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Jonny Murphy #2
Death Flight
Cub reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of victims of Argentina’s Dirty War, when a headless torso has washed up on a city beach, thrusting him into a shocking investigation into one of the most horrific periods of Argentine history, as society crumbles around him and he struggles to hang on to his job … and his life…
- GenresCrime
300 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2024
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Sultoon
7 books15 followersSarah Sultoon is a novelist and journalist, whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her from Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, with 3 Peabody awards and 2 Emmys to her name. She also holds a number of Royal Television Society gongs and is a recurring judge at the RTS Television Journalism awards. As passionate about fiction as non-fiction, she also has a Master of Studies in Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge. Her first novel, The Source, was nominated for the CWA's New Blood Dagger and won the inaugural Crime Fiction Lover's Best Debut of the Year Award in 2021. Her second novel, The Shot, was published by Orenda Books in April 2022. Dirt, her third thriller and the first in a series featuring cub reporter Jonny Murphy, was published in Jan 2023 to widespread critical acclaim.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 12, 2024
Sarah Sultoon is back with another gripping thriller. Having read Dirt which featured Jonny Murphy, I was so excited to start this book and I wasn’t disappointed.
Jonny Murphy is a reporter working for the International Tribune. In this story, he’s living in Buenos Aires trying to find the next biggest scoop.
However, his editor only wants him to cover the current Argentinian financial crisis.
When a headless torso is washed up on the beach, Jonny is desperately following the story in the news…
Only nobody seem to be writing about it.
During Argentina’s Dirty War in 1970/1980s, thousands of people went “missing”, some of their bodies were thrown off planes, labelled as “Death Flights”.
Jonny, accompanied by Paloma who’s a photographer, begin to piece together the mystery of the headless torso. Jonny reckons that Argentina’s former military juntas still must be operating underground…
What a gripping political thriller.
Once again, Sultoon shines a spotlight on an unknown piece of world history. I’ve never heard of the Dirty War, but I started doing my own research as I was reading this book.
As usual, expect some twists and turns – nothing is never straightforward!
I cannot wait for Johnny’s next adventure. Where will he find himself next?
Jonny Murphy is a reporter working for the International Tribune. In this story, he’s living in Buenos Aires trying to find the next biggest scoop.
However, his editor only wants him to cover the current Argentinian financial crisis.
When a headless torso is washed up on the beach, Jonny is desperately following the story in the news…
Only nobody seem to be writing about it.
During Argentina’s Dirty War in 1970/1980s, thousands of people went “missing”, some of their bodies were thrown off planes, labelled as “Death Flights”.
Jonny, accompanied by Paloma who’s a photographer, begin to piece together the mystery of the headless torso. Jonny reckons that Argentina’s former military juntas still must be operating underground…
What a gripping political thriller.
Once again, Sultoon shines a spotlight on an unknown piece of world history. I’ve never heard of the Dirty War, but I started doing my own research as I was reading this book.
As usual, expect some twists and turns – nothing is never straightforward!
I cannot wait for Johnny’s next adventure. Where will he find himself next?
February 9, 2024
Death Flight reunites faithful Sarah Sultoon readers with a main character from Dirt, cub reporter Jonny Murphy. Rest assured that while it’s great fun to meet up with Jonny again if you’ve read Dirt, prior knowledge is not at all required to enjoy Death Flight. (But you might want to check it out anyway, it’s a great book!)
In Death Flight, cub reporter Jonny joins forces with freelance reporter Paloma and ends up in more than a few precarious situations.
Sarah Sultoon’s background in journalism really adds a layer of credibility to her stories, and Death Flight was no exception. She writes with knowledge and conviction, weaving factual information neatly into highly entertaining fiction as we follow Jonny and Paloma in their investigations. I do enjoy a reporter angle in thrillers, I love that combination of police procedural vibes with a lone wolf protagonist.
Regular visitors of my blog will know that I love to learn through reading fiction, and Death Flight was an immense treat in that regard, transporting me to Argentina in the late 1990s. At this point in time, Argentina was still recovering from its Dirty War, while also veering towards a financial crisis. I’d never heard of the Dirty War before reading Death Flight, I was shocked, but happy to have been made aware of this dark chapter in South American history.
I had a great time with Death Flight. It’s a fast-paced thriller with all the suspense and thrills you’d want from the genre, as well as an excellent slice of historical fiction and it does pack a punch. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers with depth.
In Death Flight, cub reporter Jonny joins forces with freelance reporter Paloma and ends up in more than a few precarious situations.
Sarah Sultoon’s background in journalism really adds a layer of credibility to her stories, and Death Flight was no exception. She writes with knowledge and conviction, weaving factual information neatly into highly entertaining fiction as we follow Jonny and Paloma in their investigations. I do enjoy a reporter angle in thrillers, I love that combination of police procedural vibes with a lone wolf protagonist.
Regular visitors of my blog will know that I love to learn through reading fiction, and Death Flight was an immense treat in that regard, transporting me to Argentina in the late 1990s. At this point in time, Argentina was still recovering from its Dirty War, while also veering towards a financial crisis. I’d never heard of the Dirty War before reading Death Flight, I was shocked, but happy to have been made aware of this dark chapter in South American history.
I had a great time with Death Flight. It’s a fast-paced thriller with all the suspense and thrills you’d want from the genre, as well as an excellent slice of historical fiction and it does pack a punch. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers with depth.
March 24, 2024
This was a good book. Sort of different than what I read, but I liked it. Well written
February 20, 2024
Its 1998 and novice reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires covering the current financial crisis for the International Tribune. He is being supported by freelance photographer Paloma Glenn.
When a human body is washed up on a beach on the outskirts of the city, Jonny gets a tip off from the local police. It’s not much more than a torso, with all identifying features removed, the only distinguishing mark as a clue to the identity is a distinctive tattoo on the chest. Once, during the ‘Dirty War’ such bodies occasionally washed up on the beaches, these victims being thrown out of aeroplanes, sometimes alive, disposed of miles out to sea, but currents can be fickle. This body has recently killed though, and the Dirty War ended fifteen years ago. So why was this method of disposal used, to send a message? That there has been no press reporting of the body grabs Jonny’s attention. He thinks there could be a bigger story here than in the financial crisis. Jonny does what all great journalists do, asks questions and digs for answers. Finding the families of the missing isn’t too taxing; the mothers and grandmothers congregate weekly in a central square demanding answers. Jonny and Paloma are determined to help, but at what personal cost?
A bold story, based on a painful past, written with tact and flair. A past that some would rather bury, whilst others can never forget, is going to be cathartic and one hopes that the twenty-five years that have passed will have allowed for some healing.
This is a book of two halves, the first being the digging around for clues, the second being when they are on the right track, which makes it a two-speed storyline that starts off brisk before exploding into action.
The first half is one of discovery, for the reader and Jonny, as he navigates life in 1998 Buenos Aires. The financial crisis is starting to bite, people are becoming desperate which is reflected in their everyday life. Even so there are still those who are doing everything they can to help their fellow man, epitomised by the old man who gives Jonny refuge. The painful reality of what his life has become is heart rending but sensitively told, if he doesn’t do it then will anyone. The plight of the disappeared and those who preserved their memory is portrayed with a mixture of stoicism and grief, that hammers home what is means to these unfortunate people. Having a son or daughter disappeared is possibly more damaging to the families than them just being murdered. There remains a faint hope and it’s the hope that kills you, like a painful sore, that allows for no closure or chance of moving on.
The second half by way of contrast is good old fashioned action thriller. There’s danger and jeopardy as our heroes ‘jump out of the frying pan into the fire’ along with a chase and a race against time. The central reveal comes before an exciting finale as the long simmering city erupts with the kind of lawlessness and brutality that rolling news made its name on.
The standout part of the prose for me was the level of mistrust, which was magnificently kept running throughout. There is the constant nagging feelings of doubt, of suspicion, of ulterior motives at play. We have two central characters who work together but never really trust each other, or anyone else for that matter. Their smallest actions have the reader thinking there may be more to that action than first appears, that betrayal might be around the corner. This must have been what it was like to live under the Junta rule, where the wrong word to, or to trust the wrong person, could lead to denouncement and imprisonment or death. There is a cold pervading fear throughout.
Jonny and Paloma work so well as a central duo because they have that sense of being opposites, such that the reader wonders whether opposites will eventually attract. Deep down though they have something that ties them together, a painful past. With Jonny it is what happened following his parents separating, the grandparents he only now getting to know and the search for the twin sister he never knew he had. For Paloma it’s the battle of herself against her sense of identity, that sends many adopted people in search of their birth parents. At some point they will both have to face off against their demons.
A fabulous mixture of frantic action and deep intrigue set against a nation’s shameful past.
