A 20 hour non stop flight from London to Sydney is an opportunity not to be missed. For flight attendant Mina it is a chance to get away from her troubled marriage. However instead of her usual duties she is faced with a life or death decision whether to save the passengers or her own daughter back at home.

What better time to read a flight thriller in a year when I am flying absolutely nowhere! From the safety of my couch I can kid myself that I am glad to not be going anywhere far flung. Hostage is a slow burn which gives us ample time to find out exactly why Mina would volunteer to work a 20 hour non stop flight to Sydney. If this was not intriguing enough then a sense of foreboding follows her onto the plan. Once the plane has taken off we are introduced chapter by chapter to numerous passengers who all have more to them than meets the eye. It was very Agatha Christie like as I tried to work out who was a danger and who was simply an innocent bystander. As the tension ramps up in the skies things also go from bad to worse for Mina's husband and child down below. I was completely invested in both horrendous situations and could not see a way out for any of them. I did wonder if irony would play a part in that while trying to save a child from one thing a more imminent danger is also looming. There were parts of the story that were a bit too easily sorted for my liking but overall I enjoyed the slow build up of pressure which eventually exploded into a moral nightmare. Hostage is a turbulent read which shows people really do go to extreme lengths to protect what matters to them.

Oh my gosh...This book...Now that's what I call a fast paced story...Non stop thrills the entire time...Which I enjoyed from start to finish. I liked the format of the book from the point of view of Mina, Adam and even Sophia and I loved that we get inside knowledge from the ground and in the air in alternating chapters. There is a lot going on in this book as Adam and Mina are dealing with a child with special needs, Mina is struggling with a mysterious reason for quitting flight school and Adam has a secret of his own. But it all comes together nicely and adds to the plot instead of diluting it.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that I was hooked from the first page. Clare Mackintosh has done it yet again. I found the writing style to be hugely addictive and it sucked me right in. The plot is so fast paced and frantic that the pages practically turn themselves. And that ending...WOW.

Mina is trying to focus on her job as a flight attendant, not the problems of her five year old daughter back home, or the fissures in her marriage. But the plane has barely taken off when Mina receives a note from an anonymous passenger, someone intent on making sure the plane never reaches it's destination. Someone who needs Mina's assistance and knows exactly how to make her comply. It's twenty four hours to landing. Alot can happen in twenty four hours.

Mina is a flight attendant who's married to Adam who works as a detective. They adopted their daughter Sophia who has several psychological disorders. Mina is part of the inaugural non-stop flight from London to Sydney. Adam stays at home to look after Sophia.

The story is told mostly from Mina and Adam's perspective but we also get snippets from some of the passengers. The story did start of a little slowly but it soon picks up. Mina has a choice to make and i certainly wouldn't like to be in her shoes. I could see the twist at the end coming but it didn't spoil the book as ikt was well executed. This is a tense, thrilling and gripping read that's filled with twists, secrets and lies.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #LittleBrownBookGroupUk and the author #ClareMackintosh for my ARC of #Hostage in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books where once started you will want to block the whole day out to finish it. From the very first line I was hooked.
Mina is an airstewardess on the inaugural non stop 20 hours flight from London to Sydney, part way through the flight she is given a note with instructions for someone to enter the flight deck, otherwise her daughter will be killed.. So begins her dilemma, save hundreds of lives or just the one that matters the most. Hold onto your seats and grab those oxygen masks if they fall as you will need them to continue reading the book. I was engrossed until the very last line. I definitely think this is Clare's best book.
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

When I first read about this book I was really looking forward to reading it, it sounded like my kinda thriller. Sadly, it all fell short for me.

Mina, is one of the cabin crew on the first 24 hour flight to Australia. She has recently split from her cheating husband, Adam and needs a bit of respite from her 5 year old daughter, Sophia. Not long into the flight, Mina knows something is wrong and soon the plane is hijacked.

So essentially this is a locked room thriller, 35000ft in the air and I was expecting to be biting my nails with tension but it was all a bit flat. I didn't particularly like any of the characters so I wasn't really that bothered about what happened to them.

I wasn't a big fan of the plot, I'm still not sure environmentalists passionate about cutting down on carbon emissions would be getting on planes or go on suicide missions hijacking planes. I dunno, it all just seemed a bit far fetched.

