Author: Chris Pavone
Genre: thriller, mystery
Series: N/A
Pages: 400
Published: March 11 2014
Source: TLC Book Tours for review
Rating: 3.5/5
As dawn approaches in New York, literary agent Isabel Reed is turning the final pages of a mysterious, anonymous manuscript, racing through the explosive revelations about powerful people, as well as long-hidden secrets about her own past. In Copenhagen, veteran CIA operative Hayden Gray, determined that this sweeping story be buried, is suddenly staring down the barrel of an unexpected gun. And in Zurich, the author himself is hiding in a shadowy expat life, trying to atone for a lifetime’s worth of lies and betrayals with publication of The Accident, while always looking over his shoulder.
Over the course of one long, desperate, increasingly perilous day, these lives collide as the book begins its dangerous march toward publication, toward saving or ruining careers and companies, placing everything at risk—and everyone in mortal peril. The rich cast of characters—in publishing and film, politics and espionage—are all forced to confront the consequences of their ambitions, the schisms between their ideal selves and the people they actually became.
The action rockets around Europe and across America, with an intricate web of duplicities stretching back a quarter-century to a dark winding road in upstate New York, where the shocking truth about the accident itself is buried.
Gripping, sophisticated, layered, and impossible to put down, The Accident proves once again that Chris Pavone is a true master of suspense.
I don't know if the premise of a thriller has ever interested me as much as The Accident's -- a book about a book so major, conspiracies are confirmed, people are killed, and nefarious entities rack up a bodycount to prevent its contents spreading to the general public. Thankfully, Pavone is pretty much equal to the task of selling his plot to the audience. The words "page turner" "thrill ride" are thrown around a lot in this particular genre, but The Accident is really all of those things.
Taking place on one important day, The Accident rockets around from beginning to end, from one city to the next, from one character to the tangentially connected character. There are the quiet moments of setup to be found, but the book is at its best when it's roaring along or revealing a clever twist (coughKateandthe"CIA"cough) to keep things interesting. The "mystery" of the eponymous accident is a tad too obvious to contain any kind of surprise, but the reveal of the anonymous author himself was better handled.
I am not much of a conspiracy theorist, but the story of The Accident helps to sell its premise. Spoilers are the death of thrillers and mysteries, but suffice to say that Pavone manages to keep the theories and truths from veering too wildly out of control. It's a story of power and privilege, so when Isabel and Co. start uncovering truths, things get nasty fast for everyone involved. The stakes rise high, so it's remarkably easy to get caught up in the tale Pavone ably keeps spinning.
The large array of 3rd person characters comes into play and allows the reader to see multiple angles of the same narrative. It creates a big picture for the story, one that may be a bit short on personal charisma for the characters, but excels at creating intricate mysteries. It's a fun book and is sure to please fans of this type of story.
I'm glad you enjoyed this one overall. Thanks for being on the tour!
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