When a human body is washed up on a beach on the outskirts of the city, Jonny gets a tip off from the local police. It’s not much more than a torso, with all identifying features removed, the only distinguishing mark as a clue to the identity is a distinctive tattoo on the chest. Once, during the ‘Dirty War’ such bodies occasionally washed up on the beaches, these victims being thrown out of aeroplanes, sometimes alive, disposed of miles out to sea, but currents can be fickle. This body has recently killed though, and the Dirty War ended fifteen years ago. So why was this method of disposal used, to send a message? That there has been no press reporting of the body grabs Jonny’s attention. He thinks there could be a bigger story here than in the financial crisis. Jonny does what all great journalists do, asks questions and digs for answers. Finding the families of the missing isn’t too taxing; the mothers and grandmothers congregate weekly in a central square demanding answers. Jonny and Paloma are determined to help, but at what personal cost?
A bold story, based on a painful past, written with tact and flair. A past that some would rather bury, whilst others can never forget, is going to be cathartic and one hopes that the twenty-five years that have passed will have allowed for some healing.
This is a book of two halves, the first being the digging around for clues, the second being when they are on the right track, which makes it a two-speed storyline that starts off brisk before exploding into action.
The first half is one of discovery, for the reader and Jonny, as he navigates life in 1998 Buenos Aires. The financial crisis is starting to bite, people are becoming desperate which is reflected in their everyday life. Even so there are still those who are doing everything they can to help their fellow man, epitomised by the old man who gives Jonny refuge. The painful reality of what his life has become is heart rending but sensitively told, if he doesn’t do it then will anyone. The plight of the disappeared and those who preserved their memory is portrayed with a mixture of stoicism and grief, that hammers home what is means to these unfortunate people. Having a son or daughter disappeared is possibly more damaging to the families than them just being murdered. There remains a faint hope and it’s the hope that kills you, like a painful sore, that allows for no closure or chance of moving on.
The second half by way of contrast is good old fashioned action thriller. There’s danger and jeopardy as our heroes ‘jump out of the frying pan into the fire’ along with a chase and a race against time. The central reveal comes before an exciting finale as the long simmering city erupts with the kind of lawlessness and brutality that rolling news made its name on.
The standout part of the prose for me was the level of mistrust, which was magnificently kept running throughout. There is the constant nagging feelings of doubt, of suspicion, of ulterior motives at play. We have two central characters who work together but never really trust each other, or anyone else for that matter. Their smallest actions have the reader thinking there may be more to that action than first appears, that betrayal might be around the corner. This must have been what it was like to live under the Junta rule, where the wrong word to, or to trust the wrong person, could lead to denouncement and imprisonment or death. There is a cold pervading fear throughout.
Jonny and Paloma work so well as a central duo because they have that sense of being opposites, such that the reader wonders whether opposites will eventually attract. Deep down though they have something that ties them together, a painful past. With Jonny it is what happened following his parents separating, the grandparents he only now getting to know and the search for the twin sister he never knew he had. For Paloma it’s the battle of herself against her sense of identity, that sends many adopted people in search of their birth parents. At some point they will both have to face off against their demons.
A fabulous mixture of frantic action and deep intrigue set against a nation’s shameful past.
February 23, 2024
Death Flight by Sarah Sultoon will be published on February 29th with Orenda Books and is described as ‘an electrifying and disturbing political thriller’.
The second book in this series featuring young investigative reporter Jonny Murphy, Death Flight is set in Argentina and delves into the Dirty War, a war of oppression that destroyed the country from1976 to1983. In 1998 Jonny Murphy is with freelance photographer Paloma Glenn in Buenos Aires doing a piece for the International Tribune when a female mutilated partial body is washed up on a beach. The damage to the body is reminiscent of the tortuous actions by the military junta during the Dirty War but it makes no sense to Jonny and Paloma as to why this should be happening again now. The country is in the throes of a financial crisis with the economy very unstable. Jonny and Paloma are in the thick of what is going on and are looking to get a big break reporting on the ground on the big picture of a country on the brink of collapse.
The story of The Disappeared has been long embedded in the annals of Argentinian history books. It is estimated that up to 30,000 people vanished without trace, arrested and tortured as dissidents. Many were students, young idealists who opposed the government of the time. Alongside academics, artists and many more, these members of the population were never seen again. It is said that the babies of pregnant women were removed and put up for adoption, in the hope of preventing future children being educated and encouraged to speak out against the junta.
The mothers of these disappeared marched for action against this barbaric silencing and for the release of their children and grandchildren. These women took their lives in their hands and were known as the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. Jonny meets these women to hear their stories and to put names to those who vanished without a trace. The Death Flights are a notorious and shameful part of Argentina’s history, when tortured and still breathing prisoners were flown out to sea and dumped in the ocean. Some washed up, like the body discovered in 1998, others were left to the ocean.
Jonny and Paloma are perplexed as to what is happening but slowly start to gather information. Jonny is young and reckless. He has his own personal history that he guards close to his chest, but his past has made him more determined to find justice for others when he can. When an unexpected piece of information is made available to him, the layers begin to fold back revealing a very rotten core.
Jonny Murphy’s life is in danger. Unable to trust anyone, he fears that the truth will be buried but is willing to risk his life to tell the world the truth, one of such political importance, its ripple effects would resound for years. As the story unfolds around them, Jonny and Paloma’s lives become intertwined in the most unexpected way. Paloma is tough and street smart. She has ambition to be an established photographer but knows that she also needs Jonny to help her unravel a bigger mystery.
Death Flight provides a fascinating and disconcerting window into Argentinian history that I knew very little about. The plot is complex with the brashness of youth evident in Jonny Murphy’s character. When reading it, one can’t help but wonder why he’s doing a certain thing and then you have that moment of, of course! His decisions are often imprudent, but it is this characteristic that drives the plot on and adds a level of excitement and intensity to the tale.
Challenging, educational and shocking, Death Flight is a fast-paced and tense political thriller with its roots in facts that is sure to disturb and unsettle every reader.
The second book in this series featuring young investigative reporter Jonny Murphy, Death Flight is set in Argentina and delves into the Dirty War, a war of oppression that destroyed the country from1976 to1983. In 1998 Jonny Murphy is with freelance photographer Paloma Glenn in Buenos Aires doing a piece for the International Tribune when a female mutilated partial body is washed up on a beach. The damage to the body is reminiscent of the tortuous actions by the military junta during the Dirty War but it makes no sense to Jonny and Paloma as to why this should be happening again now. The country is in the throes of a financial crisis with the economy very unstable. Jonny and Paloma are in the thick of what is going on and are looking to get a big break reporting on the ground on the big picture of a country on the brink of collapse.
The story of The Disappeared has been long embedded in the annals of Argentinian history books. It is estimated that up to 30,000 people vanished without trace, arrested and tortured as dissidents. Many were students, young idealists who opposed the government of the time. Alongside academics, artists and many more, these members of the population were never seen again. It is said that the babies of pregnant women were removed and put up for adoption, in the hope of preventing future children being educated and encouraged to speak out against the junta.
The mothers of these disappeared marched for action against this barbaric silencing and for the release of their children and grandchildren. These women took their lives in their hands and were known as the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. Jonny meets these women to hear their stories and to put names to those who vanished without a trace. The Death Flights are a notorious and shameful part of Argentina’s history, when tortured and still breathing prisoners were flown out to sea and dumped in the ocean. Some washed up, like the body discovered in 1998, others were left to the ocean.
Jonny and Paloma are perplexed as to what is happening but slowly start to gather information. Jonny is young and reckless. He has his own personal history that he guards close to his chest, but his past has made him more determined to find justice for others when he can. When an unexpected piece of information is made available to him, the layers begin to fold back revealing a very rotten core.
Jonny Murphy’s life is in danger. Unable to trust anyone, he fears that the truth will be buried but is willing to risk his life to tell the world the truth, one of such political importance, its ripple effects would resound for years. As the story unfolds around them, Jonny and Paloma’s lives become intertwined in the most unexpected way. Paloma is tough and street smart. She has ambition to be an established photographer but knows that she also needs Jonny to help her unravel a bigger mystery.
Death Flight provides a fascinating and disconcerting window into Argentinian history that I knew very little about. The plot is complex with the brashness of youth evident in Jonny Murphy’s character. When reading it, one can’t help but wonder why he’s doing a certain thing and then you have that moment of, of course! His decisions are often imprudent, but it is this characteristic that drives the plot on and adds a level of excitement and intensity to the tale.
Challenging, educational and shocking, Death Flight is a fast-paced and tense political thriller with its roots in facts that is sure to disturb and unsettle every reader.
March 1, 2024
Death Flight is the second book to feature cub reporter, Jonny Murphy but although some of the events in Dirt are referenced here, it can be read as a standalone. I suspect that if you were to ask British people what comes to mind when they think of Argentina, the replies would predominantly be divided between the Falklands War, football, Eva Perón and possibly the Argentine Tango. Few would mention the Dirty War which took place from 1974 - 1983, and yet during this dark period in the country's history, it is estimated that between 22,000 and 30,000 people were killed or disappeared. As well as communist guerillas, the targets included students, teachers, journalists, trade unionists, writers, artists and anyone suspected of being a left-wing activist. It's worth noting the term, 'Dirty War' was used by the military junta who claimed that war, including the use of torture, was necessary to maintain social order, however, human rights organisations oppose its use, explaining it is a term used to excuse state terrorism.
