Free Fall [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Kyle Mills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2005

"I was with the FBI......"

Special Agent Mark Beamon has a plan. By slurring that one key word "was," he can obscure the fact that he has been suspended, and use the FBI against itself to solve the toughest, most twisted case of his career.

It's bold. It's dangerous. It's the kind of maverick operation that has made him both the bureau's best agent and its least-likely-to-succeed screw-up. And it leads to the kind of nonstop action and intrigue that has made Kyle Mills a premier name in thriller adventure writing since his debut novel, Rising Phoenix.

In Free Fall, a top-secret FBI file buried in an anonymous government warehouse is missing. Code named Prodigy, the operation was the brainchild of J. Edgar Hoover, who created it to use against his potential enemies, which encompassed everyone in Washington, from JFK to this year's presidential candidate, David Hallorin. The unlucky grad student who uncovered Prodigy is dead, and now his girlfriend is on the run, accused of a hideous murder.

The only man everyone agrees can find the young woman and turn up the explosive document is "off duty." After he revealed embarrassing government illegalities during his previous investigation, the FBI has turned on Mark Beamon and is threatening him with criminal prosecution. He knows better than anyone that this case is his last shot to save his career -- and his country.

Tracking her down will turn out to be the most demanding case Beamon's ever faced -- for the young woman is a professional rock-climber and can drop out of sight anywhere in the world. As it becomes clear that he isn't the only one looking, Beamon begins to ask himself if he might be better off failing this time. Even if he does find her and the file, who will he be able to trust when the FBI itself is under suspicion?

Free Fall takes place in the danger zone where high crimes and extreme sports clash. It's a nonstop adventure that moves from the frozen mountaintops of Wyoming to the cavernous archives of the FBI, from the siren-haunted L.A. streets to the jungles of Thailand.

Mark Beamon is playing for the highest stakes this time. If he blows this one, his career is over and his prison term begins...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mills turns his attention to the world of politics in his third thriller (after Storming Heaven) starring black sheep FBI Agent Mark Beamon, a man with an utter disregard for politicking of any kind, an attitude that has jeopardized his career. As the book opens, he faces not only dismissal from the FBI, but also possible criminal charges for his successful but politically inexpedient handling of a previous case. Anticipating an expensive legal battle to save his job, Beamon--against his better judgment--accepts $300,000 from an anonymous client to find a rock climber, Darby Moore, whose boyfriend was discovered chopped to pieces in the back of Moore's van. Everybody thinks Darby is guilty, despite the lack of a credible motive. Beamon tends to buy that theory, too, until he learns that the dead man had recently unearthed a secret FBI file detailing all sorts of sordid behavior committed years ago by many now-prominent political leaders. The file appears to be in Moore's hands, and it quickly becomes apparent that Beamon is not the only one looking for her. During his hair-raising search, one name keeps popping up over and over again: David Hallorin, the smooth yet devious senator from Maine who's in the midst of a heated run for the White House. Mills blends fine character work with a high-torque plot that splits time between the halls of power in Washington, D.C., the climbing peaks of Wyoming and the dank, smelly prisons of Thailand. Beamon, a wholly human figure nimbly engineered for maximum reader allegiance, is at his best--as is the story--while the hunt is on. The book loses some of its spark down the stretch when the thrill of the chase is replaced by the predictable machinations of politics. 75,000 first printing; regional author appearances; 25-city radio campaign. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In Mills's third political thriller featuring FBI agent Mark Beamon, the presidential campaign season is complicating Mark's life in more ways than he knows. Because of the leak of incriminating tapes Mark found, politicians on all sides are out for his blood. Faced with a legal battle that he can't afford, Mark reluctantly agrees to an offer of $300,000 to find mountain climber Darby Moore, whose ex-boyfriend was found brutally murdered. A suspect in his death who finds herself in possession of an FBI file that incriminates one of the three presidential candidates, Darby goes into hiding. Mark knows that any of the three would kill to gain possession of the file. The suspense generated by the hunt and the political battle is immense. Unlike many other authors, Mills has not fallen into the trap of writing a story that is only suited for a movie screen; there are no cookie-cutter characters or inexplicable action scenes. Instead, Mills, like David Baldacci, knows that a great story comes first (and then, one hopes, a great movie). Recommended for all collections.
-Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: ISIS Audio Books (June 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753121700
• ISBN-13: 978-0753121702
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Kyle Mills is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve books, including the latest in Robert Ludlum's Covert-One series, The Ares Decision.

