After the Crash - Michel Bussi

I like to recommend books to people, and although inevitably he ignores my recommendations, I think my husband would like this book. Except for one massive thing. It begins with a plane crash. My husband isn't the biggest fan of flying and if I ever want a foreign holiday again then I'll not be loaning him this book. (Why he continues to watch programmes like 'when planes go bad' or 'when 747s attack, I don't know?) Possibly likes to be proved right.

There are mixed reviews of this book online but I loved it. I'm not an expert of thrillers by any means. I like to think of myself as a literary fiction reader but doesn't everyone? Frankly I'm a rubbish book snob and will read anything. Once at least. It's not quite a beach read this one but definitely moves at a fantastic pace.

After a plane crash on the French/Swiss border, the only survivor is a tiny baby.  Two families claim her. I won't give it away but one family is 'awarded' the child. This is where the story picks up. One of the criticisms of this book is that it can be a little far fetched and to a certain extent, I agree. Some events in the book as it progresses seem unbelievable. My take on this is always that very unlikely things can and do happen. Most books are based around events that are extraordinary rather than ordinary.

The structure of this book increased my interest. Most of it takes place over the space of 24 hours. Thankfully Jack Bauer doesn't pop up to try and solve the crime (I just hope since it finished that the poor bloke has had time for a wee).  There is a sense of urgency throughout, despite the initial event of the crash being 18 years previously. Part of the book is made up of journal entries which help explain the backstory of the 18 years since the crash. 

I couldn't stop reading this book and didn't see many of the twists coming, although I was close to guessing the conclusion of the book. I don't think there is any real deep and meaningful quality to this book, it is a thriller, but it did get me thinking about how important it is to know who our parents are and what a key part of our identity it is. 

One of my uncertainties about this book is the character of Lylie, I don't think that we managed to get a rounded portrait of her character in particular and some of the other characters tend towards the clichéd. Not so much that you'd want to give up reading. It's rare I try and stay up to finish a book but I did try and read the last 100 pages of this before bed one night and to be honest, failed miserably to do this! 

Lovers of translated thrillers in particular might want to give this a try, it's not as dark in tone as some of the Scandinavian stuff but don't expect fluffy kittens and scatter cushions. I'd recommend, however, not reading it on a plane.