THIS IS A MUST READ AND DO NOT HESITATE ON ASKING YOURSELF IF YOU NEED IT WHEN IT COMES OUT THIS TUESDAY, JUST DO IT!!! Was I not clear? Seriously, this book is not only a great thriller, there is an OMG DID I JUST READ WHAT I THINK I READ twist that you will not see coming and it is so great!!
Cassie is a self-destructive flight attendant that meets an attractive man in first class on a flight to Dubai and they begin flirting. She has a rendezvous with him later that evening, along with copious amounts of alcohol (per usual for her), and she wakes up not remembering much. Also, this man is next to her in bed, however, he is dead, and thus begins her nightmare. Cassie does not think she killed him, but as she tends to get blackout drunk on a regular basis, she cannot remember if she is responsible or not. She is already a hot mess, and this event makes her even more of one, although she keeps it together enough to get herself out of there and think of what to do next. I am sure plenty of people will not like this character, however I for one did. I know she is a glorious disaster, and yes there were so many moments that you were just cringing in a sea of awkwardness for her, but man, I really just wanted this girl to pull THROUGH. I was really rooting for her and just once, I wanted her to make a good decision but she can’t seem to help herself.
Like I said above, the twists are fantastic, the writing/plot is very well done, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the ending was great as well, It was very satisfying to me. I will have to read others by the author if they are anything like this one.

Once in a while, you come across a book that you think about, wishing you could be reading it instead of doing whatever else it is you might be up to. This is how I felt about The Flight Attendant. I read it at work between tasks (I am a librarian, so reading at my desk is actually smiled upon which is amazing), in the doctor’s office, wherever and whenever I could get a few pages in. I cannot believe that this is the first book of Bohjalian’s I have read. I think it’s time to remedy that.

Cassie is the type of character you should not like. She is irresponsible, she takes too many risks and she is selfish, among other things. Despite all of her flaws, I found myself caring about Cassie and I was constantly on the edge of my seat, worrying about what might happen to her next. One of my favorite aspect of a book is character development. Let it be known that Bohjalian is an expert when it comes to creating characters that flourish right before your very eyes. Even minor characters are given such rich personalities that they come to life, jumping from the pages (or screen) of the story, adding dimension and mystery to the story.

At the end of the book, when everything began coming together, I found myself feeling tense and anxious- I could not read the words fast enough, but I also wanted to savor the ending. After everything was reconciled and I thought it was safe to breathe again, an unexpected surprise was revealed!

The writing and grammar in The Flight Attendant is topnotch. It is the mark of a seasoned author who can both write well and develop gripping, suspenseful stories that please readers and exceed their expectations.

Gosh, I went into The Flight Attendant hoping to enjoy this suspense novel. Sadly, the main character made it impossible for me to like it.

I'm going to be giving spoilers, so if you don't want to know, stop reading now...


*****SPOILERS*****
*****SPOILERS*****
*****SPOILERS*****

Cassandra Bowden is an alcoholic. She's also a flight attendant. She likes to get drunk and sleep with different men in whichever city or country she's visiting. She has had many blackouts and there are times where she's not sure she has consented to have sexual intercourse.

During Cassandra's recent flight to Dubai, she meets a man in first class, Alex and they decide to meet at his hotel. Cassandra proceeds to have sex with him while they are drinking heavily. In the morning, when she wakes up, he's dead. Someone has slashed Alex's neck. Instead of staying and trying to figure out what's going on, she runs away and boards the next flight with her crew, taking her away from the crime. But, when she lands in the USA, the FBI is waiting for her. What follows are Cassandra's failed attempts at lying and avoiding the FBI questions.

Cassandra was a very difficult character to like. She kept on getting drunk, sleeping with strangers and lying to everyone. I found her annoying, immature and irresponsible. You will think that by waking up with a dead man next to her, she would have learned her lesson but nope, she didn't. She keeps on repeating her mistakes over and over. Almost every scene, she was drunk. How she was able to escape the people interested in silencing her, is beyond me. Not only that, she enjoyed stealing from hotels and giving the stolen items as gifts for her family. In my opinion, there was nothing redeemable about her.

Of course, the epilogue was just too cookie cutter perfect and completely unbelievable to me.

Cliffhanger: No

2/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Doubleday via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“..don’t have a plan,” she answered. “I wish I did, but I don’t.” The truth was, she had been living almost hour to hour since she had woken up in Dubai and found Alex …..dead. First she just wanted to get away from the corpse and the likelihood of prison and reach Charles de Gaulle. Then she just wanted to land in America. Then she just wanted to find a lawyer. Then she just wanted to survive the FBI. Then. Then. Then . . .”

Chris Bohjalian has written with many interesting topics and cast of characters and this little adventure of a flight attendant is embroiled with something we are coming across in the world news.
A flight attendant that travels from one country to another, stays overnight from one hotel to another, and any of thousands at work in same instance one may meet others in their stay, before their return flight maybe, may even dine, or may sleep with another, one who may be a stranger they encounter or someone they love and known for years, this main character, Cassandra, she had never met Alex before, but he was to change her life she would awaken to a world tops turvy from a night bender of drink and passion with minus one man.
The flight attendant story has you tied in and reading on to the need to know of why and how. I found it an interesting read, the locations added some intrigue and sense of place to the tale. A jigsaw and chess game playing out before you and surely they will all fit together by close of the tale and it serves up an entertaining read. A slowed paced intriguing international tale with a narrative not in a break neck pace thriller format but more seductive modest literary thriller that flowed with the ease and lucidity, no entrapment of sentences but of people.
His name was Alex and maybe that is all that should be said for the reader now, because mention of the rest could give rise to his family name and nationality and then theories will flow.
Flight attendant, hedge fund manager, murder, blackout, FBI, assassin, Dubai, New York, Rome, maybe you sense where its heading? But who is what and how will it all unfold and end ?

The Flight Attendant had a character driven plot in which, Cassie, an international flight attendant, is struggling with escalating alcoholism in which she often binge drinks and participates in reckless behaviors. Throughout the story, Cassie re-lives her youth and her family dynamic that attempts to explain her attachment issues and her downward spiral.
The premise, which I love, is that Cassie has a binge drinking episode on a layover in Dubai, in which she finds herself awakening next to a stranger who has been killed. His throat has been slashed and she is covered in his blood. Due to her binge drinking, she can not say for a 100% that she did not kill him.

This book has twists and turns that you can’t help but want to know the end quickly. There are a lot of details that make the book a slower-paced thriller, but ultimately, the ending is quite satisfying.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday and Chris Bohjalian for the opportunity to read and review his latest novel. I'm a big fan of Bohjalian and loved this thriller!

Cassie is a flight attendant and has been with her airline long enough that she gets all the seemingly exotic flights - Dubai, Rome, Paris. But Cassie has an issue - she's an alcoholic who makes terrible choices while she's drinking - all of them involving men - and is prone to drinking so much that she blacks out.

So when she and a passenger, Alex, begin to flirt and carry that flirtation to dinner and lots of drinks when they land in Dubai, she ends up back in his hotel room. Waking up in the morning and anxious to get back to her hotel to get ready to meet her flight crew to head out, she realizes that Alex has been murdered and is lying dead in the bed next to her. She obviously blacked out and can only remember bits and pieces of the night before - an associate of Alex's, Miranda, stopping by with yet more drinks - she panics. There's a broken liquor bottle on the floor and blood on her hands. Did she kill Alex in a blackout rage? She decides to quickly shower and leave the hotel, setting into motion a series of lies to her crewmates and later the FBI.

This is a great thriller, spanning different locations and leaving so many questions to be answered - you will race through this book to figure it all out! Highly recommended!

This is a thriller about a flight attendant that wakes up to find her one-night-stand date dead in bed next to her. This event triggers an investigation for the killer and what follows raises more questions than answers.

The book is narrated from alternating points of view and takes place (mostly) in Dubai and New York. I found the book intriguing, interesting, and character-driven.

The main character engages in self-destructive behavior and frequent alcohol binges. She reminded me a little bit of the main character of The Woman in the Window but without different motivations.

Overall I enjoyed it and recommend it to readers of thrillers, mysteries, and contemporary fiction.

I've heard really good things about Bohjalian and I'm not ready to give up on him yet, but this book just wasn't for me. Maybe I'm psychological-thrillered out. Maybe something about this just reminded me of another book I didn't like. (Maestra? I don't know. I feel like I've read this dead body in a hotel room somewhere before and not been thrilled.) Maybe it's that the protagonist is totally unlikable, despite (or maybe because of) her self-awareness. Maybe it's the whole international spy rigamarole that just put it over the top. I don't know, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I can definitely see it being someone's cup of tea though. I'll have to try another of his books one day, probably The Sandcastle Girls or The Light in the Ruins - much more my speed.

I've had The Flight Attendant on my to-read list for awhile so I was ecstatic to get an advance reader from @doubledaybooks in exchange for my honest review. Well, my honest opinion...I loved it! It was well worth the wait. Cassandra Bowden is a flight attendant in a downward spiral. She drinks to excess, has frequent black outs, and makes terrible decisions. This all leads to her waking up in a hotel room in Dubai that is not hers after a night of binge drinking and the body of a dead man beside her- yet no recollection of what happened. Afraid of the repercussions, Cassie begins to lie. And lie, and lie, and lie again. We follow the trail that leads us to the truth and I enjoyed every twist and turn! I was not expecting the final twist and I was pleasantly surprised at the turn of events. This novel takes you from Dubai, to Paris, to New York, and then to Italy. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride!

Saturday, March 10, 2018
SATURDAY SCOOP - THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT - CHRIS BOHJALIAN

















Welcome Book Lovers


That sounds so much better than book haters doesn't it! LOL

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my "scoop" (I'm all about the short sweet spoiler free style of reviewing) about a book I've read.



I'd love to hear your thoughts or comments, if you have any, about this novel. I'd also love to hear about your favorite novel by this author (if there is/you have one).











I'm not including a blurb - I actually think it's better if you DON'T know exactly what the book is about before you read it.

That doesn't mean you can't read about it on one of the buys links, but seriously - go in cold.

Okay here you go...

It's actually out this Tuesday!
















I've never read a book by Mr Bohjalian before and if any of his other novels read like The Flight Attendant, it looks like I need to seek some out.

First, leave yourself time once you start this novel. It's that good.

It's got (almost) everything I look for in a thriller!

I want to thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC of The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian.

I really wanted to love this book, when I read the description is just sounded so good to me. Unfortunately it was jus so so. I didn't hate it but was never really excited to read it. I think some of that was that too much of the plot was not believable to me and I am pretty good and suspending reality.

Overall I didn't really feel any tension or suspense which is why while it was an okay story it just was so so.

some spoilerly info ahead

I thought this started well. Cassie was a hot mess but I liked her honesty about it. The situation that went down in Dubai was crazy but still not unbelievable to me.

Unfortunately once Cassie was back in the states she just didn't act in a realistic way to me, nor did the FBI or her employer. Buckley and Enrico were both too convenient.

The Elena part of the story was good but think that it could have been better. Perhaps more about her time in the states that made her change; I am not sure what it is but it just didn't feel fully developed.

There were hints about Megan throughout the book, I would have like there to have been more than hints but an actual full part of story that help make it be more tense.

And the end was just a no for me. NO to her new job, NO to the baby, NO to the father, just none of it worked for me.

I really enjoyed this book - it is gripping right from the very start, and the premise is simple but compelling. The author does a good job of showcasing all of the main character's many flaws, but still making you root for her and hope things will turn out okay. He also gives nuance to the potential "villains" which is sadly rare and made for a pleasant surprise. This book is less of a pure thriller and more of a steadily building cat-and-mouse game, and that change of pace made it interesting (though one twist at the end I truly did not predict).. The only part that I found a little bit weak was the epilogue, but overall I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it. Thank you to Doubleday and Net Galley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I read a Chris Bohjalian book a year or so ago and thought it was only "mehhh". I know a lot of people love his books, so I gave him another shot. Sadly, this book was also just "mehhh" to me. It wasn't bad per say I just didn't care about anyone in this story what so ever.

I am a HUGE fan of Chris Bohialian I have read all his books and truly love each and every one of them! So when I received The Flight Attendant I dove right in!
Cassandra frequents the morning after walk of shame and hangover. Her job as an international flight attendant she can indulge herself into this risky lifestyle! More and more she is having blackouts, but what can she expect when she is binge drinking! Cassandra’s life makes a HUGE turn for the worse when she wakes up in a Dubai hotel room…..next to a man…..who is dead and she has not memory of the night before! Scared and not knowing what to do this is where all Cassandra’s lies begin!
Wow Chris has done it again! I was glued to my kindle trying to figure out what really happened and when I finally found out I was floored! I swear I was reading with my mouth wide open!!! Chris Bohialian is truly one of my all-time favorite writers and I look forward to his next book!

