Rating: 
Summary: An FBI guy for the common man
Review: "Mark Beamon continued to search his brain to confirm that this was, indeed, the worst day of his life. He could almost feel the cigarette tar freezing into little black icicles in his lungs as he desperately sucked in the frigid air and tried to keep up with Darby."Such is the hero of FREE FALL, a regular, out-of-shape shmoe like the rest of us, who finds himself, a disgraced FBI agent on suspension, hired by someone unknown to track down Darby Moore. Darby is the world's greatest female mountain climber, who stands accused of hacking her boyfriend to death with an ice ax. (Messy!) But, wait! Maybe things aren't what they seem. What's in that stolen FBI file, marked "Prodigy", in her backpack? And, what's the connection to David Hallorin, the up and coming third party candidate for Prez, and his psycho PR hack, Roland Peck? The plot of this political thriller by Kyle Mills is fairly standard stuff. However, the Darby and Beamon characters put FREE FALL on a cut above the usual fare. Darby, at twenty-seven, has successfully ignored the rest of the material world to spend her life bumming about doing what she enjoys most - climbing, kayaking, skiing, bicycling - while existing on a shoestring and the handouts of corporate sponsors. Or, as Beamon soon realizes, "live for six months on thirty-eight cents and a couple of fruit roll-ups". In contrast, Mark is a maverick FBI agent, never advanced beyond middle-management, who possesses a wry sense of self and the consistent ability to vex his superiors. He's also a first-rate tracker of fugitives. In a way, it's too bad this book is more about Mark than Darby. The latter's character should have been developed more and given additional press time. This is the third novel in the author's Beamon series. I was sufficiently impressed to order the second, STORMING HEAVEN. I'm always on the lookout for a good fictional hero. There are so few in real life.
Rating:
Summary: Free Fall
Review: > > > ================== > Free Fall (Political / Thriller) > Kyle Mills > Harper - May 2000 > ISBN: 0060193336 - Hardcover > > This is the 3rd installment of Mark Beaman. "Rising Phoenix was the 1st and > "Storming Heaven" was the 2nd. > > Mark Beaman has been suspended by the FBI and is fighting a legal battle to > keep himself out of jail. Beaman is hired by presidential candidate David > Hallorin to find a file code named "Prodigy" that was found by Tristan > Newberry hidden in a box in a warehouse where the Department of Agriculture > had some old files. The "Prodigy" file was put in the wrong place to be lost > forever. Before long, Tristan Newberry is found dead, and now the file is in > the hands of his former lover Darby Moore. Beaman must find Darby and the > missing file. What Beaman doesn't know is that the "Prodigy" file has been > hidden in that warehouse since J. Edgar Hoover created it to use against > Politicians. Beaman eventually changes sides and joins Draby in an effort to > help the American public and to put himself back in the good graces of the > FBI. > > With unforgettable action sequences that transport the reader everywhere > from the run down prisons of Thailand to the icy covered snowfields of > Wyoming, Free Fall has some of the same great characters as the previous two > books, Rising Phoenix and Storming Heaven. There was too much rock-climbing > for my taste even though I learned something on the subject. I really liked > the character of Darby; She is energetic and a superhuman woman of admirable > exploits who overcomes incredible obstacles in the book. Free Fall is a mix > of suspense, carnage, and even a little humor thrown in. Mr. Mills keeps > the reader transfixed and turning pages to the very spectacular conclusion. > Pam Stone
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: Another good book from Kyle Mills; he consistently writes a good thriller. I enjoyed his heroine, Darby Moore, a rock climber being pursued by the villians and officialdom. Mark Beamon is on hand again as the FBI agent bucking the system and who, of course, believes Ms. Moore is innocent.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of action, but it is exciting?
Review: As usual, I'll let you read the synopsis above and just tell you what I liked/disliked about the book. No point in being redundant. Having read Mr. Mills' two previous works I have come to these conclusion about his books. He definitely knows how to make us like or despise the characters, and his action sequences just aren't that exciting. This book brings back the character of Mark Beamon who the author makes most of us wish we could be to a certain extent. And almost all of us will come to despise the antagonists. He does a great job establishing his characters and making you hope everybody who survives will be involved with Beamon in future installments. The plot follows a very coherent storyline and whether the outcome is good or bad (which is your opinion), all loose ends get tied up. My only problems with the book are the action sequences. As I said above, they don't give me that heart-pounding, feeling that I am actually with Beamon and whoever-he-is-with-getting-shot-at-with-at-that-particular moment. Fortunately they go by rather quickly and do not detract from the whole of the book. If you have enjoyed Rising Phoenix and Storming Heaven, you definitely enjoy this one. As long as Mr. Mills keeps up his intriguing plots and characteriations, he will keep his name on my list of authors to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: Free Fall is a page-turner. If you've read previous books by Kyle Mills, you won't be disappointed with this one. If you are new to his work, you are in for a treat. His main protagonist is Mark Beamon, someone we hope all government employees would be like. You cannot help but cheer for Beamon, despite his mistakes. This novel is decidedly political in nature, featuring a presidential election in an era of distrust. The political consequences of Beamon's (and others') actions are relevant to the plot and further the intrique. If there was any fault, I would say that the book can be too practical in its assessment of politics. Overall, you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Political Pot-Boiler!
Review: I don't usually read books from the political thriller category, but I'm glad that I took the time to read this one. It's a very well-written thriller that happens to have a political agenda. In it we see corrupt politicians, all the way up the food chain to the top job in the United States. We have Mark Beamon, a suspended FBI agent, hired by someone (he doesn't know who) to find a suspect. As soon as he starts looking for Darby Moore (a world-class climber), Mark realizes that it's more than just a missing person job. People keep dying everywhere, and Mark keeps getting threatened and in some big scrapes. In his efforts to help Darby Mark unearths a political plot that could rock the country if it is exposed. Good stuff!
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile read.
Review: I enjoyed this book, but it definitely was not as good as "Storming Heaven". It had too much mountain climbing for my taste even though I did learn some interesting things on this topic. Some of the scenes just seemed too "out there". But if you are a fan of Mr Mills, you should probably read to keep up with the ongoing saga of Mark Beamon, who is still my hero.
Rating:
Summary: Mills does it again
Review: I have just finished Kyle Mills' latest book 'Freefall'. What an excellent read. This is the third book written by him that I have read and he is going from strength to strength. Freefall is by far his best both in storyline and content. It was literally a book I was unable to put down. Mills always manages to take an unlikely subject and make it absolutely believable, something not many authors can do. I have 'lived' through three books with Mark Beamon as though he were an old friend, and I am patiently awaiting my next adventure with him. Well done Kyle. Don't make us wait too long before your next book.
Rating:
Summary: A page-turning thriller
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Free Fall. It was one of those rare books that I read in one sitting (staying up to early morning hours). The heroine is gutsy and smart and perfectly drawn. The hero is complex and likeable. If you like sympathetic characters caught in jumping-from- a- frying- pan- into- the- fire situations, then you will love this fast-paced book. I highly recommend it..
Rating:
Summary: Clearly Mills' best effort to date
Review: I've read and enjoyed all three of the novels from Kyle Mills. Free Fall, however, is clearly Mills' best effort to date - very tight and fast paced. Free Fall is a page turner - with plenty of action, suspense, and plot twists. Mark Beamon, suspended from the FBI in the aftermath of his actions in the previous book (Storming Heaven), finds himself again as a bit of a lost soul battling his physical and emotional insecurities as he searches for the truth in this political action/thriller. Beamon, although a thorn in the FBI's side due to his maverick tenancies, again demonstrates the mental skills, perseverance, and apolitical perspective that make him the FBI's go-to guy. This book is clearly capable of standing on its own. Part of my enjoyment of this story, however, was the history that I had built up with Beamon in "Rising Phoenix" and "Storming Heaven." If you enjoyed the previous work, you will no doubt enjoy "Free Fall." In you have not read the others, you might want to consider taking these books in order.
| 
