First off, let’s be clear about one thing. I’m no fan of flying–-the smell, the noise, the claustrophobia of being locked in a sardine can with strangers. I do, however, love the Biscoff cookies Delta Airlines hands out by the millions on their flights. Since I can buy those, it’s not much of a draw.
But I digress… As someone who suffers from aerophobia, I was a wee bit concerned about reading a novel set over twenty hours on an airplane. Here’s what Hostage is about.
Flight attendant Mina Holbrook trades shifts to join the crew of World Airways inaugural 20-hour flight from London to Sydney to escape the tension of her home life. She’s sure her husband has been sleeping with their au pair, who suddenly quits. The plane has barely taken off when Mina receives a chilling note from an anonymous passenger. If she doesn’t divert the flight, her five-year-old daughter will die. A lot happens in twenty hours. A LOT.
Clare Mackintosh wrote a pulse-pounding, propulsive thriller ripe with surprises. She executed multiple narratives with ease and finished up with a twisty climax I didn’t see coming! Although I was annoyed with the tidy resolutions of all the narratives, it wasn’t enough to affect my rating too much. 4 stars.
P.S. This probably isn’t the best book to read while on your way to Australia.
Publication Date: June 2021
Genre: Thriller
Read-alikes: Falling by T. J. Newman, Say Nothing Bad by Brad Parks, The Chain by Adrian McKinty