Julie's Review: The Accident

Author: Chris Pavone
Series: No
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Pages: 400
Obtained: publisher via netgalley
Genre: thriller
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Insider look at publishing with a bit of espionage thrown in
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: 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. ~crownpublishing.com

Review: You know those books where you can't really talk about the book without giving it away, yup you guessed it, The Accident is one of those books. Mr. Pavone definitely knows how to hook you in and keep you hooked.

The Accident gives the reader some insight in to how the publishing world works, with some espionage thrown in to make it even more intriguing. I highly doubt that every manuscript that lands across an agents or editors is a threat to their life. I do believe that there are some agents and editors who are looking for that manuscript to push them to the upper echelon or maybe rescue their career. There are a lot of characters and moving parts in the beginning of the book, but it becomes pretty clear who the "players" are even if you don't know the full picture.

Mr. Pavone has the gift of slowly revealing the pieces of the puzzle until the last piece is added and it all makes sense. It is a gifted storyteller than can make me gasp out loud when it all comes together. It is not the type of book where you get attached to the characters. It is a plot driven novel but that doesn't mean that the characters aren't developed, they are well-rounded. They have depth and layers to them. Plus you aren't always sure of their true intention which makes them even more interesting.

I enjoyed everything took place during a 24 hour period. It added to the intensity and urgency of the novel. For fans of thrillers, you won't want to miss The Accident.


This is the Hashtag Book for February. You can follow our discussion at #TheAccident on Twitter.





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