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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
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.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Simply could not get into this one.
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!
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.
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!
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.
A little more calculated than The Expats but a fun read as it all comes together in the end.
Thrillers are not typically my genre of choice; however, I was intrigued by the idea that the publishing industry could be the backdrop for murder. New York literary agent Isabel Reed, battered by a tragedy that reveals itself slowly, receives a submission titled "The Accident" penned by Anonymous. The biography reveals bombshells about media mogul Charlie Wolfe, one of the most powerful men in America, including allegations that he conspired with the CIA to entrap, frame or otherwise compromise foreign politicians and businessmen to ensure the success of his enterprise and, more stunning, was a murderer and rapist who covered up his crimes with the assistance of his Washington insider father. As copies of the manuscript make their way through to a cast of well-drawn players -- all willing to betray one another to try to survive another day in an industry that seems doomed -- the novel cuts to Hayden Gray, a cultural attaché and a Paris-based CIA operative surveilling a man in Copenhagen working on the book.
Pavone has written a compulsively readable thriller that he peppers with dead bodies and astute observations of the individuals who work in publishing in New York, like the "Logo Women" in their umanageable high heels with red soles or the ambitious assistants from upper-middle class suburban families who graduated from top flight colleges with liberal arts degrees and subsist on ramen noodles while taking family vacations where a hotel room costs $1500 a day. Pavone has written a taut, bookish thriller.
Pavone has written a compulsively readable thriller that he peppers with dead bodies and astute observations of the individuals who work in publishing in New York, like the "Logo Women" in their umanageable high heels with red soles or the ambitious assistants from upper-middle class suburban families who graduated from top flight colleges with liberal arts degrees and subsist on ramen noodles while taking family vacations where a hotel room costs $1500 a day. Pavone has written a taut, bookish thriller.
This is an easy read of a pretty predictable thriller. It is just enjoyable to read, something light to breeze thru on a flight.
interesting premise but execution was meh. overblown writing and twist was evident early on.