Final Vector

by Allan Leverone

Reeling from the brutal murder of his wife, air traffic controller Nick Jensen throws himself into his work at Logan International Airport in Boston. Returning to the operations room from a break, he sees three heavily armed men dressed in black fatigues and patrolling the corridors of the supposedly secure FAA facility. After having murdered two armed guards, the terrorists have unfettered access to the control tower while the president of the United States is nearing Logan Airport. To dismantle the terrorist assassination plot, Nick must risk everything.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Ebooks, Action, Mystery Thriller

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Allan Leverone is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nine novels, including the dark thriller, MR. MIDNIGHT, named by Suspense Magazine as one of the "Best Books of 2013."

A 2012 Derringer Award winner and 2011 Pushcart Prize nominee, Allan lives in Londonderry, NH with his wife of more than thirty years, three grown children and one beautiful granddaughter.

Connect at www.allanleverone.com, at Facebook and on Twitter, @AllanLeverone.

Reviews

[Debra Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that was so realistic that it scared you? I don’t mean horror or true-crime, I mean a fictional book that affects you so profoundly that you keep looking over your shoulder to make sure the bad guys aren’t right behind you.

This is the kind of book you’ll find with Final Vector by Allan Leverone. The author takes an everyday guy with a regular job—Nick Jensen, air traffic controller at BCT, the Boston Consolidated TRACON in Merrimack, New Hampshire—and spins a tale of intrigue, murder and a band of terrorists bent on blowing the president’s plane out of the sky. I initially thought this book was going to be pretty similar to other thriller books I’ve read, but that’s not the case here.

The author does an excellent job of revolving the story around Nick and he makes you care about the guy. Without giving anything of the plot away, Nick’s life is turned upside down by a personal tragedy. That tragedy, however, is what sets the plot into motion. The other characters could be anyone you’d pass by on a street in any city in America. Tony Andretti, the Syrian born terrorist, has lived a model life in the USA for the past 10 years, waiting for his moment to shine and kill the leader of the free world. He carefully recruits a band of home grown young men who are dissatisfied with America. These men more or less worship the ground Tony walks on whether is through true hero-worship or Tony’s own brand of intimidation, and they relish the thought of striking a blow against America. Mr. Leverone gets inside these guys head’s and lets the reader understand how they think. Lastly, there’s Kristin Cunningham, the cute petite FBI agent, who has been defying people’s expectation of her for her entire law-enforcement career. The author bounces chapters between Nick, Tony and Kristin bringing the reader up to speed on their activities and slowly reveals how they are all connected.

By reading the book blurb, it’s easy to see that everyone ends up at BCT, but that’s the only thing that’s easy about this book. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, reading pages as fast as you can, to see what happens. Trust me, it’s not the cookie-cutter kind of ending where the FBI comes in with guns blazing and saves the day. No, it’s much more clever than that. Nick, our everyday guy, has to figure out a way to disarm three terrorists, save his colleagues and live. That’s a huge job and I highly recommend that you read this book and find out what happens. You will not be disappointed.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow that was intense...if it been a movie I'd been "sitting at the edge of my seat" intense. Probably the best I've read since Airport by Arthur Hailey! What is so scary is something like this could happen at anytime/anyplace in the USA. I liked how Allen gave us a nice view of what inside the tower is like for the people that work there Felt like I was walking around seeing what they see everyday but also with a very intense story with terrorists in there with them! Loved the book, would love to see a sequel!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick is an air traffic controller at the Boston Consolidated TRACON in New Hampshire, where he's responsible for sequencing and spacing all of the arrival traffic for Boston's Logan Airport. When his wife is murdered, Nick takes some time off but decides to get back to work to ease the pain and get his mind off his loss. At the same time, a man known as Tony Andretti, who is actually from the Middle East, is organizing a sleeper cell of terrorists who are planning to shoot down Air Force One as it heads for Boston with the president of the United States on board.

In Final Vector, Allan Leverone has created a thriller with a regular guy as the main character. I've been reading a lot of thrillers this year, and it seems like most have a police officer or government agent (or former cop or government agent) who serves as the hero. But in this story, the guy who is trying to save the day is an air traffic controller. Granted, he has hundreds of people's lives in his control every day, but generally air traffic controllers don't know how to stop terrorists from killing the president! It was refreshing to have a more typical person in that role.

