What do you think?
Rate this book
Hard Fall
The tragic bombing of EuroTours Flight 1023 was big news. To FBI Agent Cam Daggett it was more than that. It was personal. His parents and son were on that plane. And for two years he's been after the killer who did it. All he has to go on is a name: Anthony Kort...and the knowledge that Kort is in the United States with a detonator no airport security can detect. HE MUST BE STOPPED. Daggett's colleagues at the Bureau and his girlfriend tell him his vendetta has become an obsession. They suggest he leave the investigation to other agents, in order to keep it objective. But having painstakingly constructed a portrait of the terrorist, Daggett believes he's now the only one with any chance of predicting Kort's next target. A novel of madness and revenge, Hard Fall begs readers to fasten their seatbelts.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
40 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Ridley Pearson
185 books2,083 followersRidley Pearson is the author of more than fifty novels, including the New York Times bestseller Killer Weekend; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the award-winning children's novels Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, which he cowrote with Dave Barry. Pearson lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing their time between Missouri and Idaho.
Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.
Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 29, 2016
Really Really good.
February 17, 2019
I am a HUGE Ridley Pearson fan. Especially the Walt Fleming series and Lou Boldt series, but this book took forever for me to get interested in and I never really cared about any of the characters. Very unusual for R.P.. However, once into the book, like all Pearson's books, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough in spots. NOBODY builds suspense like he does!! I
could take or leave this book but I will continue to read every Pearson book I can get my hands on. Sadly, I only have a few left...
could take or leave this book but I will continue to read every Pearson book I can get my hands on. Sadly, I only have a few left...
July 6, 2012
Count me as a Ridley Pearson fan. I'd never read any of his stuff before, and recently picked up "Hard Fall" at a garage sale. Took me 2 days to read it. Pow! If you like rapid-paced action thrillers (I'm a real sucker for them), you're going to like this one.
Now I'll have to track down some of Pearson's other books. And fast.
Now I'll have to track down some of Pearson's other books. And fast.
August 25, 2019
Three Quarters
I enjoyed about 3/4ths of the book, but then got bogged down with the logic, or lack of logic. The bad guy, Kort, was the best developed character in the book. What's with that?? I didn't particularly like the hero.
I enjoyed about 3/4ths of the book, but then got bogged down with the logic, or lack of logic. The bad guy, Kort, was the best developed character in the book. What's with that?? I didn't particularly like the hero.
April 24, 2021
Read in 1996. FBI agent is after the terrorists who killed his parents.
August 23, 2023
In my opinion, this is one of his weaker novels. He veers into unrealistic relationships. The villain is the most developed character. It is just an “okay” book. Disappointing.
December 2, 2023
Usually I whip through a Ridley Pearson book. This book is exception; it took me longer than usual to read. The story was OK, but it did not grab me in anyway.
March 1, 2024
A white knuckle pager turner. Keep me reading to the very end. Ridley Pearson is a master of suspense.
November 7, 2024
I think this is the best I've read by Pearson, and they're all 5-star reads. From pg. one, this one never stops. Would make a great movie!
January 22, 2017
Too much profanity - ok story line
May 15, 2013
Overheated drama. The soap opera elements are front and center, but I don't think you are supposed to be thinking 'soap opera'. You are supposed to be on the edge of your chair with the thrills, and emotionally whipsawed by the intense drama and action, which to a degree, as a reader, you are. However, if the soap opera begins to take over your conscious awareness, as it did me, you can't help to start snickering, and then guffawing, on occasion.
""Where he should have hesitated, should have resisted, should have fabricated a story that could in no way compromise his operation, instead he sat back, poured them each a third and final glass of wine, and began talking, somehow liberated from the complexities and planning of his operation. So narrow had been his vision for so long that as the petals of his thoughts unfolded beneath her light he spread himself open to her. He gave himself to her, willingly and knowingly, all the while sensing the danger of such behavior.""
This is what the terrorist Anthony Kort was thinking while he and a real estate agent, Carrie Stevenson, were talking over a take-out dinner, ostentatiously relaxing after a day with Carrie showing him houses. Kort's exposed thought petals were memories about his late wife. Kort had earlier murdered a Duhning engineer accidentally by strangling him with his bare hands when he was remembering his dead family in the first chapters of the book, as well as previously setting a bomb which blew up an airplane of people out of the sky. Kort had a self-imposed mission to avenge the accidental chemical poisoning of his unborn child and the subsequent suicide of his wife when the monster who had been his newborn was birthed and quickly died from birth defects. Because of the deaths of his family, Kort joined a terrorist group based in Germany. Now, on his own with a single fellow terrorist, Monique, vice-president of In-Flite, a company which serviced commercial airplanes, they are determined to kill the executives of the responsible chemical company through blowing up more airplanes. Monique and Kort are lovers, but after meeting Carrie he is falling in love with her and out of love with Monique. Carrie is in love with FBI agent Cam Daggett, who is determined to capture Kort. Daggett's family was in the airplane that Kort blew up earlier. Only Daggett's son Duncan survived the crash, but he is now crippled and confined to a wheelchair, his legs useless. Carrie has been taking care of Duncan for two years and loves him as well as Daggett, but now she is falling in love with Kort, mostly because Daggett is falling out of love with Carrie and in love with Lynne Greene, FAA investigator. Everyone who knows about Carrie and Lynne and Daggett spend some chapters (a lot of chapters, actually) discussing the situation and taking sides.
Meanwhile, Kort is racing about setting up his airport infiltrations, trial bombing runs, and stealing FBI secrets, with Daggett hot on his heels, missing capturing Kort by seconds again and again. Daggett, in turn, is never believed by anyone whenever he learns another part of Kort's plot, despite the clear evidence and clues he recovers from Kort's crime scenes, including a wisdom tooth with Kort's DNA picked out of a garbage can with Kort's plans to blow up something with bomb making materials. By the way, Kort is so committed to his vengeance he pulled out his own rotting tooth with pliers rather than take the time to see a dentist, although since he messes up the extraction (he faints) he does end up seeing a dentist. I think this is the first dentist for which I ever felt like having sympathy! (Minor spoiler, I guess.)
Anyway, it's a fun summer read, however it strikes you. I have to admit, though, I thought it would have been improved if the novel had been written as a satire instead of a straight thriller.
""Where he should have hesitated, should have resisted, should have fabricated a story that could in no way compromise his operation, instead he sat back, poured them each a third and final glass of wine, and began talking, somehow liberated from the complexities and planning of his operation. So narrow had been his vision for so long that as the petals of his thoughts unfolded beneath her light he spread himself open to her. He gave himself to her, willingly and knowingly, all the while sensing the danger of such behavior.""
This is what the terrorist Anthony Kort was thinking while he and a real estate agent, Carrie Stevenson, were talking over a take-out dinner, ostentatiously relaxing after a day with Carrie showing him houses. Kort's exposed thought petals were memories about his late wife. Kort had earlier murdered a Duhning engineer accidentally by strangling him with his bare hands when he was remembering his dead family in the first chapters of the book, as well as previously setting a bomb which blew up an airplane of people out of the sky. Kort had a self-imposed mission to avenge the accidental chemical poisoning of his unborn child and the subsequent suicide of his wife when the monster who had been his newborn was birthed and quickly died from birth defects. Because of the deaths of his family, Kort joined a terrorist group based in Germany. Now, on his own with a single fellow terrorist, Monique, vice-president of In-Flite, a company which serviced commercial airplanes, they are determined to kill the executives of the responsible chemical company through blowing up more airplanes. Monique and Kort are lovers, but after meeting Carrie he is falling in love with her and out of love with Monique. Carrie is in love with FBI agent Cam Daggett, who is determined to capture Kort. Daggett's family was in the airplane that Kort blew up earlier. Only Daggett's son Duncan survived the crash, but he is now crippled and confined to a wheelchair, his legs useless. Carrie has been taking care of Duncan for two years and loves him as well as Daggett, but now she is falling in love with Kort, mostly because Daggett is falling out of love with Carrie and in love with Lynne Greene, FAA investigator. Everyone who knows about Carrie and Lynne and Daggett spend some chapters (a lot of chapters, actually) discussing the situation and taking sides.
Meanwhile, Kort is racing about setting up his airport infiltrations, trial bombing runs, and stealing FBI secrets, with Daggett hot on his heels, missing capturing Kort by seconds again and again. Daggett, in turn, is never believed by anyone whenever he learns another part of Kort's plot, despite the clear evidence and clues he recovers from Kort's crime scenes, including a wisdom tooth with Kort's DNA picked out of a garbage can with Kort's plans to blow up something with bomb making materials. By the way, Kort is so committed to his vengeance he pulled out his own rotting tooth with pliers rather than take the time to see a dentist, although since he messes up the extraction (he faints) he does end up seeing a dentist. I think this is the first dentist for which I ever felt like having sympathy! (Minor spoiler, I guess.)
