Night Fall by Nelson DeMille Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Night Fall
Book Review: And the Point Was ... What?
Summary: 3 Stars
I am a big fan of Nelson DeMille, and I normally get so involved in a good book that I will read through the night. No danger of that with "Night Fall." Unlike "Gold Coast", "Charm School", "Up Country", "Word of Honor", and other fine DeMille novels, I had no trouble putting this book down at any time, and felt no urge to pick it up again. But, eventually I did, even though it was fairly obvious where the characters were going to be at the end of the book.
However, I thought that there would be something that went along with the ending event to tie up the story and the "point" of the book -- but there was no point, and there was no ending of any consequence. There was not even a solid basis, so far as I could determine, for Dectective/Agent Corey to conclude exactly who of the people on "the other side" died at the end. I kept thinking as I got one-fourth of the way through the book, half way, and then three-fourths of the way that at any moment now something is going to happen. But it never did.
On what to me is a positive note, Corey is less obnoxious here than he was in "Plum Island" and some of the other John Corey books. Sure, he's smart and dedicated, and is basically a decent person, but his complusive need to make smart and even abusive remarks to most of the people who he encounters, especially other men, wears thin -- even to me, just a reader, and I don't have to tolerate him in person! But, yes, DeMille still manages to vest Corey with enough humorous and occasionally insightful remarks to remind you that you are reading a Nelson DeMille book.
On the whole, though, I prefer my main characters to be someone who I would like to hang out with and who I can admire. I would not really care to hang out with John Corey.
P.S. It always concerns me when the author of a supposedly well-researched book gets some fairly basic facts wrong, as DeMille did in this book with the types of surface-to-air missiles used by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam conflict. True, this had no connection to the main story, but if you get one thing wrong, who's to say that you didn't get other things wrong as well?
Book Review: Exploring "history" at Night Fall
Summary: 4 Stars
Night Fall could be classified as an "historical novel" since it explores recent history, namely TWA's flight 800 that exploded 14 minutes after take-off from JFK in New York.
In a change of pace from his previously intricately plotted and lenghty literary thrillers like the Lions Game, here DeMille writes a story that is both energetic and believable and could easily be a CNN news update. Utilizing published accounts and eyewitness interviews as the basis for his story, DeMille has developed an intriguing theory and turned it into an extremely clever and brilliantly crafted tale.
Although some reviewers were less than satisfied with his resolution, but I found it stunning. Read it and decide for yourself. It is worthy of your time and attention.
Book Review: Great foreplay but no sizzling climax
Summary: 3 Stars
Nelson DeMille is a terrific writer. Some of his books are incredibly hard to put down, including the prequel "The Lion Game." That said, this novel was exciting to read and the story just propels itself. That is, until the ending.
The ending was extremely disappointing. I don't want to give away anything, but let me give an analogy. Suppose Agatha Christie had gathered all her suspects in a room with a hint that someone will deliver a theory that would be earthshattering, and that the murderer will be unmasked. Suppose then that right before the denouement, an explosion occurs killing all suspects, destroying all evidence, no theories expounded upon, and the author declares, "The End". Well, such was the ending of "Night Fall."
It was an exciting novel but the ending was unsatisfying.
Book Review: What a cop-out
Summary: 1 Stars
The theme of this book interested me, because I was one of the hundreds who witnessed the terrible explosion and may or may not have glimpsed streaks of light. I'm happy with the official explanation, but was prepared to go along with de Mille's proposal that a missile could have been involved, and that various governmental agencies hushed it up. But, if they did -- as the plot theorizes -- WHY? What was the point? I waded through yards of the protagonist's stupid and occasionally amusing wisecracks, kept going with a really rather easily put-down book, just to find out the answer to the mystery. And did I get it? No, I did not. Using a tragedy of the magnitude of 9/11 to cover up the author's inability to come up with a gripping, plausible ending was mildly criminal, in my candid opinion. Well, I certainly felt robbed.Book Review: Loves to Read
Summary: 5 Stars
Great story! Thrilling plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.