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Kat Bronsky #2
Blackout
FBI agent Kat Bronsky uncovers a conspiracy to send planes falling from the sky in this riveting thriller from New York Times–bestselling author John J. Nance
A Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 jetliner crashes into the Gulf of Mexico a mile inside Cuban waters, killing all three hundred and twenty passengers onboard. The last three minutes on the plane’s cockpit voice and data recorders have been erased. Was this a massive mechanical failure or an act of terrorism?
At an air terrorism conference, FBI agent Kat Bronsky learns Washington Post reporter Robert McCabe has received frightening information about the MD-11 crash from a source that mysteriously disappeared. When another airliner goes down after its pilots are flash-blinded midflight, Bronsky and McCabe find themselves at the center of what might be a deadly government cover-up.
Unable to trust her colleagues at the FBI, Bronsky must rely on her own wits and piloting skills as she races from the jungles of Vietnam to the forests of the American Northwest to unmask the conspirators before the entire American airline industry comes crashing out of the sky.
John J. Nance is in top form with this suspense-charged, action-packed novel that solidifies his reputation as the king of the aviation thriller.
A Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 jetliner crashes into the Gulf of Mexico a mile inside Cuban waters, killing all three hundred and twenty passengers onboard. The last three minutes on the plane’s cockpit voice and data recorders have been erased. Was this a massive mechanical failure or an act of terrorism?
At an air terrorism conference, FBI agent Kat Bronsky learns Washington Post reporter Robert McCabe has received frightening information about the MD-11 crash from a source that mysteriously disappeared. When another airliner goes down after its pilots are flash-blinded midflight, Bronsky and McCabe find themselves at the center of what might be a deadly government cover-up.
Unable to trust her colleagues at the FBI, Bronsky must rely on her own wits and piloting skills as she races from the jungles of Vietnam to the forests of the American Northwest to unmask the conspirators before the entire American airline industry comes crashing out of the sky.
John J. Nance is in top form with this suspense-charged, action-packed novel that solidifies his reputation as the king of the aviation thriller.
604 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2000
381 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
About the author
John J. Nance
66 books227 followersJohn J. Nance is an American pilot, aviation safety expert, and author. He served in the USAF during the Vietnam War and also as a Lt. Colonel in Operation Desert Storm.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
February 16, 2026
“Fasten your seat belts.”
One could make a very credible case that the well-worn commercial aviation thriller trope was brought into being by Arthur Hailey’s AIRPORT more than 50 years ago. (Wow … that is really hard to believe, isn’t it?!) So let’s face it. It’s pretty tough today to make a convincing and compelling thriller stand-out from a packed competition field when the outcome of crash and burn with lots of death and destruction is all but inevitable. But, given my previous 4-star rating of HEADWIND, another Nance airborne effort, my hopes for BLACKOUT were high if still cautiously guarded!
Yippee … BLACKOUT succeeds and easily earns all of the typical gushing compliments awarded to the back covers of such thrillers – high speed, compelling, gripping, terrifying, addictive, heart-stopping, shocking – well, you get the idea!
BLACKOUT is a frightening story of terrorism and the hijacking of planes using that most modern of weapons – computer hacking and high tech weaponry. The government’s efforts to deal with the extortionist threats of the unknown terrorist group make for an eyebrow raising tale of government, politics, and “CYA” gone rogue. Acronyms abound – FBI, CIA, NTSB, FAA, and more – as jurisdictional boundaries simply vanish in the face of a threat whose origin is a complete mystery.
A big 2 thumbs-up, 5-star thank you to another winner! Not what I would call relaxing reading for your next red-eye flight to Europe but easy to recommend nonetheless.
Paul Weiss
One could make a very credible case that the well-worn commercial aviation thriller trope was brought into being by Arthur Hailey’s AIRPORT more than 50 years ago. (Wow … that is really hard to believe, isn’t it?!) So let’s face it. It’s pretty tough today to make a convincing and compelling thriller stand-out from a packed competition field when the outcome of crash and burn with lots of death and destruction is all but inevitable. But, given my previous 4-star rating of HEADWIND, another Nance airborne effort, my hopes for BLACKOUT were high if still cautiously guarded!
Yippee … BLACKOUT succeeds and easily earns all of the typical gushing compliments awarded to the back covers of such thrillers – high speed, compelling, gripping, terrifying, addictive, heart-stopping, shocking – well, you get the idea!
BLACKOUT is a frightening story of terrorism and the hijacking of planes using that most modern of weapons – computer hacking and high tech weaponry. The government’s efforts to deal with the extortionist threats of the unknown terrorist group make for an eyebrow raising tale of government, politics, and “CYA” gone rogue. Acronyms abound – FBI, CIA, NTSB, FAA, and more – as jurisdictional boundaries simply vanish in the face of a threat whose origin is a complete mystery.
A big 2 thumbs-up, 5-star thank you to another winner! Not what I would call relaxing reading for your next red-eye flight to Europe but easy to recommend nonetheless.
Paul Weiss
January 31, 2011
I was really getting into it and then it just ended randomly. I guess that is because it is part of a series but I like a book with a plot arc. I put a hold on the next one though and look forward to reading it.
February 4, 2017
John Nance is an aviation advisor says his synopsis and it shows in this book. The storyline of this thriller is not too difficult: A laser weapon that blinds airline pilots has fallen in the hands of a terrorist group that wants to make big money out of it. Kat Bronsky, an FBI special agent gets some clues about this and the treath it poses and then the chase starts. There are quite some words spend on the mechanics of flying machines, like jets, helicopters, airlines and alike. As such that didnt hinder me, as I have a pilot licence myself, but I think it unbalances the book. Then as this was written in 1999, there is a disconnect with the communication of todays world in which everybody has a smart phone, and full time uplink to all information. Instead, Kat is dealing with special satelite phone, relays via 0800 numbers and hardly any IT backup, with feels dated. Oh, the end was way too hasty and a little bit too easy (and thus lame). 3 stars.
August 13, 2019
This was a harrowing adventure that never ends!
Kat is a #1 FBI Rambo agent that no task is unachievable for her! Unbelievable at times but kept you on the edge of your seat !
Kat is a #1 FBI Rambo agent that no task is unachievable for her! Unbelievable at times but kept you on the edge of your seat !
March 4, 2011
I was so engrossed in this book that I didn't want to put it down. A couple of deadly plane crashes have the government on edge so when a journalist approaches an FBI agent with information about the crashes, she is prepared to listen to him. She becomes convinced that there is a conspiracy when the journalist is almost killed. As his 747 takes off, a bright flash in the sky blinds one pilot and kills the other, leaving the passengers with the terrifying task of safely putting the plane on the ground. But the terror doesn't end there as the passengers themselves become targets for the terrorists who want to silence them all.
The weapon used against the plane is scary as are the scenes where the flight is in danger. Don't read this book while you are flying as this book does for flying what the film Final Destination did for air travel. The characters on the plane are interesting and they have to work together as a team to save everyone. It is a riveting and tense read and it doesn't stop when the plane is on the ground. The scenes after the landing are truly frightening and you have no idea who is going to live or die.
The weapon used against the plane is scary as are the scenes where the flight is in danger. Don't read this book while you are flying as this book does for flying what the film Final Destination did for air travel. The characters on the plane are interesting and they have to work together as a team to save everyone. It is a riveting and tense read and it doesn't stop when the plane is on the ground. The scenes after the landing are truly frightening and you have no idea who is going to live or die.
May 31, 2014
One of the best thrillers I've read in a while- though I don't usually read something this suspenseful! A plane disappears with hints of foul play- the story has you in the plane with the passengers- then another airliner is attacked and you are again a passenger- only this time a few survive including a tough female FBI agent. The rest of the book is the bad guys chasing the good guys with political intrigue mixed in. I couldn't guess the ending but it really has a message of a 2nd secretive government gone rogue. Well written and if you like thrillers- this would be a must read.
December 7, 2014
The most interesting part of this book was that it talked about blinding a pilot to cause his or her plane to crash into the World Trade Center before 9-11.
October 26, 2021
John J. Nance knows his aviation from his years of covering the industry as a journalist. As a result, Blackout was probably the wrong thriller to read on a plane during my recent vacation. Nevertheless, Nance weaves together RealPolitik, hypothetical technological advances, actual technological capabilities, terrorist scenarios, and conspiracy into a tapestry juxtaposing courage, corruption, fear, panic, and disasters. For me, the quintessential aviation thriller was Robert (not to be confused with “Rod”) J. Serling’s The President’s Plane is Missing (made into a rather mediocre 1973 movie). Looking at the cover of the novel, I wasn’t sure if Blackout referred to: a) a lapse in electrical service (hence, airport lights?); b) news coverage blocked for security reasons; or c) an air disaster caused by a pilot blacking out from a stroke or something similar. It turns out to be a little of all of those, though “a” comes about a little differently than I imagined.