Anyway, it's a fun summer read, however it strikes you. I have to admit, though, I thought it would have been improved if the novel had been written as a satire instead of a straight thriller.
September 1, 2015
Wasn't a fan of cat-mouse chase type of stories, but I actually liked this one, although it was hard to find the motivation to finish it. I think I was just able to finish it because there's no other book around last weekend.
Anyway, there's nothing really new about this story. The good guys won, but what's interesting is the chase. Ah, the thrill of the chase, haha. I was absolutely shocked when Kort was standing right in front of Daggett and they were civil. Lmao. It was like shaking hands with the devil.
This book's too masculine, I now understand why it's in my father's shelf and not on mine, lols.
Anyway, there's nothing really new about this story. The good guys won, but what's interesting is the chase. Ah, the thrill of the chase, haha. I was absolutely shocked when Kort was standing right in front of Daggett and they were civil. Lmao. It was like shaking hands with the devil.
This book's too masculine, I now understand why it's in my father's shelf and not on mine, lols.
February 24, 2011
I like Pearson's story line, but I don't appreciate the unnecessary language and sexual inuendo. It would be nice to get through his books without reading the F-bomb all the time, or reading random sex scenes. They just don't quite fit into his books. Not that relationships and character development aren't important, but I want to read about the storyline. Not the sexual relations they are having. Seems like without all of that, and minus the constant dropping of the F-bomb (which just makes people sound ignorant anyway), I think I would enjoy his books better.
April 19, 2011
I didn't really know what to expect from this book. I have never heard of this author before and only checked it out becasue I was playing library roulette. (This is where I go into the library with nothing planned and semi-randomly pick a book, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. This time it did.) This is one of those books that leaves you out of breath. I was exhausted after reading this but in a good way. I have already started on another Pearson book and plan on reading all that my library has on the shelf.
August 24, 2019
So, a little mystery, a little suspense, a little romance... the terrorist plot that made me feel a bit sympathetic to the bad guys, captivated me. But as a whole, I didn't find this title to be as good as others I've read from Pearson, and I expected a bit more from him. I've read most of the Lou Boldt series and truly enjoy the suspense of those novels.
Still a good read, just not one of Pearson's best.
Still a good read, just not one of Pearson's best.
January 15, 2012
Pearson is one of my favorite authors, but this is not one of his better books. The plot is full of logical holes that really detract from the story. It is, as always with Pearson, well written. Regrettably, it is not compelling.
July 1, 2015
A great action packed read. A bit dated, electronically speaking, but it WAS published in 1992. It's interesting that this is a book about using an aircraft for a terrorist attack on American soil many years before it actually happened on 9/11.
Want to read
December 29, 20072001
Want to read
December 29, 20071992
January 25, 2008
Ridley Pearson is such a talented writer. He writes about KGB agents, serial killers and terrorists with authority. The intricate plot was suspensful, well constructed and plausible.
Read
October 8, 2008A Pea
April 19, 2010
An FBI agent on the trail of an airplane bombing terrorist.
August 22, 2010
I just never got hooked by this one. I tried, but ending up losing interest 2/3 of the way through. Just didn't care how it all worked out.
October 2, 2012
Fast paced, race against time to try to catch some terrorists before they down another plane, i.e.: the term "hard fall". Ridley Pearson never fail to please and deliver a great read.
February 5, 2013
Read a lot of his books 20 years ago, including this one, and I was hooked. It would be interesting to go back and read them again now---
March 23, 2016
Absolutely riveting. .
Tempted to read in just one sitting. Well paced with enigmatic characters and sense of intrigue. Villain was strong and unpredictable to the end.
Tempted to read in just one sitting. Well paced with enigmatic characters and sense of intrigue. Villain was strong and unpredictable to the end.
June 24, 2016
Quite an exciting read. Mr. Pearson delivers once again!
September 27, 2012
Written before 9/11...
October 10, 2012
Not one of his best but do be warned of some strong language and sexual situations.
August 12, 2014
Good action packed thriller. Airplane disaster, terrorism
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews