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jhaubnerreads's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely a page turner of the "beach read" variety, and great for anyone interested in the publishing industry, ripe with jokes and interesting, relevant commentary. Sometimes trite, but I've got to give Pavone credit for the twists he sticks in the last few chapters.
kdurham2's review against another edition
3.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
What a crazy whirlwind ride that didn't stop turning until the very end! With a crazy cast of characters, I definitely had to chart this one out from an author and the things he set in motion to a publisher, editor and the subject of this book, this book had an interesting combination of thriller rolled into the book publishing world.
The publishing aspect of the book was so interesting, to see all of the hands that it takes to get a book from the author into the public's hands and then to add the anonymous author and the thriller aspect was genius. As a book blogger I have an interest in the publishing world and I always find it interesting to read books that center around the business of books.
What a crazy whirlwind ride that didn't stop turning until the very end! With a crazy cast of characters, I definitely had to chart this one out from an author and the things he set in motion to a publisher, editor and the subject of this book, this book had an interesting combination of thriller rolled into the book publishing world.
The publishing aspect of the book was so interesting, to see all of the hands that it takes to get a book from the author into the public's hands and then to add the anonymous author and the thriller aspect was genius. As a book blogger I have an interest in the publishing world and I always find it interesting to read books that center around the business of books.
christajls's review against another edition
3.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
The Accident is a thriller about the publishing industry.Yup, you read that right. Given my obvious love of reading and my employment in the industry I was curious how Pavone would twist this slow moving, paper heavy industry into a mystery. And it was definitely an interesting attempt.
Isabel is a literary agent who has a received an anonymous manuscript. This manuscript is a scathing exposé of Charlie Wolf – a Rupert Murdoch like character. It’s a dangerous manuscript that has the potential to ruin his career. But before 24 hours have passed Isabel’s assistant is murdered. And then one of the employees in the publishing house she gave it to is run off the road. It’s an intense story and a extremely complex and well plotted mystery.
Part of the complexity is how many points of view there are. It switched so often and so quickly it was impossible to get invested in any of the characters. The Accident is written in short, choppy chapters, which keeps the reader off balance – it’s great for the suspense and the twists but it didn’t help with the flow and the character development. What was even more frustrating was when the timeline would switch within the chapters themselves. It gave the entire book a chaotic feeling that prevented me from really becoming hooked on the story.
Chris Pavone has a very descriptive but at times overly verbose writing style. In addition to the short chapters I found that this also threw the pacing off. So much time would be spent on details about the setting, or the characters’ clothing and mannerisms. I’m not opposed to detailed writing, at times it can really help enrich the story. But the detail didn’t feel balanced because it also felt like Pavone was racing through the important plot information. At times I had to go back and reread a chapter because I was unclear on what had just happened.
I did think all of the publishing sections were well researched and can provide an interesting view into the world of publishing for those who aren’t as familiar with it. If you’ve ever been curious about how books were made, this would be a really great book to read. From the agent to the acquisition editor to the actual release – this book walks you through all the steps. I particularly liked one part where Pavone mentions the pile of paper/galleys/books that you can never get rid of. I am very familiar with with that pile.
Overall, The Accident is a very interesting, well plotted mystery that didn’t quite make the jump to “page-turner” status. However, if you like mysteries and are interested in publishing you may want to try it out.
The Accident is a thriller about the publishing industry.Yup, you read that right. Given my obvious love of reading and my employment in the industry I was curious how Pavone would twist this slow moving, paper heavy industry into a mystery. And it was definitely an interesting attempt.
Isabel is a literary agent who has a received an anonymous manuscript. This manuscript is a scathing exposé of Charlie Wolf – a Rupert Murdoch like character. It’s a dangerous manuscript that has the potential to ruin his career. But before 24 hours have passed Isabel’s assistant is murdered. And then one of the employees in the publishing house she gave it to is run off the road. It’s an intense story and a extremely complex and well plotted mystery.
Part of the complexity is how many points of view there are. It switched so often and so quickly it was impossible to get invested in any of the characters. The Accident is written in short, choppy chapters, which keeps the reader off balance – it’s great for the suspense and the twists but it didn’t help with the flow and the character development. What was even more frustrating was when the timeline would switch within the chapters themselves. It gave the entire book a chaotic feeling that prevented me from really becoming hooked on the story.
Chris Pavone has a very descriptive but at times overly verbose writing style. In addition to the short chapters I found that this also threw the pacing off. So much time would be spent on details about the setting, or the characters’ clothing and mannerisms. I’m not opposed to detailed writing, at times it can really help enrich the story. But the detail didn’t feel balanced because it also felt like Pavone was racing through the important plot information. At times I had to go back and reread a chapter because I was unclear on what had just happened.
I did think all of the publishing sections were well researched and can provide an interesting view into the world of publishing for those who aren’t as familiar with it. If you’ve ever been curious about how books were made, this would be a really great book to read. From the agent to the acquisition editor to the actual release – this book walks you through all the steps. I particularly liked one part where Pavone mentions the pile of paper/galleys/books that you can never get rid of. I am very familiar with with that pile.
Overall, The Accident is a very interesting, well plotted mystery that didn’t quite make the jump to “page-turner” status. However, if you like mysteries and are interested in publishing you may want to try it out.
minowski's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Simply could not get into this one.
alanburch79's review against another edition
2.0
What a convoluted mess of a novel. I felt like I needed a flow chart just to keep up with all the different characters that get introduced in the first four chapters alone. Would NOT recommend!
ratherbereading25's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I felt that it was pretty meh. It wasn't bad. There were parts that grabbed me, but you could see the 'twists' coming from miles away. None of the characters felt deep or believable. I thought the Travelers was a better premise. But still not a favorite.
tabithapayton's review against another edition
5.0
This book had me guessing all the way to the end. I enjoyed every minute of this book and learning the wily ways of the book publishing world in ways I'd never guessed. One of the best novels I've ready recently!
nattygsmith's review against another edition
3.0
This is the kind of fun, exciting, but ultimately forgettable spy novel that makes me wonder if I could ever pull off writing my own. Pavone smartly draws on his own knowledge of the publishing industry to create a convincing world, and while the villains in this adventure are never quite fully-realized, the heroes are rather endearing. Having read a few of his novels at this point, I have to say that I am a little tired of the predictable character flaws and bleak conclusions. The message, as always, seems to be that no one is perfect, and everyone one day will die.
larryhesteriii's review against another edition
4.0
A little more calculated than The Expats but a fun read as it all comes together in the end.