This is apparently either a sequel or one of a series involving FBI investigator Katherine “Kat” Bronsky. As with private detectives in mystery novels who have alienated police by showing them up, an early conversation in this novel indicates that Kat has shown up her male colleagues by solving a tricky case in the past. As the novel opens, she is lecturing on terrorism and civil aviation as, apparently, one way her director is keeping her in rather innocuous assignments till the jealousy settles down. Naturally, that is not to be, despite Kat’s decision to be as non-committal on the hot-button issue with which the book begins.
The book begins with an air disaster. The cause is unknown. A strange detail in the first chapter seems to have no relevance. A paranoid reporter for one of the nation’s great newspapers tries to pin her down on the hot-button issue. Yet, the reporter’s apparent paranoia seems to be more than that. A great “coincidence” seems to keep Kat out of another air disaster and yet pulls her deeper and deeper into danger and deeper conspiracy. Betrayal and the motive behind such betrayal looms large behind the events which cause her, the reporter, and other innocents scrambling for their lives.
Some of the events in Blackout seem highly unlikely to me, but I am not the aviation expert. Also, bear in mind that airport security is significantly different as we read this book than when Nance wrote it prior to 9-11. In fact, at least two years before the attack on the U.S., Nance’s character introduces a hypothetical question: “’So who’s next? Are we going to get a seven-forty-seven impacting the World Trade Center in New York because the two pilots were neutralized on take-off from Newark or Kennedy?’” (p. 359) Pretty haunting and pretty daunting! But the point is that the protagonist and her ally providing the sexual tension for the story are able to pull off some disappearing acts that seem considerably less likely in the present circumstances.
That being so, Blackout is an engaging thriller—even more so as I read it flying home from Europe on a commercial airliner. I can certainly affirm that I didn’t sleep on that trans-Atlantic flight. With a thriller, I suppose that’s okay. I certainly thought so.
This is apparently either a sequel or one of a series involving FBI investigator Katherine “Kat” Bronsky. As with private detectives in mystery novels who have alienated police by showing them up, an early conversation in this novel indicates that Kat has shown up her male colleagues by solving a tricky case in the past. As the novel opens, she is lecturing on terrorism and civil aviation as, apparently, one way her director is keeping her in rather innocuous assignments till the jealousy settles down. Naturally, that is not to be, despite Kat’s decision to be as non-committal on the hot-button issue with which the book begins.
The book begins with an air disaster. The cause is unknown. A strange detail in the first chapter seems to have no relevance. A paranoid reporter for one of the nation’s great newspapers tries to pin her down on the hot-button issue. Yet, the reporter’s apparent paranoia seems to be more than that. A great “coincidence” seems to keep Kat out of another air disaster and yet pulls her deeper and deeper into danger and deeper conspiracy. Betrayal and the motive behind such betrayal looms large behind the events which cause her, the reporter, and other innocents scrambling for their lives.
Some of the events in Blackout seem highly unlikely to me, but I am not the aviation expert. Also, bear in mind that airport security is significantly different as we read this book than when Nance wrote it prior to 9-11. In fact, at least two years before the attack on the U.S., Nance’s character introduces a hypothetical question: “’So who’s next? Are we going to get a seven-forty-seven impacting the World Trade Center in New York because the two pilots were neutralized on take-off from Newark or Kennedy?’” (p. 359) Pretty haunting and pretty daunting! But the point is that the protagonist and her ally providing the sexual tension for the story are able to pull off some disappearing acts that seem considerably less likely in the present circumstances.
That being so, Blackout is an engaging thriller—even more so as I read it flying home from Europe on a commercial airliner. I can certainly affirm that I didn’t sleep on that trans-Atlantic flight. With a thriller, I suppose that’s okay. I certainly thought so.
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October 11, 2022The first several chapters of this book are intense and memorable without question. The unparalleled suspense and fast action of the plot in these early chapters makes this a must read.
The airline industry is abuzz with bad news as the book opens. An airline is down, and law-enforcement officials believe terrorism is the cause. But a Washington Post reporter may have data on his computer that points to rogue members of the FBI and not terrorists.
Kat Bronsky, an FBI agent, is in Hong Kong to address a conference. At the close of the conference, the Washington Post reporter confronts her and says he has information she needs. They agree to share a cab to the airport, since they are on the same flight. At the last minute, the FBI pulls Bronsky from the flight. The Washington Post reporter, Robert MacCabe, Remains on the plane. As it takes off, something explodes only feet from the front of the aircraft. The pilot dies instantly, and the copilot learns that he is blind. The suspense builds and builds as flight attendants seek anyone on the plane who has any flying experience at all. Initially, the goal is to get back to Hong Kong. But as you read, that becomes impossible. With the help of a couple of gaming enthusiasts, the plane ultimately lands in Vietnam. The landing is brutal and most of the passengers die. The survivors include the reporter, the blind copilot, the two gaming enthusiasts who tried so hard to help fly the plane, and a doctor.
I found the plot line uneven. The first 15 or 20 chapters are vivid, memorable, and amazing no matter how you look at them. After that, it feels like things bog down and slow down. Granted, the survivors must escape, since whoever tried to kill them initially remains hot on their trail. Those escapes are entertaining, but they lack the fizzy fast action of the first several chapters. That said, you need to read this if only to learn whether the FBI is as corrupt as it seems to be.
The airline industry is abuzz with bad news as the book opens. An airline is down, and law-enforcement officials believe terrorism is the cause. But a Washington Post reporter may have data on his computer that points to rogue members of the FBI and not terrorists.
Kat Bronsky, an FBI agent, is in Hong Kong to address a conference. At the close of the conference, the Washington Post reporter confronts her and says he has information she needs. They agree to share a cab to the airport, since they are on the same flight. At the last minute, the FBI pulls Bronsky from the flight. The Washington Post reporter, Robert MacCabe, Remains on the plane. As it takes off, something explodes only feet from the front of the aircraft. The pilot dies instantly, and the copilot learns that he is blind. The suspense builds and builds as flight attendants seek anyone on the plane who has any flying experience at all. Initially, the goal is to get back to Hong Kong. But as you read, that becomes impossible. With the help of a couple of gaming enthusiasts, the plane ultimately lands in Vietnam. The landing is brutal and most of the passengers die. The survivors include the reporter, the blind copilot, the two gaming enthusiasts who tried so hard to help fly the plane, and a doctor.
I found the plot line uneven. The first 15 or 20 chapters are vivid, memorable, and amazing no matter how you look at them. After that, it feels like things bog down and slow down. Granted, the survivors must escape, since whoever tried to kill them initially remains hot on their trail. Those escapes are entertaining, but they lack the fizzy fast action of the first several chapters. That said, you need to read this if only to learn whether the FBI is as corrupt as it seems to be.
April 22, 2024
This is the 2nd book in the series and it tops the 1st one which I thought was excellent.
This story begins with an MD-11 airline going down around Cuba. At the present time, there was no idea what happened. Later Kat is Hong Kong where she is giving a presentation. At the end question are then posed. Kat receives one from Robert, a reporter for the Washington Post. His question relates to the MD-11 crash and Kat received a warning from her boss not to provide any answers. After people have left, Robert is waiting for Kat where he poses information that may give information to Kat regarding the MD-11 crash. They make arrangements to fly out together and Robert told Kat he would provide answers. Robert went back to his hotel to check out and discovered that his room had been broken into. To make matters worse, A unknown group chased him. After Kat and Robert got to the airport, Kat was told that she was needed at the embassy. Kat made arrangements to meet up with Robert later.
Kat later learned that the flight Robert was on was believed to have crashed. Kat made immediate arrangements to take control at the scene. It was later discovered that the plane had not crashed, but it appears that another jet was following them. The end result was the plane Robert was on did eventually crash. Once more Kat flew to the scene to learn what happened. Upon arriving in Vietnam where the plane crashed, it was discovered that Robert and a small group had survived, but they were now being hunted.
To discover what the reason for the plane crashes and the steps that Kat took as well what party was involved, then you need to read this book.
One of the reasons this was better than the first is that the author made you feel you were a part of the group trying to survive. If you like books which you find hard to put down, then this one is for you.
This story begins with an MD-11 airline going down around Cuba. At the present time, there was no idea what happened. Later Kat is Hong Kong where she is giving a presentation. At the end question are then posed. Kat receives one from Robert, a reporter for the Washington Post. His question relates to the MD-11 crash and Kat received a warning from her boss not to provide any answers. After people have left, Robert is waiting for Kat where he poses information that may give information to Kat regarding the MD-11 crash. They make arrangements to fly out together and Robert told Kat he would provide answers. Robert went back to his hotel to check out and discovered that his room had been broken into. To make matters worse, A unknown group chased him. After Kat and Robert got to the airport, Kat was told that she was needed at the embassy. Kat made arrangements to meet up with Robert later.
Kat later learned that the flight Robert was on was believed to have crashed. Kat made immediate arrangements to take control at the scene. It was later discovered that the plane had not crashed, but it appears that another jet was following them. The end result was the plane Robert was on did eventually crash. Once more Kat flew to the scene to learn what happened. Upon arriving in Vietnam where the plane crashed, it was discovered that Robert and a small group had survived, but they were now being hunted.
To discover what the reason for the plane crashes and the steps that Kat took as well what party was involved, then you need to read this book.
One of the reasons this was better than the first is that the author made you feel you were a part of the group trying to survive. If you like books which you find hard to put down, then this one is for you.
May 17, 2020
John Nance is one of those writers who rarely disappoints. In this thriller we get some exciting action coupled with Aviation/flight adventure (where Nance truly excels). Not long into the thriller the reader discovers that someone has apparently developed a weapon that blinds pilots and brings aircraft down. FBI agent Kat Bransky is quickly dragged into a web of deceit as well as danger.
The best part of the novel was when an attack takes place and a plane is in the air, but the pilot left dead and the copilot blinded and takes on the tone of one of those Airport movies as they try to find a way to safely land the plane.
Nance excels in describing the function and flight of an airliner, but his skills in building a mystery on the ground are a bit lacking. Kat and a reporter are on the run from a group of killers that might have agency connections. They repeatedly use ATM machines-- something I'm sure criminals enrolled in criminal escape and elusion 101 would know-- is a no-no. They connect to the internet in a number of insecure methods-- somehow unaware that their email and online activity would be watched by government agencies hunting them.
The final mistake our heroes make is that even though they know the bad guys have a weapon that attacks airplanes-- they keep getting on board airplanes and helicopters. Sometimes this is unavoidable-- but at times it is simply a stupidly foolish choice.
Still, the story is thrilling and the pacing is quite good. The final wrap seems a bit rushed, as if the writer was trying to fill in a quick blank and rush it to the editor. However, it was worth the time I spent reading it.
The best part of the novel was when an attack takes place and a plane is in the air, but the pilot left dead and the copilot blinded and takes on the tone of one of those Airport movies as they try to find a way to safely land the plane.
Nance excels in describing the function and flight of an airliner, but his skills in building a mystery on the ground are a bit lacking. Kat and a reporter are on the run from a group of killers that might have agency connections. They repeatedly use ATM machines-- something I'm sure criminals enrolled in criminal escape and elusion 101 would know-- is a no-no. They connect to the internet in a number of insecure methods-- somehow unaware that their email and online activity would be watched by government agencies hunting them.
The final mistake our heroes make is that even though they know the bad guys have a weapon that attacks airplanes-- they keep getting on board airplanes and helicopters. Sometimes this is unavoidable-- but at times it is simply a stupidly foolish choice.
Still, the story is thrilling and the pacing is quite good. The final wrap seems a bit rushed, as if the writer was trying to fill in a quick blank and rush it to the editor. However, it was worth the time I spent reading it.
May 21, 2019
This, the second book in the Kat Bronksy series is quite the non stop thrill ride. It starts off relatively benignly with Kat giving a speech on hijacking and hostage negotiation after which she is approached by a antagonistic journalist who has several pointed questions about a recent aeroplane crash. After this he bundles her up and says he needs to speak to her urgently, before he gets the chance to speak with her his hotel room is ransacked and he barely escapes from the people performing such after a brief chase.
