Blown Away

The only Ford books I've read are in the Frank Corso series, and this one is a solid contribution to the thriller genre. A high-tempo narrative keeps you turning the pages; clues unfold slowly and the local/federal and intra-federal police interactions are plausible. Not to interject a spoiler, but at the end Ford leaves you thinking wait a minute... you can't do that! That's all I'm gonna say.

Ford writes a suspenseful edge of your seat story, with a totally surprise ending. I always look forward to a Frank Corso story. Highly recommend to his readers.

I read this book almost a year ago, so I feel like I have better perspective on its ending (don't worry, I won't give it away). Contrary to what the more critical reviewers stated, I thought Ford picked a ballsy way to end not only the book, but possibly the series (there doesn't appear to be a follow-up as Ford's newest book is a stand-alone thriller, and he also brought his early Leo Waterman series - also excellent, just more lighthearted - to an abrupt end.) You will indeed be blown away by this one (unless you feel cheated, like some of the other readers). Not unlike Stephen King, who sometimes lets bad things happen to good characters, Ford ratchets up the suspense for ALL his books by not guaranteeing a predictable resolution here. Even if Frank Corso doesn't appear in print again (how 'bout a book starring only Meg Dougherty, G.M.?), I for one thought Ford shunned the easy way out on this one. He hasn't lost my trust and I can't wait to read his new thriller next month. On a sidenote, the actual case that this book's premise was based on had its own novel twist last fall as prosecutor's surmised that the deceased band robber/bombing victim was in on the plot to rob the bank (and not an unwilling victim), but the two other members of the "gang" detonated his bomb during the robbery in an attempt to get rid of him. Sometimes truth really IS stranger the fiction...

In this sixth book in the series, Frank Corso, the true-crime bestselling author, is sent by his publisher to the small town of Edgewater, Pennsylvania to solve a very strange crime. Slacker Nathan Marino had staggered into a bank and shoved a note at the teller that says he will be blown up if they do not follow his directions. Through a series of mistakes, including the late arrival of the bomb squad, he dies in the resulting explosion. This case does not interest Corso at all, but he is forced to investigate it. The price of fame and his recent huge advance is that he must investigate what his publisher wants. As he begins to make inquiries, he realizes his fame (he was recently on the cover of People magazine) is a hindance, and both the Chief of Police and the local newspaper publisher seem to sincerely want him out of town. The more he is urged to leave-by some thugs who try to beat him up in his hotel room, and by a raving snow plow, that shoves him and his car into the freezing river-the more he wants to stay and figure it out. Was Marino innocent? Or was he part of the scam? Corso demands assistance on site, and his publisher sends out a freelance writer, Chris Andriatta. He needs someone to research who is not well known and not connected to him. Suddenly Chris and Frank Corso are seized by the FBI as "material witnesses" and flown to L.A., where similar bomb-rigged bank robberies are taking place. The robber/victims are kidnapped by several masked men, then drugged, rigged with a bomb around their neck, and set off to follow directions over an earpiece. Is the only motive money? What is the possible connection to the robber/victims: a Latina nurse and a psychologist originally from Iraq? How on earth does this relate to the Pennsylvania case from a year earlier? The breathtaking pace and the very surprising twists will astound you. Armchair Interviews says: If this case sounds familiar, it was patterned on a similar real crime.

G. M. Ford's "Blown Away" brings back Frank Corso, a former journalist who has branched out into a career as a successful author. In fact, his picture has just appeared on the cover of "People." Corso is relatively content; he enjoys relaxing on the yacht that he has moored in Seattle. However, Corso's aggressive new publisher has his own agenda, and he sends Corso to Edgewater, Pennsylvania to write about a bizarre and still unsolved crime that occurred a year earlier. It seems that a thirty-nine year old loner named Nathan Marino robbed a bank with a bomb strapped to his body. The bomb exploded and Marino was killed instantly. Although no one in town wants to talk about this tragic event, many questions remain. Why would Marino, a quiet and law-abiding man, try such a stunt? Were there others involved, and if so, who? Why did it take so long for the bomb squad to arrive? Why was the investigation abruptly shut down? Corso could not care less about any of this, and he is not interested in pursuing this case. However, when unknown assailants subsequently attack and attempt to kidnap Corso, he decides to stick around. It seems that there is something big going on, and Corso's curiosity, as well as his anger, have been aroused. Journalist Carl Letzo, who witnessed the Marino incident, approaches Frank and expresses his opinion that there was a police cover-up and that "the town's kinda closed ranks around the incident." One night, someone forces Corso's SVU off an ice-slicked road; both he and his car plunge into deep, freezing water and he nearly dies. There can be no doubt now that someone wants Corso out of the way, but he stubbornly refuses to back down. Assisting him with his inquiries is freelancer Chris Andriatta, who has just returned from an assignment in Afghanistan. Soon, the federal authorities shanghai both Corso and Andriatta and hold them as material witnesses. The reason? There have recently been a series of bank robberies on the West Coast, all eerily similar to the one that took Nathan Marino's life. Innocent civilians have been kidnapped, bombs have been strapped to their bodies, and they have been ordered by their captors to collect large amounts of cash from designated banks. If the masterminds' instructions are not followed to the letter, the bombs are detonated. The FBI joins forces with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to find the perpretrators and they hope that Corso can shed some light on who is behind these tragic events. Frank Corso is a protagonist with guts, intelligence, and a no-nonsense way of communicating. He has compassion for others, but he doesn't let his feelings get in the way of his search for the truth. Another notable character is wheelchair-bound Paul Short, a explosives consultant for the Bureau of Alchohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Short is a decorated veteran who was horribly maimed when a bomb went off in his face during the Gulf War. For the most part, "Blown Away" is a taut and su