Freefall

October 29, 2018
In the pseudonymous Barry’s uneven debut, Maggie Carpenter, who lives in Owl Creek, Maine, is alarmed to learn from the news that her estranged daughter, Allison, has gone missing following the crash of a private plane in the Colorado Rockies. Media identify the pilot as Allison’s fiancé, Ben Gardner, the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, though Maggie hadn’t even known her daughter was engaged. Everyone insists that Allison is dead, but Maggie becomes obsessed with retracing her daughter’s steps from the last two years. Soon, everything Maggie thought she knew about her daughter falls away, and she discovers a world of money, power, and deception that implicates everyone from the FDA to those closer to home. Meanwhile, Allison, who somehow survived the plane crash, battles hunger, exhaustion, and injury in the Colorado wilderness. Barry’s meditations on mother-daughter relationships and female roles add much-needed dimension to an otherwise shallow plot full of predictable twists and surface-level emotion. Still, this psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Claire Mackintosh. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM.

November 15, 2018

DEBUT Maggie Carpenter is informed that the daughter she lost touch with two years ago has died in a private plane crash in Colorado. Though every friend, police officer, and official tells her that Allison's death was an accident, Maggie can't let go of the hunch that there's more to it. For one, who is this fianc� of Allison's killed along with her? How did Allison go from living paycheck to paycheck, wanting nothing more than to save the world, to being an accessory hanging off a rich man's arm? It turns out her mother's intuition is correct. Allison has survived the crash and is fighting her way to freedom, but someone is tailing her through the mountains--someone who wants her dead. Short chapters switch between mother and daughter, from Maggie using her retired librarian skills to research Allison, her fianc�, and the pharmaceutical company he owned, to Allison desperately trying to escape, sometimes hallucinating, and reliving past memories. VERDICT Pseudonymous author Barry spins a great tale using familiar tropes but adding a surprising amount of heart to the mystery showing the fierce bond between mother and daughter. [See Prepub Alert, 7/2/18.]--Brooke Bolton, Boonville-Warrick Cty. P.L., IN

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2018
A woman survives a plane crash only to be stalked through the wilderness by a ruthless killer while her estranged mother investigates the circumstances surrounding her accident.Thirty-one-year-old Allison Carpenter is en route from Chicago to San Diego when her plane--a single-engine aircraft owned by her fiance, pharmaceutical CEO Ben Gardner--goes down in the Colorado Rockies. Instead of waiting for rescue, Allison scavenges the wreckage for supplies and runs for her life. By the time help arrives, the fuselage is ablaze, convincing authorities that both Ben and Allison are dead. Back in Allison's hometown of Owl's Creek, Maine, her mother, Maggie, is devastated by reports of her daughter's death and shocked to learn of her engagement. Maggie and Allison haven't spoken since Allison's father died two years ago, so Maggie, a retired librarian, begins researching her daughter's recent past to determine what else she missed. The deeper Maggie digs, the more strongly she believes that Allison is still alive--and in danger. Allison and Maggie share the narrative, with past and present mysteries unfolding in tandem courtesy of Maggie's research and Allison's flashbacks. Although the setup of Barry's debut novel is clever and her concluding twist surprises, the plot feels underbaked, and scenes from the point of view of "The Man," Allison's nameless, faceless pursuer, prove more tedious than thrilling.Barry makes some keen observations regarding female identity and personal empowerment, but her characters lack verisimilitude, which undercuts the novel's drama.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 15, 2018
Allison Carpenter has survived a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains, but she knows this won't be the last threat to her life. She has information so powerful that someone is willing to do anything to keep it under wraps, even if it means burying Allison with the secrets she keeps. Meanwhile, her estranged mother, Maggie, has been told that her only daughter perished in the crash, but when no remains are found, Maggie finds a reason to hope and begins searching for anything that will bring Allison back to her. Told by alternating narrators Allison and Maggie, the story depicts the unbreakable bond between a mother and daughter finding their way back to each other despite betrayals and deceits between them. Written in a fast-paced style, each chapter offers new twists as motives are brought to light and secrets that Allison struggled to hide are revealed. Barry's debut novel will keep readers guessing to the end, and fans of Lisa Jackson and Lisa Scottoline will enjoy this thriller written with a focus on family relationships. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Woman-focused psychological suspense is hot right now, and this debut will be everywhere.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)