Beach Reads - Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Call me a sucker for the beach read thriller; that perfect mix of plot, breakneck pacing and twisting turns. As we roll into August and summer’s home stretch I couldn’t help but notice that a trio of perfect summer reads had taken on, with apologies to Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy, the theme of planes, trains and automobiles.

The Banker’s Wife – Christina Alger – (G. P. Putnam)

First the plane…

Combining a great mix of locales, high finance, high power and a high flying private plane that crashes to set the stage for the globetrotting thrills to come. Christina Alger’s, The Banker’s Wife is set in the world of international banking and leans heavily on today’s headlines kind of feel.

There are seemingly familiar characters sprinkled throughout the story; some may see Bernie Madoff in the high-profile scam artist banker who is alleged to be deceased, but who leaves a trail of cash in off shore banks. The better analogy might be financier Marc Rich who took it on the lam to avoid prosecution right up until his pardon by Bill Clinton. Add to the mix a billionaire New Yorker who is pondering a run for the White House and who has groomed his son to take on the family business, which sounds strikingly familiar.

Strong, smart characters populate both sides of this story as both insiders and truth crusading reporters try to unravel the high stakes tale of offshore billions and a life or death race to the finish. While Alger telegraphs the not so surprising ending, The Banker’s Wife, is a terrific escape for the beach, the patio or under a favorite tree.

The Real Michael Swann – Bryan Reardon – (Dutton)

Now the train…

It’s one of those moments that will leave you wondering if technology has really improved our lives and it’s oh so relatible. You’re on the phone with your husband, wife, child and in mid-sentence their cell phone cuts out. Did the call just drop? Did their phone charge die? Or did something awful happen? Your mind works overtime and you’re left fearing the worst. You frantically dial to call them back, but the call goes straight to voicemail. No matter how you try to reassure yourself, you just know that something is not right, something awful has happened.

That is how Bryan Reardon sets the stage for his new outing, The Real Michael Swann, then he quickly ratchets things up by confirming the worst possible fears; something awful has happened at Penn Station, an explosion has left Julia Swann frantically searching for her husband and answers. While most of us end up with a simple explanation for the dropped call, everyone can relate to the tension you have self-inflicted when fearing the worst.

Reardon masterfully sculpts The Real Michael Swann, deftly mixing the backstory of the Swann’s relationship and the drama the currents events as they play out, injecting the right amount of suspense and twists to propel the story forward. The concept that this one is built upon really sets the hook early and soon you’re along for the ride.

Half Moon Bay – Alice LaPlante – (Scribner)

And the automobile…

A tragic and senseless car accident has taken Jane’s teenage daughter, leaving her life in shambles and sowing confusion and devastation in it’s wake. Her marriage destroyed by the accident Jane hobbles forward into a small coastal town and tries to reassemble what passes for a life, but her new “normal” is anything but.

In Half Moon Bay, Alice LaPlante has pieced together a psychological thriller that delivers great bursts of intensity. The writing style here is at time frenetic, driving you forward with great intensity and then seemingly easing off on the throttle, not so much slowing things down, but actually just letting you catch your breath. Just when you think you know where LaPlante is leading you, she shifts gears and drops a twist in the story.

While the town is small and seemingly idyllic, children are suddenly disappearing and while Jane can certainly relate to the parents loss when the girls are found, made up and placed in an morbid tableau, no one can come up with answers as to who is doing these evil acts and fingers can seemingly be pointed in any direction. The affect is chilling and the plot will have you guessing until the end. Maybe not your typical beach read, but certainly a great one for the inevitable rainy weekend.