THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, by Chris Bohjalian, delivers twists and suspense at 35,000 feet. I love a book with an unreliable narrator and Cassie Bowden fits the bill. The central character of the novel, Cassie is a binge drinking flight attendant. She routinely suffers from blackouts while drinking and lies. A lot.

While working a flight from New York to Dubai, Cassie meets Alex Sokolov and the two enjoy a little flirtation during the flight. Once in Dubai, Cassie arranges to meet Alex for dinner and drinks. A lot of drinks. The next morning, Cassie wakes up in Alex’s bed next to his dead body with no memory of the night before. During the course of the investigation into Alex’s death, Cassie isn’t always truthful and seems to make the worst decision she can make in the moment. The novel follows Cassie to Dubai, Paris, New York, and Rome as she struggles to piece together what happened to Alex that night and what role she may have played in his death. Along the way, her lies catch up with her and she begins to doubt her own sanity. Cassie is a flawed character, even a deeply flawed character, often compelled to make decisions that she knows are wrong. What makes her character likable is that, in spite of her mistakes, Cassie is a good person and tries to do the right thing, even if she does it in the wrong way.

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT is a fast paced, suspenseful read with an ending that I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed Bohjalian’s writing style and I will be looking for his other titles. This book was great fun to read and I highly recommend it. Pick up a copy (out on March 13, 2018) and read this book. You don’t need to be on a plane to enjoy it, but it would be a great choice for a long (or short) trip.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book for my honest review.

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.

Ok, I take back what I said a while back about being annoyed with authors currently using alcohol addiction as the method of choice to create an unreliable narrator/character–especially when it’s as well written as Chris Bohjalian’s The Flight Attendant.

Cassie’s struggle with alcohol is very authentic in the moment, but apart from waking up in a dead man’s bed, there seems to be little consequence for her drinking… not much in the way of hangovers! As someone who has struggled off and on for years with alcohol, I can vouch for a lot of the feelings Cassie had, particularly on days when she told herself she wouldn’t drink but ends up at the bottom of a glass anyhow. Personal struggles aside, I really enjoyed Cassie’s flawed character. I’ve never imagined being a flight attendant would be overly glamorous, and this only solidified that for me.

I did like the FBI reports interspersed throughout the book and felt like they added to the overall plot very well. I wasn’t too sure about the agents themselves–I was in total disbelief that Cassie was allowed to fly out of the country in the middle of an ongoing investigation that, let’s be honest, she was at the wrong end of throughout.

The Flight Attendant would be a great summer/beach/vacation read. It’s thrilling enough to keep you turning pages, but you also don’t need to map out characters and plots to try and keep up with things. Maybe hold off from reading it on the plane, though!

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.