First Class Killing [Mass Market Paperback]

Lynne Heitman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2004

Corruption. Deceit. Cold-blooded murder. These skies are far from friendly.

Tough, resourceful, and beautiful, Alex Shanahan survived the cutthroat corporate world on her own terms. But now, she's using her hard-earned experience for herself -- as a private investigator. Alex is hired to check out an airline that's been serving more than just complimentary peanuts: there's a high-end prostitution ring catering to first-class passengers. Alex goes undercover as a flight attendant to infiltrate the group, and gets more than she bargained for as she gets closer to the cunning and dangerous woman who runs it...close enough to kill. When her cover is blown, she knows it's only a matter of time before her next flight is her last....

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lisa Gardner New York Times bestselling author of The Killing Hour Thoroughly engrossing suspense. -- Review

About the Author

Lynne Heitman is the author of the Alex Shanahan novels First Class Killing (available from Pocket Books); Tarmac, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the most notable thrillers of 2002; and Hard Landing. She grew up in Dallas, where she spent one year as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Southern Methodist University. She was a financial analyst for American Airlines and general manager of operations at Logan Airport. She currently lives in Boston, where she is a full-time novelist.

Visit her website at www.lynneheitman.com.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (March 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743456157
• ISBN-13: 978-0743456159
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,284,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great storytelling, March 30, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Class Killing (Mass Market Paperback)

For fourteen years she was the vice president of operations at Majestic Airlines based at Boston's Logan Airport. Needing a career change, she tendered her resignation and went to work as an apprentice to private investigator Harvey Baltimore who is suffering from multiple sclerosis. Alex Shanahan does most of the leg work while Harvey does the research; together they make a great team. Right now Alex is undercover as a flight attendant for Orange Air trying to get close to Angela Velesco, a senior flight attendant.

The chief of security at Orange Air wants Angela's prostitution operation disbanded and that takes proof. Alex believes that Angela might have killed a competitor but that doesn't stop her from trying to get Angela to hire her as a business consultant. Since Angela has major trust issues, Alex must pretend to pass the test that is set for her. As Alex gets a closer look at the operation, she finds that Angela uses blackmail to get what she wants, making the private detective even more determined to stop her even though she has to put her own life in danger to do it.

It is a long time (too long) since readers had a chance to read something new about Alexandra Shanahan but it was well worth the wait. The well written storyline is plausible leading to the audience eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next. There is a lot of action in FIRST CLASS KILLING especially the scenes when the heroine comes very close to getting caught in her masquerade. Lynn Heitman tells a very compelling crime thriller complete with blackmail, murder, and an internet run prostitute ring.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars What about the plane?, April 13, 2004

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: First Class Killing (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a fan of Lynn Heitmann and had been waiting a long time for this one. I read this author because her thrillers usually take place at airports or in a plane (I love airplane disaster/thriller books). THIS IS WHAT MAKES HER BOOKS DIFFERENT!!!

However, this time around, although mention of planes and flying is made in passing, the crux of the action takes place on the ground - turning this thriller into yet another standard, average book.

The writing was excellent and the lead character is fun. But, I was extremely disappointed by the fact that only about 15% of the book takes place in the sky.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Pages Just Fly By, April 21, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: First Class Killing (Mass Market Paperback)

Lynne Heitman's latest mystery is yet another fast, absorbing read, and she proves once again just how well she knows the innerworkings of the airline industry. She has built a fascinating, believable story around flight attendants turned prostitutes whose customers always travel in first class. And, with this saga, she takes her main character, Alex Shanahan, through the difficult first steps necessary to become a real private detective, though Shanahan seems lucky to be alive after this physically brutal adventure. It's also clear that one of Heitman's favorite new characters is a hired thug with a penchant for wildly colorful sports coats. I hope he returns for her next book.