Fall from Grace (edition 2012)

Interesting story of family and how it is affected by death of father. Is it suicide or murder? ( )

Adam Blaine is summoned from his job as a covert agent in Afghanistan when his father dies unexpectedly. Even in death, his narcissistic father manages to give the middle finger to the family one last time. Adam, the runaway son who left home 10 years before and never looked back, is named as executor of Ben's estate. In addition to the shock of his father's final disrespect, Adam is disturbed that the police think the death was a murder. When the police suspect his family, Adam doesn't really care if one of them did it, he just doesn't want them to be punished. They suffered enough when his father was alive.

This is classic Richard North Patterson. I loved it from beginning to end. Dennis Boutsikaris is an excellent narrator. Even though his voice is sort of nasal, it works. :) ( )

There are authors you read that give you a good story and then there are authors like Richard North Patterson, James Lee Burke, Lee Child and Vince Flynn (to name a few) who you KNOW that no matter what subject they choose to write about, you will be capitavated until the bitter end. I say "bitter" because you don't want these stories to end. Fall from Grace flows from the first sentence to the last. Writers of this caliber know how to write a story you've never read before and write it well. I believe he's left this main character to return another day. More to which I can look forward. ( )

Fast paced procedural. I wanted to like the characters but the family was so dysfunctional and very unpleasant to each other. One son returns home at the mysterious death of his father after a 10 yr absence. He finds that his very unpleasant, dictatorial father has disinherited his brother and mother. The mystery begins as to WHY and there is a question that the father was murder. Interesting story line but each character is more and more unlikeable. There was no sympathy for the father - he was very unpleasant to most people he met. Our hero was likable to a point but his family continued to jerk him around as he tried to help them. Just never clicked for me but it is a fast read and a so-so tale of woe. ( )

lots of twists that make this a very good plot. although I can't believe Adam will hold his secrets much past the last pages... ( )