Night Fall

I've read this previously; now I buy or recommend to anyone who loves to read! This book is difficult to review as most I have to say could ruin it for whomever chooses to read it. Some will start to foresee it as you read, others will have to wait until the finish. Either way, it's a great trip! Read it and hang on!

If you were to ask me to list my favorite authors, the name Nelson DeMille would surely be at the top of the list. Yet, in the past number of years I have only read two of his books, The Gold Coast which I still can remember laughing out loud while reading and Plum Island which introduced the irascible character of John Corey. I'm not sure if instinctively I save DeMille's other books or just needed to be in the mood but I recently picked up Night Fall and gobbled this book down in a matter of days. Never much of a mystery or suspense reader, except for a couple of authors and books, I did wonder as I closed this book why I waited so long to pick up another title by this exceptionally author in this genre. Or why I don't read more of these books in general. Night Fall, for me, was one of the best suspense filled books I've ever read and it literally kept me on the edge of my seat. Five years after the fatal plane crash of Flight 800 over Morachies Beach in Long Island and after a few well placed hints by his wife, John Corey investigates what really caused the explosion of this plane killing all of its passengers as they headed to Paris. Was it a malfunction as the final report stated or was it a missile, possibly one of our own. What caused the famous streak which was seen by so many before the plane exploded plunging it and the passengers into the sea. But most of all as John Corey unearths more and more information he uncovers an illicit affair, a beach tryst and a missing tape from a camcorder which may show all of the events which once again might lead to some new conclusions. As John continues to investigate all of the angles, he finds himself facing brick walls and stumbling blocks galore not the least of which are higher ups in the government who warn Corey to stay away from snooping around. But by then Corey is knee deep in a grand cover up and he can't and won't let go of finding out the truth. As tensions mount both personally and professionally for Corey and his wife, an even grander tragedy is about to play our which will not only alter the world as we know it but certainly any future investigation of this event. I thought that Night Fall with all of it twists and turns, revelations and fictional suppositions was a really engrossing read with a solid B+ rating. That was until the end. I never saw the last event coming and as it was a real zinger for me it and the final conclusion of this roller coaster ride, the book became an A rating in my opinion. I highly recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Now I have all of Nelson DeMille's books on my "to be read" table and plan on reading and savoring them one by one.

Nelson DeMille has managed a truly remarkable feat; to write a suspenseful, taut, interesting and engaging novel about the crash into the ocean off Long Island on July 17,1996 of TWA Flight 800. The book is written in memory of the two hundred and thirty passengers and crew members who perished in that midair explosion; in my opinion he uses the flexibility available to the author of a work of fiction to discuss the alternate theories of the crash and perhaps come closer to the truth than any other discussions that I have read. The supposedly fictional device which Demille uses to allow him to develop a believable storyline is that a couple engaged in adultery were videotaping themselves on a deserted beach near the site of the crash and caught the flash of light streaking towards the plane from the ocean surface that was seen by so many eyewitnesses but discounted by various alternative explanations in the official version of what caused the accident. Of course, the couple immediately flees the scene and as Chapter One ends they are entering their motel room and arguing about whether they should erase the tape or turn it over to the authorities given the huge personal price each of them would undoubtedly pay if their affair was made public in such a sensational fashion. (The X-rated scenes were very explicit and quite lengthy.) The story resumes five years later. The investigation has been concluded with an explanation (the explosion of volatile fuel vapors in the nearly empty middle fuel tank) that failed to satisfy not only the usual conspiracy theorists and but the many individuals such as myself who simply remained confused about several elements of the official version of the causes of the crash. John Corey, a former NYC homicide detective is now pursing "the second act of a one act life" as a contract agent on the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force. His second wife, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, who is also a member of the task force, asks John to attend the beachside memorial service for the victims of the crash. After the service, Kate decides to violate specific instructions given to all agents who worked the case never to discuss it with anyone except on a need to know basis and confides to John the reasons for her misgivings about the official conclusion. They discuss the seven major theories regarding the crash (death ray under development at Brookhaven Labs, underwater methane explosion, reflection of burning jet fuel, etc.); then conclude their evening in a manner that reminds John of "that X-Files episode where Mulder and Scully go ....". Kate and John are obviously conflicted about John conducting his own unofficial investigation regarding the possible existence of a definitive videotape showing the crash; they realize that their discovery may not only ruin their professional careers but could possibly be life threatening if there really has been a cover up involving foreign terrorists and the clandestine operatives of US Govern

The plot of NIGHT FALL revolves around the real life incident of the midair explosion of TWA Flight 800 over Long Island Sound. John Corey, a contract agent with the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force attends the five-year memorial service for the victims of the tragedy. His wife and task force partner, Kate Mayfield worked on the initial investigation of the explosion, but was pulled off the case. Shortly thereafter, explosion was deemed an accident. Kate unsatisfied by the outcome and still haunted by the tragedy persuades John to reopen the investigation off the clock. John Corey the protagonist from both THE LION'S GAME and PLUM ISLAND is back and he is as sardonic and sarcastic as ever. He and Kate make an interesting and strong team. After a slightly slow start with the description of the initial investigation, the plot really takes off and becomes a real page-turner. While I might not rate this Nelson Demille's best work, he is such a brilliant writer that it would take a lot to make his books less than a five-star rating in my opinion.

Ever since The Gold Coast I've been a Nelson DeMille addict. In this newest title his old protagonist, retired NY cop John Corey reappears and is dragged reluctantly back into a plausable conspiracy investigation as dangerous as walking barefoot through an acre of broken glass bottles. DeMille inflicts relentless former CIA and FBI operatives (his old enemies) on our aging (like me) "Mike Hammer" kind of hero, whose attitude (like mine) is more "I'm too old for this s**t" than ever. This book is fun because John Corey is fun, and smart, and cynical, a description that probably applies to most of DeMille's loyal readers. It's an easy, compelling read, and ends with a one-two knockout punch that made me gasp for air. Buy it. Read it. You'll gasp too. Then you'll recover and be glad that John Corey will be back again, and you'll hope it will be soon.