Mina should not be on this flight. She is a flight attendant and she changed her shift with a colleague to avoid her husband Adam and the problems she has at home. Now she is on the first non-stop flight from London to Sydney. But something is going on in this plane. Mina receives threatening clues that someone on this plane has something sinister in their mind. Meanwhile her husband finds himself in double trouble at home.

This book was a mixes box for me. I was intrigued by the blurb and expected a claustrophobic thriller. But the books started very slow. At first we meet Mina and we learn everything about her and her husband Adam and their difficult road to become parents. These chapters alternate with Mina being on board and doing her job. Then there are chapters where we meet some of the passengers. All this back and forth and jumping to the stories of random passengers slowed the pace incredibly down for me. I forced myself through half of the book only to think that it was not only boring but also predictable. I considered to dnf. But for some reasons I kept reading and luckily it got better. The pace increased and I suddenly found myself flying through the last half. It still kept quite predictable but at least it started to keep me entertained.

As I said, it was a slow burner at the beginning. Those random passenger stories turned out to be more important than I thought but when I read one after the other I was quite bored because I did not see the sense in reading them. I skipped one or two. The story is somehow over-complicated and there are too much topics cramped into it. Adoption, a child with special needs, a marriage falling apart because of secrets, addiction, climate change, sexual assault, trauma etc. Name it and you fill find the issue in this book. There is just too much going on. Because of so many topics the build-up is too long. Clare Mackintosh is a skilled storyteller but here she puts too much into her story. The end is again a bit dragging and the final twist is quite sinister but also unrealistic (in my opinion).
I felt underwhelmed in the first half, which I would rate 2 stars, and overwhelmed in the second half (4 stars).

I'd been desperately looking out for a review copy of Hostage on NetGalley with eagle eyes, when surprise, surprise, I receive an email from the publisher with an exclusive link for early access.

It's the first non-stop flight from London to Sydney and the world is watching this landmark journey.
But soon after the plane takes off, Flight attendant Mina receives a chilling anonymous note. Someone wants to make sure the plane never reaches its destination. They're demanding her cooperation . . . and they know exactly how to get it.
It's twenty hours to landing and a lot can happen in twenty hours . . .

With every book, Clare Mackintosh brings something new to her narrative style. She refuses to hand over control of her story to the reader, keeping you guessing every step of the way. There are moments that make you gasp, shudder, pull the ground from beneath your feet, and yet you can't bring yourself to stop reading. You're completely hypnotised.

You're always in for a surprise with this author. Just when you think the mystery is solved, she throws in one last piece of the puzzle and pushes you off a cliff. I've come to learn that in Clare Mackintosh's novels the game is over when her characters say so. Not a moment sooner.

Mounting tension and high drama at thirty thousand feet, with nowhere to go other than fall out of the sky, Hostage is by far the most intriguing suspense thriller I've read in a long time. I doubt I'll find another one to match this anytime soon.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group, UK.

Clare Mackintosh is one of my go to authors and her latest, Hostage, delivers just like I thought it would!

Mina is cabin crew on an inaugural non-stop London to Sydney flight. Packed full of the great and good, Mina is working in Business Class when things begin to take a sinister turn. Thoroughly enjoyable and twisty throughout, this will keep you guessing and gasping until the end. I read it in 2 sittings. A thrilling 5* read and a welcome adventure into big ticket excitement.

Hostage is definitely a gripping and heart-stopping read, even though the plot is quite formulaic and if you read many books in this genre, it’s pretty obvious what’s going to happen. Clare Macintosh can always be relied on to deliver a captivating story and this latest one is no exception.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

I enjoyed this book - kept you guessing what was happening, who was involved. I think the fact it’s set on an airplane adds to the suspense.

I wasn’t totally engaged in Adam’s story and the reason for the events on the plane was a bit weak, I thought it would have benefited from increased detail and chapters on how the main perpetrator got the others involved.

But overall, easy to read and enjoyable.

