Skyjack
K.J. Howe
A Thea Paris Thriller
Quercus 2018
400 pages
Thea Paris never thought that events in her own life would be so intimately parallel her job as a top kidnapping and security expert for Quantum International Security. Kindle version at Amazon: Skyjack: A Kidnap-and-Ransom Thriller (A Thea Paris Novel) on Kindle
En route to deliver two spunky orphan war soldier brothers to their excited adoptive parents in London, their already turbulent flight is hijacked and forced to land in a remote area of Libya. The motive is a mystery.
Thea, trying to negotiate on behalf of the captives, is lured to a meeting with an all-too-familiar Mafia kingpin while the plane containing her charges and the other frightened hostages disappears into the air. She is forced to undertake a mission of his bidding in order to keep the others safe.
A parallel but connected deadly terrorist plot is underway, where a young man makes a frightening discovery that forces him to take a stand and make a life-changing decision.
Skyjack by K.J. Howe is about heroism, self sacrifice, and the consequences of standing up for ones beliefs; however noble or warped they may be. With excitement, intrigue and danger, there is always something happening. At times though, this reader found the details and complex connections a lot to follow.
It is the second of Howe’s Thea Paris series. Although Skyjack generally stands alone, it alludes to serious events that impacted Thea’s life and career that were obviously part of the previous novel. Since not quite enough information is provided, Thea’s previous life is a bit of a puzzle. Details would have enhanced the reader’s knowledge and understanding of the character.