A Conspiracy of Tall Men

by Noah Hawley

The debut literary thriller that launched the career of the bestselling author of BEFORE THE FALL and the creator of the show Fargo.
Linus Owen is a young professor of conspiracy theory at a small college just outside San Francisco. His marriage is foundering and his wife, Claudia, has gone to Chicago to visit her mother. But if Claudia is in Chicago, how is it that two FBI agents show up at Linus' office and inform him that Claudia has been killed in a plane crash on her way from New York to Brazil? And why did a man named Jeffrey Holden, the vice president of a major pharmaceutical company, buy her ticket and die beside her?

Enlisting the aid of two fellow conspiracy theorists, Linus heads across the country in search of answers. But as their journey progresses, it becomes frighteningly clear they've left the realm of the academic and are tangled up in a dangerous, multilayered cover-up. Finally, deep in the heart of the American desert, stunned by an ominous revelation, Linus sees he has a new mission: to try to stay alive.

Part Don DeLillo, part Kurt Vonnegut, with writing that is electric, whip-smart and suspenseful at each turn, Noah Hawley draws us into a deliciously labyrinthine world of paranoia and plots.
"Energetic and funny...an engrossing debut."--The New York Times

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Conspiracy Theories, Novels

372 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Noah Hawley is an Emmy, Golden Globe, PEN, Critics' Choice, and Peabody Award-winning author, screenwriter, and producer. He has published four novels and penned the script for the feature film Lies and Alibis. He created, executive produced, and served as showrunner for ABC's My Generation and The Unusuals and was a writer and producer on the hit series Bones. Hawley is currently executive producer, writer, and showrunner on FX's award-winning series, Fargo.

Reviews

[Orsodimondo · Rating 2 out of 5]

ROAD TO NOWHERE


Foto di André Thijssen

A Conspiracy of Tall Men è il titolo originale, e quindi, i lunghi del titolo italiano sono uomini alti.
Noah Hawley è la persona che ha creato la serie Fargo, una delle mie preferite (e il film è probabilmente il mio preferito dei fratelli Cohen). Questa è la ragione che mi ha spinto a leggere questo libro.

E ad arrivare fino in fondo: nonostante 400 pagine che sin dall’inizio hanno mostrato più di un problema. Sin dall’inizio scrittura e trama mi sono sembrate piuttosto squinternate.
Non è un thriller, tende al grottesco e al demenziale. Ma mai abbastanza demenziale per rientrare nel genere.
Non è una spy story, nonostante di spie e agenti segreti ce ne siano più che in abbondanza. Non è fantascienza. Non è De Lillo, nonostante in parecchi lo tirino in ballo: ma sarebbe come dire che chiunque scrive di cani è Jack London.
Sinceramente non so cosa sia: lo definirei un romanzo venuto male, un esordio traballante.


Questa non ha bisogno di didascalia

La scelta del presente indicativo appiattisce la scrittura, e non ce n’era bisogno. E non è l’unico problema di scrittura, ci sono ripetizioni, irritanti cambi di prospettiva e espressioni infelici.
Ma allora, se lo stile interessa poco, sarebbe bene concentrarsi sul plot: invece la trama si prende il suo tempo, le svolte, i salti in avanti si fanno attendere, dedicare due pagine a descrivere New York in febbraio sono una perdita di tempo, tanto il risultato letterario è modesto. I momenti clou arrivano stiracchiati, la suspense non alberga tra queste pagine. Neppure la semplice attesa.
Men che meno la sospensione.


Deserti occidentali: Nevada [foto ©MDO]

Succedono cose tipo che un personaggio ordina un tè freddo e mezza pagina dopo si scopre che invece ha bevuto due pepsi e sta ordinando la terza.
Oppure il narratore sottolinea come un ventilatore non da sollievo ai clienti del bar, quando fuori la temperatura è quasi sotto zero.
Oppure uno guarda dal finestrino dell’aereo, ma subito dopo si scopre che, presumibilmente in contemporanea, sta anche guardando dei microfilm.
Linus, il protagonista (che insegna Teoria delle Cospirazioni in un piccolo college della East Bay, ed è quindi un docente in paranoia), ha parcheggiato e mezza pagina dopo compie di nuovo la stessa azione (forse è l’insistenza sul presente indicativo che genera confusione, che sembra errore?).
Anche se cialtronaggini del genere sono da impuntare più a chi fa la redazione che a chi scrive. Il problema è che io leggo e vorrei un po’ di precisione.


Deserti occidentali: Trona, California [foto ©MDO]

Poi, succede che da un appartamento a Tribeca il man in black, l’agente poco segreto, e spia spiata, si prepara e meno di quattro ore dopo è sul traghetto che da Tiburon porta a San Francisco: è vero che va con un aereo militare F-15, ma Noah caro, manco teletrasportato ce l’avrebbe fatta.
Sì, Hawley ha problemi seri con i tempi degli spostamenti, ne snocciola altri più che improbabili, assolutamente inverosimili.

La route 50, lunga 4839,297 km, va da Ocean City, in Maryland, a Sacramento, in California. È chiamata the Loneliest Road in America

Road to Nowhere è la highway (route) 50, la strada della solitudine, che attraversa il nulla e porta verso quella parte degli US dove governo e militari si sono divertiti per decenni a sperimentare bombe, armi, virus & Co.
Road to Nowhere è un film di Monte Hellman del 2010.
E road to nowhere è dove porta questo romanzo.

Un po’ come tutto il resto del plot, improbabile e forzato, e alla fine il colpevole, che qui certo non potrebbe essere il classico maggiordomo perché non ci sono personaggi che fanno il maggiordomo, è comunque il più improbabile, pescato dal cappello come un coniglio magico.


Deserti occidentali: Car forest of the Last Church, Goldfield, Nevada [foto ©MDO]

Ho apprezzato che i personaggi fossero gente più o meno comune: se non altro non quei soliti tipi dalla volontà d’acciaio capaci di imprese che noi mortali proprio no, con cui si riempiono spesso i libri (mediocri) di spionaggio.
Ho apprezzato l’ironia di Hawley, qua e là ci sono uscite davvero divertenti e intelligenti.
Ho apprezzato che per gran parte sia ambientato nei deserti occidentali, luoghi di fascino raro e supremo.
Ho apprezzato il fatto d’averlo finito.


Deserti occidentali: Ballarat, ghost town in Nevada [foto ©MDO]

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before the Fall is a great book, so I was really looking forward to reading A Conspiracy of Tall Men. However, this book, well, to be honest, I couldn't finish it. Why? Let me explain:

I would say that there is 25% story and the rest of the book is filler, details, unnecessary information about characters, both main and those that just show up pretty much to do a cameo. Let me give you an example: Linus, our hero in this book, meets a woman in this book and the book goes into detail about her personal life. Why? She has no large part. I do not need to know that she is single and that she likes machines more than humans. All this information dump make my head tired...

Then we have Linus and his two conspiracy friends. Sorry, but they are boring, yes you get A LOT of facts about them (just like everyone and everything else), but that doesn't make them interesting. I'm honestly surprised that Linus managed to find himself a wife in the first place...

I gave up, I just couldn't get myself to finish the book.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Well Written, Entertaining, Twisty Conspiracy Thriller

So, I picked this up in a remainder bin and, before even starting to read it I looked at a few reviews. According to a bunch of them the book is overwritten, padded, wandering, and not nearly as good as the author's later published "Before the Fall". I was tempted to give the book a miss, except that the first page was so clever, deadpan edgy, and assured I had to keep going. Very glad I did.

This is the same sort of paranoid, creepy, over the top, goofy plausible, earnest silly global/government conspiracy you get from the X-Files' brilliant spinoff - The Lone Gunmen. By coincidence, (or maybe not?), there were three members of The Lone Gunmen and in this book there are three conspiracy hunting friends who track down the answers to the mystery. Every character in the book is a part of some conspiracy; every one is leading a double or triple life; everything is corrupt; everyone is being surveilled, taped, photographed, followed, observed, and recorded. It is an absolute cavalcade of conspiracy goodness.

But the best part is that it is exceptionally well written. And it is not an ironic mockery of the genre; it plays fair and goes all in on the conspiracy angle. The protagonist, Linus, is a professional conspiracy theorist and his earnest belief in all things conspiratorial pulls the reader along. His vindication, that the conspiracies are real and that the paranoiacs are on to something, is treated with enough grave seriousness that the whole book works in its own fashion.