This book just wasn't for me. I knew 20% into this book how it was going to end. I ended up skim reading some chapters just to get to the end of it. I've heard so many great things about this author so I will definitely be reading more of her work. I'm gutted this one didn't live up to my expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

Hostage is a very exciting read full of twists and turns and hold your breath moments.Mina is Cabin Crew on an inaugural non stop flight from London to Sydney,she is pleased to have a break from her cheating husband and her difficult child but then the plane is hijacked and Mina's worst nightmare begins .All the characters were very well written and this is one of those books that is very hard to put down and the ending was so unexpected and mind blowing loved it !.Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This story centres around Mina and Adam, who are married and have an adopted daughter called, Sophia. Mina once trained to be a pilot but dropped out suddenly, and became a flight attendant, and Adam is a police detective. Both of them are keeping secrets from each other. Mina is a part of the crew who is on board a London to Sydney direct flight, which takes 20 hours. And during this flight Mina will make choices to protect her family.
We read this story from the perspectives of a few people, but mainly from Mina and Adam. The story flowed really well, although sometimes I couldn’t keep up with the different characters as there seemed to be quite a few, so I focused on the main storyline and the perspectives of Mina and Adam. This story also explores many subjects not widely spoken about in society, including gambling and adoption. I liked the characters and really felt for the position Mina was put in, and at first I disliked Adam, but he grew on me over the course of the book. This is the first book I’ve read from this author, and on the final page I ordered the rest of her work online. This was a great read, which did make me feel emotional sometimes, and it had a brilliant twist at the end.

I have really enjoyed everything I have previously read from Clare so I had high expectations for 'Hostage'.

In the beginning, we meet Mina - a flight attendant who, we soon learn, grew up with a passion for planes and flying, but gave up on her dream to be a pilot - her husband Adam, a police officer, and their 5-year-old adopted daughter, Sophia. Things are not easy for the family, with Sophia's behavioural difficulties and secrets held by Adam that are driving the couple apart.

When the opportunity to get away for the week leading up to Christmas presents itself to Mina, she switches her shifts at work and gets herself onto her airline's inaugural non-stop flight from London to Sydney.

Meanwhile, at home, Adam's lies begin to unravel. And some of the passengers that we meet on Flight 79 are not who they first seem to be.

Hostage is a fast-paced, heart-racer of a book. With each chapter moving between Mina, Adam, Sophia, and the passengers' viewpoints, I found it hard to put down as I wanted to know what was going to happen next on the plane and at home!

As the story progressed, I became more and more invested in the lives and safety of our three main characters, and found myself in tears towards the end when everything came to a climax!
And then of course, there was a final unsuspected reveal or two which I absolutely did not see coming!

Hostage was a very chilling read which had me questioning every character - and wondering, what would I have done in Mina's situation? and how would it feel for those passengers, for people who have lived through plane hijackings? It is such a terrifying subject and, amongst the drama and tension of this book, there are some very real issues tackled, such as climate change, extremism, terrorism, and grooming.

A very skilful, emotional and thought-provoking book which I am going to be thinking about for some time to come!

*thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK/Sphere and Clare Mackintosh for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*


3.5 stars.

Ok, ok so yeah, my star rating on this book is definitely not in the minority. But I need to say that for me, 3.5 stars means it falls into the category of being between 'Good and Very Good.'

This story, while being well written and engaging, it didn't live up to the hype for me. It was a great story but it wasnt nail biting or have any really intense, on the edge of my seat scenes. Yeah, of course there were scenes that I did enjoy more than others but they just didn't get my heart pounding with anticipation.

Oddly it was the storyline of Adam and Sophia that I found more interesting than that of the whole Aeroplane hijacking. But this only started for me around the 85% mark.

While the last 2-3 pages were definitely a turn of events, this was not enough for me to bump up my rating. But yeah, that Epilogue...wow! Did not see that coming. So thumbs up for that.

I found all the characters were well written, I had no issues with them. I did enjoy how the story played out, but for me, I think this is one of those times, I'd prefer the story in a movie format than a novel. I'm weird I know, because it's usually the other way around.

I would have to say that Sophia was my favourite character. As a child with an Attachment Disorder, I could relate to her. You don't normally (or I personally don't), come across storylines with this theme. So I really appreciated that it was talked about often and brought awareness to the issue by small explanations throughout the book. Plus, she is an extremely bright child who I was in awe of many times. Thank you Mackintosh.