The Flight Attendant is the first book that I have ready by Chris Bohjalian, but it definitely won’t be the last. The character development and the different settings and locations made for a very nice thriller.

The main character is Cassie Bowen. Cassie is a flight attendant who drinks too much and has a habit of sleeping with strangers. She is basically spiraling out of control and it all comes to a head when she wakes up one morning in a hotel room, lying next to a dead man. Even though she suffers from black outs, she is sure that she didn’t kill him. To make it even worse, she is in the middle east, where not only is she in trouble for possibly killing a man, but a promiscuous woman is certainly frowned upon.

As she struggles to remember what happened that night. She learns that the dead man was a hedge fund manager and that the girl who showed up and shared a vodka with them, might have something to do with death.

Part murder mystery, part espionage spy thriller and part character study, this book held my interest from beginning to end. Having Cassie’s character be so flawed really added to the dimension of the story. Also adding to the story was a glimpse into the life of a flight attendant.

Very nice, solid mystery. I read it quickly in a couple of days.

I received an ARC of the book.

Cassandra Bowden is no stranger to hungover mornings. She's a binge drinker, her job with the airline making it easy to find adventure, and the occasional blackouts seem to be inevitable. She lives with them and the accompanying self-loathing. When she awakes in a Dubai hotel room, she tries to piece the previous night back together, counting the minutes until she has to catch her crew shuttle to the airport. She quietly slides out of bed, careful not to aggravate her already pounding head, and looks at the man she spent the night with. She sees his dark hair. His utter stillness. And blood, a slick, still wet pool on the crisp white sheets. Afraid to call the police - she's a single woman alone in a hotel room far from home - Cassie begins to lie. She lies as she joins the other flight attendants and pilots in the van. She lies on the way to Paris as she works the first-class cabin. She lies to the FBI agents in New York who meet her at the gate. Soon it's too late to come clean - or face the truth about what really happened back in Dubai. Could she have killed him? If not, who did?
"Supposedly, whatever we do that’s selfish goes with us to the grave; whatever we do that’s selfless lives on."
Many have been lucky enough to get an ARC of "Flight Attendant" already and have posted their glowing reviews. Sometimes when so many people talk up a book, it's hard for it to live up to its expectations... which is NOT the case with this book!
First, the fast paced opening scene is enough to send the reader inching closer to the edge of their seats. In some books, the cast of characters, their problems and how their stories unravel, present themselves slowly or predictably. If you are a seasoned reader of psychological thrillers and you are reading a good book, you will turn pages furiously, gasp loudly, and wonder how the author was able to slip "that" by without you guessing! In "Flight Attendant", Chris manages to write with a shock and awe talent that is sure to provide the most seasoned readers... (ehem.. cough loudly... raising hand) with a experience that will not be forgotten.
Cassie, the main character (a hot mess) reminds me of an irresponsible sister or friend that no matter how much you try to help... is helpless! When she woke up in a hotel room next to a dead body, the body of a man she was intimate with just hours before, and frantically realizes that it's either flight or fright (get it??) ... she bolts! Out the door, down the street, and back to the hotel she should have been sleeping in that night!
I mean, what would you have done if you were Cassie? It's definitely a question you might ask as you delve deeper and deeper into Cassie's story. You might start to feel her pain, feel the web of lies tighten around her neck, and root for her through to the end!
Finally, if you haven't read Chris Bohjalian's books and you love a great thriller that will leave you guessing until the end, you're crazy if you don't buy, rent, borrow, or listen!
Thanks again Chris Bohjalian for the ARC book in exchange for our honest review!

I really enjoyed this book! It was hard to put down and when I had to, I couldn't wait to get back to it. Cassie Bowden makes no excuses for her bad behavior. She lives her life going from one bad decision to the next, fueled by alcohol, one night stands, and a mean self destructive streak.
There is a murder, spies, exotic cities and handsome men in this thriller that does not disappoint and takes some interesting turns before it comes to an exciting and surprising end.
This is my first book by this author, and I will be looking for his other books.
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Doubleday for providing a free ebook copy of The Flight Attendant By: Chris Bohjalian in exchange for an honest review.

