My recent thriller choices haven’t been the best. In fact, this year every thriller I’ve read, apart from The God of the Woods (which is more literary than a thriller) and Midnight at Malabar House (a police procedural), has been a disappointment. It’s a shame, as thrillers are my favorite genre. So, I went into Scenes from a Tragedy with fairly low expectations. The author is unknown to me, and the blurb at the back of the book was also mid.
About Scenes from a Tragedy
When an empty passenger plane mysteriously crashes in the Lake District, journalist Carly Atherton is determined to get to the truth of what happened – the love of her life was one of the two pilots on board.
But when she contacts the family of the other pilot, the conflicting memories of his wife and his sister draw her into a story far darker than she could possibly have imagined.
As Carly delves into the dynamics of a seemingly ordinary family, she realizes that the bonds that shape us can also tear us apart – and that sometimes there are monsters living among us, hiding in plain sight.
~ Synopsis from goodreads
My Review
This book surprised me in many ways. It’s very fast-paced and gripping, and I pretty much read it in a single sitting. Carole Hailey writes in a very engaging manner, and even though the plot isn’t much, the story doesn’t lag at all – mainly due to the well-written characters and the true crime story format.
Danny is the pilot who deliberately crashed the plane. His story is told through the voices and reminiscences of two women, going right back to Danny’s birth and childhood, up until the day of the crash. Izzy (his sister) and Grace (his wife) both see Danny differently, and each woman feels they have the stronger claim to him.
The more we hear from Izzy, the more obvious it is that she doesn’t play by the same rules as everyone else and will manipulate a situation to her advantage. We know this way before Grace does, and reading about the interactions between them when Grace is trying to build connections, but Izzy blows hot or cold depending on the moment, you want to take Grace aside and warn her. And then there’s poor Danny, totally blindsided by his overpowering sister, who treats him as an extension of herself and doesn’t know who he is outside of that.
About Izzy – the book succeeds precisely because of how this character just leaps off the pages. I don’t think I’ve encountered a fictional character who has raised my blood pressure quite like Izzy. I was horrified by her behavior, while also completely fascinated by how convincingly and brilliantly she was written. It’s rare for me to feel equally invested in both a protagonist and an antagonist, but Hailey manages it brilliantly. What stayed with me most was how effectively Hailey portrays manipulation hiding in plain sight. The tension comes not just from the tragedy itself, but from watching people ignore warning signs, excuse harmful behavior, and cling to their own versions of the truth.
The true crime-inspired structure was clever. Through journalist Carly Atherton’s investigation of the plane crash that killed two pilots (a ghost flight) and interviews with relatives, we slowly uncover the dynamics, loyalties, and resentments that have been building beneath the surface. It gives the story a documentary-like feel while allowing the characters and their relationships to take center stage. I loved reading how Izzy’s psychopathy impacts both Grace and Danny, leading to their neuroses and mental health issues.
Rather than focusing on what happened, Hailey explores how seemingly ordinary relationships can slowly unravel into something devastating. Knowing the outcome from the beginning only adds to the tension, making every interaction feel loaded with significance.
I did guess the final reveal earlier than intended, which is the only place where this book slightly falters. However, by that point, I was so invested in the characters that the journey mattered far more than the surprise.
This book is a really good example of a psychological thriller done well, with fully fleshed out characters – every person in the book is so well drawn out. Totally gripping!