Overall, yeah, if it sounds like your cup of tea (or coffee?), and taking other readers perspectives into consideration, given how much absolutely loved this book, I would definitely say give this a go. I'm going to look into Mackintosh's other novels because she does know how to write a good book.

Hostage is sheer brilliance in literature form. As soon as I started it I couldn’t put it down. I loved how the story unfolded and the characters developed plus the nice little twist. A most enjoyable book that is definitely worthy of five stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author for the chance to review.

Despite some flaws, Hostage is a solid thriller that kept me engaged throughout. While some of the events are somewhat predictable, the twists were still satisfying and well executed. Even though the 'hostage on aeroplane' is not particularly original, the execution was quite unique. I would overall recommend.

I have read all books by Claire Mackingtosh and enjoyed them all. Claire has a style that draws in the reader, with great characters, great story and twisty bits.

Hostage is about Mina and her family. Mina is part of Cabin Crew for a non stop flight from London to Sydney. The first of its kind.

In the run up to the flight, we learn that Mina has separated from her husband Adam, who is a detective and they have a 5 year old adopted daughter Sophia. The separation wasn’t as we first realise and that reveals itself throughout the book.

Mina is excited to be involved in the first flight of this distance and needed to swap with someone to get on the flight.

We get to know the passengers and their stories and there are plenty of journalists on board covering the flight.

The flight gets Hijacked, in a way that draws Mina into the situation, she has to make a decision based on Sophia and her safety.

The story follows Sophia/Adam on the ground and Mina/hostages and the other passengers in the air.

Good story and a twisty ending, well worth a read.
Thank you to a NetGalley/publisher and a Claire Mackintosh for the opportunity to
read this book in exchange for an honest review.

✈️ My thoughts ✈️

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome on board flight 79 from London to Sydney’ or should I say ‘welcome to your worse nightmare’. Forget the locked room based psychological thrillers it’s all about the locked cabin! Hostage, the latest gift from Clare Mackintosh, is intense, terrifying and gripping, so buckle up for a hell for a bumpy ride! The plot follows a recognizable theme, the lengths a parent will go to, to protect their child, but that doesn’t mean it’s a ‘run of the mill’ read, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Hostage plays on your worse fears about flying and should have a warning on the cover **DO NOT READ PRIOR TO OR DURING A FLIGHT**

The story follows Mina, a flight attendant with a five-year-old daughter and a failing marriage, who is part of the crew on the inaugural non-stop flight from London to Sydney. But soon after the plane takes off, 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.

Character wise Mina is realistic. Her personal story adds layers to the story that I never expected. I couldn’t warm to her but that was because I didn’t agree with the choices she made, although I can see why she made them. I really enjoyed the snippets of information on some of the passengers, when I’m travelling I enjoyed finding out their differing reasons for them being on the flight. 

The claustrophobic setting of the cabin thousands of feet in the air, with no way to escape, heightens the tension tenfold. The plot is full of drama, and keeps you on a knife edge, as the sense of terror mounts. There are twists throughout, some of which I guessed, but there were others that took me by surprise, which is always a bonus. I found Hostage to be an exhilarating read and one I throughly enjoyed, I’m sure this book will be a HUGE hit this summer. ✈️

An absolute masterpiece! This is her best book yet.

I don’t want to give anything away but this book is an absolute must read. It is totally gripping from the word go. I could not put it down.

The story covers so many topics, adoption, attachment, love, lies, climate change, terrorism, justice, the list goes on!

The twists keep on coming, the characters are awesome and your heart will be on your mouth until the very end.

I adored it….best book of 2021 so far!

Mina, a flight attendant and Adam, a Police detective have hit a rocky patch in their marriage. Their family situation is challenging, as they attempt to meet the needs of their adopted daughter, Sophia. Mina uses a once in a lifetime opportunity to avoid the attempts that Adam makes to repair their relationship.
As part of the crew on the first direct 20-hour flight to Sydney, a note is passed to Mina. This turns her journey into one of life or death. She is forced to make a decision that will be life changing for her family and the crew and passengers.
Meanwhile back at home, Adam’s problems come home to roost and he must think quick to save his and Sophia’s life. Will this create the bond that he craves with his little girl?
This was a book that covered various current day issues such as climate change, attachment disorder, debt, addiction and radicalisation. This was done fantastically by the author and in a way that linked well. The book can prompt us to question and reflect on our own life experiences and what we might do in a similar situation. I felt that I came to know the characters and became engrossed from the beginning of the book.
I was going to give the book 4 stars but the awesome twist at the end made it a 5 for me. I actually read the end again to make sure that I had read/understood that correctly!
Many thanks to Clare Mackintosh, her publishers and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow - a real roller coaster of a book that needs to be read with both feet firmly on the ground! The author manages to combine a sky high thriller with contemplating some serious issues including adoption, gambling and what defines a person as a terrorist rather than a freedom fighter or eco warrior? Couple this with a surprising and very satisfying ending and you have another 5star novel from Ms Macintosh