And along the way we get some funny one-liners, a fair amount of noir tough guy talk, (apparently, all covert interrogators are really, secretly, deadpan comics), and some elegant and clever turns of phrase, set pieces, and throwaway observations. Some complain about too many digressions, but when those digressions are sharp and entertaining I'm O.K. with that.

Here are a few cool lines, chosen more or less at random - "Los Angeles is a city that appears to have been built to satisfy somebody's desire for a cigarette." Or, "[the Los Angeles Airport]... is a country with a population of zero but an immigration problem of obscene proportions...". I'm sorry but I just love that kind of tough/dry/elegant stuff.

So, sure, it's an over the top conspiracy thriller. But sometimes you want to read an over the top conspiracy thriller. And this one is so well written that it is head and shoulders above the usual big name author "commercial" fare. I count it a real find.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shock and horror: I had to DNF this one: ended skimming through the chapters because the action did not hold my interest. I go through phases - some genres turn me off (such as historical fiction, for example), whereas in my youth, right up until my mid-thirties, I loved historical fiction. Now, I turn green if my book club wants to review YET ANOTHER WORLD WAR I OR II NOVEL. I make rare exceptions (Julie Berry can write about the dinosaur era and I will willingly read anything she writes!) This had an interesting storyline, but I was not feeling it. I am so not into conspiracy theory books anymore. Sorry: the writing was excellent, as usual, but I was not up for this one. Don't let me dissuade you from reading this author's excellent work!

[3 no 7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Conspiracy Of Tall Men, by Noah Hawley was written in 1998, but is just as relevant today if not more so. Linus Owen teaches conspiracy theory at a small college. When his wife is killed in a plane crash his world implodes. The action unfolds in the present tense, so readers are taken immediately into Owens’ world of conspiracy. Owens seeks to find answers about his wife and the crash and immediately crosses the thin paper wall that separates government powers from the people they are supposed to protect. He finds conspiracy at every turn. He ventures deep into the deserts of Arizona and Nevada only to encounter men who eat meat, think protein bars taste like dirt, and listen to unorthodox broadcasts over the radio. They bury people and guns in big holes in the desert. Oh, and Owen has grown two inches.

At first, the plot appears to be only a compelling flashback to the abundant absurdity at time of its publication, 1998, with chemicals tests on people in the Nevada desert and biological weapons in the Gulf War; all that is missing is aluminum foil hats. However, as the complex conspiracy unfolds, talk of a widespread virus that infects entire populations, brings the world economy to a halt, invokes population unrest, initiated widespread unrest and violence, and allows the government to require medical testing and distribution of vaccines with minimal oversite. Suddenly readers feel they are in 2020.

[Joe Kucharski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author/Creator/Director Noah Hawley. You know him. You dig him. From the trippy, mind-sprawling chaos of FX’s Legion to the Coen Bros-cool re-imagining of Fargo, Hawley gets deep, he gets fun, he gets weird. Following the success from his latest novel, Before The Fall, Grand Central Publishing reissued Hawley’s debut novel, A Conspiracy Of Tall Men. And man, this reads like a debut novel.

Tall Men features Linus Owen, a conspiracy theory teacher who finds himself hit with two hard truths: his wife has been having an affair, and now she’s dead. After a lifetime of living under the gun of suspicion, Linus goes looking for real answers and maybe the meaning of life. In a dazed trek across America worthy of Hunter S. Thompson, Linus seeks out an incendiary radio talk-show host, raids a big-time pharma company, is interrogated by the CIA, and comes to realize those two initial truths might be lies.

The novel, like with many debuts, starts off strong with jazzy concepts and sarcastic bites. Yet, Hawley’s deep dive into the insane grows awkward. Some of the head scratching comes not with the narrative, but the poor grammar, the confusing spans of dialogue, and a ton of sentences that nerve-rackingly begin with “it.” Eventually, Linus’ paranoia become outright silly. The deeper the conspiracies go, the less X-Files hip the read becomes as the unglamorous quickly becomes bizarre.

Hawley serves up a number of clever observations and uniquely provides background on his characters, granting even minor ones weight. Doing such, though, creates bloat. Like the conspiracies that Linus weaves out of echoes, the novel has too many false starts, too many feints, and a rushed finale. Unless that was the plan, man. The United States Corporation wants you to think this is all too silly. Right?

