OMG - I love this book which earns 4.5 stars from me!!

Take the highly publicized debut of the first non-stop flight from London to Sydney, Australia; add 353 people on board who each have back-stories; add the routine stress of flying for 20 hours straight; and then add a hijacking to the mix which leads to panic, terror and bravery. You'll be counting down each tick of the clock until the plane reaches Sydney, or doesn't.

Mina Holbrook is a flight attendant serving business class on World Airlines flight 79 from London to Sydney. Her personal life is a mess - she is married to Adam, a policeman, but the marriage is undergoing a lot of stress and she doesn't know if she wants to continue to fight for it or just let it go. They have a 5-year old adopted daughter Sophie, who they each love deeply, but whose special needs have driven them each to the edge.

Mina receives a note which says if she doesn't follow the directions exactly, her daughter will die. As a parent, what would you do? Stick with protocol, or save your child? And does she really have a choice? Surely the terrorists have a back-up plan?

Chaos ensues, and the anxiety, stress and fear ratchet up to record levels. Take a breath, just breathe, please stay calm and just breathe. I'm not sure if the flight attendants are talking to the passengers or to the readers!!

I love that Mackintosh's characters are rich and fully human with all the flaws and trouble that brings. I love that we get to hear the thoughts of several of the passengers throughout the novel, as we wonder are they the one? Are they the hijacker?

This is a great, escapist read that for the length of the read, has you worrying more about what's happening on flight 79 than you do about what's going on in your own imperfect life. Aaahhhh, I needed that!!

Do yourlself a favor and add this to your TBR pile - you won't regret it!!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read a review copy of this book being published today 6/22/2021. All opinions and errors expressed in this review are my own.

Secrets, lies, and emotional manipulation are at the heart of Clare Mackintosh's thriller, "Hostage." Thirty-four-year-old Mina Holbrook is a flight attendant who needs some time to think about the future of her marriage. Her husband, Adam, has deeply disappointed and hurt her, and Mina decides to get away from him for a little while by volunteering to work on her airline's first non-stop flight from London to Sydney. The author tells her story from various perspectives. We learn that Mina is devoted to her adopted daughter, Sophia, a five-year-old with an attachment disorder that dates back to her years in foster care. Meanwhile, Adam narrates his own tale of woe, informing us about transgressions he has committed that could cost him his family and his job.

The central premise is that hijackers, who have taken over the airplane on which Mina is flying, threaten to kill her little girl if Mina refuses to follow their instructions. We learn a bit about the personalities and motives of the terrorists, and Mackintosh nicely portrays the camaraderie between Mina and her colleagues. In addiiton, Mackintosh enlightens us about various aspects of commercial aviation from a flight attendant's perspective. She and the rest of the crew do their best to stay focused and calm as conditions aboard the aircraft steadily deteriorate.

When Mina and her colleagues realize that they are facing a potential catastrophe, they try to devise a plan to foil their captors. This book is filled with angst-ridden dialogue, numerous twists and turns, and distressing scenes of brutality and bloodshed. Although Mackintosh is an able storyteller, "Hostage" falters at times. Some of its plot elements are heavy-handed and predictable, and the conclusion is marred by a final implausible twist. Still, readers who do not have a fear of flying may enjoy this action-packed work of fiction in which a distraught heroine is forced to choose between the life of her child and the safety of more than three hundred terrified passengers.

Holy $H!T that was INTENSE! To the VERY LAST PAGE my anxiety was roiling in the pit of my stomach, not wanting it to end, fearing how it might end, “Please, gawd, will this ever end?!” It’s been so long since I’ve read such a thriller that kept me glued to the pages, that didn’t make me scream at the characters for their irritating and banal introspection. FINALLY, a balanced narrative, enough internal conflict to make a story, but not excessive to the point of indifference at the conclusion because you’re ready to be finished with the story, regardless of how it ends.

Mina and Adam are relatable characters with semi-relatable problems, past traumas that haunt them but don’t keep them from moving forward, or at least to a crippling degree. However, it still catches up with them, and just as everything personally is coming to a head, well, professionally, it’s about to get interesting. Both are equally represented, the good and the bad, neither coming out looking rosier than the other and I appreciate the equity. The wild card, Sophia, manages to be a challenging child but not one that you wish wasn’t there, she makes it interesting, she adds the flair.

The multiple and separate accounts from various characters throughout the book keep the perspective fresh, the tension high, and the wheels in your head turning as you try and piece together everyone’s part, they’re role, where they fit into the whole of the story. Even if you begin to think you have it all figured out, I guarantee, there will still be a few surprises waiting in the wings.

An advanced copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. The opinions are my own.

What would you do if you had to choose between saving your child and a plane of 353 people? That is the decision flight attendant Mina faces in Hostage. This is a claustrophobic thriller that covers twenty hours on one airplane flight that captivated me completely.

Words I’d use to describe this book- tense, gritty, addicting, horrific, entertaining, and clever. Clare Mackintosh kept the twisty fun coming until the very last page, too. So well done!

I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for an entertaining thriller this summer! Four stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Sourcebooks Landmark for the advance e-copy. It publishes tomorrow- June 22, 2021!

Flight attendant Mina is thrilled to be a part of the inaugural direct flight from London to Sydney, the first 20 hour flight. Things at home have been stressful, and Mina is eager to experience this historic event. However, once on board, Mina receives an anonymous note threatening her daughter’s life if she does not follow the instructions given to her.

This was an incredibly fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller, with plenty of twists along the way. I really enjoyed the different perspectives from Mina while on the plane, and her husband, Adam, back at home, and learning about the various potential suspects aboard the flight. The story makes your put yourself in Mina’s shoes, and wonder what you would do if you were in this horrific situation. Overall, this book was a fast, roller coaster ride of a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Another terrific book by Claire Mackintosh.As usual her writing draws me in keeps me on the edge of my sear.The characters come alive involving me more and more .So many twists and turns I hated putting this book down,no spoilers just telling everyone grab this and any of her other books.#netgalley #hostage

This book kept me guessing – even through the end to the very last reveal.

Mina is a flight attendant, scheduled to fly on a new journey from London to Sydney – a twenty-hour flight. And Mina cannot wait to get on that flight and away from her husband, the man she believes is cheating on her.

But the flight is not what she expects. With a hijacker on board threatening to cause harm to her adopted daughter back home, Mina feels forced to comply with the hijacker’s wishes – putting everyone on the plane at risk.

Meanwhile, back home, Mina’s husband is struggling with their daughter – one with severe separation anxiety – and is attempting to deal with his real secret. What he doesn’t expect is for those he trusts to be against him as well.

Everything in this books seems to go wrong. Also, the flight attendants in this book seem to be incredibly judgmental – commenting on stereotypes and even feeding into the discrimination of people based on appearances. Beyond this, the mystery continues to constantly unravel as it becomes clear there might be more than one person behind the entire scheme.

I was hooked through this entire read. I love Clare Mackintosh’s books and I highly recommend grabbing this one. It was a bit of a slow-burn at first, but the ending had so many twists that I couldn’t remember it ever being slow by the end!

TW: hijacking, hostage, gambling, death, murder, manipulation, secrets

I blew through this in one day, it was that good. I had to find out what would happen!! This should be made into a movie!!!

MacIntosh is a best-selling British author of books such as "I Let You Go", "I See You" and "After the End". This new release is a thriller and asks the question who would you sacrifice to save your child. Mina is a flight attendant and on a 20 hour flight from London to Sydney, Australia she receives a note from a passenger. The note requires her cooperation in a hijacking or her daughter will die. This is a great recommendation for fans of the genre and I particularly loved the ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest 5 star thriller by one of my top favorite authors, Clare Mackintosh. If you haven't read her debut, I Let You Go, you must add it to your list!

Mina and her husband, Adam, are having issues in their marriage. Their adopted daughter, Sophia, is gifted but challenging. Mina just needs a break so she switches assignments with a fellow flight attendant to be on the inaugural nonstop 20-hour flight from London to Sydney, Australia. But on board, she is handed a threatening note by an anonymous passenger who knows just how to make Mina comply with the appalling request. At home, Adam, who is caring for Sophia while Mina is away, has his secrets brought to his doorstep and threatening his safety as well as Sophia's.

Taking place over the 20-hour flight, this is a non-stop tense thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page when yet another twist will leave you gaping! Between the two storylines of Adam and Mina, both will leave you on the edge of your seat as well as questioning what you would do in these situations. Clear your calendar because you will not be able to put this book down - highly recommended!

Hostage is the story about a flight attendant named Mina who is married to a police officer named Adam. After believing that Adam has had an affair with their daughter Sophia's nanny, their relationship is on the brink of divorce. Mina takes a shift on the twenty-hour flight to Sydney. What she doesn't know is that the plane is about to be hijacked. Even more worrisome is that the hijackers also have someone on the ground who is ready to hurt Sophia. The hijackers use Mina's daughter as a way to get Mina to do what they want.

Although the story about Mina and her family was very suspenseful and interesting, there were also chapters narrated by certain passengers on the plane. These narrations are of the hijackers themselves. They are a group of environmentalists who make demands of the government while in the air. This part of the story, their cause, really ruined the book for me. The hijackers were really annoying and took away from Mina's story. The reasoning for the hijacking was asinine and the only thing that saved the book was the beautiful twist at the end narrated by Sophia.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

Hostage is everything I love in a thriller - fast-paced, insane, and stressful. When I heard the plot, I knew this would be even better than my favorite Mackintosh novel, I Let You Go, and I was correct. This is by far her best novel yet and I. Was. Obsessed.

Hostage is basically the movie Red Eye meets an Agatha Christie novel. It centers around estranged couple Mina and Adam. Mina is a flight attendant assigned to work on the nonstop flight from London to Sydney. Adam is a police officer with troubles that are threatening his career and his family. When Mina receives a note on her flight from an anonymous passenger saying to follow their instructions or her daughter will die, Mina is faced with an impossible choice.

The locked room mystery plot of this book is so cinematic and interesting, as is the structure with chapters included from the POVs of various passengers. Mackintosh spends time at the beginning developing the backstory for Mina, Adam, and their adopted daughter to ensure that you are invested in their story and the outcome. The prologue also causes a lot of extra stress and dread that makes the book even harder to put down. I can’t say enough good things about this one. Fans of The Last Flight and Ruth Ware novels will absolutely love this book. A required beach/pool read this summer.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

HOSTAGE
By Clare Macintosh
https://bit.ly/3vmi4qM
Psychological Suspense
400 pages

Mina is a middle aged, married, mother, and a flight attendent. Her marriage is in trouble, yet she doesn't know the real extent of it. Only her husband knows that and he's full of secrets. Adam is a respected police officer who he has gotten himself in a ton of trouble with the wrong people. This whole situation is due to him. On a flight to Australia, Mina is given a note saying the flight is being hijacked and as long as she cooperates her daughter will remain safe and unharmed. Mina has a decision to make: stop a hijacker from hurting a plane full of passengers or save her family by…

This book is filled with twist after twist that gives you one shocking revelation after another! Clare Macintosh is the reigning queen of suspense and this latest novel cements that title. I highly recommend all her books, including this.

Wow! High tension and plot twists galore. Love a precocious child and Sophia is so so smart. Didn’t see the end coming and am glad Sophia had a part in the final justice.

I did keep notes on this one because there were a lot of passengers and crew to keep track of. There was a definite message about climate change and radicalization with the bad guys using code names and planning the job in online message boards.


People who are already nervous about flying or plane crashes should NOT read this one!

This thriller takes place on a long haul flight, London to Sydney. What happens behind the scenes that can change the trajectory of the flight and all the lives aboard . It presents every parents nightmare- Do you save many lives, or the life of your child ? The story is fast paced and has lots of interesting twists and turns.
Recommended read ( just not while flying !)