From here it's quite the thrill ride with what appears to be terrorists managing to blind pilots with a high powered laser causing a plane the aforementioned journalist boarded to crash, a plane with Kat was meant to be on but was mysteriously pulled off of by a bureaucrat in Washington.
Throughout it's quite the page turner with, much like Final Hostage, layers slowly peeling back as you progress into the story, however unlike Final Hostage I felt like the ending to this one was a bit more abrupt and less satisfying.
From here it's quite the thrill ride with what appears to be terrorists managing to blind pilots with a high powered laser causing a plane the aforementioned journalist boarded to crash, a plane with Kat was meant to be on but was mysteriously pulled off of by a bureaucrat in Washington.
Throughout it's quite the page turner with, much like Final Hostage, layers slowly peeling back as you progress into the story, however unlike Final Hostage I felt like the ending to this one was a bit more abrupt and less satisfying.
August 6, 2023
A really solid white-knuckle thriller involving possible terrorist attacks against the aviation industry. After two devastating crashes due to blinding flashes that incapacitated the planes’ pilots, FBI agent Kat Bronsky is out on the case. Ironically, Bronsky was scheduled to be a passenger in the second plane, so this issue hits close to home for her. Bronsky is sure there is a connection because she had been meeting with a Washington Post writer, Robert MacCabe, who had information regarding the terorist tie-in to the first crash.
MacCabe is a passenger of the 2nd crashed airliner and it is unknown whether he has survived or not. Bronsky quickly goes on the search and soon finds herself embroiled in a situation that could point back to her own government and possibly FBI colleagues.
The novel, especially author John J. Nance’s description of the plight involving the 2nd airliner, is top knotch. It loses a little steam in the final third of the book, but not enough to keep this from being a consistent page turner. 4 stars.
MacCabe is a passenger of the 2nd crashed airliner and it is unknown whether he has survived or not. Bronsky quickly goes on the search and soon finds herself embroiled in a situation that could point back to her own government and possibly FBI colleagues.
The novel, especially author John J. Nance’s description of the plight involving the 2nd airliner, is top knotch. It loses a little steam in the final third of the book, but not enough to keep this from being a consistent page turner. 4 stars.
March 11, 2024
I wanted this book to be 4 or 5 stars because it started out so promising. It sucks you in quickly with suspenseful situations like a plane getting damaged and the pilot getting injured. Whoa! How are they going to land?
It was really exciting until you realize you're 140 pages in and you're still reading about how they are going to fly and land the plane. I really wanted to quit there, but reviews all said how great the book was. I should've quit, because while , the story just went on to the next similar suspenseful situation. It got tiring. I just wanted the characters to catch a break.
Also, there is a TON of technical writing about airplanes, instrumentation, mechanics, etc. A pilot, or someone interested in flying airplanes, would find all of this fascinating. And I did find some of it fascinating, but it was a little bit of overkill for me.
Some reviewers complained that the ending left you hanging, but I didn't feel that way at all. I felt like the ending explained everything quite nicely.
It was really exciting until you realize you're 140 pages in and you're still reading about how they are going to fly and land the plane. I really wanted to quit there, but reviews all said how great the book was. I should've quit, because while , the story just went on to the next similar suspenseful situation. It got tiring. I just wanted the characters to catch a break.
Also, there is a TON of technical writing about airplanes, instrumentation, mechanics, etc. A pilot, or someone interested in flying airplanes, would find all of this fascinating. And I did find some of it fascinating, but it was a little bit of overkill for me.
Some reviewers complained that the ending left you hanging, but I didn't feel that way at all. I felt like the ending explained everything quite nicely.
July 27, 2019
Excellent mystery. Just the right mix of characters, plots, motives, and page turning (if I was turning pages which I was, sort of, on my Kindle) excitement. A plane is mysteriously shot out of the air, pilots blinded (spoiler alert). An alphabet soup of governmental security agencies and departments all claim ignorance.
