If you enjoy a really good thriller, Before the Fall by Noah Hawley has everything you’re looking for: uber-rich characters, a roguish underdog hero, ethical quandaries and a satisfyingly clever plot. 
A private plane, carrying a cadre of privileged people and their requisite attendants, plus a few wild cards thrown in, goes down off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Only two people survive. Scott Burroughs, the roguish hero who is also an artist, and a four-year-old boy, now the last remaining member of his powerful media mogul’s family.
Eleven lives intersect in tragedy and all their stories create the backdrop as the mystery surrounding the downing of the plane unfurls. And Burroughs is the person we all hope we would be if we were ever in his situation.
The premise is gripping and it delivers. Author Noah Hawley knows how to write suspense. He is an Emmy, Golden Globe, PEN, Critics’ Choice and Peabody Award-winning author, screenwriter and producer, and currently the executive producer, writer and showrunner on FX’s award-winning series, “Fargo.”
This is such a fantastic book, whether you are traveling or on vacation or simply want an engrossing read. You will be instantly captivated by this book.
— Reviewed by Jenny Lyons of the Vermont Bookshop in Middlebury.