Perhaps one of the most shocking practices of the time were the death flights; following detention and torture, thousands of people were killed after being, drugged, hog-tied and thrown from aircraft into the Río de la Plata or the Atlantic Ocean. Sarah Sultoon's novel is set in 1998 and so some years after the events of the Dirty War. However, International Tribune reporter, Jonny Murphy and freelance photographer, Paloma Glen have received a tip-off from the local police that a woman's body had washed up on a city beach. Without a head, legs or fingerprints, the only identifying mark is a faded tattoo and as Jonny surmises although drug cartels are brutal, they need their message to be clear. The similarities then to the notorious death flights can't be overlooked and even though Argentina is in the grip of a financial crisis, he becomes obsessed with searching for the truth – about both this victim and the scores of missing children, about whom the white headscarf wearing mothers and grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo are still demanding answers for.
It is soon evident that they are attracting attention and the sinister interference in their investigation grows increasingly dangerous as the novel progresses. As a former CNN journalist herself, Sarah Sultoon's books are always imbued with authenticity and Death Flight is no exception. The layers of political intrigue as well as the lasting human cost of these atrocities are examined with sombre empathy, with the scenes in the Plaza de Mayo being particularly moving.
Jonny's own past means he feels a deeper connection to the investigation and the emotional weight of what he uncovers bears heavily on him at times. His sense of his own abandonment is clear and under such stressful, rapidly developing circumstances, he finds it impossible to know who he can trust. Meanwhile, Paloma is a rather mysterious figure and although there's an intense energy to their partnership, they both have cause to question one another's actions.
This is a faster paced thriller than Sarah Sultoon's previous books and the sense of danger percolates throughout as the storyline takes the couple out of Buenos Aires and into a situation which tests them to their physical and mental limits. With the awful truth gradually revealed, they have to make devastating decisions, the cost of which extends far beyond their respective careers.
The intricately plotted Death Flight is a compulsively immersive, enlightening political thriller; breathtakingly exciting yet frequently deeply poignant, this is Sarah Sultoon's best book to date.
Perhaps one of the most shocking practices of the time were the death flights; following detention and torture, thousands of people were killed after being, drugged, hog-tied and thrown from aircraft into the Río de la Plata or the Atlantic Ocean. Sarah Sultoon's novel is set in 1998 and so some years after the events of the Dirty War. However, International Tribune reporter, Jonny Murphy and freelance photographer, Paloma Glen have received a tip-off from the local police that a woman's body had washed up on a city beach. Without a head, legs or fingerprints, the only identifying mark is a faded tattoo and as Jonny surmises although drug cartels are brutal, they need their message to be clear. The similarities then to the notorious death flights can't be overlooked and even though Argentina is in the grip of a financial crisis, he becomes obsessed with searching for the truth – about both this victim and the scores of missing children, about whom the white headscarf wearing mothers and grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo are still demanding answers for.
It is soon evident that they are attracting attention and the sinister interference in their investigation grows increasingly dangerous as the novel progresses. As a former CNN journalist herself, Sarah Sultoon's books are always imbued with authenticity and Death Flight is no exception. The layers of political intrigue as well as the lasting human cost of these atrocities are examined with sombre empathy, with the scenes in the Plaza de Mayo being particularly moving.
Jonny's own past means he feels a deeper connection to the investigation and the emotional weight of what he uncovers bears heavily on him at times. His sense of his own abandonment is clear and under such stressful, rapidly developing circumstances, he finds it impossible to know who he can trust. Meanwhile, Paloma is a rather mysterious figure and although there's an intense energy to their partnership, they both have cause to question one another's actions.
This is a faster paced thriller than Sarah Sultoon's previous books and the sense of danger percolates throughout as the storyline takes the couple out of Buenos Aires and into a situation which tests them to their physical and mental limits. With the awful truth gradually revealed, they have to make devastating decisions, the cost of which extends far beyond their respective careers.
The intricately plotted Death Flight is a compulsively immersive, enlightening political thriller; breathtakingly exciting yet frequently deeply poignant, this is Sarah Sultoon's best book to date.
February 16, 2024
Buenos Aires, 1998. Cub reporter Jonny Murphy is in Argentina covering the financial crisis that threatens to derail the country. Working alongside photographer, Paloma Glenn, they are barely scratching a living through the stories coming their way, until they receive a tip off about human remains that have washed up on a near-by beach - remains that uncomfortably evoke the stories of the Disappeared from the years of the Dirty War.
As Jonny and Paloma begin to dig into the circumstances of the death, they are shocked at the realisation that this could mean that the infamous Death Flights of the military regime could be under way once again. Caught between the families who need closure for their loved ones who went missing years ago; those who want to confess their part in terrible deeds; and those who want their secrets to never be revealed, Jonny and Paloma begin to realise that the stakes are much higher than they thought. They are now in danger themselves, but the way this investigation calls to secrets from Jonny's own past means he cannot rest until the truth is exposed.
Set two years after the explosive events in Israel that set Jonny's life reeling in the first book in this series, Dirt, Sarah Sultoon picks up his story in a compelling thriller that delves into the horrifying modern history of Argentina. The action begins with a slow burn build up as Jonny and Paloma get caught up in the financial crisis that plunged Argentina into depression in 1998. With scene after gritty scene as the pair do their best to get be ahead of the game to grab headlines, Sultoon paints a picture of a population reduced to grinding poverty by a perfect storm of political and monetary disasters, and the way she tells it thrums with authenticity clearly garnered from her own journalistic experience.
Within this storyline, Sultoon lays the seeds of the darkest of plots that brings back all the horror of the military junta years, and she gradually weaves this into Jonny and Paloma's investigation to take them off in a tangent that explodes with full-on political thriller/espionage vibes, and bring them right back in a cleverly contrived circle. If you are of an age to remember the sickening reports of what went on in Argentina during that time, as I am, then this element of the novel will grab you by the scruff of the neck and take you down a truly chilling road. As shocking as the threads are that Sultoon uses to heighten the thrills, spills, twists, and deeply emotional turns in this side of the story, I do not think there is anything here that is beyond the realms of possibility, and that makes it all the more powerful. I recommend a listen to Sting's deeply moving song, They Dance Alone, as a musical accompaniment here too - it always brings me to tears, and fits well with the heartrending scenes of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
I really enjoyed how Sultoon connects this second outing for Jonny with the groundwork she laid in the first book, especially how this ties him to Paloma's own poignant past. You do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this story, but it certainly adds layers that make the reading experience all the more worthwhile - and feeds into where she takes Jonny's story next.
This is an absolutely cracking thriller that will pull you in and have you turning the pages from cover to cover in a single breathless read. I consumed it, and am overwhelmed with how well Sultoon shines a light on some very uncomfortable history once again in that way she does so well.
As Jonny and Paloma begin to dig into the circumstances of the death, they are shocked at the realisation that this could mean that the infamous Death Flights of the military regime could be under way once again. Caught between the families who need closure for their loved ones who went missing years ago; those who want to confess their part in terrible deeds; and those who want their secrets to never be revealed, Jonny and Paloma begin to realise that the stakes are much higher than they thought. They are now in danger themselves, but the way this investigation calls to secrets from Jonny's own past means he cannot rest until the truth is exposed.
Set two years after the explosive events in Israel that set Jonny's life reeling in the first book in this series, Dirt, Sarah Sultoon picks up his story in a compelling thriller that delves into the horrifying modern history of Argentina. The action begins with a slow burn build up as Jonny and Paloma get caught up in the financial crisis that plunged Argentina into depression in 1998. With scene after gritty scene as the pair do their best to get be ahead of the game to grab headlines, Sultoon paints a picture of a population reduced to grinding poverty by a perfect storm of political and monetary disasters, and the way she tells it thrums with authenticity clearly garnered from her own journalistic experience.
Within this storyline, Sultoon lays the seeds of the darkest of plots that brings back all the horror of the military junta years, and she gradually weaves this into Jonny and Paloma's investigation to take them off in a tangent that explodes with full-on political thriller/espionage vibes, and bring them right back in a cleverly contrived circle. If you are of an age to remember the sickening reports of what went on in Argentina during that time, as I am, then this element of the novel will grab you by the scruff of the neck and take you down a truly chilling road. As shocking as the threads are that Sultoon uses to heighten the thrills, spills, twists, and deeply emotional turns in this side of the story, I do not think there is anything here that is beyond the realms of possibility, and that makes it all the more powerful. I recommend a listen to Sting's deeply moving song, They Dance Alone, as a musical accompaniment here too - it always brings me to tears, and fits well with the heartrending scenes of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
I really enjoyed how Sultoon connects this second outing for Jonny with the groundwork she laid in the first book, especially how this ties him to Paloma's own poignant past. You do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this story, but it certainly adds layers that make the reading experience all the more worthwhile - and feeds into where she takes Jonny's story next.
