A nail biting ride. Readers prepare. A big disaster could be leaned on heavily in certain stories. Not here. Readers get the history of a relationship alongside a present day catastrophe. It’s heartwarming and romantic as much as it is sweat-inducing.

The Real Michael Swann takes readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions with lots of twists and turns. Michael is in NYC during a terrorist attack. His wife, Julia, and two sons anxiously await news at home. The story weaves back and forth through time, examining Julie and Michael’s relationship, as well as the current state of chaos immediately following the attack.

The author’s frantic depiction of Julia’s intense emotions in response to Michael’s being was well-portrayed and really brought the reader into Julia’s frame of mind. The only negative was that the plot was implausible at times, but it would’ve been difficult to portray the frenetic pace otherwise. I found the multiple twists unexpected and satisfying. Overall, an excellent read.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Dutton, and Bryan Reardon for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Michael and Julia were the perfect couple, they had it all until on day when there is a explosion at Penn Station changes everything. Julia's life is turned upside down and everything she "knows" is being questioned....she starts questioning if she knew her husband at all.....
This book was a def page turner. I needed to know that truth and when I did WOW is all I can say. The twists and turns kept me glued to my kindle I devoured it because I needed to know who The Real Michael Swann was!

A fast-paced quick read. An interesting look at human nature and how we react when the unthinkable happens.

I loved the premise of this book. Julia is on the phone with her husband Michael who's in New York's Penn Station waiting to catch a train home when she hears a noise and the call is abrupt dropped. When hours go by and she hasn't heard from her husband she takes it upon herself to go into the city and search for him. Finding chaos amidst what is suspected to be a terrorist plot, she finds that someone may have seen Michael...so why hasn't he contacted her? The present day narrative is interspersed with scenes of their past, their meeting and falling in love etc. This is where I had an issue, the breaking of the current day search and the suspense the author was creating was interrupted by going back in the past and for me slowed the pace and my interest in the story. If you enjoy flashbacks this probably won't be an issue for you. The addition of the third narrative was a surprise and one I enjoyed being incorporated. While I found this to be slow at times, overall this is a solid beach read or one to be read quickly in an afternoon.

The Real Michael Swann by author Bryan Reardon is a heart wrenching thriller of a novel! One of the better family drama/suspense books I’ve read lately. Definitely a must read for anyone who loves thriller/suspense/drama/twisted romance/etc. such a great read!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of The Real Michael Swann in exchange for an honest review.

Good book! Liked the political drama and family relationships shown. Thought the two person perspective was interesting and really enjoyed the flashbacks.

I was disappointed with this book. I felt that I could predict what was going to happen next. It was unrealistic and boring at times. I ordered this book for the library and I am sure some patrons will like it.

As you can tell from reading the synopsis, this novel starts out with quite an exhilarating first chapter. It definitely had me hooked from the first page. The author is purposefully quite vague about who set off the bomb and I found myself questioning everyone and everything.

There were portions of the novel that were a bit slow to me, and I felt that was a little unfortunate considering the fast pacing of the majority of the novel. There was a little too much unnecessary background information that I think the novel would have been better without. Other than the slow patches, this novel was intriguing and really kept me guessing until the very last page. I would highly recommend this to readers who enjoy thrillers and suspense novels. It was a quick read and perfect for a weekend on the beach.

Rating 3/5

*Thank you to Dutton and Netgalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I have been highly recommending THE REAL MICHAEL SWANN by Bryan Reardon. It's one of those suspense-filled books that begs to be read in a single sitting. The action feels non-stop, but the characters are also well-developed and prompt a range of emotions. Initially, the story asks what does it feel like when a "perfect" suburban life turns upside down? Julia and Michael Swann live with their two young sons (ages 12 and 8) near New York City but a terrorist action on US soil abruptly impacts their life. Next questions: what do you do? How do you balance the needs of a spouse with those of a child? Do you obey the law or disregard it for a greater good? How do you know who deserves your trust? Who are your real friends? How well do we know ourselves, our own past? Where do you find the hidden reservoir of strength? How do you reflect upon and share your experiences? These are the types of issues that most of us deal with in different contexts every day. The Swanns face them as they need to fight through the fog of shock and intense emotions, to grapple with coincidences and fate, to deal with well-meaning intentions and acts of selfishness. THE REAL MICHAEL SWANN will entertain and make you think; this title received a starred review from Library Journal.

Although this is a fast moving story, and did a good job describing the terror a wife feels when after a terrorist attack, her husband is missing, this book missed the mark for me . To much running here and there, implausible circumstances and unbelievable scenarios kept me from fully commiting to the story. It does have an interesting twist, but it was one I guessed relatively early.

This was a sisters read, and for this one we fell into three different coulees, with most liking it much more. Myself with four of my fellow readers ended up in the weedy coulee, where I was assured there were no snakes nor bugs present. Good company there. My point being others found it more to their liking, so always wise to read it for yourself.