Nick is a likable character, and many other characters are as well ~ although I have to say many of them end up dead. There is quite a bit of violence in this novel, but that's to be expected in a thriller like this. It's not as intense as some other thrillers. It's really a straightforward storyline with few twists. It's very easy to follow along yet it's not completely predictable.

I do have to get one thing off my chest, which probably doesn't mean anything to anyone else, but I have to say it. Leverone chooses Hull, Massachusetts, as the location from which the terrorists will shoot down the plane. I lived in Hull for 15 years, and I was a bit frustrated by the inaccurate description of the town. However, it would be the perfect location for terrorists to go to shoot down an airplane (which is kind of scary in retrospect) so it was a good choice overall.

If you enjoy thrillers but want one that's not too scary and doesn't take constant concentration to follow along with all the overlapping storylines, this is a great option. It's a fast-moving storyline with quite a bit of action. And you'll find you care about the main characters ~ even the terrorists are interesting and unique. You'll also learn quite a bit about air traffic control from the author who is, himself, an air traffic controller.

[T.W. Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A convergence of events pits Nick Jensen against a deadly foe bent on changing the world as we know it.

As a huge action/thriller fan I love tales like this and you often have to be willing to suspend belief. This tale takes it to the limit in a spot or two but I still really enjoyed it and would have no problem recommending it.

It's clear that the author has vast knowledge of air traffic controller's processes and procedures and that really adds to the feeling that you're with the character and experiencing the terror right along with them.

The book gives you pause to think about the safety of our airports and towers and that lends to the feelings you'll experience while reading which, I'm sure was the goal of the author.

You'll never look at those towers the same as you land and take off from the airport on your next trip.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had quite a bit of action and suspense in it. It involved a plot to take out the President while flying in Air Force One with stolen missiles from the government. This was written in a very alpha male and take no prisoners attitude, which I believe would resemble the crew of a real life mission of this nature. The characters were well written and story progressed smoothly. There weren't any ridiculous twists to muddy up the story, but the lack of twist and turns prevents a higher rating. This was a good book and I enjoyed reading it. I read the free ebook version on my kindle.

[Tim]

An excellent thriller

Final Vector is an excellent thriller full of tension and action. The author slowly built up the action and by the end I was flying through the pages. The characters were very well built and I loved that the hero was regular person and not a superhero. The pace was good throughout and the slower parts never were boring. I really cared about the characters and this book was a thrill to read. I recommend this book to all thriller readers.

[Terry Parrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Liked Nick a lot because he's not your usual hero. Very calm and thinks things through. Just hope something like this never happens in real life. All in all, I thought the book could'nt have been any better. And especailly loved all the tech about airport towers and what they do. Will definitely be reading more of this authors books.

[Lelina Durrette · Rating 2 out of 5]

No more free books from Amazon for me for a while. You get what you pay for, I guess. Lesson learned.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I have read a good mystery / thriller novel, and I am glad I found Allan Leverone's Final Vector.

The book started off a little slow for me, but after about 5% or so into the Kindle version the action really picked up and it was non-stop until the end. What I liked the most about this book was the book was crisp and well-told, the conversations between the characters are to the point and don't drone on for the sake of word counts in the book, and, most important, the facts and circumstances of the book - with one or two small exceptions - are believable to the average reader. You will find your pulse rate rising towards the end of the book (I did), and this last half of this book was really hard to put down and will keep you engrossed in the story and lose all track of time.

I picked this up for free during a Kindle promotion and, as I type this review I see it is still free vs. the normal pricing of $4.99: even at the normal pricing, you will certainly receive more than $4.99 of entertainment value from this book. I'm looking forward to reading more from Mr. Leverone.

[Steve W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot was quite engaging as we commiserate with Nick on the loss of his wife, and watch the group of terrorists, led by "Tony Andretti", plan an assassination of the sitting (or flying) US President.
The narrative had more violence and profanity than I prefer to read, but the story itself was quite engaging. It had me wondering what could/would I do (sacrifice) to preserve someone else's life? And would it really make a difference?
I would have liked a bit more wrap-up at the end, but Medallion Press advertises that their web site has more of the "after-story", so perhaps I could find more there.

[I think I got this Kindle book free from Amazon via BookBub.]

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to put down. Good realistic story, esp if you know anything about ATC functions.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ebook has been in my Nook library since 2012 when I downloaded it for free from Barnes and Noble.
I recommend it to readers who enjoy suspense.

[Nicholas Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book

I read this book years ago and just finished it again. It's one of my favorites. I recommend this to anyone who likes suspense thrillers

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked a bad time to be reading this, considering what was happening around the world on this eleventh anniversary of September 11th, but in any case this was a book that I'd give a positive score to overall and would be worth reading if you're just expecting an interesting way to pass a day, and not expecting greatness.

That said, the premise of having a terorist trying to take out a sitting president as he flew in Air Force One was a good one. I would have liked to have at least SOME information about the president this group was trying to shoot out of the sky, however. It wouldn't have taken much effort and would have helped the book a lot.

On the other hand, there was a lot of detail included about other things, and some of this was very interesting and helpful, especially near the beginning of the book where we are introduced to the terrorists, the hero, the FBi agents and the people manning the FAA control facility.

As the chapters went on after the introductions were made, things just seemed to drag on and there was no narative at all about how the FBI followed up with the tip they got early on, or anything that happened as the terrorists were driving to various parts of the eastern US from Tucson. I mean, things happen even to people who are NOT transporting stolen stinger missles. But until the real "day of attack" type action took off about half way through the book, there was not much meat on the bones of the book.

Positive points should be given for conversations, most of which seemed fairly natural throughout and the characters, though shallow, were easy to recognize. They included the fervent Islamist who used the infidels to do his project but plans to kill them when they have finished their jobs, the tiny perky female FBI agent, the mourning widower anxious to hit on said FBi agent, the stupid anti-American muscle who hates his country, the hard working local cop, etc. Also, the author gave the lovers of gory descriptions their quota and although I could have lived without it, that is a matter of personal taste and fairly easy to ignore.

Assuming these people would play to type, it was easy to see where most of it was going but I didn't see what would happen in "the end." As far as the struggle of good vs. evil; the heroic, untrained citizen vs. those seeking to do harm, the author gave the reader hope that right would conquer might, but we were left hanging, with more and more hopes for a good outcome seemed to fall away, until the dramatic climax very near to the book's end.

So this time I have no complaints about not having a climax and not tying up at least a couple of ends after that. In this case the last chapter was a little schmaltzy, especially after the blood and guys leading up to it. But it HAPPENED and so I'm happy about that.

May be worth about a 4 for idea / 2 for story / 1 for depth and breadth, 3 for writing a beginning, climax, and end / and I'll round up to a 3 overall because it has the potential to easily be more.

Just a note or two that might help the author if there is another edition: 1.) The author used a description of the world 'blacking out' or fading out around the edges as various people either died or lost consciousness. After the third time it became annoying. Each time after that, I just thought a good editor was needed. It's hard to see that kind of thing when you're reviewing your own work. Happens to me ALL the time! 2.) The detailed description of where walls and railings and half walls, and windows were in the control facility may have been helpful to people who are better able to visualize building layouts than I was in this case. I felt there was too much considering that it was terribly confusing instead of helping me visualize the building. I will grant that was in my view only and I can't fault the author for not being "descriptive."

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could only use five words to review Allen Leverone's Final Vector, I would choose "edge of your seat suspense". Fortunately, I can be as expansive as I like and I can tell you that not only does Final Vector keep you on pins and needles, it's an exciting joy ride of thrills and very well written, to boot.

Final Vector grabs you from page one, locks you in its literary jaws and doesn't let go. The overall plot is a thrilling, if simple, one - - terrorists plan to shoot down Air Force One with the President aboard. Of course, no plan runs totally smoothly and this one is no exception.

Given this very nail biting scenario, it's a bit surprising that the President himself is not the book's central character but Mr. Leverone did an absolutely fantastic job with his character development, from the everyday hero, Nick, to the soulless leader of the terrorist group, Tony along with a helathy smattering of characters in between. So well defined was Nick that my heart pounded in anticipation and fear for him, a nice little feat by Mr. Leverone, given that I could only visualize Nick in my mind as I turned the page. I felt hi jumble of emotions, his grief, his anger and his surge of energy. Talk about an adrenaline rush, book-style!

The only weak aspect to Final Vector, in my opinion, was the young female FBI agent with an eye toward Nick. I didn't feel as connected to her and the attraction between the two felt a bit rushed and pushy, especially given what happened to his wife within a very short timespan.

That fact notwithstanding, Final Vector was an utterly satisfying read, one that I sped through and I simply didn't want to put down until the nerveracking ending. It will well suit the adventure fan, as wel as thriller fans and fans of espionage. If Hollywood is listening, Final Vector has summer blockbuster written all over it.

I won't hesitate to recommend Final Vector to any and all and I look forward with great anticipation to author Allen Leverone's next effort.

[Lisa Biela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm suffering from sleep deprivation as I write this, because I couldn't put this book down last night until I finished it. First, the good stuff:

- Well rounded, believeable characters. Some of the characters don't live so very long, and even those are well fleshed out, not throwaway cardboard. You care that they just got murdered; they're not just fodder. And of course, you're rooting for the main characters (well, and against some of them!).
- Suspense! And lots of it. The end of each chapter was a cliffhanger for that character/scene and then he'd go off to another tense scene, etc. He really ratcheted up the pacing and tension this way. Well done and highly addictive. The pacing was awesome; it just never, ever let up. I can't think of a single spot where it dragged. No way, no how.
- The technical detail was just right. The air traffic control technical details were fascinating, yet not overdone. He used jargon I wouldn't have understood on my own, but he very neatly and gracefully explained the jargon words. Well done.

So this was a debut novel???

OK, now the less than good. The editing could have been better. I will usually spot a typo or two in nearly any book, but such things were more extensive here than I like to see or needed to be. One passage explaining the structure of the building was used in more than one place, if not verbatim, than nearly so. Some transposed words, that sort of thing. This is a bit of a peeve of mine, and it is testament to the strength of the book in all other aspects that I really, really enjoyed it despite the editing issues.

[Jane Blanchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Final Vector by Allan Leverone as part of the Deadly Dozen: 12 Mysteries/Thrillers set.

Nick Jensen’s wife, a Pentagon auditor, dies in a car crash. Grieved, Nick enters her closet to get a sense of her and finds a mysterious file. Puzzled by it, he shows it to the police who call the FBI. It is discovered that the wife was murdered, as well as her coworker. Why?

Nick returns to work as an air traffic control in Boston. Since Nick is one of the best controller, he is asked to cover the night shift because the President is flying into town. While going for coffee, he spies three armed men. Unarmed, what can he do?

I liked that Allan Leverone, does not turn Nick into a Rambo type of guy, fighting all the terrorists by himself and saving the FAA facility. But how does it all end?

If you like to read about murder, conspiracy, and terrorism this book is a light read. This book is not complex, but a good light read.

[Paula Ratcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sent to me via Pump Up Your Books for an honest and fair review. This book was a great read it reminded me of the Die Hard Movies. You have Nick who is working as a Air Traffic Controller, after having suffered some loss he goes back to work to get into something while mourning his wife. When one night all hell breaks loose and Nick finds the strength to fight the terrorists. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat wondering how the terrorists would be defeated. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. His story telling was terrific, there was action, mystery, adventure. And the start of an interesting romance in the book. It was a great break from your typical mystery book. This book had you rooting for Nick the whole time. I rate this book 5 stars, and a must have for anyone looking for a great page turner with mystery and mayhem.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like edge-of-your-seat suspense, then try out Mr. Leverone. From page one to the end you will be breathless with the suspense. I loved this book. I love how the plot wove itself and how the action played out. The writing was well done, the characters were interesting and the descriptions of how air traffic control works were interesting and informative.

I don't really know what else to say about this book - it is just simply an entertaining and enjoyable and intense story. Mr. Leverone understands how to craft and exciting suspense novel. The bad guys are scary, the good guys are heroic. Final Vector is hard to put down and I look forward to more works from Mr. Leverone in the future.

This is one of the things I love about book blogging - find new authors from smaller presses that are true gems. Final Vector is definitely one of those.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not a normal pick for me but when the author offered it, I downloaded, read, and enjoyed! It is surprisingly an easy read considering the story matter. Scenes are described vividly, characters are well developed, insights into the minds of terrorist disturbing and a storyline totally believable. The only complaint I have is the casual way the main character reveals his knowledge of his wife's murder and the sequence of his putting together the terrorists connection to that murder. (this is my reason for 4*rather than 5*) This could be an editing problem. Thus said, I would highly recommend this book and will be looking for more by this author. I also want to applaud this author for giving a satisfying ending to this book while still leaving a storyline open. Warning: once you start reading you will not want to put in down so get yourself comfy.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great edge-of-your-seat thriller! It was entertaining and, when you really think about it, kind of frightening. The Mr. Leverone writes intriguing characters that, as a reader, I could easily picture and relate to. Even the minor characters were given good descriptions so that the seemed to fit into the story. The plot was realistic and plausible for the most part. There are a couple of things that I think Mr. Leverone took artistic license with (i.e. 2 privates would never have been asked to do what they were ordered alone), but they didn't stand in the way of the story.

This is a definite recommendation for those of you who like action and thriller novels. I personally will be looking for more books by Mr. Leverone.

[Bri Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A random Pentagon worker married to an air traffic controller dies in a car accident. Seems pretty average right? Wrong! Throw in homegrown terrorists ,you actually relate to, the FBI and a whole lot of conspiracy and you get Final Vector. This novel for me was a first. I've watched the occasional action, conspiracy type movie with the hubster but never read an actual book. Alan has become a good friend online and I really wanted to support his work. Boy am I glad I'm such a good friend or I would have missed out on a great novel! The characters from victim to nemesis were all personable and relatable. The story was quick and fluid. An amazing novel!

[Ty Strange · Rating 2 out of 5]

This books reads more like a screenplay and would be quite suitable for the theaters. It's entertaining enough, but there are scenes where the POV would have been better presented by another character. The one oddity, from a storytelling point of view, is the introduction of a new character just 25 pages from the end of the book. I think a better way to have portrayed that particular scene, and stay inline with the flow of the story and plot, would have been to present the POV from the one of the two principle characters involved in that scene since it's their demise that we're witnessing. Other than that, and some repetition here and there, the story is well written.

[Kevin Bowser · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, this had the makings of a great book. But the author's own description of the book is erroneous. The action does not take place at the control tower at Logan airport in Boston. But rather, miles away in an auxiliary facility in New Hampshire.

Having said that, the makings of a great story were there so I kept on reading. There were several times where some things just didn't ring true for me. For instance I find it hard to believe that there would be little to no Secret Service presence at every point where Air Force One would be controlled and handed off. Nevertheless, it was a good read and worth the time and the money (I got this one for free via eReaderIQ).

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have known before I even opened the book, that this book was not for me.....I was an air traffic controller at Boston Center at one point, so reading this was really strange right from the beginning. ( The book is about an air traffic controller.) Thrillers are not my genre of choice, but since I was familiar with who the author was, I wanted to like it. I think my review has less to do with the content of the book, and more to do with this is not my kind-of book at all. I think I will stick to memoirs and historical fiction.

[Scott Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final vector is the tale of Nick Jensen, an air traffic controller, who after the death of his wife falls straight into the middle of a plot to assassinate the president.

Wonderful plot, fantastic character development, great technical knowledge as best as I could tell. The pacing was just right as I didn't find anything rushed or too painfully slow, just enough to always keep me wanting a little bit more. I'll be taking a look at this author's books for others that might interest me. Well done Mr. Leverone.

[Linda Olin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The quality of writing, plotting, and character development (especially for a thriller) are excellent.

A synopsis of the action plot would be very short and simple, which helps everything flow logically and followably from one person's point of view to the next. Leverone sucks you in with a sense of immediacy in every scene and situation, which he creates with perfectly drawn details and dialogue rather than with a convoluted plot.

I had never heard of Allan Leverone before seeing this book mentioned on a Thriller/Suspense forum, but he's now on my great-read list.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly compact book about a man who works in air traffic control on an early morning when the President's plane is due at Logan Airport in Boston. Unfortunately for everyone concerned, terrorists have figured out a way to divert the plane and ultimately blow it to smithereens. Several of the air traffic team get injured or killed, but there are still a few left. Will that be enough? How will they have the know how and tools to do the job?

[Mary Plunkett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written mystery, concise without lots of fluff. Author keeps your interest even though the plot was just another terrorist group trying to kill the President. Not a lot of time invested in character development, but the excitement kept me reading. This would be a great read for a short trip where you need something easy to read, yet engaging.

[Randy Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. Nice normal guy saves the day instead of the super hero types we all see in so many books. Second book I've read by "Allan Leverone" the first one being "The Lonely Mile" which was also a normal guy put in a extreme situation. Both books were five star reads in my opinion and I would suggest these books to anyone who enjoys reading. Will look for more from this author.