Falling Off Air

Rating:
Summary: Very Fine British Thriller Debut!!
Review: First we have our 1st person narrator, and her pre-toddling twins with our intrepid heroine witnessing the falling death of a neighbor , who we learn is a big time social activist, on a dark and stormy night. Murder,suicide, chance fall? Then the ex -boyfriend lout shows up, along with the police, a frenzied media, many corporate media types who once worked with the mom and her ex-boyfriend. Mix this together with some 1st class,very stylish writing, very unusual family situations, and a gradual semi-frantic pace into some tough English neighborhoods, and you have a sure winner! PS- See how soon you can pick the criminal. No doubt , you'll be very surprised by the finale! My only (tiny) criticism: too many "our eyes locked" phrases thruout. Nonetheless, an outstanding debut!

Rating:
Summary: engaging British amateur sleuth
Review: London based TV news producer Robin Ballantyne takes maternity leave to raise her infant twins Hannah and William while the father of the children Adam Wills flees from the three females in his life. However, Robin quickly realizes how much she misses the news room when she watches her neighbor Labour Party MP and social arbiter to the nation Paula Carmichael fall to her death.

Robin asks Maeve Tandy, Chief of the Current Affairs/Documentary Division for her old job back, but is offered a loser's position as ethics editor. Doing an end around, Robin attends a ritzy awards ceremony attended by broadcasting leaders including that ship deserting rat Adam. He demands visitation rights to see his daughters, but the next day is run over by Robin's BMW. The media goes frenzy with one of their own in the hot seat as they see her vehicle as the weapon, her meeting with the victim as the opportunity and her inheritance of his estate as the motive. No one cares that Adam was filming a documentary about Paula and sharing much more. Robin realizes her peers and the police have convicted her; she must prove otherwise.

This engaging British amateur sleuth tale is kept fresh by the beleaguered heroine who finds her own community ready to devour her as a wounded piranha. Though two lovers and the media feeding turmoil are old hats, having an insider caught in the headlights provides newness as Robin struggles between motherhood, prime suspect, media hanging, and investigator. Fans will appreciate Robin FALLING OFF AIR as she tries to save herself from drowning in the media spotlighted fishbowl.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Engrossing, intellingent mystery
Review: Smart, engaging story. Robin Ballantyne is a realistic-sounding single mother whose life starts to unravel when she is suspected of involvement in a neighbor's murder. The story is well-written, the characters believeable, the plot suspenseful. Well worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: Nice Little Thriller!
Review: What a good debut novel for Catherine Sampson! Our heroine, who narrates the entire story in a pleasant, straightforward prose, is Robin Ballantyne--a single, stay-at-home mom since the birth of her twins one year ago. She longs to return to her BBC documentary-making job; and somewhat strangely, it's a mysterious tragedy literally right outside her window that gives her the impetus to charge ahead with the next stage in her life.

Ms. Sampson is a natural storyteller, and Ms. Ballantyne is a likable protagonist we can root for--beaten down by the world and struggling to stay afloat, she still has an underdog's spunk that makes us root for her as someone close to her is carefully framing her for her ex-lover's murder.

The plot is well structured and has the ring of plausability to it. The hardboiled DCI Finney could come from any number of books in this genre, but it helps Robin to have his common sense off which she can bounce her ideas. In short, the plot, characters, and writing style are very good. I strongly recommend this novel and look forward to Ms. Sampson's next novel.