ARC from Netgalley.

A Terrorist Attack Disrupts a Love Story

Julia and Michael love each other are loving parents to their two boys. Although both were career oriented: Julia with a government job; Michael working in baseball; they moved to a community in Pennsylvania that they believed would be a good place to raise a family. The move meant Julia had to give up her job and Michael had to find a new career, but they felt it was worth it because of the boys. They’ve had their problems, but Julia believes in the strength of their family.

It’s a beautiful day. The neighbors are getting together to watch the children and enjoy adult conversation when suddenly Julia’s world changes. She’s on the phone with Michael, who’s in Penn Station, returning from a job interview when suddenly the phone goes dead. There’s been an explosion in Penn Station. Julia is frantic, she wants to take care of the boys, but she also wants to find Michael.

Julia’s plight grabs you in the first pages and the tension never lets up. She loves Michael, but as the story unfolds, she questions whether she ever knew the person she was living with. The bombing and the political implications are timely. The book doesn’t hide the undercurrents that separate people on the political spectrum. Whether you’re conservative or liberal, this book is worth reading. It will make you think.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

4.5 stars! I couldn’t put this book down!

Wow! This was a fast-paced, edge of your seat, gripping and suspenseful story. It had me glued to the pages from start to finish. I LOVED how this was narrated – the two perspectives kept the story fresh and interesting. The short chapters made this novel a breeze to fly through.

The storyline is unique and highly intriguing. Julia Swann is on the phone with her husband Michael when the call goes dead. A bomb has gone off at Penn Station in New York City where Michael was waiting to board a train. Lost in the chaos of the tragedy yet trying to stay strong for her two sons, Julia tries to locate Michael hoping and praying that he survived.

The tragedy is intense and heart breaking. The aftermath of chaos and confusion is palpable. The desperate search for answers is a heart pounding and jaw dropping.

I read this with my Traveling Sisters.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Bryan Reardon for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Real Michael Swann is available now! I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy ASAP!!

Billed as a thriller, yet really only the beginning and climax fit the mold for this particular genre. Although Reardon has a solid premise on his hands and starts out strong, the pace sags a bit in the middle while the story takes its time to explore the events from its two perspectives. I wondered halfway through whether there was enough material to sustain the rest of the book; little did I know that there was a plot twist around the bend that I should have seen coming which serves to goose the final portion. Not exactly what I expected, but the brief chapters kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next.

I know that many people have loved this book and the plot sounded so amazing.

However, for me, the writing ruined the story and I found the main characters boring. I just could not get into this story, which is too bad as I had such high hopes.

So this is a pass for me.

Published by Dutton on June 12, 2018

Julia Swann watches her kids and drinks chardonnay with her neighbors while her husband Michael looks for work. As Michael waits for a train to take him home to Julia, a self-proclaimed patriot starts a brush fire near some train tracks, delaying train arrivals and forcing a crowd to form at Penn Station. When the crowd swells, a bomb detonates.

Michael regains consciousness as rescue workers help him to the surface streets. In his dazed condition, he remembers little, including his name, but notes that he is carrying a briefcase. Michael repeatedly walks away from medical attention in the chaos that surrounds the station. He wanders the city, clutching his briefcase, unable to think of a destination or to recall anything about his past.

In the meantime, Julia is panicking. The emotionally resonant scenes that describe her reaction to the news of the bombing and her instinctive reaction to drive into the city and find her husband are particularly compelling. So is her struggle to be both honest and comforting as she talks to her son, two goals that seem incompatible under the circumstances.

Interludes tell the story of Michael and Julia: their first date, their engagement, Julia’s work before she became an insecure stay-at-home mom who misses working, Michael’s fears about his job.

I enjoyed reading The Real Michael Swann, but I’m not sure why. The premise is contrived (as are most stories that are based on amnesia). Much of the novel describes a police manhunt for Michael, the police having decided that Michael detonated the bomb. Julia, who believes in her husband, also searches for him, aided by news reports that tell her where to look. I’m not entirely certain that a mother would leave her kids behind at the worst moment in their lives to search for a husband who is being hunted by the police after apparently committing mass murder. The police are utterly self-righteous and behave deplorably, and while that’s credible enough, the specific tactics they adopt at the novel’s end are unconvincing.

The question that compels the reader to turn the pages is whether Michael is innocent or guilty. The answer, like the premise, is just too contrived to be convincing, although it scores points for being surprising. The last chapters, after the climax, I would have done without. The scenes are forced and too weepy for my taste. The epilogue drags and its preachiness detracts from a story that makes the same points without force-feeding them to the reader.

One of the things I like about The Real Michael Swann is the decency that people exhibit to each other in times of crisis. While talking heads on television are busy stirring anger despite having no facts that would allow them to assess blame, friends and strangers alike are making sincere efforts to help Michael and Julia cope with their individual crises. I like to think there are still people like that in the world, people who are driven by compassion rather than anger.

