Customer Reviews

The Passenger

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I gave this book to my dad as a gift. He's retired Air Force. He loved it and insisted I read it... not my usual genre. (I'm more of an Oprah-type reader, actually.) Well, for the two days it took me to finish this book, the dishes were piled in the sink, laundry in the hallway... you get the picture. It was fascinating to "ride along" with an air crash investigation team. The action moves right along. The government corruption Davis writes about is so believable, sadly. I asked my dad if the often negative depictions of these high-ranking military officers bothered him, and if the foul language bothered him (my dad never swears). He laughed at me and said, "Sweetie, this book tells it like it is!" My dad is now reading Davis's first book, "The General," and I'm next in line to read that. So I give the book five stars, and since my dad isn't on-line, here are his for you, Patrick Davis: *****. We can't wait for your next book.

Former Air Force pilot Patrick Davis has written another quick read that combines military technology with conspiracy and good police work. It reads quickly and while there are a few technical errors, which Davis, as a former serving officer should not have made, comes across as for the most part believable.

In this book, the Learjet carrying the half-brother of the President of the United States goes down under mysterious circumstances. An senior AF officer assigns a brand new Colonel, a former fighter pilot grounded by ejection injuries to the case. He hopes to embarrass this promising officer and lay the blame elsewhere to conceal his perfidy and inside connections with corrupt administration officials.

The officer in charge of the investigation must also deal with the fact that his former wife, now the Deputy Director of the NTSB has also been assigned to the investigation. Although the Air Force team also includes Lt Col Chen, friend of Colonel Quinn and a former civilian homicide investigator before he joined the Air Force, Jennifer's assignment leaves COL Quinn looking for the underlying motive behind insider attempts to blame the pilots for the crash.

Along the route of the investigation, innocent people die. Previous government scandals are brought back to complicate the mix. But the two lead AF investigators are men of integrity and honor and they deal with the incessant corruption in the media, the FBI, the White House and the Congress with the courage that only people who have seen real combat can bring to bear when the going gets tough.

As I said, this is a quick read. Davis is still a new writer and is sure to develop his story telling skills with each new outing. I look forward to his future efforts and recommend this book to fans of military and police procedural thrillers.

Paul Connors

....and make sure there are no afternoon football, basketball or baseball games you want to watch either, because you won't go to sleep until you finish.

I made the mistake of starting on a Friday evening, read until two AM, woke up at five thirty and finished it off by breakfast.

If you like this genre of books, you will like everything about this book. The plot is familiar enough territory but the details are not -- by a long shot. You find yourself caring about the characters and their fate. The moment you think you have figured the plot out, a new twist appears. And no red herrings! (Well, maybe half of one). You'll hate the villans, love the good guys. You will become totally involved.

My only problem with Davis is that he's spending too much time flying airplanes, and not enough writing suspense novels. He's two for two in the novel department.

I found this book very hard to put down! The author gives you details but does'nt down load you with minute discriptions. I am looking forward to reading his other work! I am glad I found a new author I enjoy reading!

This book doesn't break new ground. It reads like an old familiar mystery-suspense movie that we've all seen at least once. The good thing is, it would have been one of those movies that had us glued to our chairs. What I'm trying to say here is, this is a good book. I give it 3.5 stars.

The plot spins a nice web of intrigue that pulls the reader in. A lot is going on, but it all ties together nicely in the end. The characters play their roles well, and, for the most part, act in ways you would expect them to. And while I was afraid that the parts of the book dealing with the technical aspects of an airplane crash would bore me to tears, I'm happy to report that I was wrong. The technical details were revealed through dialogue between characters, which made them interesting and palatable. Besides that, the author gave only the details we needed to know, rather than trying to show off any technical knowledge on his part. A good choice. Finally, the story moves along at a pretty fast pace revealing details of the investigation along the way. And just when I thought the book was over, the author threw in a slight twist at the end.

In sum, the book is good and I recommend it.

OK, so the pro critics have some problems with Davis's characterizations. However, as an active duty AF officer I think Davis prior service makes his authenticity on the money for the most part. Some military novelists leave me groaning with their numerous errors and faux pas. Davis is adept at making you turn the page, particularly transitioning from chapter to chapter. At night I tell my wife, "I'll come to bed at the end of this chapter" and generally mean it. With "The General" and now with "The Passenger" Davis makes me a liar. He is masterful at leading you to the next piece of the story compelling you to keep going. I can put Clancy's stuff down and forget it for months, not so Davis. Keep them coming!!

like may others who have reviewed this book, i enjoyed it, and read it in one day. A lot happens, the pages turn, one wonders what it going on. My one reservation is that, as the bodies pile up, the book wants us to feel that Our Hero is cornered, set up, framed - but instead the thinking reader starts to wonder: surely with all of this happening, someone besides Our Hero will notice that something is suspicious? That said, i recommend the book anyway.

Once again Patrick Davis gives us another military thriller that keeps you guessing til the end. His in depth look at the crash investigation makes you feel like you are a part of it. Once you get started, you won't want to put it down til your finished! He writes so well and so realistic it makes you wonder if things like the plot of this book really do happen in Washington.

Colonel John Flynn loved flying for the Air Force. The winner of the Medal of Honor during the Gulf War, no one can picture John anywhere but in a cockpit. However, on his last flight, a missile hit his plane. This left the heroic aviator so badly injured he is forced to accept a desk job as the chief of the Safety liaison Office. Making his adjustment even more difficult is the fact that his superior, Major General Maxwell Cramer, seems to loathe John.

Cramer assigns John to head up the investigation of a jet crash at Andrews Air Force Base. The two pilots and the president's half-brother Joshua Thurston died in the crash. Pressure mounts on John and his team to blame the incident on pilot error. John refuses to buckle under and properly continues his inquiries even as a cover-up unfolds from the highest levels of the White House.

Patrick A. Davis, author of the highly regarded thriller THE GENERAL, has written another winner in THE non-stop action adventure tale THE PASSENGER. With this one-sitting novel, readers attain an absorbing look inside the dynamics of an air crash investigation. The protagonist seems more like an old hero, a sort of John Wayne 1990's character. John understands the consequences of continuing down an unpopular path, but insists on doing what he feels are the right courses of action even if it costs him his career. Readers will come on board what is one of the better action thrillers of the year.

Harriet Klausner

I've read this book several times since I received the book, and have enjoyed it each time. The whole book is layed out nicely, and there are no rough edges to the story at all. Its an extremely easy read, but it is deep and interested nonetheless. I am definately a fan of Mr. Patrick, and look forward to reading his other works. Highly recommended