Train Wreck: A Novel

by Bennett Gavrish

What if I told you there is a secret stock market that assigns a dollar value to the life of every man, woman and child?

Would you believe it? And more importantly, how much do you think you'd be worth?

Nick Buchanan faces that question every day. He works for a nontraditional insurance firm that gambles on the lives of ordinary Americans and cashes in when they die.

After one of his clients is murdered, Nick finds himself in the middle of a tangled conspiracy that he must unravel before the killers can claim another victim.

Genres: Mystery Thriller

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2011

About the author

Bennett Gavrish is a software developer and part-time novelist from New Hampshire. He graduated from Boston University in 2010 with a degree in journalism. Train Wreck is his first novel.

Reviews

[William Blackwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a first work, I thought this novel was well written, tightly plotted and interesting right through to the end. Through a series of flashbacks, Bennett Gavrish tells the story of the interlocking lives of a group of passengers on a red eye Amtrack train to Washington, DC.

As the story unravels, we learn lead protagonist Nick Buchanan works for an insurance company that raises the stakes significantly. The Firm takes out life insurance policies on people and then arranges to have them killed, cashing in big time on the pay-outs.

Once Nick discovers he is essentially an accessory to murder, he tries desperately to quit The Firm, expose the insurance fraud and murders.

The characters are well developed, the dialogue crisp and funny at times and the theme of money having the power to corrupt those with weak morals or financial distress is poignantly true to life.

The flashback style, while rarely referencing any actual time sequence, was easy enough to grasp and does not detract from the story in any way.

Bennett Gavrish is a promising young author and I look forward to future books. A very good read from beginning to end!

[Ginger Myrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reader, there is nothing I want more than to be taken away from my current situation, a.k.a. the present. As a writer of love stories set in the past, by the end of a long day writing there is nothing I want more than to escape THAT time period. Ironic, huh? Well, TRAIN WRECK accomplished that feat and brought me slamming back into the present in spectacular fashion.

Gavrish starts off his tale innocuously enough with his clean writing and subtle sense of humor. He is a keen study of human behavior and interaction. The dialogue rang true and had me giggling from the beginning. I was quickly drawn into caring about the characters, because of their very human flaws, and rooting for them, despite their flaws. And just when I began to relax and enjoy the ride, so to speak, suddenly I realized that there was much more to this than just a story.

The author's intelligent and intriguing layout of the insurance industry was masterful and provided a plausible premise. His interweaving of the character histories was creative and unique. And just like the Train Wreck after which the book is named, although you could see it happening, there was nothing you could do to stop it. Even the ending kept me guessing. I knew what had to happen, but it still came as a shock.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. I am a literary omnivore. And nothing has brought that fact home to me more vividly in recent months than reading this book! Bravo, Mr. Gavrish! I cannot wait for more!

[Jeremy DeBottis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Buchanan is a likable protagonist that drives this tightly wound plot from Boston to Washington DC. The characters he's forced to interact with run the spectrum of over-the-top to almost forgettable which helps to balance one another out and make them more believable.
The story does a great job of keeping you hooked from character to character as you learn how unsuspecting people can be surprisingly connected with highly entertaining one-liners scattered throughout this enjoyable read.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this first novel. Reminiscent of "And Then There Were None".Very easily read, with enough cultural references to keep it contemporary.Good character development,through flashbacks; good pacing of story. I was able to figure out the connections between the strangers but it did not prepare me for the ending. Job well done.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bennett, you aced it! I loved the story and couldn't turn my Kindle off till I finished it. Good luck in your future endeavors.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh.....this book was excellent!!!!! I could not put it down. This is a must read for anyone who likes thrillers. I received this book from Goodreads.

[Desiree]

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[Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

From: http://erinmjustice.com/2013/03/13/bo...

I’d Recommend to: Georgia & Shaun Mason (Mira Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy); Daisy Buchanan & Jay Gatsby (come on, the main character’s name is Nick Buchanan! It’s Nick Carraway + Tom Buchanan! Imagine the discussions!)

My Review:
I started and finished Train Wreck in the same day – a rarity for me lately. Train Wreck is fairly short and captivating. I will admit that the beginning was a little difficult for me to get into – there are a lot of personalities introduced early on, and I had trouble connecting with some of the characters. However, as the novel progressed I was able to get immersed into the story and plot. I just had to finish it to see how the characters were connected and their lives interwoven. Unfortunately, once you start putting together the pieces together it’s easier to figure out the ending. This may not be a detraction for others, but I was hoping for more of a surprise.

Creating a compelling, multilayered, and believable thriller is a strong suit for Gavrish. I’m looking forward to reading more of his work in the future.

The Bottom Line:
A quick read that makes an impression.

[Lynne Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing I enjoy more then finding new authors who's work gives me more then I expected. Train Wreck, by Bennett Gavrish, does just that.
Though not truly a debut, as he has published a non fiction book, this is his first novel. I was hooked from page one until the very end. His characters are well developed and the words flow flawlessly. It's hard to describe the book without giving away the story, though as the title suggests, a moral train wreck is happening and we get to enjoy the rails that take us there. I'll leave the reviewing of the book to those of you who are much better at it then I could ever be.
My only contribution. For every novel you read by a famous and well known ( mass production) author, pick up a novel by a new voice, and give them a shot. You will find yourself at awe, over these new voices we will be reading, hopefully for years to come.
There's my contribution, so go now, pick up this novel and enjoy the ride!

[Samuel Toms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same old world - new ways of telling the story. Train Wreck feels like a growing up book for those who've stopped going to the bar every night with their friends after work and are thinking beyond the scope of a one-bedroom apartment. The mixture of humor and futility feels personal and perhaps at times a little single-minded, but deliberately so.

The story is good, it's far fetched in a funny way and the characters are quite easy to get to grips with, as a cross-section from many walks of life are offered up to the reader with their roles and connections to the protagonist revealed through flash-backs. It is a tale with inevitable results, focusing on observation and with morals firmly entrenched at its heart.

If I had one criticism it would be of Nick Buchanan: honestly, you should have really seen it coming!

Overall: good laughs, nicely simple and craftily poignant in places.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to begin by stating, this book is not my usual genre. It was told in a flashback form from the viewpoint of multiple people. I agree with other reviewers statement tht this is a great attempt for a first novel. The book was a quick read full of humor. The storyline was quite interesting. A Red Eye train from Boston to Washington DC. Each character on the train tells his/her own story. All characters are somehow connected to main character Nick. I was not too fond of the language used throughout the book.

[Robert Stadnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-done story with a good premise. It followed human behavior which one would expect. Well done, author.

[Rob Gouveia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a modern day Canterbury Tales with a dark side. Liked it well enough to see what else this guy comes up with.

[Brad H · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the plot and premise of this book is rather interesting, I was frustrated by the lose ends, and unnecessary side stories. Some editing could have made this book much better.

[Dawn Mazur]

Told in flashbacks with insight to each person. Well written (too much vulgarity for my liking), gripping and a shocking ending.

[SherraeWoods]

I thins book had a nice tempo not to slow. It also was fascinating and didn't make me bored.