Departure

August 24, 2015
Mysterious plane crashes in deserted countrysides are likely to bring up memories of a certain TV show, but this light revision of a self-published bestseller dwells more on the decisions people have to make in stressful and unexplained circumstances. Unhappy venture capitalist Nick Stone and conflicted writer Harper Lane are on the doomed flight, and they have surprising responses to finding that the crash has deposited them in 2147 England, which has been shaped by their decisions in their native time of the 21st century. The crash itself turns out to be no accident but an attempt to redeem previous mistakes that come close to dooming humanity. Riddle (the Origin Mystery trilogy) makes an effort to keep the focus on how his characters react to each other (including to their future selves) rather than to the technological marvels that reshaped their world. But the scale of those marvels—thousand-foot dams across Gibraltar, orbital habitats, immortality, Stonehenge under glass—is what will draw the reader’s attention most strongly, particularly when the character interaction falls into well-worn paths. Agent: Danny Baror, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

October 15, 2015

A plane on its way from New York to Heathrow crashes in the English countryside. Among the survivors are Harper Lane, a London ghostwriter facing a big decision about her next project, and venture capitalist Nick Stone. The two work together to save those they can, while wondering why no rescuers have appeared on the scene. They soon realize that the crash was no accident and that their fellow passengers know more than they are telling about what happened to the plane, and where--and when--they all are now. VERDICT An exciting action-packed suspenseful opening (and one that will inevitably remind readers of the TV show Lost) takes a sf turn that unfortunately squanders its promise on a implausible futuristic plotline. Riddle's ("The Origin Mystery" trilogy) novel, which was wildly successful when self-published in 2014, has already been optioned for a film, proving that for some readers the propulsive action is enough to carry the day. Those seeking deeper characterizations will probably want to look elsewhere.--MM

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