Another point in the novel’s favor is that it tells a love story while avoiding most of the trappings of a romance novel. Julie doesn’t swoon over Michael’s tousled hair. Michael isn’t Adonis. Julie’s love is deep and sincere, but love doesn’t conquer all.

Finally, Bryan Reardon’s fluid prose keeps the story moving at a steady pace. This is one of those “I wonder how this could possibly end” novels that can’t easily be set aside, but it's also one of those novels that, after reading the last word, makes me think, "Well, that couldn't happen."

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

I want to thank Dutton Books for sending me this read in exchange for my honest review.

Julia is outside with her children hanging out with the neighborhood moms when she calls her husband to check-in on him as he travels home from a work interview. He's headed home on the New York Amtrak when a bomb explodes. He had been on the phone with his wife during the explosion when his phone went dead. Julia has to keep calm for her children, yet is desperate to go find her husband. She lives her kids with the neighbors and goes downtown to find him. Soon enough, she learns the news that the police think her husband is the one behind the bomb. She just can't believe it. As we try to find out if he is the bomber, we also see flash backs of how they met and their life together in love. 

This is a DEEP read. The entire time I was thinking, "Man, this is a perfect story for a thrilling read." I slowly realized, the sad truth is that it could totally be a true story. Our world is in such a chaotic state, anything could happen. Familes are torn apart in a split second...it's unreal. This book captures it all. The emotions these families go through after a public bomb explosion are so authentic. I felt like I was just watching a CNN special while reading this. It was utterly chilling. The book follows two story-lines, one of Michael and the other as a narrator. I, personally, am not a fan of multiple point of views, but this book needs that. It's crucial to see both sides of the story here. I also really appreciated learning all about their relationship together. What a marriage! This book is the most relevant thing I've read in a long time. If anything, you need to read this book for the epilogue because you've going to have to pick your jaw off the floor. 

4.5/5 Stars

Okay so if Lisa Unger says right there on the cover that The Real Michael Swann is a “chilling, haunting read” then I think I need to read it! I can’t wait to get started on this book. I admire authors who can pull off a tight plot while keeping the threads of suspense tightly woven throughout a compelling story!

Take a look:

On a typical late summer day, Julia Swann is on the phone with her husband, Michael, when the call abruptly goes dead. Then the news rolls in: A bomb has gone off at Penn Station, where Michael was waiting for a train home. New York City is in a state of chaos.

A frantic Julia races to the city to look for Michael, her panic interwoven with memories of meeting and falling in love with the husband she’s now desperate to find. When someone finds a flier she’s posted and tells her they may have seen her husband, her dreams seem to be answered. Yet as she tries to find him, her calls go unanswered.

Weaving between the aftermath of the explosion and Julia’s memories of her life with Michael, new developments raise troubling questions. Did Michael survive the explosion? Why hasn’t he contacted her? What was he doing when their last call was cut off? Was he—or is he still—the man she fell in love with?

I was just reading some early reviews on this book and people are absolutely loving it. Put it on your To-Read list immediately. Due out June 12!

Don’t start The Real Michael Swann unless you have plenty of time because you will want to finish this book in one sitting. This is a book with nonstop action switching between Michael and his wife Julia. It is an absolutely awesome book and even though I am not quite finished I already know that I will recommend it to anyone who loves a good story be it mystery or not. The book is a little bit 9/11 and Timothy McVeigh and that should give you some idea of the plot line. The hate that is present in today’s society is rampant in this book and shows how easily it spreads. Mostly one rumor can be spread and in a
matter of minutes can be spread far and wide through social media and soon believed to be the truth. The ending is heart breaking but also the right ending. I totally loved this book and would give it more than 5 stars if I could. Thanks for the advance copy NetGalley.

It's the thing that Americans who experienced the horror of September 11 fear the most: another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Julia Swann is on the phone with her husband, Michael, who is en route home via Penn Station, when the line suddenly goes dead. And then Julia learns that a bomb detonated in Penn Station. Without thinking rationally, Julia heads to New York City in a panicked attempt to find Michael. But, of course, the roads are blocked, security is out in force, and she cannot get anywhere near Penn Station. She manages to find her way to an all night print shop when the clerk assists her with printing fliers and she begins posting them around the city. As the hours tick by, she continues attempting to reach Michael, without success. Reports begin coming in that Michael has been spotted on the move in the city and then, it seems, in an attempt to make his way home to Julia, and those reports spur Julia's desperate quest to determine if Michael is, in fact, still alive and, perhaps, injured. Via duel narratives, author Bryan Reardon creates a suspenseful story about a day that Americans never want to live through again and the impact of terrorism on one family in particular. The tale is full of plot twists and stunning developments which would be spoiled if further explanation is provided. Reardon brilliantly pulls readers into the thoughts, memories, and doubts that characterize a marriage. The Real Michael Swann is a book that readers will not be able to put down until they learn the fate of Michael and Julia, and will resonate long after its shocking conclusion.