Do not read this book on a plane. I wouldn’t read it if you’re even THINKING about getting on a plane in the next few weeks. You’re going to need to give your brain time to get past the sheer plausibility of it all.
When pilot Bill gets a message showing his wife and son terrified, wearing suicide vests, shortly after his LAX-JFK flight takes off, he has to make the most terrible decision of his life. Crash the plane, sacrificing himself and almost 150 souls on board - or sacrifice his family. And the terrorists have a backup plan on board… just in case he makes the wrong decision.
While Bill’s a heroic figure here, I honestly think it’s cabin crew chief Jo who’s the true heroine of the story. Perhaps it’s because of the author’s own career as a flight attendant, but I definitely felt more involved in the story every time we returned to what Jo was dealing with in the main cabin, as she tried to help while maintaining calm.
This is the kind of book you just can’t stop reading. I read the whole thing in a single sitting, and set it down feeling quite satisfied with the outcome. The villains were far from one-dimensional, there were a few hilarious moments of comic relief - flight attendant ‘Big Daddy’ calling an entitled passenger ‘Karen’ had me laughing out loud - and honestly, it all felt far too plausible, even though the author promises in her notes that she has made enough tweaks to real-life procedures that it can’t be used as a ‘training manual’.
A really good action thriller. Just don’t read it on the plane.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.