Before the Fall

Winner of the 2017 Edgar Award for Best Novel

Selected by The Sunday Times as one of the top page-turners of summer 2017

FROM THE CREATOR OF THE AWARD WINNING FARGO AND LEGION TV SERIES

'Hawley's sublime prose glows on every page in this literary thriller of the highest quality' Daily Mail

THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT. BUT FATE IS BLIND.

A private jet plunges into the sea.

The only survivors are down-on his luck artist Scott Burroughs and JJ Bateman, the four year old son of a super-rich TV executive.

For saving the boy, Scott is suddenly a hero.

And then, as the official investigation is rapidly overtaken by a media frenzy, it seems he may also be a villain.

Why was he on the plane in the first place, and why did it crash?

“This is one of the year's best suspense novels , a mesmerizing, surprise-jammed mystery that works purely on its own, character-driven terms...Mr. Hawley has made it very, very easy to race through his book in a state of breathless suspense . - New York TimesAs a pacey whodunit... this is the perfect summer read . - The TimesAn addictive thriller whose thematic richness is reminiscent of Franzen . - The Sunday TimesA searingly told, multi-layered portrait of celebrity in the modern world with a tantalising mystery at its heart... Hawley's sublime prose glows on every page in this literary thriller of the highest quality, which never loses its grip. - Daily Mail”

This is one of the year's best suspense novels, a mesmerizing, surprise-jammed mystery that works purely on its own, character-driven terms...Mr. Hawley has made it very, very easy to race through his book in a state of breathless suspense. - New York Times

As a pacey whodunit...this is the perfect summer read. - The Times

An addictive thriller whose thematic richness is reminiscent of Franzen. - The Sunday Times

A searingly told, multi-layered portrait of celebrity in the modern world with a tantalising mystery at its heart...Hawley's sublime prose glows on every page in this literary thriller of the highest quality, which never loses its grip. - Daily Mail

Noah Hawley is the author of three previous novels, including The Punch and A Conspiracy of Tall Men. He created and ran Emmy Award winning television series Fargo, the ABC television shows The Unusuals and My Generation, and wrote the film Lies & Alibis. Noah's short fiction has appeared in the Paris Review. He currently splits his time between Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX, where he lives with his wife and daughter. Visit Noah's website at and follow him on Twitter @noahhawley

Winner of the 2017 Edgar Award for Best Novel Selected by The Sunday Times as one of the top page-turners of summer 2017 FROM THE CREATOR OF THE AWARD WINNING FARGO AND LEGION TV SERIES'Hawley's sublime prose glows on every page in this literary thriller of the highest quality' Daily Mail THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT. BUT FATE IS BLIND. A private jet plunges into the sea.The only survivors are down-on his luck artist Scott Burroughs and JJ Bateman, the four year old son of a super-rich TV executive.For saving the boy, Scott is suddenly a hero.And then, as the official investigation is rapidly overtaken by a media frenzy, it seems he may also be a villain. Why was he on the plane in the first place, and why did it crash?

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