Before the Fall

This year's thriller is from the Emmy, PEN, Peabody, Critics' Choice, and Golden Globe Award-winning creator of the television series Fargo.

On a misty summer's evening, a group of eleven individuals—ten well-off and one struggling painter—take off from Martha's Vineyard on a private aircraft bound for New York. After sixteen minutes, the unimaginable occurs: the airliner crashes into the sea. The only people who have survived are the painter Scott Burroughs and a four-year-old kid who is now the last surviving member of the family of a very powerful and affluent media magnate.

The mystery surrounding the tragedy deepens as chapters alternate between the crash's aftermath and the biographies of the passengers and crew, which include a Wall Street titan and his wife, a party boy from Texas who recently arrived from London, a young woman unsure of her future, and a career pilot. As the mysteries of the passengers become clear, strange coincidences hint to a plot. Was it just a case of bad luck that so many powerful individuals died? Or was there something far darker at work? Things quickly run the risk of getting out of hand amid a growing media frenzy of indignation and charges. And as Scott fights to deal with his almost-notoriety, the authorities are working feverishly to wrest the truth from the rubble.

The delicate bond between Scott and the small child shines at the centre of this amazing book, posing issues about destiny, human nature, and the unbreakable bonds that link us together amid heart-pounding suspense.