Skyjack
will elevate author K. J. Howe to a level close to Tom Clancy.
She follows up her riveting debut novel, The Freedom Broker,
with another gripping thriller featuring kidnap and ransom
expert Thea Paris.
Her assignment is to escort two orphaned African brothers,
Jabari, 12, and Ayan, 9, to their new adoptive parents in
London. The children had been forced into soldiering after
seeing their parents murdered by Boko Haram. Now they will
finally have a chance at a better life, a real childhood and
education.In route, the chartered plane carrying Thea, the
boys, and 12 other passengers are hijacked and lands in the
Libyan Desert. Her long-time nemesis, Prospero Salvatore,
the head of the Sicilian Mafia, forces herto intercept a truck
full of Syrian refugees who are headed towards Budapest and
supposedly exchange them for the plane hostages, including
the boys.
Howe noted, “Since I am an avid flyer, although not
a pilot, I started to think about the new security measures
on planes including reinforced cockpit doors. I wanted to
create a real buzz in the air so I thought how passengers
surrender control to the pilot every time they step on a plane.
Everyone must trust that the pilots have our best interests
at heart, but what if they do not. Think of the German pilot
that plowed the plane intentionally into a mountain or the
Egyptian pilot that intentionally crashed the plane. I thought
how different it is than getting into an Uber or bus where
if something happens there is the possibility someone can
take over.”
From the very first page, readers are swept into the action
as they are placed in the middle of a skyjacking, horrific
weather conditions, and passengers whose medical conditions
create a dangerous situation. As the story progresses it becomes
apparent that things are not what they seem to be considering
those involved are a part of an organization who intends to
reduce the world’s population by releasing a virus killing
those of Middle-Eastern origin. They will stop at nothing
including brutal attacks and killings of innocents.
Thea’s backstory is also being further drawn out. It
is heart-warming to have a female protagonist who can be an
alpha. She is strong minded who can stand on her own with
any male antagonist. Having the medical condition of diabetes
does not slow her down.
Howe wanted to make sure Thea is “Smart, fearless, and
vulnerable. It is incredibly important to me that girls have
strong female protagonists to look up to. We have all these
males: James Bond, Jack Reacher, and Jason Bourne. Where is
the strong female? But, males are not turned off by her. In
fact, a lot of my Special Forces guys enjoy reading her exploits.
I think through her I am able to weed into the story both
action and emotion.”
The intricate plot has action, manipulation, betrayal, murder,
and political intrigue intertwined with family relationships.
Anyone looking for a new series should read Howe’s books.
Reviews
for other titles in this series
The
Freedom Broker #1
SkyJack
#2
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