Brookmyre really throws everything into this book with every form of family dysfunction you can think of turning up somewhere! It's fun but wildly ludicrous as the same time - keep this for a deck-chair or sofa where you need an entertaining switch-off from the real world.

I'm not going to pretend to be unbiased; I am a huge fan of Christopher Brookmyre already, and I don't think he's written a book yet that hasn't been at least very good. But Fallen Angel, for me, has probably reached new heights of tension.

At first I wasn't drawn in, and I had some difficulty engaging with the characters, and I wasn't sure if I actually liked any of them, but as the story unfolded I found myself getting sucked in deeper and deeper into this twisted tale of a family sticking together come what may. (Ahem).

The reveal part way through of the identity of the more minor characters elicited a laugh and a sigh of "Oh, I didn't see *that* one coming", but that was then left to stand as a very minor twist as the book reached it's tortuous, mangled conclusion in a highly dramatic frenzy of reveals, twists, plots and schemes.

I liked this book very, very much, and in some ways it stands above the others in it's characterisation. The only reason I can say it's not his best book yet is that some of his previous books are just so damned good.

I don't usually read a book this far ahead of publication but... well... you know, it's Brookmyre and quite frankly, I couldn't wait! And boy am I glad I didn't as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The action takes place in the present and in flashback to 2002, mostly in the same setting of a villa complex in Portugal. In 2002 a young child went missing, never seen again, presumed dead, the case long cold. The child, Niamh, belonged to a celebrity family, the Temples, who own said villa and holidayed there regularly. We have the mother, an actress whose star is on the wane, the father who is a famous author specialising in conspiracy theory debunking, and their children who are all dysfunctional in their own way. Needless to say that the whole family has not been to the villa all together since that time. But, back in the present, the father now dead, the rest of the family - extended by now - all come together in his memory for one more holiday.
Meanwhile we also follow Amanda, a young American girl, who is visiting Scotland in her holidays, trading childcare for B&B from a Lawyer and his, much younger, wife. She is pretty much left looking after the baby solo for the most time but is happy when they also decide to pop abroad for a bit of a holiday, coincidentally in the villa next to the Temples.
A shared pool means that the two families mingle and Amanda becomes very intrigued by the tale of what happened to Niamh 16 years ago and becomes interested in finding out the truth. But can she cut through the layers to figure it all out? And will she be happy with what she finds out?
Have I already mentioned that I love this author? Especially his Parlabane books. I even found his foray into sci-fi - Places in the Darkness - to be an excellent read even though I am not as familiar with the genre as I'd like. And here we have the thrilling story of a missing child which delivered shock after shock as it twisted and turned its way to the end.
One of the things that really made this book for me was the characterisation. What a bunch of nasty, horrid, toxic characters! I do love a good dysfunctional family when done right and here, the author has really excelled himself. Especially when the raw truth of the matter is revealed and all the secrets are out. There was also this one character that I really enjoyed reading about but I'm saying no more about that here.
The plot was very tight and well executed. Hindsight really will be your friend when you get to the end of this book but, along the way, things get missed, the author is so adept at sleight of hand and misdirection that even though I do admit to guessing a few things along the way, he managed to keep the wool over my eyes for quite a while. This is my bread and butter genre and these days it takes a lot to completely fool me but this in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the book, after all, I've been wrong before - sometimes spectacularly so!
All in all a cracking read that ticked every box for me along the way and left me wholly satisfied at the end. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I found the prologue to this book intriguing if slightly puzzling. After that we meet Ivy who I found a little weird. Then there is Amanda who has arrived in Scotland for the summer before she goes to university and seems to be a nanny on the cheap. After her there is Celia an older lady who was famous and whose famous academic husband, Max, has just died. From here on we meet other members of Celia's family who are going to Portugal for a family meet up. A grandchild of hers died their in 2002. The story switches between 2002 and 2018 and looks at various people's stories.

I found I was around 20% in before the story really started to make sense. Once that had happened I thought this might be quite a simple story about a family tragedy in 2002. In some senses this is the case however it isn't quite just that. Max, now deceased, was a well known debunker of conspiracy theories in his lifetime. Are there conspiracies theories about the death in 2002? Of course there are! But nothing is ever that simple. When the revelations they are powerful ones (and may disturb some).

Parts of this I actually really enjoyed particularly towards the end. The last 20% will not be left unread by many! I guess the characters are not bad. Amanda and maybe Ivy are quite interesting. However even the best of the characters are somewhat unlikeable. The less good characters are even worse! This is well written as I would expect from this author. The story isn't bad though nothing like the author's best for me. For me it was hard to get over the fact that I simply didn't like anyone involved in the story. Equally the final twist was probably a little much for me. I do love Brookmyre's work generally however this is not a highpoint. It will not stop me reading future books by him though.

Fallen Angel is a deeply satisfying new story from the prolific Chris Brookmyre.
A highly dysfunctional family gather for a reunion at their villa in Portugal. There are many strong and clashing personalities in the family, and we soon see it will not be a relaxing holiday.
Two houses share a pool. Although the story is told from multiple sources, our main guide is Amanda, an innocent party in the drama. Amanda is the nanny to the other family.
Something truly terrible happened last time the family we are gathered at the villa. It caused an irrevocable split and is the basis for a juicy mystery. Four stars. It would have been five, but I guessed one of the twists well ahead of time.

Fallen Angel by Chris Brookmyre is the story of a dysfunctional family. The family have gone to Portugal on holiday. On a previous holiday their young child died there and now a young nanny is trying to find our why.
There are very few likeable characters in this book and I found it very difficult to read because of this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am still fairly new to the work of Chris Brookmyre however, having now read four books, I can confidently assert that, whilst he writes in markedly different styles and genres, the quality is always excellent.

Fallen Angel (2019) is a case in point. It's cleverly structured with multiple points-of-view and two different time frames, so whilst initially slightly confusing, it quickly becomes clearer with the reader taken on a compelling journey aligned to some terrific twists.

The plot centres around a young child who disappeared whilst on holiday in Portugal back in 2002. The child was part of a celebrity family who, it quickly transpires, are extremely dysfunctional.

The plot cleverly weaves in some beguiling themes: conspiracy theories, secrecy, jealousy, family dynamics, blackmail, egotism, delusion, and resentment.

Chris Brookmyre is a masterful storyteller who keeps the reader guessing through to the final act. He even subtly works in two of his recurring characters (Catherine McLeod and Jack Parlabane) into minor cameos. I am now resolved to read everything he's written. A great writer and another splendid book.

4/5

I really didn’t like this book at all. It was very confusing and just not for me.
I have up reading it halfway through.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. A psychological thriller which is well written and has you turning the pages as you cannot wait to get to the next bit. Loved it.

This is the story of families who visit their villas in Portugal and share a pool. The main family has a faded actress as the matriach, who just cant let go of her glory days, or admit her family might be less than perfect, her husband is now a famous author and conspiracy theorist debunker. They have a handful of kids, who now grown up have their own lives, and have their own secrets. There is the student who has lent her summer vacay to a Lawyer and his trophy wife, as a baby sitter in return for bed and board, and there is the history from 2002.
Whilst Amanda is the main character that we follow, the story is also largely about Ivy. She has left behind who she was as a child, reinvented herself and is happy to be known as someone to be feared. She self sabotages and feels comfortable doing that. When I suddenly realised who her lover was I really did have an OMG moment. I felt like I should have known, whilst at the same time I dont think I could have worked it out. Ivy doesnt want to spend time with her family, but she turns ups to appease her mother, and get some closure from the events that took place last time they were all together.
Amanda is left holding the baby, rather than concentrating on exploring and her Vlog as she had hoped she would. finding herself as the primary carer for baby Arron and slightly unwelcome by Celia, because her upbringing doesnt fit into the perfect family image, she also runs foul of Ivy and really feels like this isnt the summer she expected.
As always with Brookmyres books, there are twists and turns, breadcrumbs are left to lead you right to the answers, and Amanda as an aspiring journalist wants the answers too, this could be her big break. But will the crumbs lead to answers or danger?
I had several moments in this book where I suddenly clicked what was going on. Who was who, and who had done what, looking back its so so obvious, but when in the story I think I was too consumed with trying to work it out I couldnt see the woods for the tress.
I think there is something clever about Brookmyres writing, the references he makes to potential political conspiracies, that might go over your head – depending on the readers location and age – but then several chapters later he’ll re reference it in a different way to make sure the point is made. ( Im not spoiling the story here by telling you the references were JFK and Princess Diana related)
This book was amazing, but I’d expect no less from Chris Brookmyre. it’d be 5 stars, if I did ratings.

Fallen Angel finds the indomitable Mr Brookmyre returning to crime on earth, with a psychological thriller which is beautifully written and even more beautifully unpredictable.

Fallen Angel tells the tale of a family divided by tragedy returning years later to the scene of the “crime” and facing some absolute truths that have been buried for a long time. This is a toxic family situation if ever you saw one, underneath the rich facade lies a terrible darkness.

This author does characters oh so very well, layering them cleverly, evoking an emotional response in the reader whether that be distaste, utter loathing or random sympathy.

A twisty mystery indeed and one that unravels slowly over the course of the telling, highly intriguing, fascinatingly insightful with a premise ripped straight from the headlines.

One for conspiracy theorists everywhere. I loved it.

Highly Recommended.