Hostage: The emotional 'what would you do?' thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller

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He was involved in some of the cases that I worked on, like the Waco Siege. In fact I asked for him to be on my team. He also worked on a case involving the Symbionese Liberation Army. This was the group that had kidnapped the American heiress Patty Hearst. At one point group members were found barricaded in a house in Los Angeles and there was a big shoot-out. The police responded and eventually there was a fire that burned down the place that they were hiding in. Jim was on the scene of that. It was a very dangerous and challenging case. Mina is a flight attendant on an inaugural nonstop flight from London to Sydney. It comes at the perfect time. She and her husband, Adam, are having problems in their marriage. She is not sure what the future holds for them, so this opportunity is just what she needs. Adam, a police officer, will care for their five-year-old daughter, Sophia while Mina is away. Once Mina's flight is underway, she receives a note informing her that if she does not comply and do as she is told, her daughter will pay the price. What is a mother to do? We immediately know that the marriage of Mina and Adam is in big trouble. And it's not going to get better without honesty and listening on both sides but they aren't about to be honest with each other and both seem too far gone to listen to the other. The only thing keeping these two connected at all is their adopted daughter, five year old Sophia. Hostage is 1 of 4 similarly themed novels (that I’m aware of) touching ground this summer, and the 3rd (and last) one I read.

Talley is a great lead character, plagued with doubts and concerns for his estranged family. The villains are well done, a believable bunch of fairly clueless criminals, although there's much more to Mars than originally indicated. Secondly, I found it exhausting to live inside Mina’s head with the same thoughts/fears/resolve. Honestly, there were times I wanted to kill her myself just to shut her up. But then I considered how I would feel if I were her, and decided I’d be even more annoying so I forgave her. But why do we readers have to hear about it incessantly? It was interesting to read this so soon after Falling - another plane based drama. Mina is a flight attendant and has organised to have herself rostered on World Airways flight 79, the first non-stop London to Sydney flight, all 20 hours of it. Adam is her policeman husband and they have a 5 year old daughter, Sophia. Mina and Adam are having a few problems, hence her desire to be away from home just before Christmas.

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No, she tells me she’s heard it all before, and because she knows what I do for a living if I try that stuff she says, ‘Hey don’t try that here!’ But I think in most situations in life listening is the key ingredient that we can employ in avoiding or resolving conflict. If we come across as being sincere and genuine it speaks volumes about us as human beings and makes us worthy of the other individuals’ respect in kind. a cop figured out they were in the house, they shot him while he was out front. the other cops came to his rescue and dragged him into the car and to the ambulance We learn a lot about Mina before she boards that flight. She’s separated from her husband Alex and they are the parents of Sophia who they adopted when she was 10-months old. Sophia has been a difficult child as she is still suffering from the effects of separation anxiety. Mina is feeling guilt for having looked forward to some time away from the daughter she loves and she’s also keeping a big secret that’s reshaped her own life. Husband Alex, a police detective, also has a secret life that’s brought some huge threats to his career and family, so big that he’s allowed Mina to believe a false reason for their separation. So, the threat on that plane takes on even larger meaning and danger as those involved have layers of complexity and angles. Every time I thought I knew who might be involved and what was around the next corner, a new revelation would blow that to bits. Those sound like qualities that have served you well. Let’s talk about your first choice, Bullets, Bombs and Fast Talk: 25 Years of FBI War Stories by James Botting, who sounds like he worked on some high-profile cases.

There isn’t a lot of room for character building in a story like this, but Talley works OK as the classic hero-haunted-by-a-tragedy. The hostage takers are well done as being a mixed bag of scared, stupid and crazy, and the various mob guys make serviceable villains. Could she choose between her daughter and the lives of people on the board? What she’s going to do?

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I wasn't a fan of the author throwing in a few hot button social issues of the day, which did nothing to move the plot forward. I would really urge authors to show restraint and simply focus on telling a good story. the kid hit the dad on the head, hes unconscious. the third boy, max, theres something wrong with him, psyco. the brother of the girl in the house got her cell phone and managed to make a call to the police but had to hang up I supplemented with the audio. Note re the audiobook: WHY would one narrator be used for all the different POV? It was impossible to tell whose POV I was listening to. I huge FAIL. More political than other thrillers Ive read, its not comfortable reading for someone who enjoys a holiday flight every now and again; there's lots to think about and assess in and out of the book