This is an absolutely cracking thriller that will pull you in and have you turning the pages from cover to cover in a single breathless read. I consumed it, and am overwhelmed with how well Sultoon shines a light on some very uncomfortable history once again in that way she does so well.
January 7, 2024
Death Flight is the second book in the Jonny Murphy series and see the cub reports we first met in Dirt living and working in Argentina at the time of the countries financial crisis. His brief is quite clear, and the expectations of his superiors at the International Tribune should be his only concern. However Jonny, and his photographer, Paloma, soon become distracted by a bigger story, one that trailed back to part of Argentina's dark history - the so called Dirty War, and the story of the 'disappeared', a large swathe of society who were abducted from the streets, seen as dissidents and a threat to the ruling regime, never to be seen again.
What I like about this series is the way in which Sarah Sultoon has taken historic fact and wound it around a new and compelling story, one that allowed me to explore a part of history, and a country, I knew little of. The story of the disappeared and the 'dirty war' is a true one, Thousands of people abducted, tortured and then thrown, still alive, from the eponymous death flights. Many simply disappeared without a trace, lost to the ocean. Others washed up on shore, and it is one such body that grabs Jonny's attention. The reason? Well this body was clearly only recently deceased and the war had ended some 15 year previously. I must admit that, as macabre as this whole premise is, it is one that most definitely drew me in. Like Jonny, I wanted to know who this nameless victim was and why such a devastating method of murder had been used. Clearly it was meant as a warning, but to whom and why.
There is a real feeling of threat that feeds throughout the whole novel and the author has done a brilliant job of rapidly. building, and maintaining, the tension that we feel right from the very first chapter. Set against a back drop of growing unrest, Jonny's position is a precarious one, not just professionally as he is failing to deliver the stories and the images his paper is demanding. Jonny, and us as voyuer, are quickly drawn into a very precarious situation, threatened into the very act of investigating the woman's death, despite every instinct suggesting it would be safer to walk away. I loved that juxtaposition, that sense that things are not what they appear, a feeling that continues to grow as the story progresses.
I really like Jonny as a character. He has come a long way since the first book, carrying with his the devastating revelations about his families past, and, in a sense growing in spirit as a result. There is still a kind of vulnerability about him, but a natural feeling if distrust to those around him that is not entirely unfounded. It is one of those books that is it really know which characters to trust. There are those who are quite clearly acting against Jonny, trying to prevent the truth being uncovered. But then there are people closer to our favourite cub reported whose motives may not be entirely clean either. It adds jeopardy to an already tense story. The pacing is spot on, the author deftly combining the countries history, with furthering our understanding of what is happening in the here and now. It's a wonderfully charged conspiracy where the revelations should really be shocking but, when delivered, have a certain tragic inevitability about them.
Most definitely recommended for fans of tightly plotted thrillers with a deeply emotional core. Be warned though - this book may make you lose hours to the Gods of Google. I found myself so compelled by this story I had to go off into a world of research to understand just how much of this book is grounded in reality. The results are depressingly bleak!
A charged, break neck, high danger investigation, set against a time of social, financial and political unrest, that had me completely hooked from start to finish. I just powered through it and found that I loved and respected the character of Jonny just that little bit more by the end. It's a shocking story with its foundations in truth that just goes to show, once again, the capacity of mankind for violence, and the lengths that people were, and sadly are, prepared to go to in order to protect secrets and maintain power over others.
What I like about this series is the way in which Sarah Sultoon has taken historic fact and wound it around a new and compelling story, one that allowed me to explore a part of history, and a country, I knew little of. The story of the disappeared and the 'dirty war' is a true one, Thousands of people abducted, tortured and then thrown, still alive, from the eponymous death flights. Many simply disappeared without a trace, lost to the ocean. Others washed up on shore, and it is one such body that grabs Jonny's attention. The reason? Well this body was clearly only recently deceased and the war had ended some 15 year previously. I must admit that, as macabre as this whole premise is, it is one that most definitely drew me in. Like Jonny, I wanted to know who this nameless victim was and why such a devastating method of murder had been used. Clearly it was meant as a warning, but to whom and why.
There is a real feeling of threat that feeds throughout the whole novel and the author has done a brilliant job of rapidly. building, and maintaining, the tension that we feel right from the very first chapter. Set against a back drop of growing unrest, Jonny's position is a precarious one, not just professionally as he is failing to deliver the stories and the images his paper is demanding. Jonny, and us as voyuer, are quickly drawn into a very precarious situation, threatened into the very act of investigating the woman's death, despite every instinct suggesting it would be safer to walk away. I loved that juxtaposition, that sense that things are not what they appear, a feeling that continues to grow as the story progresses.
I really like Jonny as a character. He has come a long way since the first book, carrying with his the devastating revelations about his families past, and, in a sense growing in spirit as a result. There is still a kind of vulnerability about him, but a natural feeling if distrust to those around him that is not entirely unfounded. It is one of those books that is it really know which characters to trust. There are those who are quite clearly acting against Jonny, trying to prevent the truth being uncovered. But then there are people closer to our favourite cub reported whose motives may not be entirely clean either. It adds jeopardy to an already tense story. The pacing is spot on, the author deftly combining the countries history, with furthering our understanding of what is happening in the here and now. It's a wonderfully charged conspiracy where the revelations should really be shocking but, when delivered, have a certain tragic inevitability about them.
Most definitely recommended for fans of tightly plotted thrillers with a deeply emotional core. Be warned though - this book may make you lose hours to the Gods of Google. I found myself so compelled by this story I had to go off into a world of research to understand just how much of this book is grounded in reality. The results are depressingly bleak!
A charged, break neck, high danger investigation, set against a time of social, financial and political unrest, that had me completely hooked from start to finish. I just powered through it and found that I loved and respected the character of Jonny just that little bit more by the end. It's a shocking story with its foundations in truth that just goes to show, once again, the capacity of mankind for violence, and the lengths that people were, and sadly are, prepared to go to in order to protect secrets and maintain power over others.
February 14, 2024
Former CNN news executive Sarah Sultoon has carved out a niche for herself creating realistic journalist protagonists uncovering stories that have much greater depth and nuance than any headline or "breaking news" flash could ever bring us. She hasn't shied away from difficult, painful subjects, and in Death Flight tackles another: the legacy of the Dirty War and the Disappeared in Argentina, coupled with a setting during the country's financial crisis at the end of the 1990s.
The prologue is matter-of-fact and grim, but we are then also swiftly introduced to the beauty of Buenos Aires, with a street performance of tango, a reminder perhaps to take joy where you find it. Watching the tango are reporter Jonny and photographer Paloma. They are working on stories about the country's financial troubles, and also on a story about a woman's torso being washed up on a beach. The state of the body is reminiscent of the victims of the war, but it cannot have been in the water for 15 years - so is it some kind of copycat? A message?
A scene with the white-headscarfed Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, who defied their government to protest about their children vanishing and continue to seek justice, has a powerful impact on the reader, and on Jonny, who becomes more determined than ever to find answers to his questions. While Jonny is less green than he was in Dirt, he's still not totally sure of himself or his reporting abilities - and his threadbare grasp of Argentine Spanish is a nice way to underline his outsider status. And where he remains hugely idealistic, Paloma is more pragmatic. For much of the book there's a tension between them, and their relationship is definitely on shifting sands.
There is a missing notebook, and a missing photograph. Is someone trying to scupper their story? But they also obtain a map, and some startling information, both through distinctly unusual methods. Then a shocking picture arrives - a clue? A threat? As they follow the map, in search of a church in a region known as Little Switzerland, things really start to get darker. Both our protagonists' backstories come into play too, as enlightenment shimmers on the horizon.
Death Flight is a tough read at times, due to the realities it deals with. But sometimes we need tough reads, to be told of dark times that should not be hidden or forgotten. And sometimes reality is best captured and explored through fiction, which gives us a familiar framework to cling on to while we are told things we've perhaps avoided, or not understood, or not been aware of at all.
It's a terrific and terrifying novel, and I think an important novel too - a gripping political thriller with a setting that will feel exotic to most UK readers, but with a steely core of grim reality. With this novel Sarah Sultoon has really excelled herself.
The prologue is matter-of-fact and grim, but we are then also swiftly introduced to the beauty of Buenos Aires, with a street performance of tango, a reminder perhaps to take joy where you find it. Watching the tango are reporter Jonny and photographer Paloma. They are working on stories about the country's financial troubles, and also on a story about a woman's torso being washed up on a beach. The state of the body is reminiscent of the victims of the war, but it cannot have been in the water for 15 years - so is it some kind of copycat? A message?