Thank you to netgalley and Little Brown for an advance copy of this book

Review

Perhaps this is your summer holiday read? Or not if you are flying….

As always with Clare Mackintosh, you are guaranteed a seat of your pants gripping thriller, and this again delivers. Both on land and in the air your heart races as events culminate, the destination is not a holiday for any of the characters involved, in fact you feel that there is more to come….

If you want a reliable thriller this is yet. Clare never fails to deliver a fantastic flying read.

5/5
#Hostage #NetGalley

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<p><em>Clare Mackintosh, stand up and take a bow. You are an absolute queen! Wow this is a book that has completely thrown me. </em></p>
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<p>I have read ALL of the books by this author and this is definitely my absolute favourite yet. I’ve had moments reading this where I’ve held my breath and felt as though my heart has been in my mouth. </p>
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<p>I love the differing perspectives from Adam and Mina. They have really allowed us to have a full picture of this family’s life and circumstances. </p>
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<p>This is a novel which is well paced and laced with tension and suspense. It is one that is completely impossible to put down or predict. As a reader, this has pulled me in from the first page and held me <strong><em>Hostage</em></strong> until I had finished the very last page. </p>
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<p>Mackintosh is a hugely talented author, she has made me feel as though I have been with the characters that have filled the pages of this one. This is a book with characters you don’t know if you can trust and events that you do not see coming. </p>
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<p>This is a novel which will have you biting your nails and feel like you’re part of a huge blockbuster. This is enthralling and tense, you will gasp and find yourself eager to know what is coming next. </p>
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<p>This is unlike anything I’ve read previously. I love how cleverly plotted this is and how Mackintosh surprises us at every twist and turn. This is a truly magnificent masterpiece which is deserving of all the stars. A definite best seller and one that I guarantee will leave you speechless. </p>

Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Oh my, was this book nerve racking. I finished it a few hours ago and I think I still have some heart palpitations. This was the perfect mix of suspense/locked room mystery with some great character development. Told in dual POV with some passenger snippets in between, I was gripped from page one and as soon as things started to go wrong on the plane I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, reading more than half the book in one sitting. I loved both Mina and Adam and kudos to the author for creating a vast array of well rounded secondary characters with just a few brush strokes. And that epilogue...*chef’s kiss*.

The perfect book for the summer, though maybe not the best option if you’re going on a plane 😂

One thing you are always guaranteed with a novel by this author, is a grippingly great read!

To be honest I didn’t even read the description when I picked up this book. I mean it’s by Clare Mackintosh, what else do I need to know? I maybe should have though as this is one book that will keep you up well past your bedtime!

It’s hard to know how much to say about this story. I loved the sense of threat that runs throughout and you were never quite sure how it was all going to end. I loved the chapters that were on board the plane as you get to see so much more of what it is like to be part of the cabin crew. One of the definite downsides has to be hostage situations as couldn’t imagine anywhere worse than a plane as there aren’t many escape options. Mina was a great character who is put in a terrible position that will have you questioning as to whether you would do the same if you were in her shoes.

Along with what’s going on up in the air, there is plenty to keep you gripped with what’s happening on land. We mainly get to see things from Mina and her husband’s point of view along with passengers on the plane. All I can say is you need to get yourself a copy of this book and read it for yourself for the whole story as the less you know the better. You won’t be disappointed.

Hostage is a phenomenal read! It wouldn’t surprise me if it hasn’t already been snapped up for the big screen. Could so see this being a major movie with an A list cast of stars. My heart was racing throughout as the author had me on edge at all times. The ending and that last chapter, well it was the absolute icing on the top of a first rate read. Would give it a billion stars if I could. Absolutely brilliant!