FLIGHT PATH

In Carver’s novel, two women lose their husbands in the same plane crash and uncover inconsistencies in their respective marriages.

Peregrine Airlines Flight 2487 crashes on its way out of New York, leaving no survivors. Campbell Dumont and Witt Dorian are two of the victims. Harper Stowe —a Bostonian designer of roller coasters and Witt’s wife —is pregnant and in the midst of launching her latest ride, the Inferno. Prior to Witt, Harper avoided relationships, preferring to prioritize her career while using casual sex purely as an escape. Campbell’s widow, Eva Darling-Dumont, and their two children are bereft in Atlanta. Though she was once an investigative journalist, Eva has devoted most of the past decade to being a wife and mother while Campbell provided handsomely for the family. A request from Campbell’s boss prompts Eva to unknowingly open a Pandora’s box of deceit (she finds herself “listening to the sound of her hope falling like a line of dominos, a chain reaction of clicks as the framework of her life gives way beneath her”). Eva’s grief and frustration lead her to post a blog about widowhood; Harper reads Eva’s posts and the pair become friends, texting one another frequently. Similarly, Harper begins to question some of Witt’s odd behaviors leading up to the crash. As Harper and Eva’s friendship deepens—and Harper’s due date looms —so, too, does the confusion surrounding the pair’s husbands. While the big twist in Carver’s story is somewhat predictable, and the ending is a tad abrupt, these quibbles make the narrative no less satisfying, which is a feat in itself. Throughout, the characters, particularly the two female protagonists, are written with depth and care. Another strength is the author’s ability to sustain the momentum of the story, even when the reader has an idea where it is ultimately heading. This is a domestic thriller with heart, exemplifying how one can find connection and meaning even in the midst of betrayal and grief.

A riveting story with great pacing.