Scenes From A Tragedy by Carole Hailey #ScenesFromATragedy @CaroleAHailey @CorvusBooks #BookReview

 

If you hurt me, I'll hurt you. Not right away of course, because where's the fun in that?

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 realises that the bonds that shape us can also tear us apart - and that sometimes there are monsters living among us, hiding in plain sight...

Scenes From A Tragedy by Carole Hailey was published on 6 March 2025 by Corvus. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

In February 2023 I read and reviewed Hailey's debut novel; The Silence Project. I adored it and recommended it to anyone that would listen to me. I'd wanted to get Scenes From A Tragedy read prior to publication but I became unwell over the New Year and was admitted to hospital.  So, instead, the book came to Lanzarote with me a couple of weeks ago and I read it as I lay in the beautiful sunshine, under the gorgeous blue skies. It's quite ironic that we were staying just under the island's flight path, with planes coming and going all day as I read about the plane crash that is central to the story! 

Carly Atherton is on a mission. She's a journalist and is determined to find out just how and why an empty passenger plane crashed into a mountain in the Lake District. The two pilots on board were both killed. One of the pilots; Luke, was Carly's ex boyfriend. They had a long and colourful history. Carly is also interested in looking into how many of these empty flights take place every year. It seems that airlines are forced to take them to ensure that they can keep their flight space. It all seems wasteful to Carly.

It becomes clear that it was pilot Danny Taylor who caused the crash. It appears that he aimed the plane straight at the mountain. Post accident investigations show that there was no attempt to stop the crash.

Carly begins to contact Danny's family. His wife Grace is at first loathe to speak, but Carly finds a willing participant in his sister Izzy, and then later on, Grace contacts her and tells her side of the story. 

Cleverly structured, with an intriguing and unique narrative style, this novel is totally and utterly compelling. Although she's only written the two novels, Carole Hailey is most certainly one of my favourite authors. Her ability to create characters, especially female characters is stunning. Izzy is probably the most dislikable, yet perfectly formed character that I've come across for many years. 

Captivating and compulsive, with hints of the darkest humour. This is a novel to savour and to enjoy. It is richly detailed and quite extraordinary. Highly recommended by me. 

Carole Hailey completed the six-month Guardian/UEA novel-writing course with
Bernardine Evaristo, who imbued Carole with such a love for writing fiction that she abandoned her career in law to study first an MA, then a PHD in Creative Writing. 

Carole was a recipient of a Desmond Elliott Prize Residency from the National Centre for Writing and her debut novel, The Silence Project, was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Christopher Bland Prize. 

She lives in Wales with her husband and two rescue dogs.

Instagram: @carolehaileyx

X @CaroleAHailey