Code Black
by Philip Donlay
Published by iBooks
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Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann
This aviation thriller literally starts with a bang, when an explosion in the electrical system of the Indianapolis airport shuts down their air traffic control. This accident leads to a military plane slicing the top off a passenger plane, Wayfarer Flight 880 in flight, headed for Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
Donovan Nash, who is a pilot for his own small company Eco-watch, is a passenger in the back of the plane. When the accident happens, Nash is chatting with a woman who thinks she recognizes him. He grabs onto the woman to keep her from being sucked out of the plane. Nash then makes his way to the cockpit, only to find one pilot out cold and the other dead. He takes over the crippled controls–but there are NO electronics, and the plane is freezing. The oxygen supply will run out soon, and he desperately tries to get the altitude down quickly to save the passengers in back who are on the plane’s limited oxygen supply.
O’Hare has been shut down due to a horrific blizzard. Nash had been talking to his fiancé, Dr. Lauren McKenna, a weather expert who works for the government, when the crash happens. The few conscious passengers and Nash are only able to converse with Wayfarer and the Chicago tower via cell phone. One of Wayfarer’s head pilots is Henry Parrish, who is trying to come up with some miracle to restore the electronics. Unfortunately there is a power struggle going on in Wayfarer’s top management, and those people try to sabotage the rescue efforts. Eventually McKenna and Parrish come up with a daring and unconventional way to rescue Wayfarer 880 using another plane.
This thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat (hopefully not an airplane seat!) until the exciting conclusion. Donlay is a professional pilot who has been flying since he was 17. His first novel, also featuring Donovan Nash, is Category Five.
Armchair Interviews says: Whew, such an exciting read.
Author’s Web site: http://www.PhilipDonlay.com