There are several balls in the air here pun intended. Mina flies the skies, she is an attendant well versed in airplanes.. She on the surface, wiped out of flight school, but beneath the surface a more sinister reason prevailed. Adam is in over his head with gambling debt, and forces are moving to settle the score. Sophia a dream come true for Adam and Mina through international adoption, challenges and delights every day. Mina is scheduled to make a ground breaking flight of twenty hours to Australia. Aboard we meet and learn of a variety of passengers all compelling stories but one is not as altruistic as they seem. Mina is approached and given a slip of paper that will change every life aboard. Adam will come to terms and find a real snake in the grass. And Sophia will charm and amaze you. Remember the old adage about little pitchers. Happy reading

This was such an anxiety provoking thriller! Mackintosh truly took the locked-room mystery sub genre to a whole new level trapping passengers and her readers in the sky! I thought that it was so clever and would definitely make a phenomenal movie!

I enjoyed that the plot seemed totally realistic and I thoroughly enjoyed the alternating POVs between Mina, her husband, and all the different passengers!

It was a compelling and addictive page turner that I think everyone will enjoy! I also relish in a fun surprise ending just when you think everything’s been wrapped up nicely with a bow!

Fasten your seatbelts, you’re up for one HELL of a ride come June 22nd! 😉

Mina is a flight attendant scheduled for the inaugural non-stop flight from London to Sydney. There is much press and fanfare for the big flight, but Mina is mostly relieved it gets her a few days away from Adam, her estranged husband. The two have been torn apart by his cheating and the difficulties of parenting their young daughter. However, once the plane takes off, Mina receives a note telling her that she must make a terrifying decision, one that forces her to choose between her job and her family.

"Everyone wants a piece of Flight 79. Everyone wants to make history."

Whew, what a tense and stressful thriller! It had a slow start to building up all the drama--it is a lie that it all takes place on a plane, as we get some backstory to Mina and Adam's relationship before Mina steps on said fateful plane. For me, that part dragged a bit. Once she's on the plane, things pick up and it's a fairly twisty and taut journey.

The book flips between Mina and Adam's perspectives, along with some of the plane's passengers. It's a little hard to keep everyone straight, though it's clear from the passenger's narration that something is not right with this flight. Mackintosh, as always, is great at building up the uneasiness. Adam is not the most sympathetic of characters, and I wanted to yell and scream at him during many of his chapters. Their poor child--what parents she has!

It's a unique idea here, and for the most part, it's executed well. Mackintosh gives us a lot to think about, between Mina's situation and some of her other plot points. The story is stressful and intense, leaving you to wonder what on earth will happen next (and perhaps question any desire to take a plane ever again). The ending, too, is excellent.

Clare Macintosh just never disappoints! Every book is just better and better! This is by far my favorite! Addicting, super smart and full of twists and turns it'll make your head spin! Characters I actually liked and cared about what happened to them. And that ending!! Edge of your seat! Thank you so much!

Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is dangerous. -Aviation Quote

What about being taken hostage??

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.

Time apart sounds like the perfect way for both to think about their marriage, but unfortunately, the time they spend away from each other will be filled with each thinking about survival.

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?

Meanwhile at home, Adam has his own struggles. He has gotten in over his head with the wrong people and receives a painful and frightening visit. He is told he needs to pay or else. But that is not all, he soon learns that his unpaid debts are the least of his worries. His is facing another threat as well.

Talk about a book full of tension and dread. You can feel the danger dripping from the pages. Told through both Mina and Adam's POV, we get to know both, their thoughts, their fears, their plans. Both are put in extraordinary situations. Both have decisions to make, both are put to the test, both are in a fight to protect their daughter and survive.

The alternating POV chapters move the story along at breakneck speed. Mackintosh had my heart pounding and just when I was biting my nails worrying about all the people onboard the flight, she transported me back to the Adam and Sophia and I read with a pit in the bottom of my stomach. Anxiety coming in waves. What was going to happen next?

Such an expertly crafted novel which tapped into so many fears. Just when you think the book is over, just when you think it is safe again, there is a WHAT-DID-I-JUST READ moment! I did not see THAT coming. Mackintosh had me in a tight ball of worry the entire book and then pulled the rug out from under me. Kudos! Very nicely done!

Whew! What a roller coaster ride which had me holding on to my arm rest, anxiety riddled and fully entertained.

Chilling, frightening, and full of tension.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.