Mina is a confident air stewardess who has flown regularly, knocking up thousands of air miles. She has managed to swap shifts so that she can be on duty for the inaugural flight from London straight to Australia without any stops. Two entire crews will share the work on this flight and Mina is very excited. There will be 353 tickets for sale and hordes of travellers that want to be on this maiden trip just before Christmas. There will we wealthy celebrities and flight enthusiasts that will be waiting for the tickets to go on sale, as well as families, couples and loners going on holiday or to reunite with their families. Waiting for the plane to land in Sydney will be photographers and journalists from around the world to interview the passengers and mark this wonderful, unique occasion.
As the days fly by Mina is at home with Sophia, her five year old adopted daughter. Before she leaves home she tells Sophia all about the route they will be taking. She always leaves her a letter on her pillow so that she will know her mother loves her and is thinking about her. The plane will have Wi-Fi as well so that they can keep in touch and in no time at all Mina will be back at home. Her estranged husband Adam, a policeman, will look after his daughter with the help of her new, very popular and well-loved babysitter Becca.
Publicity about this flight ensures plenty of interest and when the day comes and all of the goodbyes are said, the plane is boarded and then soon the plane is airborne. Every seat is occupied and there are plenty of excited travellers. Soon things start to go wrong for Mina. A letter is handed to her and as she reads it she feels the pressure clench her. The letter tells her that her daughter will be hurt if she does not allow a certain passenger into the cockpit. If she allows entry by the anonymous hijacker the plane will be under their control. The hijackers want the government to pledge to bring forward major reductions in carbon emissions and when they agree to commit to these unique demands the plane will land as planned. Mina allows the leader of the eco warriors into the cockpit to protect her family, and this is the point that ensures there is no going back. There are 20 hours until the plane will land, but what will happen if the demands are not met. I loved this countdown scenario. This is Mina’s and Adam’s story, their threads as brilliant as the main hijack thread.
Wow, every electrifying word from this point on ramped up the tension. It felt as though drums were beating with each reaction and interaction: thrum, like a racing heartbeat. The sense of claustrophobia, fear and suspense, with passengers locked inside a plane 35,000 feet above the surface of the earth, was intense and terrifying. This is a truly chiller thriller, full of action and very pacey. The story telling was flawless, exciting and vivid, told in dual narrative by Adam and Mina. The host of supporting characters were eclectic and thoroughly believable from the passengers to the crew members and the hijackers. I was totally with them, I rooted for them, I felt as though I was actually there, an enthusiastic onlooker.
By the time it came to the end I was totally drained. I loved the ending and the afterword chapters, but I would never have guessed what actually happened. I commend Clare Mackintosh for her meticulous research. It was definitely worthwhile because the text was so authentic and engrossing. I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Sphere through my membership of NetGalley in return for an honest review. These are my own honest opinions without any outside influences. I thought this novel was very good indeed and I recommend it as great read.

An intriguing and compelling read. A real slow burner book but with each page the tension was rising. A clever plot which had me continuoisly guessing who was innocent and who was guilty and for me a very satisfactory ending!

She’s done it again! Hostage the new novel by Clare Mackintosh is a remarkable thriller with plenty of shocks along the way.
Sensational, the storytelling is next level. No one does it like Clare!
The atmosphere can be cut with a knife and Hostage is one of those books you just have to read!

It is not unusual for me to stay but half of the night reading but generally, I am not so eagerly turning the pages, racing through the story to see what breath-taking development occurs next. Of course, Hostage is the latest thriller from the pen of Claire Mackintosh so I should know to expect nothing but the best.
The premise is attention grabbing – an airline is about to launch the world’s first direct flight between London and Sydney; a full 20 hours in the air without any stops and with over 350 passengers and crew on board. There is a huge amount of media focus and attention from climate concern groups.

Our story is told from several viewpoints – mainly Mina, a member of the cabin-crew on this inaugural flight. We soon learn that Mina and her police officer husband Adam, are facing difficulties and have adopted a baby girl, called Sophia, with many care needs. We also learn of Adam’s story and those of several passengers. The interesting aspect of the passengers is that we only know of their sear number, but little else. The danger on board is soon revealed and by providing the various PoV, Mackintosh allows the reader the opportunity to see how each character feels and also to empathise with them. While, I felt frustrated with Mina on occasion, once we returned to her viewpoint, I could soon understand and sympathise with her.
The focus of the climate crisis makes this novel a particularly relevant and timely one. And also, makes the reader think – in a world where so many of us have been isolated and unable to travel, this book offered us an opportunity to imagine travelling again but also to consider the environmental and ethical impacts of doing so.

