Novels No. 41 (LL359)

T.J. Newman. Falling. USA: Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 2021.

Captain Bill Hoffman of Coastal Airways has a huge problem, flying LA to JFK. His wife and children are being held hostage and will be killed unless he crashes the passenger plane he is flying. It's a lose-lose position, no way to resolve it. His co-pilot, first officer Ben, is unaware of the intense private communications and "face time" going on between the kidnapper and Bill, who has to handle a variety of comms with other people, keeping his reality secret. During a bathroom break, Bill manages to describe the dire situation to senior flight attendant Jo. Her colleague "Big Daddy" for one is a loveable, deft character who helps keep everyone's spirits up. Jo calls her nephew Theo who happens to be an FBI agent (rather convenient). The novel's action, both verbal and physical, has begun. A motive for the act of terrorism is yet unknown.

Bill is told that he must release a gas canister into the passenger cabin, and that an unknown backup terrorist is onboard. Passengers are kept unaware of the lethal circumstances. With heartfelt responsibility for them, and ingenuity, Jo prepares the main cabin as much as she can for a gas attack and/or crash landing. Nervous passengers see their oxygen masks deploy with fake excuses from the crew; the kidnapper's interaction with Bill's wife Carrie takes an unexpected turn; a SWAT team is poised to invade Bill's home. Who is informed about what and when—such as covert actions being undertaken—is part of the suspense among Bill, the kidnapper, Carrie, the plane's crew, the air controllers, Theo and his boss Liu in the FBI—the latter frantic to find the man holding the Hoffman family. "Secondary protocol" from the highest authorities would demand shooting the plane down. Author Newman easily ratchets up the suspense, with tension in the cockpit alone hitting the roof.

The doomsday scenario proved more interesting than I expected, with well-written characters saving it from conventional disaster plotting. You'll notice the odd time when someone accomplishes heroic measures with tied hands or a broken arm. I passed ‒ speed reading ‒ on the bullet-wounded man making a frenetic motorcycle ride through LA traffic. Movie material again, great for raising your blood pressure.

Bits

▪ Strapped across her whole torso was some strange sort of vest. Pockets covered it front to back, brightly coloured wires protruding from small bricks that lay inside. (25)

▪ In his hand, Bill could see what was clearly a detonator. Wireless, with a fitted plastic safety over the red button on top, it was hardly a crude, handmade device. (29)

▪ "So just let that hero shit go. You will make a choice. Your family, or the plane." (34)

▪ You are not going to kill my family. And I am not going to crash this plane. (39)

▪ "Jo," he whispered. "We have a situation." (41)

▪ "I'm seeing them take things into their own hands. I'm seeing them try to storm the flight deck." (96)

▪ If they told the passengers the truth, it felt as though she was making the choice for Bill. Like she was choosing the plane over his family. (97)

▪ "Yes, ladies and gentlemen. This maniac has involved us in his sick plan as well." (131)

▪ "Clear," Liu's voice said. "No one touches the car until the bomb squad sweeps. But the family's not here." (148)

▪ Sweat dripped out of the mask, down her chin. It was sweat, right? What if it was drool? Or was she foaming at the mouth? (185)

David Baldacci. The Edge. USA: Grand Central Publishing, 2023.

Putnam, Maine, is a very small town on the coast where a disproportionate number of fatal accidents have occurred. But it was the execution-style murder of Jenny Silkwell that called for federal attention, with Homeland Security sending experienced agent Travis Devine to investigate. Was the death of Jenny—a highly placed CIA operations officer—due to her job, or was it related to past events in the town? Travis finds even more mysteries that cloud the main issue—so many families with intertwined history for generations. He can't trust what anyone tells him about Jenny's last visit: not Harper, chief of the tiny police force, nor medical examiner cum funeral home owner Françoise Guillaume, nor Pat Kingman, owner of the inn where he stays, nor Jenny's brother Dak. Everyone knew her and loved her, but Harper's account of the way she died totally conflicts with Travis's analysis.

Earl Palmer, retired lobsterman, discovered Jenny's body. But he's stubbornly lying about it, and he's dead before Travis can confront him. Jenny's younger sister Alex had been assaulted fifteen years earlier by someone unknown, which may be connected to current events; living in the family mansion at Jocelyn Point, her consuming artistic talent helps her cope with her ongoing traumatic amnesia. More and more characters pop up to muddy the perspective. My own head was dizzy with the possibilities. Old wealth and new entrepreneurs mix with politicians and local personalities, enabling Travis to create theories why Jenny and others died, while dodging bullets—unknown forces are trying to kill him, too.

It's been a while since I'd read Baldacci, and what a pleasure this was—not wanting it to end. To say this novel is intricate is like saying the CN Tower is tall. An experience that puts the thrill in thrillers!

Travis

▪ "So it was just a coincidence that he picked this spot out of all the others around here to go and take a look at the water and happen to glance down and find a body?" (53)

▪ "You didn't mention that your grandmother was out walking and got hit by a driver who then drove off." (120)

▪ Her smile lit the room stronger than the sunlight, at least to Devine. (162)

▪ "Did you know your brother is negotiating to sell Jocelyn Point? And do you agree with that?" (199)

▪ The person was moving a light up and down, clearly signaling to the boat. (267)

▪ "Does your father know how long his brother has been away?" (312)

Others

▪ "Please find out who took her away from me, Mr. Devine." (22)

▪ "Bertie's buried here. So's my son. I can't never leave this place. Not ever." (112)

▪ "Jenny was the cream of the crop. We all knew she was destined for bigger and better things." (139)

▪ "And you had so little respect for me that you couldn't think of anything other than to bullshit me." (166)

▪ "What's up is your folks showed up to that hellhole with all the dead people inside and cut off access to everyone, even the state police." (167)

▪ "Why was I on the floor? I remember talking to you and then ... nothing." (259)

▪ "By the way, Senator Silkwell was very close friends with our family. My grandfather and father supported all of his campaigns, and the Bing name means something in Maine." (233-4)

▪ "It was an armed drone employing AI to fire a machine gun on a target, Devine." (283)

Qualifications?

"Your cover is rock solid."

"Only I'm not a trained investigator."

Campbell gave Devine a drill sergeant death stare. "Don't sell yourself short. You carried on investigations in the Middle East in addition to your combat duties. And you did a pretty damn good job of sleuthing back in New York on the Brad Cowl case. And you've done stellar work with the other assignments I've given you. Now, you are to find out who killed Jenny and why. And determine if any of our national security interests have been compromised. And find her laptop and phone."

"Well, that sounds simple enough," said Devine dryly.

"Rise to the challenge, soldier," retorted Campbell. (15)