Nope. The read was silly, confusing, and overly long.

Thanks to Goodreads and Grand Central Publishing for the giveaway. I’m still a Noah Hawley fan and continue looking forward to his new seasons of Fargo and Legion.

Check out my Read @ Joe's site for this review and much more!

[Jan Wylde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy oh boy. Reading the other reviews (lower ratings) and still will keep my 5 stars. This book kept me up late at night and I did not wish to put it down. Even liked the ending!!! The writing is clever, complete and such a good character study. It's very creative. Anyone wish to bet this is gonna be a good movie?! Even daydreamed about who would play Linus and the nerdy buddies - ohhhh, so much fun!!! Oh, Mr Noah?! How about a sequel? Thank you so much for the entertainment!

[Sally Cartwright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite enjoying this book due to it being an unusual topic: Consoiravy theories are not normally my thing. However despite some good plot twists the ending was very unsatisying - I didn't realise it even was the ending until I turned the page. Disappointing for this reason. Not sure I'd rush to read another....

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This made no sense to me, what did I read? Reissuing this was a mistake.

[Leslie Basney · Rating 1 out of 5]

A first book, written about 10 years ago, and republished after last year’s excellent Before the Fall. A disservice to everyone.

[Dave Fillingame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 stars? It started out maybe not being the book I thought it would be and then became exactly the book it made itself out to be so it was an interesting ride.

But my point is... the book didn't mention me once, and I'm tall, so that's either false advertising or the true conspiracy that we should be addressing.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noah Hawley's A CONSPIRACY OF TALL MEN is intensely quirky, sometimes dense, and well-written throughout. Where else can you find a better description of Las Vegas than "as tacky as 1975"? The clever observations keep you reading but still the book seems overly long.

Perhaps the protagonist, Linus Owen, is not enough to carry the storytelling burden over time. He is a unique character, not an especially likeable one. More probably, the multiple omnipresent conspiracies are too much. First off, conspiracies are typically fantasy because it is unlikely any group of people can keep secrets for any length of time. That lessens the urgency of the conspiracies introduced in A CONSPIRACY OF TALL MEN. They simply seem dubious. Second, if we accept the existence of the suggested conspiracies, all-seeing plans perpetuated by layer upon layer of powerful men, then it is improbable that someone as ineffectual as Linus Owen could unravel the schemes.

The book is set in the 1990s, a time of pay phones, VCRs and 1-900 sex lines that seems long ago but isn't really so. The action takes place as the information age is developing, as the internet and computer technology is emerging full force into everyday life. Whatever credence there is to the fight for truth conducted by Linus, Edward, and Roy in this book, it comes from the democratization of information created by the new technologies.

Noah Hawley is the showrunner for the FARGO television series, a project that leaves indelible memories with the viewer. This novel is a worthwhile read, but not memorable. In retrospect I should have started with one of Hawley's other books, probably BEFORE THE FALL, which won an Edgar Award for Best Mystery in 2017. Finally, there are a few bits in this book that leave me scratching my head. Are they "Easter eggs" or simply evidence of poor proofreading? One example is an early reference to the Apollo moon landing of 1967. Another occurs much later in the book, when John Glenn is identified as coming from Arizona.

Black helicopters,
Ruby Ridge and Waco too.
The Clintons to boot.

[Jordan Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noah Hawley seems to be much less interested in story in this book than he is in ideas and the characters that both hold and embody them. It's fitting that the main character is just this sort of person -- more interested in ideas than action. In a way, the trajectory of the book follows this characters shift from passivity to action.

In general, it would be a fair accusation to say this book is a little indulgent. Noah Hawley is not taking good care of his readers with the kind of liberties he clearly enjoys in this novel.

That said, I love the way Hawley's brain works. His prose is beautiful, sometimes transcendent. He has an uncanny ability to establish place, tone, and texture with a creative efficiency I find downright enviable. The way this book is written is further proof that he's found his calling in the world of television, where his mind for details can reach it's full potential.

[Danita L · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Conspiracy of Tall Men was re-issued after the success of Before the Fall and should have just stayed in the background back in 1998. Although the book started wonderfully, with a secondary cast of Roy and Edward that was hilarious, it meandered off with over-lengthy descriptions that seemed to have no other purpose other than to create more pages.