A scene with the white-headscarfed Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, who defied their government to protest about their children vanishing and continue to seek justice, has a powerful impact on the reader, and on Jonny, who becomes more determined than ever to find answers to his questions. While Jonny is less green than he was in Dirt, he's still not totally sure of himself or his reporting abilities - and his threadbare grasp of Argentine Spanish is a nice way to underline his outsider status. And where he remains hugely idealistic, Paloma is more pragmatic. For much of the book there's a tension between them, and their relationship is definitely on shifting sands.
There is a missing notebook, and a missing photograph. Is someone trying to scupper their story? But they also obtain a map, and some startling information, both through distinctly unusual methods. Then a shocking picture arrives - a clue? A threat? As they follow the map, in search of a church in a region known as Little Switzerland, things really start to get darker. Both our protagonists' backstories come into play too, as enlightenment shimmers on the horizon.
Death Flight is a tough read at times, due to the realities it deals with. But sometimes we need tough reads, to be told of dark times that should not be hidden or forgotten. And sometimes reality is best captured and explored through fiction, which gives us a familiar framework to cling on to while we are told things we've perhaps avoided, or not understood, or not been aware of at all.
It's a terrific and terrifying novel, and I think an important novel too - a gripping political thriller with a setting that will feel exotic to most UK readers, but with a steely core of grim reality. With this novel Sarah Sultoon has really excelled herself.
February 21, 2024
This is the fourth book by Sarah Sultoon that I've read and it is safe to say that I am a huge fan. Death Flight features reporter Jonny Murphy - he made his first appearance in the author's previous novel, Dirt.
Sultoon draws on her own extensive experience as a journalist who has been all over the world when creating Jonny and the situations that he finds himself in. There are very few journalists as main characters in crime fiction and I find these stories really refreshing and a different take on the genre. What I also love about these novels is how much I learn about the world, the history of the countries in which they are set and also current issues that affect them.
Death Flight is set in Agentina in 1998, it is fifteen years after the horrific 'Dirty War' that devastated the country, where prisoners were taken on flights and dropped into the ocean. The perpetrators thought they'd be lost forever, but the sea often washed bodies ashore. The people responsible for these acts still walk free, protected by the Government, never punished or held to account.
Jonny and his photographer colleague Palmoa are in Argentina to cover the financial crisis that has brought the country to its knees. Jonny had a tip off that the headless, handless corpse of a woman has recently washed ashore. However, despite the horror of this event, there's no reports of it in the media. Jonny's suspicions are roused and he is sure that there's a story to be found there. Whilst he and Paloma do continue to try to cover the financial crisis, he begins to ask questions that soon find both of them in danger.
Jonny is a complex character, still scarred by his experiences in Northern Israel a couple of years ago where he discovered more about himself and his family than he could ever have expected. Paloma also carries a weight on her shoulders, one that won't be fully revealed until the end of the story. These are two perfectly drawn characters, both intent on finding the story, but both with their own vulnerabilities which makes them so human, so relatable and so realistic.
As the story progresses, the dangers increase and it is clear that there are people who would like Jonny to keep his nose out, and are prepared to stop at nothing to ensure that he is quietened. There's a sense of mystery about Jonny and Paloma's relationship too, colleagues but also friends, but a feeling of whether we can quite trust this friendship, and whether we are aware of everything.
It's a fascinating, thrilling crime thriller, set in a country that has so much history, so much corruption and so much still happening. The sense of place is incredibly well done and as the plot evolves, the tension increases, culminating in an ending that left me breathless.
Sophisticated and stunning, Death Flight is an incredible story. Highly recommended.
Sultoon draws on her own extensive experience as a journalist who has been all over the world when creating Jonny and the situations that he finds himself in. There are very few journalists as main characters in crime fiction and I find these stories really refreshing and a different take on the genre. What I also love about these novels is how much I learn about the world, the history of the countries in which they are set and also current issues that affect them.
Death Flight is set in Agentina in 1998, it is fifteen years after the horrific 'Dirty War' that devastated the country, where prisoners were taken on flights and dropped into the ocean. The perpetrators thought they'd be lost forever, but the sea often washed bodies ashore. The people responsible for these acts still walk free, protected by the Government, never punished or held to account.
Jonny and his photographer colleague Palmoa are in Argentina to cover the financial crisis that has brought the country to its knees. Jonny had a tip off that the headless, handless corpse of a woman has recently washed ashore. However, despite the horror of this event, there's no reports of it in the media. Jonny's suspicions are roused and he is sure that there's a story to be found there. Whilst he and Paloma do continue to try to cover the financial crisis, he begins to ask questions that soon find both of them in danger.
Jonny is a complex character, still scarred by his experiences in Northern Israel a couple of years ago where he discovered more about himself and his family than he could ever have expected. Paloma also carries a weight on her shoulders, one that won't be fully revealed until the end of the story. These are two perfectly drawn characters, both intent on finding the story, but both with their own vulnerabilities which makes them so human, so relatable and so realistic.
As the story progresses, the dangers increase and it is clear that there are people who would like Jonny to keep his nose out, and are prepared to stop at nothing to ensure that he is quietened. There's a sense of mystery about Jonny and Paloma's relationship too, colleagues but also friends, but a feeling of whether we can quite trust this friendship, and whether we are aware of everything.
It's a fascinating, thrilling crime thriller, set in a country that has so much history, so much corruption and so much still happening. The sense of place is incredibly well done and as the plot evolves, the tension increases, culminating in an ending that left me breathless.
Sophisticated and stunning, Death Flight is an incredible story. Highly recommended.
April 21, 2025
Thriller set in ARGENTINA
The backdrop to this novel is Argentina’s Dirty War, which I first read about in Rodolfo Walsh’s Last Case by Elsa Ducaroff (TRS: Slava Faybysh and David William Foster) and therefore it was interesting to pick up Death Flight given my newly acquired awareness of the times. From 1976-1983 a military junta ruled Argentina and 1000s of people were made to disappear. One of the ways of disposing of the mutilated bodies was on the death flights, they were simply dropped into the ocean so that the water could do its work, the evidence of terrible deeds obliterated. Occasionally evidence of “The Disappeared” would wash up on the shoreline.
It is now 1998 and and Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires reporting for the International Tribune. He is interviewing families of the victims and is working in conjunction with freelance photographer Paloma Glenn. A body is found on the shoreline, an echo from the dark past, but years have passed since the end of the Dirty War, so what does this body now signify?
Robbed and snatched off the street at gunpoint, Jonny finds himself in dialogue with one of erstwhile pilots, which for him could be a real scoop, but he soon discovers that at present he has little say on what he can and can’t report. He is resourceful and he will not be silenced and continues with his investigations against all odds. He follows a trail into the heart of the country.
This is a deftly told story, with a terrific sense of pace and edginess. It offers background and political insight (the USA backed the war, for example, and although many Catholics were persecuted, the church itself remained silent), and the pathos grows as the contemporary Argentinian financial crisis develops. There is a real sense of a country still at that point – to some extent – at war with itself, and the author slides her characters into a fully textured backdrop. There is a real sense of urgency in the novel that this particular period of Argentinian history should be brought to the attention of readers.
This is no. 2 in the Jonny Murphy files but can happily be read as a standalone.
The backdrop to this novel is Argentina’s Dirty War, which I first read about in Rodolfo Walsh’s Last Case by Elsa Ducaroff (TRS: Slava Faybysh and David William Foster) and therefore it was interesting to pick up Death Flight given my newly acquired awareness of the times. From 1976-1983 a military junta ruled Argentina and 1000s of people were made to disappear. One of the ways of disposing of the mutilated bodies was on the death flights, they were simply dropped into the ocean so that the water could do its work, the evidence of terrible deeds obliterated. Occasionally evidence of “The Disappeared” would wash up on the shoreline.
It is now 1998 and and Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires reporting for the International Tribune. He is interviewing families of the victims and is working in conjunction with freelance photographer Paloma Glenn. A body is found on the shoreline, an echo from the dark past, but years have passed since the end of the Dirty War, so what does this body now signify?
Robbed and snatched off the street at gunpoint, Jonny finds himself in dialogue with one of erstwhile pilots, which for him could be a real scoop, but he soon discovers that at present he has little say on what he can and can’t report. He is resourceful and he will not be silenced and continues with his investigations against all odds. He follows a trail into the heart of the country.
This is a deftly told story, with a terrific sense of pace and edginess. It offers background and political insight (the USA backed the war, for example, and although many Catholics were persecuted, the church itself remained silent), and the pathos grows as the contemporary Argentinian financial crisis develops. There is a real sense of a country still at that point – to some extent – at war with itself, and the author slides her characters into a fully textured backdrop. There is a real sense of urgency in the novel that this particular period of Argentinian history should be brought to the attention of readers.
This is no. 2 in the Jonny Murphy files but can happily be read as a standalone.