A nailbiting and exhilarating thriller that I consider to be a must read.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC in return for an honest review. I really like this author and have read some of her previous books so I was really excited to get a hold of this one early and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I love the various view points from different characters. It’s a bit of a slow start (but no less interesting) up to about 30% as the story introduces all the characters but then it really gets going. I read this book in two sittings and couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the final chapter being from Sophia and finally hearing from her. This book is tense and twisty. I will be recommending this is everyone I know.

First non-stop flight from London to Sidney. The plane is full of journalists and celebrities, everything goes smoothly until Mina, the flight attendant, gets a note with a threat to her daughter. What will she do, save her or all the people on the plane?

What a thriller. Unputdownable. Atmosphere is cinematic, full of action, tension and drama. The novel is emotional, human, covered with current themes and characters are well developed and believable.

Great read.

Crikey - strap your seatbelt on, you're in for one hell of a ride with Clare Mackintosh's latest pacy thriller! The action takes place on a the first 20 hour nonstop flight from London to Sydney and is a take on the locked room mystery - obviously all staff and passengers are trapped in the plane and can't get off when flight attendant Mina receives an anonymous note from someone who doesn't want the plane to make it to Sydney. It's a rip-roaring read with a shocking ending and perfect for a day when you've got the time to read in one sitting. Just not on a plane ...

I was so so looking forward to reading Hostage after being approved. I would describe it as a claustrophobic read with a clever structure and characterisation. Unfortunately not as ‘unputdownable’ and tense as Clare’s other thrillers however I did enjoy it especially the twist at the end pushing it upto 4🌟

WOW! What a book! This is one of those books where I want to tell you to stop reading my review and just buy the book now - it's THAT good. So for anyone still with me, I'll try to sum up my thoughts of a book that left me completely speechless (and incredibly tired as I really couldn't put it down).

The moment I opened this book, I knew I was going to be hooked. The prologue is an emergency call transcript that is so chilling it made all of the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. It haunted me throughout the book and I couldn't read fast enough to get to that point but also felt terrified of reaching it.

Mina is in the middle of a marriage breakdown so she signs up to be a flight attendant on the first ever non-stop flight from London to Sydney, even though this means she will be separated from her daughter Sophia for several days. Someone on the plane knows all about Sophia and they're banking on Mina being willing to do anything to keep her safe. Can Mina really sentence hundreds of people to death just to save one life? That's all I'm going to say about the outstanding plot that kept me reading late into the night.

There is a lot going on behind the scenes of Mina's life and I was very intrigued as to how she ended up becoming a flight attendant. Clare Mackintosh very cleverly weaves a story into the main thread that shows we can be physically held hostage but also metaphorically held hostage to our past. This felt like a pearl of wisdom from the Dalai Lama; how often do we hark back to something we wish we'd said or done differently? Let it go! It's holding you hostage.

Claire Mackintosh scoops all the stars as well as all the adjectives in her exceptional new novel. Hostage is breathtaking, jawdropping, awesome, stunning, gripping and terrifying; it's an absolute must read and destined to be one of THE books of 2021. Very highly recommended.

I chose to read a digital ARC received via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I admit that it was hook, line and sinker as soon as I first read the blurb of Hostage. I mean, having what is basically a locked room type of story with a plane setting and hijacking element? How would I be able to resist such a story?! I'm glad I didn't, because this turned out to be exactly the thriller dose I was craving and I literally couldn't stop reading until I finished it in the small hours. Highly addictive, suspenseful, lots of action as well as a more personal angle... Oh yes, Hostage was without doubt a success for me.

The hijacking element and the fact that at least half of the story takes place inside a plane definitely makes this story stand out. I love a good locked room story, and that is basically what you have here with the passengers and crew being held hostage and not knowing who are behind it all. The twenty hour flight between London and Australia gives us plenty of time for things to escalate and for plot twists to be introduced along the way... And you will find plenty of suspense, action and danger along the way.