The tight paragraphs of Before the Fall were gone and boring sequences became the norm. Sometimes when a reader takes on an older published book by an author, you are delightfully surprised. Not so in this case. It didn't get to the "I wish I hadn't read it" stage as Hawley did show the sparks of a good writer that would appear in his later works but I could not in good conscience recommend this book to anyone.

[L M · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Spoiler Free*

“People do not come to believe things after seeing them. They see things only when they already believe them.”

I first discovered Noah Hawley through his hit television show Fargo on FX. An amazing series he revitalized through his snarky wit and dark humor. I then had to discover more, low, and behold he is also an author! Before the Fall was my first read, you can read my thoughts on that dreadful lull here. my link text I decided to give him a second chance and opted for his very first novel A Conspiracy of Tall Men. Expecting to be disappointed by the overbearing negative reviews on Goodreads, I was shocked. He is known for telling captivating stories and going well in-depth on each character within his world. To define character also means the setting in which the story takes place. Hawley gives you a vision and what may seem to marinate just a little longer than expected, immerses you into every nuanced idea that is presented. I was captivated from each chapter to another, not necessarily a vigorous page-turner but a need to know how this fate will end. I am usually extremely unsatisfied with endings however this was cleverly crafted. Not only did it subvert expectations, but it also stayed true to character.

From one open-minded reader to another, I urge you to give this book a chance.

I also believe this book NEEDS to be adopted for cinema. It would serve as a phenomenal journey on the Silver Screen.

[Michael Compton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book grabbed me from the first paragraph. The present tense narrative--with its vivid, cadenced language, ranging from character to character, to the past, to the future, from 30,000 feet to deep in the human soul--is mesmerizing. The plot, about a conspiracy involving a pharmaceutical company, the terrorist bombing of an airline, and seemingly every department of the US government, is head-spinning. Is it real? Is it paranoid fantasy? Maybe both? Grounding this wild plot is the grief of Linus, a professor of Conspiracy Studies, whose wife was on the bombed aircraft. Having seen every season of Fargo, and knowing how sketchily the Noah Wiley-created show often deals with real human emotion, I was surprised by how effectively he rendered this man's inner pain. It's a strength of the novel, up to a point. As long as Linus is moving forward, seeking out those responsible for the bombing, his inner turmoil complements and deepens the action. But the flashbacks often drag. Aside from a few details crucial to the plot, it's all just typical marriage stuff. They met, they fell in love, they had problems. We know all that without the flashbacks. Ultimately, it all starts to wear thin. After two hundred pages, I started to get that nagging feeling I was reading a book that was going nowhere. After 300, I was sure of it. There are some harrowing moments, but I was ready for it to be over long before it was. And in the end, I felt much like Linus in his marriage. First there was love. Then there was boredom. And finally there was regret. Was it worth it? I'd say yes, for the most part, but I'm hoping my next Wiley read is a better match.

[Sarah Koehler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just can't. I tried. But then I read a bunch of reviews to see if people said "stick with it -- it gets better" and legit, there are like none of those. These are either 5 star or 1-star/DNF ratings, and I think if it was going to be a 5-star read, I'd know that by now. What a disappointment after "Before the Fall" which I thought was excellent. This was just a waste of time. There are too many details that I don't care about, and too many "insights" about characters that don't do anything to push the plot forward or move the story along. And Linus is downright unlikeable as a main protagonist. By 185 pages in, I didn't even really care that his wife died. She probably was sick of him too. Time for something else... I haven't got the time to read stuff I don't like! There's too many books to read yet!

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about government conspiracies. Although I enjoyed Noahs first book more than this Book, this book takes a look at some very plausible conspiracy plots and gives your mind a work out absorbing these theories. Is our government really watching out for best interests or is there something sinister going on. Who do we trust and who do we believe?
When the book ends I'm not sure if we are to make our own ending or if there will be s sequel.
I suggest when you read this book, go in to it with a very open mind.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to DNF this a couple of times, but ended up just skimming and trudging through it. No doubt that Hawley is a great writer, I love his work on Fargo and his other books - Before the Fall, The Good Father and The Punch - but you can definitely tell that this is a debut. Hawley has a very unique and quirky writing style, but this one meanders way too much for me. I enjoyed the banter between Roy and Edward, though. In the end, kept going because I wanted to read all of Hawley's work (which I just have one more book of his to go!)