February 29, 2024
We last met Jonny Murphy, a young British journalist in Jerusalem, in the first in this series. It’s 1998 and Jonny is working in Buenos Aires for the International Tribune alongside freelance photographer Paloma. His job is to report on the financial crisis in the country but his nose is itching around a different story. This is another exciting and fast paced thriller and I’m not surprised to see that the author was a journalist, it shows. I’ve been to Buenos Aries and to many of the places mentioned so I found this particularly fascinating.
Briefly, Murphy and Paloma have been following the stories of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo who demonstrate every week outside the Casa Rosada, the presidents palace, in Plaza de Mayo. They are asking for the return of the disappeared children. They wear white headscarves (originally nappies/diapers) with the names of their children on them and Aparición con Vida (alive reappearance). After a body is found on the beach with a distinctive tattoo Murphy is obsessed with finding out more. Particularly about death flights, a practice used during The Dirty War (15 years ago) where, usually after detention and torture they were drugged, loaded into aircraft, stripped, and dropped into the River/Ocean. But Jonny and Paloma’s are ruffling a lot of feathers!
There is so much of this book based on fact and it’s terrible, I genuinely wasn’t aware of some of the atrocities committed by the military junta. This is a book of two halves. The first half is centred around Jonny’s investigations and is a little slower paced but the most emotional stories and the second half is a fast cross country chase with who know who after them! Both the main characters are well fleshed and their relationship well written, always things simmering under the surface, can they trust each other, is the other person hiding things, and are they attracted to each other? Only one way for you to find out. A bit of everything, fast paced political thriller, historical drama, true events, romance, suspense all wrapped up in a neat little package for you to enjoy. A great read.
Briefly, Murphy and Paloma have been following the stories of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo who demonstrate every week outside the Casa Rosada, the presidents palace, in Plaza de Mayo. They are asking for the return of the disappeared children. They wear white headscarves (originally nappies/diapers) with the names of their children on them and Aparición con Vida (alive reappearance). After a body is found on the beach with a distinctive tattoo Murphy is obsessed with finding out more. Particularly about death flights, a practice used during The Dirty War (15 years ago) where, usually after detention and torture they were drugged, loaded into aircraft, stripped, and dropped into the River/Ocean. But Jonny and Paloma’s are ruffling a lot of feathers!
There is so much of this book based on fact and it’s terrible, I genuinely wasn’t aware of some of the atrocities committed by the military junta. This is a book of two halves. The first half is centred around Jonny’s investigations and is a little slower paced but the most emotional stories and the second half is a fast cross country chase with who know who after them! Both the main characters are well fleshed and their relationship well written, always things simmering under the surface, can they trust each other, is the other person hiding things, and are they attracted to each other? Only one way for you to find out. A bit of everything, fast paced political thriller, historical drama, true events, romance, suspense all wrapped up in a neat little package for you to enjoy. A great read.
February 7, 2024
My Review
As always hugest of thanks to Anne Cater for organising another fabulous Blog Tour and to Orenda Books for sending me a copy of Death Flight.
This is the second in the Jonny Murphy journalist series written by Sarah Sultoon, and after reading the first one ( Dirt ) I was looking forward to seeing what adventures Jonny got himself into in Death Flight.
We open with a body being found on a beach in Argentina by Military Officers, and a referral to Argentinas Death Flights that happened during their Dirty War. After this shocking opening we find Jonny Murphy, a couple of weeks later trying to find a story with Paloma his photographer. They are trying to earn a living in a country that is fast crumbling into chaos with inflation soaring and money becoming worthless. Jonny is intent on digging and finding out about the body on the beach and the Death Flights which haven’t been happening for many years, supposedly. What then follows is a thrilling plot that sees Jonny and Paloma become more and more paranoid and feel under threat but for Jonny, he is determined to publish the story and give the victims their voice, whatever the danger to him!
With the usual detailed prose and obvious research that Sarah Sultoon has done, we are treated to another fast-paced novel that I would describe as a Political thriller. It is always a journey with Sarah’s books in learning about lesser-known events and Countries, and because she has researched these so well, the book really makes you feel like you are in Argentina, the chaotic scenes in the earlier chapters when the banks stop people withdrawing only a small amount of cash, were so realistic and almost made me feel claustrophobic.
Death Flight will have you gripped with amazing characters, wonderful sense of place descriptions and twists and turns that lead to a climactic ending. It’s clear that Sarah Sultoon is a force to be reckoned with in writing this style of novel, and the Jonny Murphy series will go from strength to strength!
A fantastic 4-star read.
As always hugest of thanks to Anne Cater for organising another fabulous Blog Tour and to Orenda Books for sending me a copy of Death Flight.
This is the second in the Jonny Murphy journalist series written by Sarah Sultoon, and after reading the first one ( Dirt ) I was looking forward to seeing what adventures Jonny got himself into in Death Flight.
We open with a body being found on a beach in Argentina by Military Officers, and a referral to Argentinas Death Flights that happened during their Dirty War. After this shocking opening we find Jonny Murphy, a couple of weeks later trying to find a story with Paloma his photographer. They are trying to earn a living in a country that is fast crumbling into chaos with inflation soaring and money becoming worthless. Jonny is intent on digging and finding out about the body on the beach and the Death Flights which haven’t been happening for many years, supposedly. What then follows is a thrilling plot that sees Jonny and Paloma become more and more paranoid and feel under threat but for Jonny, he is determined to publish the story and give the victims their voice, whatever the danger to him!
With the usual detailed prose and obvious research that Sarah Sultoon has done, we are treated to another fast-paced novel that I would describe as a Political thriller. It is always a journey with Sarah’s books in learning about lesser-known events and Countries, and because she has researched these so well, the book really makes you feel like you are in Argentina, the chaotic scenes in the earlier chapters when the banks stop people withdrawing only a small amount of cash, were so realistic and almost made me feel claustrophobic.
Death Flight will have you gripped with amazing characters, wonderful sense of place descriptions and twists and turns that lead to a climactic ending. It’s clear that Sarah Sultoon is a force to be reckoned with in writing this style of novel, and the Jonny Murphy series will go from strength to strength!
A fantastic 4-star read.
February 29, 2024
Once again, Sarah Sultoon pulls it out of the bag. After his first outing in Dirt, Jonny Murphy is a very vulnerable as well as determined man. He has the sort of character you want to encourage and equally tell him to be careful so he can be protected from his own reckless streak.
Again, we are taken between historical facts and events with Jonny’s adventures thrown in. You may end up falling down an internet rabbit hole as finding out these events of Argentina’s Dirty War did actually happen.
When we have a washed up torso, Jonny needs to know whatever the cost. And whatever he gets into the cost is always so high that most people would walk, no run away, but Jonny has demons that nag him to find out for others the things he can’t answer in his own life. I also love Jonny as a character and he makes you feel for him so when he’s in danger you want to warn him off, knowing he’s going to do it anyway! His and Paloma’s relationship is fantastic. They work so well, together.
I found this was written in an almost cinematic way and it would be a perfect tv miniseries. There’s enough action, angles and tension that you will be gnawing at your nails or shouting at Jonny as he does something else that you know is at best unwise. Do yourself a favour and read this story. Although based in truth it’s not what I’d call a preachy book, so don’t be put off by this. It’s full of scenes that are gritty, but it’s not grim. The hope shines through in the way characters bond and bind together to make their way through the horrors they’ve experienced.
I loved this book, can you tell?
With thanks to Anne Cater, Orenda Books and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
Again, we are taken between historical facts and events with Jonny’s adventures thrown in. You may end up falling down an internet rabbit hole as finding out these events of Argentina’s Dirty War did actually happen.
When we have a washed up torso, Jonny needs to know whatever the cost. And whatever he gets into the cost is always so high that most people would walk, no run away, but Jonny has demons that nag him to find out for others the things he can’t answer in his own life. I also love Jonny as a character and he makes you feel for him so when he’s in danger you want to warn him off, knowing he’s going to do it anyway! His and Paloma’s relationship is fantastic. They work so well, together.
I found this was written in an almost cinematic way and it would be a perfect tv miniseries. There’s enough action, angles and tension that you will be gnawing at your nails or shouting at Jonny as he does something else that you know is at best unwise. Do yourself a favour and read this story. Although based in truth it’s not what I’d call a preachy book, so don’t be put off by this. It’s full of scenes that are gritty, but it’s not grim. The hope shines through in the way characters bond and bind together to make their way through the horrors they’ve experienced.
I loved this book, can you tell?
With thanks to Anne Cater, Orenda Books and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
January 4, 2024
**This is a review of a proof copy kindly provided by Orenda Books.**
I'm a big fan of Sarah's first three novels, The Source, The Shot, and Dirt. Death Flight is, for the first time, a sequel, of Dirt, following Jonny Murphy to a new assignment in Buenos Aires in 1998, 15 years after the end of the 'Dirty War' and the Death Flights that dropped thousands of murdered civilians into the Atlantic Ocean during the post-Peron military government, some of which were washed up on the Argentinian shore. Jonny and freelance photographer Paloma Glenn are working on a story about the missing victims of those flights when the 1998 financial crisis hits. And after that you don't really get chance to breathe until the end of the book.
The pace is relentless, and movement barely stops. The characters move from one danger to the next as they pursue the story, and their own demons. The writing is immediate and immersive - I felt myself panicking in the crowds, flinching at the noise, aching at the blows. The sense of being a tiny cog in a massive engine never really lifts. It swept me along.
The novel is a sequel, and having read Dirt helps a little, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. The events that it is set against are real - I remembered the 1998 Argentinian financial crisis as it was reported on during the 1998 World Cup, and I know of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo after looking up what the U2 song 'Mothers of the Disappeared' was based on - and the novel left me wanting to refresh my knowledge. But, above all, it is an unrelenting thriller. Highly recommended.
I'm a big fan of Sarah's first three novels, The Source, The Shot, and Dirt. Death Flight is, for the first time, a sequel, of Dirt, following Jonny Murphy to a new assignment in Buenos Aires in 1998, 15 years after the end of the 'Dirty War' and the Death Flights that dropped thousands of murdered civilians into the Atlantic Ocean during the post-Peron military government, some of which were washed up on the Argentinian shore. Jonny and freelance photographer Paloma Glenn are working on a story about the missing victims of those flights when the 1998 financial crisis hits. And after that you don't really get chance to breathe until the end of the book.
The pace is relentless, and movement barely stops. The characters move from one danger to the next as they pursue the story, and their own demons. The writing is immediate and immersive - I felt myself panicking in the crowds, flinching at the noise, aching at the blows. The sense of being a tiny cog in a massive engine never really lifts. It swept me along.
The novel is a sequel, and having read Dirt helps a little, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. The events that it is set against are real - I remembered the 1998 Argentinian financial crisis as it was reported on during the 1998 World Cup, and I know of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo after looking up what the U2 song 'Mothers of the Disappeared' was based on - and the novel left me wanting to refresh my knowledge. But, above all, it is an unrelenting thriller. Highly recommended.
February 14, 2024
If you love an action packed book, then you need to read Death Flight by Sarah Sultoon. I near enough read this book in one sitting. I’ve been a big fan of Sarah’s work for some time now, but her latest novel is her best yet. Sarah has a real talent of putting you firmly in the shoes of her characters and there is a real emotional hook to this book that really kept me invested in this story.
In her latest book, we meet reporter Jonny Murphy, and freelance reporter, Paloma, as they travel to Argentina. They’re investigating the Argentinean government and the military’s involvement in the disappearance of thousands of babies which took place in the 1970s and 1980s; the families of the stolen babies still have no idea what happened to their children. It is clear to see the anguish this has caused them. Sarah describes this so well in her book, I could really feel their desperation to get to the truth. This was something that I personally knew nothing about, and I always love how Sarah Sultoon manages to open my eyes to horrific events that have happened in the world. The action gets going right from the first chapter. There is tension on every page, especially as anger boils over in the local population. Jonny and Paloma feel it is their duty to get to the bottom of what has gone on.
We have met Jonny before in a previous book by Sarah, The Dirt, which I also really enjoyed and Sarah does a brilliant job of delving even further into his character in this latest book. We learn a lot more about his backstory in Death Flight and Sarah brings it out in a very powerful way. I thought this especially, as well, when we learn more about Paloma, but I don’t want to give anything away here.
There is a very cinematic feeling to this book which I really liked. This is what makes this book so gripping and I really felt as though I was there amongst the action; this is one of Sarah Sultoon’s real talents. There are some jaw dropping reveals as we later find out more about Jonny and Paloma, this. Although the main characters in this book are journalists, it did almost feel like a spy novel as I was reading it.
If you love fast-paced and action-packed thrillers then I highly recommend Death Flight. It’ll definitely be one of my top reads of the year, I’m sure.
In her latest book, we meet reporter Jonny Murphy, and freelance reporter, Paloma, as they travel to Argentina. They’re investigating the Argentinean government and the military’s involvement in the disappearance of thousands of babies which took place in the 1970s and 1980s; the families of the stolen babies still have no idea what happened to their children. It is clear to see the anguish this has caused them. Sarah describes this so well in her book, I could really feel their desperation to get to the truth. This was something that I personally knew nothing about, and I always love how Sarah Sultoon manages to open my eyes to horrific events that have happened in the world. The action gets going right from the first chapter. There is tension on every page, especially as anger boils over in the local population. Jonny and Paloma feel it is their duty to get to the bottom of what has gone on.
We have met Jonny before in a previous book by Sarah, The Dirt, which I also really enjoyed and Sarah does a brilliant job of delving even further into his character in this latest book. We learn a lot more about his backstory in Death Flight and Sarah brings it out in a very powerful way. I thought this especially, as well, when we learn more about Paloma, but I don’t want to give anything away here.
There is a very cinematic feeling to this book which I really liked. This is what makes this book so gripping and I really felt as though I was there amongst the action; this is one of Sarah Sultoon’s real talents. There are some jaw dropping reveals as we later find out more about Jonny and Paloma, this. Although the main characters in this book are journalists, it did almost feel like a spy novel as I was reading it.
If you love fast-paced and action-packed thrillers then I highly recommend Death Flight. It’ll definitely be one of my top reads of the year, I’m sure.
March 1, 2024
This story is set in Argentina and draws on the dreadful events of the Dirty War in which thousands of people, targetted as enemies of the government, disappeared. The modern-day story follows the exploits of Jonny Murphy. a journalist, and a colleague photographer, Paloma Glenn. They are investigating the Argentinian financial crisis when a headless corpse is found on the beach and they turn their attention to the events of the Dirty War and the people responsible who are still hiding within society.
Book 2 of the Jonny Murphy series can be read as a standalone.
This action story is short and a fast read. I personally would have liked more about the current-day plot although we see how it intersects with the historical elements, we don't see it in depth. Perhaps that will be expanded in the next books of the series.
This is an important story as it shines a light on a little-known (outside of Argentina) gruesome history.
The author's journalism background gives the story credibility layering in true historical context with the fictional story.
This is a thriller with depth and a great read.
Book 2 of the Jonny Murphy series can be read as a standalone.
This action story is short and a fast read. I personally would have liked more about the current-day plot although we see how it intersects with the historical elements, we don't see it in depth. Perhaps that will be expanded in the next books of the series.
This is an important story as it shines a light on a little-known (outside of Argentina) gruesome history.
The author's journalism background gives the story credibility layering in true historical context with the fictional story.
This is a thriller with depth and a great read.
January 15, 2026
Argentina. 1998. Human remains are found in a beach on the outskirts of Buenos Aires – a gruesome echo of when the tide brought home dozens of mutilated bodies thrown from planes during Argentina's Dirty War. Flights of death, with passengers known as the Disappeared.
International Tribune reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of the missing, desperate to keep their memory alive, when the corpse turns up. His investigations with his companion, freelance photographer Paloma Glenn, have barely started when Argentina's simmering financial crisis explodes around them.
As the fabric of society starts to disintegrate and Argentine cities burn around them, Jonny and Paloma are suddenly thrust centre stage, fighting to secure both their jobs and their livelihoods.
But Jonny is also fighting something else, an echo from his own past that he'll never shake, and as it catches up with him and Paloma, he must make choices that will endanger everything he knows…
Set in Argentina during the late 1990s, Jonny Murphy & Paloma Glenn get drawn into a dangerous mystery relating to the Dirty War of the previous decades, & the thousands of "disappeared" so-called activists of the time. Grandmothers continue to protest the loss of their children, reluctantly accepting their death but wondering what has happened to their grandchildren, where are they now. I found the setting & the time period both fascinating & horrifying, but always interesting. Is it just a question of follow the money?
Jonny is a journalist & Paloma a news photographer, thrown together in this extremely dangerous location, & showing very little trust in each other. I can't believe any romance between them at all, although they do depend on each other for survival. Jonny is incredibly naive for a journalist & lurches from one crisis to the next, mostly intact, while Paloma is keeping vital secrets that almost get him killed.
The premise is good but the execution a little disjointed & convoluted, I was a tad confused at times. Perhaps, if I was a journalist, I'd have understood Jonny's actions, if not Paloma's. I'm not encouraged to seek out more by this author, but I did enjoy this one.
International Tribune reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of the missing, desperate to keep their memory alive, when the corpse turns up. His investigations with his companion, freelance photographer Paloma Glenn, have barely started when Argentina's simmering financial crisis explodes around them.
As the fabric of society starts to disintegrate and Argentine cities burn around them, Jonny and Paloma are suddenly thrust centre stage, fighting to secure both their jobs and their livelihoods.
But Jonny is also fighting something else, an echo from his own past that he'll never shake, and as it catches up with him and Paloma, he must make choices that will endanger everything he knows…
Set in Argentina during the late 1990s, Jonny Murphy & Paloma Glenn get drawn into a dangerous mystery relating to the Dirty War of the previous decades, & the thousands of "disappeared" so-called activists of the time. Grandmothers continue to protest the loss of their children, reluctantly accepting their death but wondering what has happened to their grandchildren, where are they now. I found the setting & the time period both fascinating & horrifying, but always interesting. Is it just a question of follow the money?
