All Fall Down

by Lee Gruenfeld

Book Overview

Within hours after a passenger jet nearly crashes, the National Transportation Safety Board receives a demand for $5 million. The extortionist's threat: to electronically scramble the brains of any... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446517143
• ISBN13: 9780446517140
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Warner Books (NY)
• Length: 436 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

This Book Rocks!!

This is one satisfying read. I really wanted to give it almost 4 1/2 stars. It's very well written, and maintains a steady, but intense pace. The character development is excellent, as are the twists and turns that kept me guessing. It's one book that leaves you feeling full, like you've just eaten a tremendously good meal, and when it's done, you won't feel cheated by some lame ending like many other books have.

Slipping the surly bonds of earth sometimes not a good idea

Lee Gruenfeld displays superb writing skills in All Fall Down. Two outstanding examples, one an action scene and one a quietly dynamic domestic spat, illustrate this point. The action scene, a literary gem, depicts Commander Jack Webster attempting to talk a crippled jet fighter back to a safe landing on the carrier during the season's worst storm. That one incident by itself would make a hit TV movie. The other scene portrays a bewildered Webster weathering a marital storm following a seemingly innocent remark. Who of us--married or single--cannot relate to that? The two scenes are examples of what is meant by a character driven, rather than a plot driven, novel. Neither advances the plot line, yet both scenes give us insights into the character of the chief protagonist, thus making his decisions not merely understandable, but coldly logical. The occasional flyer isadvised to read this novel AFTER his/her next planned flight. In All Fall Down a disgruntled psychopath, a genious in computer programming, extorts millions of dollars by threatening to blow passenger airliners out of the sky. This all-too-possible scenario brings in not only airline management, but the full force of the United States government: air traffic control, the FBI, and all other bureaus related to passenger safety. The climatic scene of the novel covers 15 minutes of real time. Gruenfeld uses some thirty pages to narrate it, not one paragraph of which is superfluous . Writing does not come much better than this. Speed readers may be put off by the somewhat ;pedantic writing style of Gruenfeld. His low-key narration is somewhat remindful of erudite--though still interesting--professors in the lecture classroom. Speed readers in this case should slow down and smell the coffee.

Human characters, interwoven with a terrifying threat.

Someone has decided to blackmail the government for $5 million. But the piddling size of the demand is only one of the side questions. Who it is, is another side question. The main question for the National Transportation Safety Board task group, is how the terrorist can cause the onboard instruments of a major airliner to lie to the pilots and aim the plane directly toward a mountain, when it is supposed to be on final approach to land at an airfield five miles away. Because that's what he has done once. Than allowing the crew to recover, before a crash occurred, as an example of his ability. The next time, the crew and passengers may never know that they're to die.

Well worth the read

I would recommend this book, especially to those who like Nance's books. If you like some technology mixed un with your suspense, then this is the book for you. The only reason I gave it an 8 was because there were numerous flashbacks that dragged the story down. (although they were good for character developement)

A great techno-thriller.

Probably the second best book I have ever listened to. Frank Muller is by far the greatest reader ever, and with a good book it was very entertaining. I recommend it very highly. Beach Music may well be the best book on tape.