Falling From The Light

by Adam Smith

When a hit-and-run driver cripples Charlie Doyle’s 10-year-old nephew in front of his house, Charlie, who’s drunk, rushes him to the hospital. The boy is in a vegetative state. Did the jostling in the back seat damage his nephew’s brain, a ride that also denied him oxygen that a paramedic’s fitted mask would have supplied? Guilt eats away at Charlie, and soon, the neighborhood gossips sink their fangs into Charlie, too, rumoring that he backed over his nephew on his way to get more booze. Charlie’s life begins to crumble around him as he loses his job, suspects his wife of adultery, and watches his teenage daughter turn to crime. The disasters come to a head on Thanksgiving Day when a massive sinkhole destroys the family dinner party.

As more sinkholes threaten the neighborhood, as his life hopelessly slides down a dark sinkhole of its own, Charlie is offered a job as a Secret Insurance Agent. His mission: To spy on his neighbors to keep anyone from collecting on any policy. Joining forces with an unscrupulous neighbor named Effie Malfeezian, who’s blackmailing Charlie, the desperate duo set out on their ruinous mission. But Charlie also uses his position as a Secret Insurance Agent to secretly look for the real hit-and-run driver. His clandestine work isn’t as enlightening as he hopes, though, as it takes him on a far darker journey into himself.

FALLING FROM THE LIGHT is an intense, dark satire disguised as a domestic suspense novel, a journey of self-discovery as well crafted as Adam Smith’s award-winning debut thriller, SCABLAND.

510 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2019

About the author

Adam Smith is a graduate cum laude of the University of Arizona. Born and raised in New England, he lives on Cape Cod. Though he is an award-winning writer, he regards being handpicked by Dennis Lehane for his novel-writing workshop at Writers In Paradise as a prized writing honor.

Reviews

[Dad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Doyle's 10 year old nephew Benny is hit by a driver in front of his house. Horrified Charlie immediately takes Benny in his car to the hospital. Now the boy has a brain injury and is in a vegetative state. Charlie feels responsible since he thought perhaps Benny would have been better off if he had called an ambulance. The neighbors are saying he was driving drunk and hit the boy. Now Charlie's life starts to fall apart. He loses his job, he thinks his wife is having an affair with his sister's husband and his sister's in laws house is destroyed in a sinkhole. In addition his 18 year old daughter is arrested.

Though quite a serious story, there are many very funny laugh out loud moments.

[Shanell Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written with interesting characters and storyline

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, and this book is a prime example. If I were to go by the cover I’d think this book is a self help or some sort of faith based book. But it most definitely is not either of those! I thought about playing a game to and taking a drink every time sinkholes was mentioned in this book but I would have ended up with alcohol poisoning! Overall the storyline is interesting. There is a lot coming together in several different stories that all build into the main plot of this story. In a world where Charlie Doyle’s life is falling apart literally with sinkholes slowly swallowing the neighborhood, his wife straying with his brother in law, and his daughter getting into trouble. All of these stories create twists and turns and unexpected bumps along the way. I was drawn in and had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Doyle, a perpetual drunk, rushes his 10-year-old nephew who has just been hit by a car to the hospital. When he arrives, major damage is found to the boys’ brain and he is in a vegetative state. Did Charlie cause more damage than was there in his rush to the hospital? Wracked with guilt, Charlie descends into a downward spiral when the gossip mongers blame him, and his family life starts to unravel at the seams. Adultery, crime and more make their way into his home and he is hanging on by a thread when he is offered a job to spy on his neighbors to prevent them from committing insurance fraud. But Charlie gets the idea to search for the hit and run driver who struck his nephew, and this starts Charlies descent into an even darker spiral. Interesting suspense and who done it book, the characters were interesting, and the writing was great.

[Pegboard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling From The Light by Adam Smith will amaze the reader with the drama and trouble Charlie Doyle’s entails. Each problem has multiple problems attached to them. His wife, Claire, is an unfaithful and conniving woman. His daughter, Velijah, is acting out, and he suspects his sister’s father-in-law molested her. Charlie has no job until they offer him a job as a Secret Insurance Agent, spying on his neighbors. Add to this; blackmail and slander and you have the life of Charlie Doyle. It is so sad it is almost funny.
 
It amazed me with the twists and turns Danny’s life took in Falling From The Light, by Adam Smith. Nothing happened like I thought. The man responsible for renouncing the sins of the neighborhood was a big surprise. Well written and very entertaining. Effie would be my favorite character as she blackmails everyone she comes in contact with.  

[Rachel Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by author Adam Smith tells the story of Charlie Doyle, a man who is suffering from guilt after not properly caring for his 10-year-old nephew after he is hit by a driver due to his drunkenness. Eventually, the area learns of what he did and gossip swirls around with many falsely blaming Charlie for the accident. In addition to this, Charlie soon finds himself jobless and that his family is fighting its own problems. Eventually, he is hired as a secret insurance agent to help prevent his neighbors from using their policy. However, Charlie finds that this job isn’t what he hoped it to be and discovers himself falling into more trouble.

This well-written story is sure to capture your attention thanks to the intriguing plot and characters. While the book might be a little long for some (it runs 340 pages), it’s definitely worth investing time into.

[Jimmy Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery suspense.

Charlie Doyle is a drunk who has never really made a lasting impression on anyone until his young nephew is hit by a car and Charlie takes him to the hospital while in a state of mild intoxication. The boy is crippled for life and Charlie slips away slowly as his life is destroyed one piece at a time from the adulterous wife to the criminal daughter. Charlie finally lands a job as a secret insurance agent right after the town begins to fall into sink holes all over. His job is to swindle the neighborhood out of claiming money from the insurance company. Charlie learns a lot about himself as he makes his way along this twisted journey. Good read with enough surprises to keep you guessing. Check this one out folks. It’s worth the read.