenious misdirection and there would be some other, more brilliant revelation that I hadn’t even thought of, but there wasn’t. Or that perhaps the ‘who’ was obvious, but the ‘why’ surprisingly complex, but that wasn’t it either.

So we find out (or have confirmed) whodunnit just as there is a more interesting story developing in the present, but then the narrative breaks away to the past, to give you the back story of the crash (which is just exposition now) and your eyes are skimming and it’s not raising the tension, it’s just slowing things down, and then you get back to the present drama and it’s all a bit rushed and confused and then it’s the end. And you suspect it’s the author who’s in a hurry, rather than the characters.

The sad thing is that this then leads me to think of other things that I might have let pass, like the fact that the cable TV mogul and the hedge fund billionaire are quite stereotypical (which may be realistic but isn’t good drama) or that the characters all come with backstories too neatly formulated to suggest they could be either perpetrator or target of the plane crash (which is good drama but not realistic). Or the fact that all the women in the story are only there because of their relationship to the male protagonists, and it feels like the author’s default setting rather than social commentary.

So here is the nice bit after the negativity. Scott is a great character. I did find myself really engaged in his story. The author has some interesting things to say about the nature of perception and reality and I really enjoyed the contrasting world-views of Scott the artist and Gus, the engineer who is called on to investigate the crash, a man on his own journey towards realising that not everything in life can be quantified. The author has a real sympathy for the vulnerable, and a sense of significance of small interactions between characters. His drawing of the relationship between Scott and JJ is particularly moving.

The aftermath of the crash, when Scott and JJ are in the water, is gripping and beautifully written. You’re immersed in the Atlantic cold, the fog, the sense of dislocation, as you wonder, what would I do? How would I cope? How can they possibly get out of this?

I’m glad they made it. I just wish it hadn’t ended that way…