Growing up in Oregon, Washington, DC, and London as a the son of an FBI agent, Kyle absorbed an enormous amount about the Bureau, giving his novels their unique authenticity. He and his wife live in Wyoming where they spend their off hours rock climbing and backcountry skiing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He'd accept nothing less than a spot on the PGA tour., April 27, 2000

By 

taking a rest - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Free Fall (Hardcover)

This review's title is the end of one of dozens of spoken or silent musings, that contribute toward making this book brilliant.

The category this book is a member of is crowded. On any given day the local book superstore could pile a mound of "Political Thrillers" and measure the result by the tonnage. If the same mound were arranged by quality Mr. Mills's work "Free Fall" can stand with anyone. I enjoy Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, John LeCarre, and I have not been as excited about this particular genre since I originally discovered the authors I mentioned.

If asked to say what was the best element of this book I would have to pass, for there are two, and that number could be easily expanded.

The books I read vary widely, this work has some of the best-written, crisp dialogue that I have read. There is nothing contrived, it flows naturally, and there is not a word used that isn't required. In many instances, lose a word or even change one, and the quality would be gone. The best of the verbal exchange has a regular set cadence, and when humorous an acidic edge.

Secondly Mr. Mills delivers the best female character I can remember from this genre. There are no; James Bond bubble-headed heroines or villains, this character runs on her own chemical makeup, she does not try to compete with testosterone. She does not wear psuedo-male power suits, nor does she swear like a pipe fitter. And finally, she does not wear seran wrap designer clothes a la The Thomas Crowne Affair. She is the best at her profession, makes some pretty astute observations about life (the vanity plate BMW bit is priceless), and she leads from wherever she stands.

The only detail that frustrated just a bit, were the references to the previous book. They never preempted the understanding of the plot, and in the end you will want to read the previous book.

If you enjoy this category of book, the reading does not get any better. Reccomended unconditionally.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clearly Mills' best effort to date, August 4, 2000

By 

Timothy J. Kindler (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free Fall (Hardcover)

I've read and enjoyed all three of the novels from Kyle Mills. Free Fall, however, is clearly Mills' best effort to date - very tight and fast paced. Free Fall is a page turner - with plenty of action, suspense, and plot twists. Mark Beamon, suspended from the FBI in the aftermath of his actions in the previous book (Storming Heaven), finds himself again as a bit of a lost soul battling his physical and emotional insecurities as he searches for the truth in this political action/thriller. Beamon, although a thorn in the FBI's side due to his maverick tenancies, again demonstrates the mental skills, perseverance, and apolitical perspective that make him the FBI's go-to guy. This book is clearly capable of standing on its own. Part of my enjoyment of this story, however, was the history that I had built up with Beamon in "Rising Phoenix" and "Storming Heaven." If you enjoyed the previous work, you will no doubt enjoy "Free Fall." In you have not read the others, you might want to consider taking these books in order.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4+ A Comparison of Kyle Mills First Five Books - This Is#3, August 17, 2003

By 

Tucker Andersen (Wall Street) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free Fall (Mass Market Paperback)

Since this book was published several years ago and there are already several reviews posted on Amazon, I will attempt to provide a somewhat different perspective that might be helpful to readers interested in Kyle Mills' novels. FREE FALL is the third novel written by Mills to be published, and they all have had Mark Beamon, a maverick FBI agent, as their central protagonist, as does Mills' fifth novel, SPHERE OF INFLUENCE (see five star review 10/16/02). Beamon is only referenced in passing by his FBI associates involved in BURN FACTOR, which was published after this story.

