An utterly original locked room mystery that kept my eyes riveted to the pages, Missing in Flight had everything I wanted and more. From the multiple distinct POVs to the deftly delivered emotional depth, I was both swept up by the characters and also floored by the plot. After all, it was fast-paced, addictive, and suspenseful beyond belief. Plotted in such a way as to gradually build up the dread and forebodingthis catastrophe in the air could end in heart-rending disaster. So did it you ask? All I’m willing to say is that Ms. Cole nailed it in one by the end of the novel.
I do need to warn you, though, that this book required a definite suspension of ALL disbelief. Once I did that, however, it was one heck of a rollercoaster ride of suspense. From the plane packed with more suspects than allies to the compelling FBI investigation on the ground, the more facts that were revealed, the less I seemed to know. You see, with each ensuing twist, the story shifted a little more until no amount of armchair sleuth sleuthing could’ve figured it out. And IYKYK, but constant, unending surprises are just what I like in a well-played psychological thriller.
All in all, I found this pulse-pounding plot supremely well done. With a premise that has me whispering “Wait, what?!” more times than I could count and in air dynamics that felt decidedly real, I easily got swept up in the drama as I waited to find out what became of this poor baby. And thanks to a cleverly portrayed unreliable narrator, I had no clue who to trust within this gripping new novel. So if you love suspicious characters, palpable tension, and short inhale-able chapters, this book’s for you. Shrewdly plotted and emotionally driven, I had a blast ripping through these 277 pages in no time at all. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Rushing back to her seat, Makayla Rossi is relieved that all’s still quiet. But when she checks on her sleeping baby, relief morphs into fear. The bassinet is empty.
Liam is gone.
It was a long flight from Anchorage to New York, and with every flight attendant busy, Makayla reluctantly ran to the restroom, asking a seat neighbor to watch her son. She stepped away for just a few minutes. Yet at thirty thousand feet, he still vanished.
Passengers and crew scour the plane to no avail, and since no one recalls seeing her with a baby, suspicions begin to mount about Makayla’s mental state. She’s certain this is nothing like her mother’s on-air memory meltdown. If only Jack, her husband, were there. He would believe her. A high-profile banker featured in Forbes, maybe he could even help.
But Makayla is squarely on her own. And she’ll have to think fast in order to find her son—before it’s too late.
Thank you to Audrey J. Cole and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: March 1, 2025
Content warning: missing child, gun violence, breaking and entering, murder, emergency landing, mention of: financial crimes