Crash

by Belinda Bauer, Unknown Author

In a hangar at Los Angeles International airport, a cargo plane tears itself apart.
In South Africa, a passenger jet crashes into a popular tourist attraction.
The two tragedies seem unconnected, but disgraced air crash investigator Tom Patrick has a very bad feeling about this…
Blunt and bitter, Tom’s not a popular guy. He's already fighting to keep his job and, without hard evidence or official backup for an investigation, he’s forced to go it alone.
But when shocking clues plunge him into a conspiracy that threatens millions, Tom must risk everything to stop planes - and passengers - falling out of the sky like bloody confetti.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Crime

Paperback

About the author

Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and her script THE LOCKER ROOM earned her the Carl Foreman/Bafta Award for Young British Screenwriters, an award that was presented to her by Sidney Poitier. She was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for "Mysterious Ways," about a girl stranded on a desert island with 30,000 Bibles. Belinda now lives in Wales.

Reviews

[Carol Cunningham]

I was disappointed. I usually love BB's books but this one wasn't for me. The humour was there but the usual storyline brilliance wasn't. I'm sure many new readers would love the fast-paced, American style but not for me.

[Gary Dowden]

Initially published under a different name, Crash is very different to Belinda Bauer's usual reads and it didnt quite hit the mark for me.
Tom Patrick is a US federal investigator who feels that he's found a link between two plane crashes that the official investigation missed. This not only makes him very unpopular but also put his life at risk. I think my two main issues here is that there are a lot of characters! Some last a chapter, some reappear some time later and I struggled with keeping up. Its also quite slow burn Initially with the narrative flipping between the crash situations and Tom's poker playing and I did wonder where it was leading. The last third redeems things slightly as the pace quickens and things slot partially into place but I think my expectations are so high with the likes of Rubbernecker and Exit in particular, that i was just left a bit disappointed.

[Joy Stephenson]

A different style than Belinda Bauer's other novels - and for me not as good. It reads like a screenplay for an action movie.

[mrs.speedy.reader]

TW If you have a fear of flying then this is not the book for you. Obviously from the title you can gather that there are a few plane crashes involved in the story. The main character is portrayed as a somewhat complicated character who has a penchant for not thinking before he speaks - despite this it is impossible not to warm to him, despite his flaws deep down he always tries to do his best for people. The story flows really well throughout the book and it keeps you wanting to keep turning the pages. I would say this is more of a crime genre than thriller, however as an avid thriller fan I still loved it.

[Caro]

I can see why Belinda Bauer first published this under a pseudonym. It is very different to her other books but a good story nonetheless.
I was a bit disappointed when I discovered that it had been previously published under a different title as I thought I had another BB book to read.

[Karen M.]

This is the first Belinda Bauer book I've read, so I don't have anything to compare it to. However I Ioved the fast pace, exciting plot, the humour and the detailed description of all the characters. I couldn't put it down. I loved the way each chapter finished on a cliff hanger. I now want to read some of her other books which have been recommended on here so I can try to understand the comparisons which some other reviews refer to.

[George Dollin]

I've read some enjoyable books by this author and I've read this one. If her name wasn't written on the front I'd never have guessed it was written by her. The book was pretty dull until maybe the last 100 pages. Various things take place that are absurd, convenient or simply unbelievable. Then there is the way women are treated in this book. Maybe the author was trying to make a point about men by writing the narrator the way she did but the way women are described and used in this book is often vulgar, one dimensional and unnecessary. The main character has no redeeming qualities, he's a grim person who treats people woefully and there was no real redemption of that trait. I'll be avoiding this author's work for a while to get this out of my system.

[Toni]

Absolute f*cking sh*t.

I bought this novel for the planes, not to read disgusting sex scenes and misogyny. It is deplorable that male authors get away with writing in this way, but to have a female author try to emulate them? No. Get out of my sight, hang your head in shame, and keep walking into the distance, far, far away from me until I can't see you any more, and continue walking still. This author should be THOROUGHLY ASHAMED of the way she has written about the female characters in this book.

I've read some bilge recently but this one is next level BS, and it made me so angry that I've ripped the book apart and put it in the recycling. If I could give this minus 5 stars, I would.

[Nicola Conway]

I find it hard to believe the same person who wrote Snap, wrote this.

Just not my cup of tea. Cliched and not interesting, so much so I just couldn’t finish it. Instead I re-read Exit.

Also my husband didn’t realise that Crash and High Rollers were the same and surprised me with Crash as he knows I love BB. Oh dear. I have it twice now…

[Christine Allen]

I have loved every book Belinda Bauer has written. They are all so different and so good and this is no exception. It kept me guessing all the way through. Really great adventure. Would be great if there was a sequel. 🤞
If you love David Baldacci’s books you’ll love this.

[Tansy Hepton]

Fast paced and very readable - but definitely NOT if you are flying anywhere on holiday!

I liked the Tom Patrick character and his 2 separate story lines, but found the coincidences unconvincing. A solid 3 stars on my rating system

[Sarah Parker]

Nothing like her other books. It was fine but nothing special.

[Donna]

3.5⭐️