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Loved Before the Fall, but apparently this was written years before and I can only think it was published because of the Hawley's success with Before the Fall and his tv shows. Not worthy of his later works.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

After really enjoying "Before the Fall", this was such a huge disappointment. I'm not one to continue reading a book I dislike but I wanted to see if this got any better. Sadly, it didn't. The lead character (at least in my mind; there are other characters who could potentially be viewed as a lead character in this muddled mess), Linus, is the most unlikable character I've encountered in some time. I found it impossible to root for him. Overall this book is a let down after I thought I found a promising author.

I just can't recommend this book.

[Novis Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some absolutely beautiful turns of phrase, moments of genuine laughter and heartfelt loss… but personally I just hate when a book ends before the story is over.

[Leea]

I didn't dislike or like this book...it was ok. Certainly not as good as the fall was. He captures the feel of the late 90s very well.

[Terra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the writing style, storyline and fantastic character development. I was on the edge of my seat following the twists and turns, and the ending really made me think!

[Kormak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, clever, full of dark humor, and in line with what Hawley's 'Fargo' is known for.

a) Unfortunately, it is a bit boring and slow at times.
b) Fortunately, the ending is bleak, moving, and warm at the same time.

I'm intrigued enough to read another book by Hawley, so that's that.

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you read a book by Noah Hawley, you have to be prepared for his unusual view of the world around us, which is bluntly honest with tough-in-cheek.
For example, his description of Los Angeles: "Los Angeles is a city that appears to have been built to satisfy somebody's desire for a cigarette."
Or, the Los Angeles airport: "It is an airport like all others, an automated conspiracy of moving floors and revolving luggage, where desperate clots of bodies in wrinkled clothing struggle to break out, fighting their way through crowds of suitcase-laden optimists grappling to break in."

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the other book I read by this author but this one though it sounded intriguing left me skipping paragraphs and then pages of writing

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Your name is Linus Owen, & your marriage is vulnerable. It’s not exactly on the rocks, but you & your wife are definitely feeling some strain. You’re home in San Francisco, & your wife, Claudia, is visiting her parents in Chicago. You’re in your office at the university where you’re a professor in conspiracy theories, when two FBI agents show up with news that Claudia has been killed in a plane crash. She was, unbeknownst to you, traveling from New York to Brazil with a male pharmaceutical rep (who had also bought her ticket) when a bomb destroyed their plane.

What do you do if you’re Linus? In Noah Hawley’s satisfyingly twisty-turny debut, you embark on a journey to figure out exactly which forces have conspired to kill your wife.

There’s a blurb on the back cover that calls A Conspiracy of Tall Men “a genre-buster,” & that descriptor is right on the money. It’s an exploration of marriage & loyalty, it’s a deep dive into America’s bizarre tendency to traffic in conspiracy theories, it’s a critique of corporate America, & it does all that in the form of a balls to the wall thriller.

In the course of his mission, Linus collides with various acronymed entities (FBI, CIA, NSA, & one drug-addled agent who may be a member of all three) & travels far out of the Bay Area into the American Southwest as he tries to find a radical leftist who may hold the secret to Claudia’s death.

There’s lots to love about this book – it’s one of my favorites so far this year, as well as the best of the three Noah Hawley books I’ve read – but what makes it work as well as it does is Linus himself. Thanks to the last four years, it’s easy to forget that some conspiracy theories aren’t totally far-fetched. Linus isn’t a QAnon nutjob. He’s reasonable, & he’s hugely empathetic. We feel his grief at the beginning, & we understand why he goes to such lengths to learn the truth about what happened to Claudia.

It’s worth mentioning that Hawley created (and wrote a lot of) both Fargo & Legion for the FX network, & there’s a cleverness in this book that fans of those shows will recognize. It’s rare to find crisp page-turners as relevant as this one.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this book is 20 years old, it seems totally up to date. Hawley is quite good at this type of fiction, the style of which seems to have translated well into tv series for him.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had forgotten that I even had this book; but discovered it when I was adding Hawley's Before the Fall to my card catalog last year. This book was published in 1998 and is very much a first book, but quite fun.
The central character, Linus, is a professor of conspiracy theories at a small college in San Rafael. It is very reminiscent of the X-Files and the Lone Gunmen, which I was very much in-to in 1998 also.