Jonny is a journalist & Paloma a news photographer, thrown together in this extremely dangerous location, & showing very little trust in each other. I can't believe any romance between them at all, although they do depend on each other for survival. Jonny is incredibly naive for a journalist & lurches from one crisis to the next, mostly intact, while Paloma is keeping vital secrets that almost get him killed.
The premise is good but the execution a little disjointed & convoluted, I was a tad confused at times. Perhaps, if I was a journalist, I'd have understood Jonny's actions, if not Paloma's. I'm not encouraged to seek out more by this author, but I did enjoy this one.
February 8, 2024
A journalist and a photographer uncover an horrific story of kidnappings and murders by the state. A breathtakingly raw journey to expose the criminal atrocities ,whilst fighting to stay alive and get to safety. Hard hitting and totally gripping.
February 18, 2024
A hard hitting novel about a journalist and photographer uncovering murders and kidnappings. You can’t help but to admire the character Jonny and want to keep reading the book to find out more as it’s full of suspense.my first time reading a book by Sarah Sultoon and it won’t be my last.
February 28, 2024
I found this a little underwhelming, Jonny a bit too naïve to be credible (I'd no recollection of his activities in 'Dirt') and several of the later scenes written with an eye on the impact they'd make when filmed. Gripping enough, however, for me to read it in a couple of sittings.
January 22, 2024
Sarah Sultoon weaves fact and fiction together into a thrilling, heady mix. This is an action thriller with heart and brains. A belting read!
February 5, 2024
A brilliant novel about The Disappeared in Argentina. Victims of the Dirty War. Contains trigger warnings for murder and human trafficking. Recommended
April 2, 2024
Well written with a gritty storyline that managed to keep the book moving at a fast pace
June 8, 2024
Gripping action-packed read. Highly recommend!
June 8, 2024
Perfect holiday read. Great suspense-filled story, unfolds really quickly. Devoured in no time
April 23, 2025
Gripping plot which keeps you reading, but very journalistic and not much flair.
March 1, 2024
Death Flight, by Sarah Sultoon, picks up with 26-year-old international newspaper reporter Jonny Murphy in 1998, two years after the events of Dirt.
Still reeling from what he learned about his family in Israel, alongside Mexican-American photographer Paloma, Jonny has been stationed in Argentina to report on its developing financial crisis.
When a dead body washes ashore, in a manner reminiscent of the victims of the country’s Dirty War several years previously, the pair are compelled to investigate, triggering a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse with people who will go to any lengths to protect national secrets.
Every time I start a Sarah Sultoon novel, I just know I’ll learn something new that absolutely grabs my attention, and this was very much the case with Death Flight. I’d never even heard of Argentina’s Dirty War (1974-83) before, and the details shocked me, while providing a captivating premise for a story.
During this period of military rule, tens of thousands of people suspected of being left-wing were “disappeared”. Thousands of them were ultimately killed by the eponymous “death flights”, whereby they were dropped into the sea from aeroplanes. This has understandably had long-lasting effects for Argentians left wondering what became of their loved ones and seeking redress.
Accordingly, you can really feel the emotions driving Death Flight. Jonny and Paloma pursue the story of the body on the shore not only out of journalistic interest, but as a result of an encounter with someone whose feelings have been stirred up by it.
They also talk to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who stake out the principal Buenos Aires square in a persistent and moving demand for answers concerning their missing children and grandchildren.
What’s more, it transpires that Jonny isn’t the only one of the pair experiencing inner turmoil, and Paloma has her own reasons for being in Argentina and investment in the story.
While the other books of Sultoon’s I’ve read – Dirt and The Shot – get very tense at times, Death Flight really ups the ante.
Virtually from the start, Jonny and Paloma have to watch their backs, and the situation escalates to the point where they essentially have to go on the run, putting as much distance between themselves and Buenos Aires as possible and calling on mysterious trusted contacts of Jonny’s editor for supplies.
Despite their precautions, they find themselves the subject of a series of increasingly dangerous situations, and I was on the edge of my seat, flying through the pages to find out if/how they were going to survive them.
The intensity of the emotion and action doesn’t mean there’s no room for levity, though. For one thing – when they’re not in mortal danger, at least! – the pair’s interactions tend to be quite funny and playful. I was also amused by Jonny’s (surprisingly successful) infiltration of the ESMA, where prisoners were held and tortured during the Dirty War.
Death Flight is a fascinating, high-octane political thriller.
Still reeling from what he learned about his family in Israel, alongside Mexican-American photographer Paloma, Jonny has been stationed in Argentina to report on its developing financial crisis.
When a dead body washes ashore, in a manner reminiscent of the victims of the country’s Dirty War several years previously, the pair are compelled to investigate, triggering a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse with people who will go to any lengths to protect national secrets.
Every time I start a Sarah Sultoon novel, I just know I’ll learn something new that absolutely grabs my attention, and this was very much the case with Death Flight. I’d never even heard of Argentina’s Dirty War (1974-83) before, and the details shocked me, while providing a captivating premise for a story.
During this period of military rule, tens of thousands of people suspected of being left-wing were “disappeared”. Thousands of them were ultimately killed by the eponymous “death flights”, whereby they were dropped into the sea from aeroplanes. This has understandably had long-lasting effects for Argentians left wondering what became of their loved ones and seeking redress.
Accordingly, you can really feel the emotions driving Death Flight. Jonny and Paloma pursue the story of the body on the shore not only out of journalistic interest, but as a result of an encounter with someone whose feelings have been stirred up by it.
They also talk to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who stake out the principal Buenos Aires square in a persistent and moving demand for answers concerning their missing children and grandchildren.
What’s more, it transpires that Jonny isn’t the only one of the pair experiencing inner turmoil, and Paloma has her own reasons for being in Argentina and investment in the story.
While the other books of Sultoon’s I’ve read – Dirt and The Shot – get very tense at times, Death Flight really ups the ante.
Virtually from the start, Jonny and Paloma have to watch their backs, and the situation escalates to the point where they essentially have to go on the run, putting as much distance between themselves and Buenos Aires as possible and calling on mysterious trusted contacts of Jonny’s editor for supplies.
Despite their precautions, they find themselves the subject of a series of increasingly dangerous situations, and I was on the edge of my seat, flying through the pages to find out if/how they were going to survive them.
The intensity of the emotion and action doesn’t mean there’s no room for levity, though. For one thing – when they’re not in mortal danger, at least! – the pair’s interactions tend to be quite funny and playful. I was also amused by Jonny’s (surprisingly successful) infiltration of the ESMA, where prisoners were held and tortured during the Dirty War.
Death Flight is a fascinating, high-octane political thriller.
March 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this book - what an intriguing storyline!! Whilst it is book two with Jonny Murphy I have not read book one but I don't feel that the mattered or had any negative effect on this storyline. I really liked our main character Jonny, although he seems like he lacks some confidence, I liked the fact that we got to hear a little about his personal life. However, what we heard was very unexpected and explains that lack of confidence.
The relationship that he has with Paloma is not the one that he would like, again I think that comes back to his confidence as some of the scenes with just the two of them made me laugh a little as he was a bit bumbling! But the working relationship between them is good, isn't it?!
The storyline itself was really well constructed and I did not see where we were going with some parts of it - at all!! It really had me surprised with those twists! I thought it was really well written and the book was so much more than I was expecting from reading the blurb!
The relationship that he has with Paloma is not the one that he would like, again I think that comes back to his confidence as some of the scenes with just the two of them made me laugh a little as he was a bit bumbling! But the working relationship between them is good, isn't it?!
The storyline itself was really well constructed and I did not see where we were going with some parts of it - at all!! It really had me surprised with those twists! I thought it was really well written and the book was so much more than I was expecting from reading the blurb!
May 21, 2024
Death flight by Sarah Sultoon.
Jonny Murphy book 2.
Cub reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of victims of Argentina’s Dirty War, when a headless torso has washed up on a city beach, thrusting him into a shocking investigation into one of the most horrific periods of Argentine history, as society crumbles around him and he struggles to hang on to his job … and his life…
I did enjoy this book. I loved book 1. Gripping and tense. I couldn't put it down. I loved the story and plot. I loved the flow of the writing. I easily got lost in this book. This is easily one of my favourite authors. I really hope there is more to come. 5*.
Jonny Murphy book 2.
Cub reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of victims of Argentina’s Dirty War, when a headless torso has washed up on a city beach, thrusting him into a shocking investigation into one of the most horrific periods of Argentine history, as society crumbles around him and he struggles to hang on to his job … and his life…
I did enjoy this book. I loved book 1. Gripping and tense. I couldn't put it down. I loved the story and plot. I loved the flow of the writing. I easily got lost in this book. This is easily one of my favourite authors. I really hope there is more to come. 5*.
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