The Flight Attendant is a well written and interesting story of a flight attendant whose life gets mixed up in murder. The flight attendant character is a deeply flawed woman and it was difficult for me to connect with her and her choices; so it was tough to sympathize. The character I did like was Elena and I wish that the book would have been more about her and her life, including more backstory. I did find it an enjoyable read, I definitely wanted to see how things ended up, and I was mostly satisfied with the finale.

This is a long review, but it was a hard book to judge - I liked it, but at the same time I thought it was overly-simplified in all the wrong places. It's a good story that pays attention to detail as far character portrayal, but there is too little attention to the actual plot.

[Note, there may be spoiler alerts below]

There were a lot of things I really liked:
- It is very refreshing to have an airline employee portrayed as having a job that isn't glamorous or adventurous - I very much appreciated that the flight attendant's job was realistically portrayed.
- I liked that the main character was such a flawed and troubled person, and that she was portrayed in a way that allowed us to accept her actions as natural to her character (if this hadn't been done so convincingly, the story would have been impossible to accept).
- I also liked the way that the story alternated between the flight attendant's character and that of the Russian spy (Elena). The two female characters complemented each other very well and the author created a great juxtaposition between these two seemingly different characters.

But, there was one major component of the story that just weakened it for me - the alcoholism took over the story to the point that the actual murder and the espionage had to take a back seat to the flight attendant's personal problems. Let me explain why:

1. I get that the flight attendant's being a high-functioning alcoholic was crucial to the whole plot...but it stretched beyond belief just how "high-functioning" she was. When she needed to sober up, that was just too easy for her to pull off - and with minimal signs/symptoms of hangover or withdrawal. I just wish there were more obvious signs of the alcoholism as far as not being portrayed as always so polished and fit, always making it to work on time or actually doing a good job at work, etc.

2. The cycle of going to work, getting drunk, and picking up a strange man happened 1-2 times too many. They could have cut out at least one trip abroad and we wouldn't have missed anything (I also started questioning what kind of lawyer is going to keep telling you to take your trips and not stay home when you're in that kind of a situation...and maybe the FBI might have also have asked her to stay in the country at some point?).

2. The wrap-up at the end came at us out of nowhere. Everything that happens to explain the espionage plot and unveil the real villains happens quickly at the end of the book. There's little foreshadowing to help explain which characters are involved or why. We really don't get any detail regarding what happens after the last scene in the hotel room...and in the fast-forward to one year later, a little more detail explaining how our heroine managed to sober up and become a casual spy herself would have helped with plausibility too (I thought giving her a baby was a bit too convenient - so she has a reason to sober up and she has a "happy ending" too).

So...I would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could, because I liked it enough to recommend...but maybe I'd categorize it as a "good vacation read" - it's not going to stay with you as one of your favorite books.

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Video Book Review: The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian
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The Flight Attendant gives a riveting look at an imperfect woman in a desperate situation.

Cassie is a hard drinking woman. Closing in on 40, she manages to hold down steady employment as a flight attendant. She’s a pro at her job. Reading people’s moods, anticipating needs, following flight protocol; it’s routine by now, even when done through the haze of a hangover.

In her personal life, though, Cassie’s a mess. She regularly drinks alcohol to the point of blacking out, parties, and sleeps with a string of random one-night stands. When we meet her at the beginning of the book, she’s waking up next to a dead man.

From there, we enter a world of attorneys, spies, self doubt, and questions about who killed the man and why. Even more troubling, Cassie had blacked out the night before. She’s only about 85% sure she didn’t kill him.

It’s an interesting paradox, reading her journey. Cassie is so self-destructive. She seemingly makes an already-horrible situation worse for herself and everyone around her with every move. And yet, she is a sympathetic character.

Therein lies the magic of Chris Bohjalian. He does this sorcery in book after book.

It would be so easy to not like Cassie. And that would be fine – unlikable characters can make for incredible books. But it’s commendable that Bohjalian doesn’t take the easy route of slut shaming Cassie and turning her into a morality tale.

In each of Bohjalian’s books, characters are richly complex. No one is purely evil and no one is purely good. Everyone is muddled. The inclination is to root for Cassie, even though she self-sabotages all along the way. He can even make an assassin seem sympathetic.

The books stand on the foundation of good storytelling. Ponder the complex character study or simply get lost in the swirl of intrigue – either way, it’s a great time.