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Coauthored by an airline pilot and an aeronautical engineer, this intriguing international thriller presents a well-researched, plausible, yet fictional scenario that educates and entertains. The authors’ combined knowledge of the aviation industry plus military operations and counterintelligence brings a plethora of authentic technical detail into this high-concept novel. Inspired by the real-life disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 from radar on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, the book recounts the loss of 227 passengers and twelve crew members that became the deadliest incident involving a Boeing 777 aircraft at the time. The initial international search involved scores of ships and aircraft from seven different countries and lasted for two months. After the Malaysian government admitted the truth of the unusual altered flight path, Australia took the lead in an even more complicated search of deep water in the Indian Ocean.
Zicard and Holling creatively and seamlessly add new layers of suspense to historical detail with an international espionage theme inspired by controversial conspiracy theories that emerged after the subsequent failure to locate the downed craft. The subplot involves American CIA agent Jack Walker and his Australian counterpart, Addison Stark, as they track a shipment of lithium batteries with a concealed package of secret US drone technology captured by the Taliban and sold to China. Walker and Stark have some enthralling moments as they race to follow the shipment from Asia to Malaysia. The shipment is traced to Flight MH370, where the agents witness both an Iranian attempt to hijack the flight and the devastating effects of the pilot’s secret plan. The likely truth behind the disastrous final flight of MH370 is fascinating in itself, and the addition of Walker’s and Stark’s undercover assignment and its aftermath is an exciting enticement for thriller readers and aviation enthusiasts alike.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review