These chapters in the plane are mixed up with those focusing on Mina and her family. These chapters have a more psychological/domestic thriller feel as it focuses on her adopted daughter and her problems as well as the matrimonial struggles with her husband Adam. I confess that I wasn't really a fan of Adam, and Mina didn't convince me completely either, but Sophie definitely makes up for that. She is such a fascinating little girl! Danger is hinted at as well as certain secrerts Adam seems to be hiding from his family as well as his boss... And what at first glance looks like the docil part of the story, will soon escalate into another element of danger and suspense. It was definitely intriguing to see the two different storylines develop!

Hostage uses a multiple POV structure where we not only focus on Mina and Adam as the events in the air and on the ground take place before and during the hijacking, but we also get to know multiple passengers on the plane as well as the voice of the mastermind behind the hijacking itself. While I do have to say that I guessed part of the final reveal right, as a whole this turned out to be a real pageturner with lots of twists, action and that ominous feel to keep you entertained. And there is no doubt that Hostage ends with a bang!

Things can be said about the credibility of it all, but I personally didn't mind as I was too busy turning those pages to discover how it would all end. In short, Hostage is without doubt an addictive pageturner and highly entertaining thriller that offers a wide range of different elements.

I do love Clare Mackintosh books so I was really looking forward to reading this and it definitely did not disappoint. This is told from multiple perspectives but the primary one is air hostess Mina who is estranged from her husband Adam and a loving mum to their adopted daughter Sophia. Situated on a nonstop flight to Australia Mina is targeted to help some hijackers through them threatening her daughter. Back home we hear how events are panning out from Adam’s perspective and on the plane we get snapshots of various passengers lives.

This is a really well paced read, the characters are solidly written with good background and secrets and it’s hard to tell what will happen next, there’s a few storylines running through this and some good twists and the ending is creepy in a great way.

Clare Mackintosh certainly knows how to write a thriller! I literally could not put this book down at times. I found the first part of the book really gripping, you didn't know what direction the story was headed as the tension builds. We have a marriage in trouble, a husband and wife who both have damaging secrets, a precocious adopted daughter with behavioural problems and we know a hostage situation is on the horizon! Strangely enough, although most of the action happened in the second half of the book I didn't enjoy that part as much as the first. I found the motivation of the villains of the piece to be questionable, would they really go to such extremes? The scenes on board the plane were pretty terrifying, as someone who is scared of flying at the best of times, the situation certainly gave me the fear! The parts of the book I found a bit disappointing were the conclusions to the hostage situations, I felt they were a bit too unbelievable.
However, I did enjoy this book and I loved the fact that by the end of the book we were still finding out aspects of some of the characters that we really hadn't expected!

I've read and enjoyed all of Claire Mackintosh's previous books so was delighted to get an advanced copy of her latest one. Mina and her husband Adam are having marital problems and have separated which is one of the reasons Mina volunteers to work on the first nonstop flight from London to Sydney. Meanwhile Adam will care for their 5 year old daughter Sophia with the help of Becca the childminder/nanny. Adam, a policeman is a gambling addict who is deep in debt which he can't repay which leads to him being threatened by some unsavoury characters. When Mina receives a note saying her daughter will be killed unless she cooperates with the hijacking of the plane she has to decide whether to sacrifice the passengers to save her child. I found the first half of the book to be rather slow and there are a lot of characters to remember which was rather confusing. I enjoyed the second half more when the pace picked up but I'm not sure that saving the planet is a good reason to hijack a plane. Not that there are any good reasons for hijacks! I also have to admit that I didn't guess the ending. Not as gripping as Claire's other books but a good read nonetheless.

A really excellent premise executed brilliantly, Hostage builds the tension beautifully and then throws you off the edge of a reading cliff.

Basically I read this in one sitting, the characters engaged me, the moral dilemma at the heart of this had me questioning what I might do and there's a strong social commentary that isnt in any way preachy.

Plus the last third of this really is edge of the seat wildly entertaining so basically this one has it all for psych thriller fans.

Recommended. Fuller review for publication.

This is the story of Mina and Adam and their adopted 5 year old daughter Sophia. In order to get away from a situation at home Mina who is an flight assistant decides to take the maiden 20 hour flight from London to Australia. The flight is hijacked and Mina is forced to decide whether she saves her own child or everyone on the flight.

I was so excited to read a different type of thriller compared to what I normally read by an author I love. This was a bit too slow paced for my taste and I found it quite difficult to keep track of all the different characters with their real names and aliases. I was hoping for a few more twists and turns.