The Accident by Chris Pavone

I’m going to be in the minority, I’m sure, when I say that The Accident by Chris Pavone was not one of my favorite books of the year. It is suspenseful from page 1 to page 380 (the end). But, as I’ve said on some other reviews, too much of a good thing…..? Plus, there are killings and murders galore, more than is (i) necessary and (ii) believable…if, indeed, the plot is believable at all.

An anonymously authored expose of a media mogul appears mysteriously on literary agent Isabel Reed’s desk. If published, it will lead to the downfall of many prominent people. As a result, people are trying to stop its publication and will stop at nothing to make sure all copies are destroyed. That’s the premise. A key factor revealed towards the end of the book was something I figured out after reading about a third of the book, and since I’m notorious for not figuring things out, if I can, you certainly will.

Again, as a minority voice, I like subtlety. I don’t need a murder, especially a brutal one, thrown in my face to know it occurred. That’s my advice to Mr. Pavone.  As we’re wont to say in our library, “Less is more.”

One interesting thing about the book, is that it takes place in the course of one day. That’s a lot of activity within 24 hours. It takes place in multiple locations, with a lot of jumping back and forth between places and between time periods. It can get a little confusing at some points.

I did like Pavone’s first book, The Expats. So, is this a case of all the accolades unrealistically raising my expectations? I don’t know. All I do know is that there are better thrillers out there.

 

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The Expats by Chris Pavone

All I’m going to say about this book (well maybe not ‘all’) is that it’s 326 pages of intrigue. On page 1, Kate meets someone she doesn’t want to meet and thought she’d never meet again. Chills begin to run up and down both her spine and yours. And so it goes through the remainder of the book.

The Expats is about money and subterfuge and double identities.

I’m typically not an ‘intrigue’ person, more of a detective person, but Pavone’s latest book, The Accident, got great reviews and some of the characters from The Expat are in it, so I might as well start from the beginning.

There’s a lot of back and forth between times, starting Today and going back Two Years. You might find it that hard to follow, but keep at it. I could not put this book down. One of the best books I’ve read this year.

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