A female FBI agent, a reporter for a major paper, a 14 year old boy, a copilot, a feisty black woman and a newly married man form the nucleus of the story. We are drawn to two high level cabinet officials who might be behind this evil plot and the well organized and financed quasi-terrorists who continue to bedevil our group always seem to be a step ahead. On the other side, our lady agent and the reporter seem to foil attempt after sophisticated attempt to silence them permanently. The author is a pilot so predictably there is a lot of air chases, crashes and detail. Enjoyed the book
A female FBI agent, a reporter for a major paper, a 14 year old boy, a copilot, a feisty black woman and a newly married man form the nucleus of the story. We are drawn to two high level cabinet officials who might be behind this evil plot and the well organized and financed quasi-terrorists who continue to bedevil our group always seem to be a step ahead. On the other side, our lady agent and the reporter seem to foil attempt after sophisticated attempt to silence them permanently. The author is a pilot so predictably there is a lot of air chases, crashes and detail. Enjoyed the book
October 8, 2019
BLACKOUT BY JOHN J NANCE is the second in the Kat Bronsky series but its the first of the series and the author's books I've read. Great read folks! Tons of action and twists that kept me on the edge of my seat ! I held my breath waiting to see what came next,its that engrossing!
Kat is a FBI agent sent to Hong Kong to speak at a seminar on terrorism when she gets mixed up with a reporter who is being hunted down . Kat and the reporter,Robert MacCabe board a flight to head back to the US when Kat is pulled off the plane at the last minute. Good thing too, that flight never makes it back to the US!
I love mysteries and I love thrillers and I can guarantee that BLACKOUT will keep you up well into the night to find out who is doing what!
Kat is a FBI agent sent to Hong Kong to speak at a seminar on terrorism when she gets mixed up with a reporter who is being hunted down . Kat and the reporter,Robert MacCabe board a flight to head back to the US when Kat is pulled off the plane at the last minute. Good thing too, that flight never makes it back to the US!
I love mysteries and I love thrillers and I can guarantee that BLACKOUT will keep you up well into the night to find out who is doing what!
October 1, 2024
OUTSTANDING!
With the ability to self publish, anyone can put a book out there. Some of those are well written. Most are not.
John Nance is a traditionally published author who not one writes superbly well, but his encyclopedic knowledge of aviation is evident throughout the novels he has written. To say it in simple terms... the man knows his stuff.
"Blackout" is a gripping tale I found impossible to put down. I tried several times to set my kindle aside, but within ten minutes, I'd pick it up to see what happens next.
Darn it, John, this one cost me lost sleep. It's that good!
With the ability to self publish, anyone can put a book out there. Some of those are well written. Most are not.
John Nance is a traditionally published author who not one writes superbly well, but his encyclopedic knowledge of aviation is evident throughout the novels he has written. To say it in simple terms... the man knows his stuff.
"Blackout" is a gripping tale I found impossible to put down. I tried several times to set my kindle aside, but within ten minutes, I'd pick it up to see what happens next.
Darn it, John, this one cost me lost sleep. It's that good!
June 15, 2020
This is my favorite all-time book! The suspense makes it impossible to put the book down! Nance keeps the action rolling, and you feel like you are hanging on for dear life, so you just have to turn the page and keep reading... well into the night (even when you have to get up for work)! So many twists and turns creating suspense, fear, and anxiety that the adrenaline keeps pumping as you read! This is a must read for anyone who enjoys action, adventure, suspense, mystery, and political intrigue. Just one cautionary note: Don't read this book on an airplane!
December 21, 2021
Every once in a while I hit a book that is like a roller coaster ride. You get on and zoom to the end with no chance of stopping. Nearly all of John Nance's books are like this and Blackout is no exception. Some kind of bright flash of light blinds both 747 pilots as they fly out of Hong Kong for the United States. One of them actually dies on the spot. There are no other pilots aboard. And the roller coaster ride begins. Terrorists, conspiracies, information leaks, you name it, Nance included it. It's wild and it's a great read.
March 28, 2023
Its really difficult not to like a John J. Nance book, unless you're at the airport and about to board a plane. In this second book with FBI special agent Kat Bronsky on the case, Nance wastes no time getting into the plot. And it is scary as hell. It becomes increasingly difficult to put the book down and I read for two nights, well into the wee hours, just to finish the book and get some relief from the tension he so eloquently creates. Action packed and with an incredibly interesting plot, I loved it from start to finish.
May 12, 2018
Excellent thriller
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. Love the Kat Bronsky FBI character who believes in honor and following the oath of allegiance to the USA. The characters were genuine people with idiosyncrasies who came together when tragedies kept coming at them....Already have The Last Hostage ready to read! And a few more John J Nance books to go through. Great author!
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. Love the Kat Bronsky FBI character who believes in honor and following the oath of allegiance to the USA. The characters were genuine people with idiosyncrasies who came together when tragedies kept coming at them....Already have The Last Hostage ready to read! And a few more John J Nance books to go through. Great author!
November 11, 2017
This is a hard book to find a place to put it down for the night. The action never stops. Just when you think the story must be winding up, something else happens. The end is a total surprise. I have read a lot of John J Nance's books and they are all exceptional reads. Wish I could get more E-books from the library.
February 12, 2018
Wow, great read
This book and the other Kat Bronsky book, The Last Hostage, are a wonderful way to escape a dreary winter weekend. I love all the John J Nance books I have read, and these did not disappoint. The plot twists keep you reading as fast as you can turn the pages and also leave you a tiny bit uneasy about taking an airplane ride.
This book and the other Kat Bronsky book, The Last Hostage, are a wonderful way to escape a dreary winter weekend. I love all the John J Nance books I have read, and these did not disappoint. The plot twists keep you reading as fast as you can turn the pages and also leave you a tiny bit uneasy about taking an airplane ride.
September 15, 2020
John Nance
What an amazing writer!!! My friend said he was good, but that doesn’t even come close to his writing!! I read both books in the Kat Bronsky Thrillers & I couldn’t put them down!! Especially Blackout, every time I thought the book was coming to a close, it would take another twist!!! I couldn’t tell you how many, it’s a must read!!!!
What an amazing writer!!! My friend said he was good, but that doesn’t even come close to his writing!! I read both books in the Kat Bronsky Thrillers & I couldn’t put them down!! Especially Blackout, every time I thought the book was coming to a close, it would take another twist!!! I couldn’t tell you how many, it’s a must read!!!!
February 21, 2024
Frantic Race to Survive
I could not stop reading this book. The non-stop suspense kept me turning pages late into the night. FBI Agent Kat Bronsky and reporter McCabe know a terrorist organization is blinding pilots, thus crashing planes, and trying to kill the two of them before they discover who or what organization is behind these horrible acts.
I could not stop reading this book. The non-stop suspense kept me turning pages late into the night. FBI Agent Kat Bronsky and reporter McCabe know a terrorist organization is blinding pilots, thus crashing planes, and trying to kill the two of them before they discover who or what organization is behind these horrible acts.
November 3, 2025
The Shallows.
But with a plane. Those chapters—so intense! At some point, like The Shallows, you just want it to stop, because your heart can’t take it. I gave it a 4 because the ending is abrupt and kind of vague. Was kind of disappointed until a realized it’s a series, in which case the ending makes sense. We will be reading the next one!!
But with a plane. Those chapters—so intense! At some point, like The Shallows, you just want it to stop, because your heart can’t take it. I gave it a 4 because the ending is abrupt and kind of vague. Was kind of disappointed until a realized it’s a series, in which case the ending makes sense. We will be reading the next one!!
November 16, 2025
Blackout Is Gold
The story is a masterful tale of scandal and greed disguised as aviation disasters. Clever twists abound. Every time you think you know what’s coming, you’re proved wrong. Every time you think the chaos will slow down, you’re proved wrong. Non-stop action and intrigue are your destination.
The story is a masterful tale of scandal and greed disguised as aviation disasters. Clever twists abound. Every time you think you know what’s coming, you’re proved wrong. Every time you think the chaos will slow down, you’re proved wrong. Non-stop action and intrigue are your destination.
June 9, 2017
A suspenseful read. Had me on the edge of my seat from start to end. The horror of the airline crashes, Kate and Robert's efforts to keep themselves and the survivors alive and to find the perpetrators was spine chilling. Who do you trust when your own people seem to be complicit in the events?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2018
The author is free with designs that are in the boards at NASA and other engineering firms. This is the beginning of the first commercial aircraft that is attacked by Iranian or Lybian aircraft. The weapon he chooses thr international aviation network has been only on the . The weapon he used will open up Middle East. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2018
Another great story by one of my favorite authors.
I enjoyed this story. You can never go wrong with a John Nance book. Kat Bronsky is a solid characters capable of waging a one girl attack on almost any "bad guy".
I enjoyed this story. You can never go wrong with a John Nance book. Kat Bronsky is a solid characters capable of waging a one girl attack on almost any "bad guy".
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