The Flight Attendant

When she's traveling, Bohjalian's eponymous flight attendant Cassandra Bowden routinely gets black-out drunk, sleeps with a stranger, and steals trinkets to give as gifts. When she wakes up in a Dubai hotel next to a nearly decapitated one-night stand, she is not sure if she killed him or not. Cassandra is not a particularly agreeable character; in fact, she may be one of the most ignorant in the murder mystery field, doing almost everything possible to incriminate herself as she seeks solace in her usual patterns and can't keep her mouth shut. Fortunately, listeners know the truth of the events of that night well before she does, and it is in that dual plotting that Bohjalian manages to create some suspense. However, the ending is too contrived to be very believable. Erin Spencer, Grace Experience, and Mark Deakins provide balanced narration. The author is known for writing novels that cause his readers to think about social and historical issues, but this entry into thriller territory is disappointing.