FREE FALL involves the search for a top-secret FBI file code named Prodigy by J. Edgar Hoover and purposely misfiled and therefore "lost" subsequent to his death. Tristan Newberry, a graduate student who uncovered the file has been killed and Darby Moore, the young woman and longtime friend of his who was with him at the time is now trying to stay alive while being hunted by Newberry's killers in the belief that she possesses the file. Meanwhile, a high priced attorney acting on behalf of an anonymous client (who is aware of Beamon's past successes against extraordinary odds) contacts Mark and offers a large sum of money if he is successful in locating Darby. Beamon has been suspended by the FBI and is facing possible prosecution as a scapegoat for the political fallout from his recent exploits in STORMING HEAVEN, and thus is intrigued by the possibilty of obtaining enough cash to defend himself against the resources of the US Government. Beamon's job is made extremely difficult by the fact that most of his usual investigative techniques are useless due to the fact that Darby Moore is the top woman rock climber in the world; she lives out of an old VW van, has no address or credit cards and few worldly possessions, and spends most of her time engaged in adventures in areas of the globe totally inaccessible to the average individual.

The story proceeds as the presidential election of 2000 nears its conclusion, and it appears the contents of the Prodigy file might influence its outcome. The election is complicated by the presence of a third party candidate, David Hallorin, who comes eventually plays a crucial role in this book. Thus, this book allows the author to explicitly detail Beamon's views of politicians and the role of government in our lives after having indirectly addressed them in the earlier books. The action is fast paced, and the basic plot actually quite straightforward compared to Mills' earlier books, but there are enough unexpected developments to keep it interesting. And the author's knowledge and obvious love of rock climbing allow him to provide incredibly interesting detail of an activity that I previously knew little about. It is these details that form the basis of the superb character development of Darby Moore and imbue several of the essential sequences of the book with believability. (And the wisdom discovered by Darby carved into the walls of an abandoned monastery in the jungles of southern Cambodia and imparted to Mark at the height of their travails is emblematic of the details that make Mills' writing so enjoyable.)

If you have read previous books by Mills, this novel is consistent with his other works. All are action adventures, contain interesting characters and dialog, involve plots that revolve around marginally believable conspiracy theories, contain political sermonizing, recognize the flaws inherent in human nature, and in the end involve the triumph of some semblance of good over evil but always in an imperfect way and often with a heavy price to be paid. Thus, if you have enjoyed previously reading Mills, this book should appeal to you.

If you have not read other books by Mills, I would suggest you read the ones involving Mark Beamon in order. While each story is self contained, there are numerous references in the later books to the earlier incidents, and the background details will provide context as well as the history of Beamon's personal relationships. Also, I believe that the author gets better at character development as the series proceeds. If you only want to read one book, I enjoyed the last one SPHERE OF INFLUENCE the most. It is the most topical (present day foreign terrorists on US soil) and the plot actually seemed to me somewhat believable. It was the first Mark Beamon story that I read, and intrigued me enough so that I went back and subsequently read the first three in order. If you want the most original plot and the story that involves the most intriguing moral ambiguities and involved philosophical dissertations (e.g. the wisdom of the war on drugs), then read RISING PHOENIX. The benefit of reading this first is that if you like it you will have started at the beginning of the series, as I have strongly suggested.

The one outlier is BURN FACTOR. As I previously mentioned, this is an FBI story, but the key character is Quinn Barry, a young researcher who has discovered that the anomalies in an FBI computer system were not a simple programming error but an apparent attempt to bury some case files that suggested a bizarre conspiracy. This is an incredibly intense story, but the plot demands almost complete suspension of the reader's belief and is by far the most cynical and sensationalist in the implications of its conspiracy. The book was recommeded to me and I got so involved that I wanted to finish it, but several times I was totally repulsed not only by the nature of the crimes but the absolutely gruesome and stomach turning detail in which they were described. This description added to the realism of the story and its spellbinding quality, but at several points I was tempted to simply skim the remainder of the book rather than endure the horror of the sequences involved. So, if you like reading the intimate details of serial killings and the torture of the victims, you might enjoy this book. Otherwise, I suggest that you skip it since it is completely nonessential to the context of the rest of Mills' work.