Mayday

By: Nelson DeMille, Thomas Block

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Twelve miles above the Pacific Ocean, a missile strikes a jumbo passenger jet. The flight crew is crippled or dead. Now, defying both nature and man, three survivors must achieve the impossible. Land the plane. From master storyteller Nelson DeMille and master pilot Thomas Block comes Maydaythe classic bestseller that packs a supersonic shock at every turn of the page . . . the most terrifyingly realistic air disaster thriller ever. Like a growing tidal wave, the escaping air was gathering momentum.
A teenaged girl in aisle 18, seat D, near the port-side aisle, her seat dislocated by the original impact, suddenly found herself gripping her seat track on the floor, her overturned seat still strapped to her body. The seatbelt failed and the seat shot down the aisle. She lost her grip and was dragged after it. Her eyes were filled with horror as she dug her nails into the carpet, as the racing air pulled her toward the yawning hole that led outside. Her cries were unheard by even those passengers who sat barely inches away from her struggle. The noise of the escaping air was so loud that it was no longer decipherable as sound, but seemed instead a solid thing pounding at the people in their seats . . .©1979, 1998 by Thomas H. Block and Nelson DeMille, All Rights Reserved; (P) and ©1998 Time Warner AudioBooks, A Division of Time Warner Trade Publishing

Engaging suspense

Tensions mount as problem after problem pile up on one man who has a chance to save his own life and that of the few survivors of a mid-air incident.

This was an engaging book, but the bad guys are a bit of a push. It positions both the military and big business as the bad guy and while this is possible, I had to shake my head at the justifications and decisions being made by characters in the book.

Being a private pilot myself, I have to think that I'm not alone in thoughts of saving the plane when some mid-air mishap occurs. This has to be appealing to other pilots as well. There is a lot of familiar cockpit decisions being made here and it's easy to put yourself in that plane through the narration.

All in all, I found it entertaining and a good listen.

Wow amazing suspense filled story

Every minute suspense crazy story. twists and turns not expected. I recommend highly. I could not stop listening.

Why people stare at automobile wrecks

I finished the story in less than 24 hours. A thought provoking/ gruesome tale about future high altitude commercial flights.

Suspenseful and wonderful

I must confess that I didn't care for this narrator's style. However the story and knowing the kinds of books Nelson writes was enough for me to still enjoy listening to this book. It was hard to put down and get some sleep. I also found myself taking an extra lunch break so I could finish a chapter. The details and the dynamics of real air planes was well-researched and added to the realism. I guess there was a movie made from this book, which I know isn't as good knowing how movies are, so I might watch it one day if I'm bored. This book is a definite keeper however and is worth reading more than once.

Reviews

It is always interesting to see the reviews and what turns ones crank and turns off another. In the past, I have found myself looking at the negative reviews too much. This book was impossible to put down. It totally sucked in my attention. Riveting. Doesn't leave the ghosts of Up Country, but the action is always at hand and never overly drawn out. Worth every penny. We need more Demille books.

Couldn't turn it off

I rarely give a book a 5 star rating and then it's usually something that has some kind of a profound message or story (Kite Runner-Memoirs of a Geshia) but although this wasn't that kind of book, it was a fantastic read. I finally turned it off at 3 am (had to work the next day) and started it again as I made breakfast.

If you are looking for a far better than normal read, performed perfectly by Scott Brick, this is it.

Awesome!!!!

This is my favorite audio book author!!!! What a great story......you can feel the tension and the trauma the characters endure. Before the first hour went by, I was so hooked that I just could not go to sleep! (Don't worrey there are several surprises and lots ok):

Couldn’t stop listening!!

I had listened to the first release of this book years ago and the new release is even better and more riveting than I remember from the first time. I absolutely Love this Book!!

NELSON DEMILLE & SCOTT BRICK....UNBEATABLE !

Outstanding listen...keeps you riveted the entire time...Scott Brick"s narration is 2nd to none.
Highly recommend.

Like finding an unexpected $20 in your pocket

What did you love best about Mayday?

The technical creepiness

What other book might you compare Mayday to and why?

By The Waters of Babylon

Any additional comments?

I put off purchasing this book last because it wasn't "pure" Nelson DeMille. What a pleasant surprise it was. Demille & Block sure make a great writing team.