Book Review: Hard Landing

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Hard Landing     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Lynne Heitman
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Airlines   Thriller
Onyx, Apr 2001, $6.99, 432 pp.

Bill Scanlon is known as the "man who saved the airline business" after he bought Nor'easter and turned it into the profit making Majestic Airlines. Alex Shanahan, the new Operations Manager for majestic at Logan Airport used to hold a staff position. She knows Majestic has serious problems, but never expected the near riot she enters when she arrives at the hangar.

Alex quickly realizes that the unions control Majestic, not management. Alex believes she can turn things around, but so did her predecessor who eventually killed herself. Alex's second in command Dan Fallacaro insists that someone murdered Ellen, but disguised it as a suicide. When Alex and Dan begin digging into Ellen's death, they uncover more than either expected or can handle. Payoffs, corruption, and deep-rooted conspiracies mean two more nosy people must kill themselves.

Frequent fliers beware HARD LANDING because they may never step onto a jet ever again once they realize how easy things can go wrong. Although most passengers will not think of this at least until they read this exciting novel, their lives reside in the hands of the ground crew as much as their life depends on the pilot. Lynne Heitman is a newcomer, but shows she has a gift as a storyteller by keeping the reader actively involved throughout her action-paced tale that travels faster than the speed of the SST.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner