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Terminal Event
When Joe Durant gets news of an airplane crash outside Seattle, a "terminal event" with no survivors, the distressed former National Transportation Safety Board investigator rushes to the site -- his wife was one of the passengers. Desperate to find answers for his devastated fifteen-year-old daughter, his hunt for clues becomes obsessive. But while he meticulously wades through the wreckage and collects evidence pointing to sabotage, higher powers are determined to blame the tragedy on pilot error. Now the bomber has stepped forward and promised to strike again within ten days...and Durant must race to avert another ghastly catastrophe.
Exploring the grimly fascinating world of NTSB crash investigators in riveting, authentic detail, "Terminal Event" is a page-turning suspense thriller whose shocking ending will leave you gasping.
Exploring the grimly fascinating world of NTSB crash investigators in riveting, authentic detail, "Terminal Event" is a page-turning suspense thriller whose shocking ending will leave you gasping.
Mass Market Paperback
First published June 4, 1999
8 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
James Stewart Thayer
29 books48 followersJames Thayer is the son of a wheat farmer, and he was raised in Spokane and the farm country in eastern Washington. He graduated from Washington State University and the University of Chicago Law School, and now teaches novel writing at the University of Washington extension school where in 2015 he received the Excellence in Teaching Award in the Arts, Writing and Humanities. The New York Times Book Review says his "writing is smooth and clear. Deceptively simple, it wastes no words, and it has a rhythm that only confident stylists achieve.” His The Essential Guide to Writing a Novel is a leading manual for fiction writers. Thayer is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and the International Thriller Writers. He and his family live in Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 23, 2019
Great read. I enjoyed the description of the investigative process when an airliner goes down.
December 22, 2013
Playing out during the investigation of an airplane crash, Thayer's novel takes the reader deeply into the investigative process of the FBI, but delves very little into his main character's expertise, which is supposedly engineering with a background in the National Transportation Safety Board. The character of Joe Durant is coping with his estranged wife's death on the plane crash. This leads him back into field he left - crash investigation.
Overall, the novel just didn't work for me. Durant thinks about his teenage daughter's well-being in the wake of her mother's death, but spends most of his time running around with the FBI questioning suspects instead of being with her. He is described as an expert in his field, but is not welcomed by his former colleagues, ostensibly because he gets sick at grisly crash sites. The FBI agent he is tasked to work with is generally the only woman in the room and is drawn in a way that is relatively overblown. Thayer may have been trying to make her seem competent in a male-dominated workplace, but she really just comes across as over-compensating and attention-grabbing.
Although the novel is about an airliner crash, there is little information in the way of flight or planes or how things work in the airline industry. This is more of a crime mystery. The investigation follows several red herrings, including a saudi-hizbullah connection (it should be noted that this book was published in 1999)and the ultimate resolution was not very interesting.
While I appreciated the fact that the novel centered around a man and woman working together and didn't end in a predictable love connection, that's about all that seemed realistic here. By the middle of the book I wanted it to be over already. Terminal Event was just okay.
Overall, the novel just didn't work for me. Durant thinks about his teenage daughter's well-being in the wake of her mother's death, but spends most of his time running around with the FBI questioning suspects instead of being with her. He is described as an expert in his field, but is not welcomed by his former colleagues, ostensibly because he gets sick at grisly crash sites. The FBI agent he is tasked to work with is generally the only woman in the room and is drawn in a way that is relatively overblown. Thayer may have been trying to make her seem competent in a male-dominated workplace, but she really just comes across as over-compensating and attention-grabbing.
Although the novel is about an airliner crash, there is little information in the way of flight or planes or how things work in the airline industry. This is more of a crime mystery. The investigation follows several red herrings, including a saudi-hizbullah connection (it should be noted that this book was published in 1999)and the ultimate resolution was not very interesting.
While I appreciated the fact that the novel centered around a man and woman working together and didn't end in a predictable love connection, that's about all that seemed realistic here. By the middle of the book I wanted it to be over already. Terminal Event was just okay.
October 28, 2013
fun, quick read. Midair explosion takes the lives of all aboard. Wife of the man who helps discover the cause of the explosion was on aboard the plane. Interesting information about how the NTSB goes about solving these mysteries.
June 16, 2022
I discovered Jim* Thayer though his writing podcast "Essential Guide to Writing a Novel," and I decided to pick up one of his books out of curiosity.
Terminal Event jumps right into the action with protagonist Joe Durant slogging his way through a snowy forest, surrounded by plane crash debris and fires. Immediately the questions (and a handful of answers) start. Is he a survivor of the crash? No. He's there presenting himself as an employee of the NTSB. A lie. But actually, more of a half-truth. He's a former employee of the NTSB, and he's there because his estranged wife was aboard the plane.
What follows is a reasonably compelling thriller/mystery where the FBI, the NTSB, the ATF, and other assorted governmental agencies try to hunt down the cause of the explosion that took down the Emerald Airlines flight between Seattle and Sun Valley. Was it an electrical malfunction? A targeted assassination of a Saudi diplomat with several dozen civilians as collateral damage? A bomb placed by white nationalists? Something else?
The story has a decent hook that is unfortunately bogged down by more technical details involving airplane wiring than is particularly interesting to this reader. Joe Durant is kind of a boring dude, but he's eager, so you do find yourself rooting for him. His FBI "partner" is a woman named Linda, who always felt a little bit like she was trying too hard to fit into a man's world with her demeanor and jokes. However, I tried to keep reminding myself that this book was written circa 1999 - which also which made some of the happenings feel a bit strange when viewed through a post-9/11 lens.
But a big part of why I was reading this book in the first place was because I was curious to see how well Thayer applied some of his writing advice to himself.
One of my reading pet peeves is when authors repeat catchy or clever phrases, which Thayer specifically calls out in the podcast. He talks about how it's really easy as an author to repeat yourself when you come up with a particularly delightful turn of phrase, and he recommended creating a list you could search/reference to avoid this, because this is not a just a pet peeve of yours truly, but a thing LOTS of readers notice. I suspect he learned this hard way, because there are two different characters in this book described as being "as bald as a peeled egg" and another two who have a "face like a gnawed bone." LOL! Luckily for Thayer, in this particular case I find this kind of hilarious, and I'm giving him a pass. ;)
He also talks about how when you know more about the craft of writing, you tend to read books differently, because you are examining technique and looking harder for clues. I do agree this is also true. I (mostly) enjoyed the ride of this book, but I also knew right away that the source of the explosion was going to be the "something else," even if Thayer didn't quite put enough clues in for me to solve the mystery on my own. (Which, to be fair, this is really supposed to be more thriller than a mystery, and I don't expect to be able to solve the crime in the same way for thrillers like I do for a typical murder mystery.)
Content warnings for addictions and fairly graphic depictions of the crash victims (i.e., if you are scared of flying, or rather crashing, this might not be a book you want to read).
*Note: I'm referring to him as "Jim" here instead of James, because that's how he introduces himself during the podcast, and so that's how I've come to think of him.
Terminal Event jumps right into the action with protagonist Joe Durant slogging his way through a snowy forest, surrounded by plane crash debris and fires. Immediately the questions (and a handful of answers) start. Is he a survivor of the crash? No. He's there presenting himself as an employee of the NTSB. A lie. But actually, more of a half-truth. He's a former employee of the NTSB, and he's there because his estranged wife was aboard the plane.
What follows is a reasonably compelling thriller/mystery where the FBI, the NTSB, the ATF, and other assorted governmental agencies try to hunt down the cause of the explosion that took down the Emerald Airlines flight between Seattle and Sun Valley. Was it an electrical malfunction? A targeted assassination of a Saudi diplomat with several dozen civilians as collateral damage? A bomb placed by white nationalists? Something else?
The story has a decent hook that is unfortunately bogged down by more technical details involving airplane wiring than is particularly interesting to this reader. Joe Durant is kind of a boring dude, but he's eager, so you do find yourself rooting for him. His FBI "partner" is a woman named Linda, who always felt a little bit like she was trying too hard to fit into a man's world with her demeanor and jokes. However, I tried to keep reminding myself that this book was written circa 1999 - which also which made some of the happenings feel a bit strange when viewed through a post-9/11 lens.
But a big part of why I was reading this book in the first place was because I was curious to see how well Thayer applied some of his writing advice to himself.
One of my reading pet peeves is when authors repeat catchy or clever phrases, which Thayer specifically calls out in the podcast. He talks about how it's really easy as an author to repeat yourself when you come up with a particularly delightful turn of phrase, and he recommended creating a list you could search/reference to avoid this, because this is not a just a pet peeve of yours truly, but a thing LOTS of readers notice. I suspect he learned this hard way, because there are two different characters in this book described as being "as bald as a peeled egg" and another two who have a "face like a gnawed bone." LOL! Luckily for Thayer, in this particular case I find this kind of hilarious, and I'm giving him a pass. ;)
He also talks about how when you know more about the craft of writing, you tend to read books differently, because you are examining technique and looking harder for clues. I do agree this is also true. I (mostly) enjoyed the ride of this book, but I also knew right away that the source of the explosion was going to be the "something else," even if Thayer didn't quite put enough clues in for me to solve the mystery on my own. (Which, to be fair, this is really supposed to be more thriller than a mystery, and I don't expect to be able to solve the crime in the same way for thrillers like I do for a typical murder mystery.)
Content warnings for addictions and fairly graphic depictions of the crash victims (i.e., if you are scared of flying, or rather crashing, this might not be a book you want to read).
*Note: I'm referring to him as "Jim" here instead of James, because that's how he introduces himself during the podcast, and so that's how I've come to think of him.
August 21, 2018
I have been reading James Thayer’s books since the mid-1980s. I have read 7 or 8 and he has never failed to entertain and educate. His early books are WWII military thrillers (with some actual history) while his later books are more contemporary action books. TERMINAL EVENT was published nearly two decades ago and centers on the crash of a regional airline commuter flight between Sun Valley, Idaho (playground to the rich and famous) and Seattle, Washington (home of the Boeing Airplane Company).
Joe Durant is an engineer at Boeing and a former investigator (one of the best) for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Joe had to leave that job when his stomach started to rebel from the horrors he saw at crash sites. He has a teenage daughter who is more mature than her years would indicate. Janie, Joe’s estranged wife, was on the plane that crashed along with 62 other passengers. There were no survivors.
Joe’s first thought was that a spark from defective cable exploded the gas vapors in the main fuel tank (does this sound familiar?). Due to an eyewitness report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) is convinced that the plane was shot down by a missile. Another possible explanation is that there was a bomb placed on board planted by a White Supremacist group based in the Sun Valley area. Joe develops a personal relationship with Linda Dillon of the F.B.I. who is married to an alcoholic husband.
Joe and his team travel back and forth from Seattle to Sun Valley as they try to solve the riddle – what caused the French built, twin engine, turbo prop airliner to crash in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle. Along the way, the reader gets to meet the “Skinheads” up close and personal. Another road takes the investigating team to a possible Arab assassination attempt.
It is obvious that Mr. Thayer did a lot of research into airplane physics and how the NTSB conducts an investigation. There are also terrifying premonitions of what happened on September 11, 2001, two years AFTER the book was written. Also of interest is the the technology used in the late 1990s, including pagers and floppy discs. All in all, this was a satisfying read and I urge fans of thrillers to read.
GO! BUY! READ!
Joe Durant is an engineer at Boeing and a former investigator (one of the best) for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Joe had to leave that job when his stomach started to rebel from the horrors he saw at crash sites. He has a teenage daughter who is more mature than her years would indicate. Janie, Joe’s estranged wife, was on the plane that crashed along with 62 other passengers. There were no survivors.
Joe’s first thought was that a spark from defective cable exploded the gas vapors in the main fuel tank (does this sound familiar?). Due to an eyewitness report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) is convinced that the plane was shot down by a missile. Another possible explanation is that there was a bomb placed on board planted by a White Supremacist group based in the Sun Valley area. Joe develops a personal relationship with Linda Dillon of the F.B.I. who is married to an alcoholic husband.
Joe and his team travel back and forth from Seattle to Sun Valley as they try to solve the riddle – what caused the French built, twin engine, turbo prop airliner to crash in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle. Along the way, the reader gets to meet the “Skinheads” up close and personal. Another road takes the investigating team to a possible Arab assassination attempt.
It is obvious that Mr. Thayer did a lot of research into airplane physics and how the NTSB conducts an investigation. There are also terrifying premonitions of what happened on September 11, 2001, two years AFTER the book was written. Also of interest is the the technology used in the late 1990s, including pagers and floppy discs. All in all, this was a satisfying read and I urge fans of thrillers to read.
GO! BUY! READ!
July 8, 2021
This was in a Select editions of Readers Digest. Jee they do a good job picking the stories.
This one by Mr Thayer was an absolute gem from the beginning to end. There were so many things to captivate and stimulate the reader in this air crash investigation. And what a coupe de grace ending superb!!
This one by Mr Thayer was an absolute gem from the beginning to end. There were so many things to captivate and stimulate the reader in this air crash investigation. And what a coupe de grace ending superb!!
September 14, 2021
Read in 1999. A terminal event is an airplane crash with no survivors.
June 24, 2024
vite lu (180 pages) sur le crash d'un avion et l'enquête menée pour en déterminer la cause
Read
May 29, 2025Vuelo funesto
July 7, 2013
The beginning was alright, but it gets so much better after that! I knew something fishy was going on with Ray. After so many tests and searches for evidence, they finally caught him. I'm glad that Joe and his daughter survived the gun fight with Ray and that Linda came in to rescue them. Too bad Ray died before he can even go to court, but he does deserves it after like murdering a bunch of people and his wife on the Sacajawea. I can understand that one can definitely lose his self or her self by the burden of debt such as in Ray's situation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2015
Interesting thriller that turns on finding the reason an airliner had crashed in Oregon. Seemed like a bomb, but could have been a spark in the fuel tank. The hero, an NTSB inspector who lost his wife in the crash, finally solves the riddle after many false turns and disappointments. Some very good insights into the airplane crash investigation process. The resolution is not obvious by any means, but it is convincing when finally arrived at.
February 14, 2008
Lots of twists and turns to this novel. Some of the descriptions of the flight crash scene are rather graphic in nature.
I did like the book, and especially liked the fact that it came to a satisfactory ending. No loose story-threads left hanging.
I did like the book, and especially liked the fact that it came to a satisfactory ending. No loose story-threads left hanging.
February 19, 2014
Great!
February 29, 2016
NTSB investigator Joe Durant teams with FBI agent Linda Dillon as part of the investigation into the aircrash that took the life of his wife.
April 11, 2016
Excellent! Had me from the beginning and finished it in 2 days!!
October 13, 2016
Again with the sadness!! :(
July 23, 2010
The book has a boring cover but it was really very good.
August 3, 2014
plane crash tragedy resulted to thrilling actions. maganda din siya kaso magulo ang last part.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews