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The best ground-attack support fighter jets ever built—the A-10 Thunderbolt “Warthogs”—are falling out of the sky.
The Air Force brass repeatedly schemes to decommission this low-tech jet. They’ve been blocked by soldiers, pilots, and Congress…so far.
The “Hog” lies at the crux of a high-tech struggle for power. An interagency skirmish that now rapidly descends into a battle fought on a global scale.
Miranda Chase, air-crash savant for the National Transportation Safety Board, and her team dive in. The high-risk stakes mount in the battlespace—and a secret from their past could make them the next target. Miranda may become the spark that ignites a war.

424 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2019

114 people are currently reading
73 people want to read

About the author

M.L. Buchman

322 books613 followers
USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestseller M. L. “Matt” Buchman started writing on a flight south from Japan to ride his bicycle across the Australian Outback. Just part of a solo around-the-world trip that ultimately launched his writing career.

From the very beginning, his powerful female heroines insisted on putting character first, then a great adventure. He’s since written over 60 action-adventure thrillers and military romantic suspense novels. And just for the fun of it: 100 short stories, and a fast-growing pile of read-by-author audiobooks.

Booklist says: 3x “Top 10 of the Year.” PW says: “Tom Clancy fans open to a strong female lead will clamor for more.” His fans say: “I want more now…of everything.” That his characters are even more insistent than his fans is a hoot.
As a 30-year project manager with a geophysics degree who has designed and built houses, flown and jumped out of planes, and solo-sailed a 50’ ketch, he is awed by what is possible. More at: www.mlbuchman.com.

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5 stars
131 (55%)
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77 (32%)
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23 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.4k reviews543 followers
December 25, 2019
I think what I liked most about this book was how awkward Miranda is. At times she realizes it, at times not. It's always funny to see how everyone reacts to her. Most think she's a bitch at first, but then when her mind makes these crazy leaps and figures things out they realize she isn't a bitch, just not all that great with people. I thought it interesting that others are noticing her team "managing" her by not letting her get off on her "Miranda" tangents, better was Miranda starting to notice this as well. As a team they are really starting to gel and work well together, to depend on the others to get what they don't.

I still want the CIA bitch to get hers though. She's so sneaky and gets away with everything. I want her to be found out and taken down in a spectacular way!
Profile Image for The Book Worm.
750 reviews14 followers
September 18, 2020
Thunderbolt is advertised as a military technothriller and that's exactly what it is. A bit of suspense, several intricate conspiracies and a lot of top secret technology. At some point it's even a bit scary when you think of the reach all this technology can have in today's society.
Miranda and her team are weird - mea culpa for not having read book one in this series beforehand, but even if I had I believe I would still have the same opinion: they may be geniuses but they are definitely weird.
The first part of the book is so fast paced and gripping you can't just put it down. Towards the end, though, I found the plot turned slightly unrealistic - I'm not convinced some of the events described would actually happen as such in the real world - for something that has way less to do with technology and much more with basic human nature.
If you love the genre, it's still a great book to read. I plan to go through the rest of the series and I'll post reviews soon.
122 reviews2 followers
March 23, 2020
Definitely a 10!

A-10 Warthogs are falling out of the air, and Miranda Chase , NTSB's top IIC (Investigator- in-charge), is called in by military higher-ups to find out why ... and what follows is a wild ride, as she and her team root-out who or what is responsible for these losses.

Author M..L. Buchman has written a fine sequel to "Drone," the 1st of 3 books in the "Miranda Chase Thrillers" series ... and it's a winner! Character-development, story-line, plot, etc. are all first-rate, and come together nicely, to give us a very well-written, very enjoyable and very exciting read.

If you are a fan of books having do with aviation (esp. military aviation) and/or of military techno-thrillers, than I'd suggest picking up this book. ... as for me, I'm off to read "Condor,"the last book in this exciting 3-book series!




Profile Image for Judith.
121 reviews
March 24, 2020
If you love Emily Beale, you will love Miranda Chase! Using her skills with the study of airplanes, Miranda Chase, an NTSB Agent is called in to investigate the supposed crash of an A-10 Warthog, followed by the subsequent crash of the helicopter, carrying the damaged plane. As in the first book, Drone, things are not always as they seem. While Miranda turns to Jeremy - who finds something in the computer code of the A-10, before it is destroyed. The code is orchestrated by a black hat hacker of extraordinary talent and seeming upper hand. Now they just need to trace the code and stop it before more A-10s crash. I really appreciate this return to books of substance. Buchman has nailed it with the Miranda Chase, NTSB agent character and I have returned to reading Buchman's books.
568 reviews10 followers
January 8, 2022
Miranda Chase is autistic, but she heads up the NTSB's #1 accident investigation team. She's quirky, flying around the country in a restored F-86 Sabre Jet. When the USAF loses several A-10 Thunderbolt II's in a 24 hour period, her team is called in to investigate. Zipping around from Washington state to Arizona, to Florida, and on to Washington, DC, the team works to pinpoint the cause (or causes) of the incidents. There are also a couple of back-stories which really are not resolved as the main story unfolds.
Profile Image for karen.
1,627 reviews
May 25, 2020
Amazing as usual. I was not sure I would like this story. Definitely not a a Night Stalker or Emily Beal story. But it is intriguing . Amanda needs a life outside of the NTSB. She is amazing, so smart, so dedicated as are her team members. We need to know more of them too. What happened to Clarissa, Clark, Hunter and the rest of the CIA. Or, did I miss it.
How the CIA could cause such upheaval and death is beyond comprehension.


4,547 reviews29 followers
March 19, 2020
I’d like to spend more time with the protagonists and the decent side characters, and no time at all with the villains. I really don’t want to know the crude and evil thoughts of unlikeable people. The good guys are a very likeable and unique bunch and the rest of the story was interesting and exciting.
4 reviews
December 18, 2019
Gripping but also fun reading

Quirky heroes using intelligence to track down the bad guys and gals in a science and militaristic milieu--I like it as much if not more than his Night Stalkers series
Profile Image for Marlene.
3,455 reviews244 followers
December 20, 2019
Originally published at Reading Reality

“Friendly fire” – it sounds kind of warm and snuggly, doesn’t it? In a video game it can be no big deal – except for maybe the resulting trash talk. But in real life, in a real life military situation, it doesn’t matter whether the fire comes from friendlies or foes – because the result is just as deadly no matter who pulls the trigger. It also doesn’t matter whether you know which end of the fire you are on – or why you are on it or why it is happening at all. If it is really happening at all.

The story in Thunderbolt is a wheels-within-wheels political technothriller – the kind the Tom Clancy used to write.

But Miranda Chase isn’t like any of Clancy’s heroes – or anyone else’s. Clarissa Reese, on the other hand, is just the kind of self-centered and villainous operate that Clancy used to wrap whole books around.

And the matchup between Chase and Reese is an absolute doozy every step of the way – even if – or especially because Chase never sees it that way.

All that Miranda Chase ever sees is that there’s a plane (or two, or in this case nine) down, and that it’s up to her to figure out why it happened – so that she can prevent it from ever happening again. Or at least prevent it from ever happening again the exact same way.

After all, that’s why Chase joined the NTSB in the first place, to prevent anyone else from losing their parents the same way that she lost hers – in a crash. Her single-minded focus – and possibly her neuro-atypicality – has made her a savant that even the military calls upon when the situation goes really really pear-shaped. And it makes her a fantastic protagonist for this thrill-a-minute ride of a series.

Miranda Chase doesn’t seem to ever be the person that anyone expects – but when she’s what they need to solve the most complicated problem – she always delivers.

Escape Rating A: I enjoyed Thunderbolt even more than I did the first book in Miranda Chase’s series, Drone. And I liked that one an awful lot. But Thunderbolt is even better – at least in part because the team has already been introduced and set up, so now we get to sit back and enjoy the ride as we watch them work.

Part of what I love about this series so far is the team dynamic. It isn’t quite a “Five-Man Band” or at least not yet, but the roles that the members play do mirror the members of the trope, while at the same time turning the whole thing a bit on its head. Miranda, of course is the leader, and Jeremy is definitely the Smart Guy, but the “Chick” in this group is Mike, the only person whose specialty is human dynamics and not engineering or geekery of any kind. And in a complete subversion, the role of the Lancer (second-in-command) and Big Guy strongman is former SAS operative Holly. So a woman is in the traditional masculine roles while a man is in the traditional female role.

I like a good subversion when it works and this one definitely does.

The other fun thing about this series so far is that both the hero and the villain are women. Women who are at the top of their fields and are both smart and successful. They also represent very different versions of female protagonists/antagonists, as one uses her sexuality as a tool in her arsenal while the other acts as if she doesn’t have any. Another contrast is that one does most of her work through other people, while the other leads from the front. One is very much a manipulator while the other honestly doesn’t understand how other people think or what other people feel well enough to manipulate anyone. Her people follow her because they want to – and with eyes wide open.

I will also say that the while both women are cold in their own ways, it’s Clarissa’s cold calculation of means and ends that really sent chills up my spine. And I hope we get to see her comeuppance in a not too distant entry in the series.

But what makes this book and this series stand out is the edge-of-the-seat thriller of the plot. Just as with the “spheres” that Miranda Chase uses to analyze a crash site, the story begins with a broad focus on a narrow event. There’s a downed plane. Miranda’s team then pokes into, under and around every facet of the crash site and the downed plane. Despite temptation, they do not reach conclusions. They just gather evidence – often right before it blows up in their faces or over their heads. That painstakingly gathered evidence leads, slowly but inexorably, towards the reason why the plane crashed.

That’s it’s never the obvious is what makes Miranda’s investigation so compelling to follow. That someone is out there trying to prevent her from discovering that non-obvious solution is what adds the accelerant to the incendiary device of this story, and puts readers right in the middle of the action watching for the explosion – or its prevention.

I’ll admit that I can’t wait to see what catastrophe Miranda Chase draws as her next assignment, but I’m looking forward to finding out next year in Condor.

“I received a free copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review.” And I honestly loved this story!
152 reviews3 followers
December 1, 2020
Great details and a continuation of the team developement. I am thoroughly enjoying the aviation side of the books and will most certainly read the next in the series to see what happens with the whole group.
Profile Image for Cindy B. .
3,899 reviews220 followers
July 24, 2021
Started with a sexual situation and it gets worse. Slogged thru hoping it’d get on with it but stopped at 1/2 of 1st novel. Just couldn’t accept punishment for not committing a crime. Main interest is an autistic main character, who acts more like Asberger dx.
5,305 reviews62 followers
March 1, 2022
#2 in the Miranda Chase series. This 2019 series entry by author M.L. Buchman is a winner. Miranda Chase (psychological tics and all) is a superb character. She and her team of NTSB investigators make heroes of a seldom noticed role in crash investigation.
21 reviews1 follower
November 16, 2022
Educational

This read takes the reader into the 21st century of flight with remote piloting combined with real aircraft. A thrilling and quite believable plot filled with global reach and intriques. A magnificent read!
131 reviews1 follower
July 22, 2023
A mix of characters

An interesting tale about planes, drones, simulators, and the pilots who fly them. Mix in the NTSB, the Senate, the CIA and computer hackers... and you have a great story.
13 reviews
June 29, 2020
Good plot if you are into techno thrillers. Great characters keep me coming back for more.
1,754 reviews13 followers
October 26, 2021
Great Story. Read it as part of a box set which had the 1st three books.

Kept interest right to the end.
3,238 reviews6 followers
July 22, 2023
Definitely kept me reading. The author is leaning hard into aviation nerdiness. I enjoyed it in the Firehawks and Nightstalkers series, and I enjoyed it here.
Profile Image for Nibrock.
1,730 reviews3 followers
June 24, 2024
Good story. Again, almost too many plot lines mixing and merging. Lots of new planes to learn.
Profile Image for Maria.
4,653 reviews116 followers
March 15, 2020
Within 24 hours Thunderbolt “Warthogs” start crashing around the world. Miranda Chase, air-crash savant for the National Transportation Safety Board, and her team are called in find out why.

Why I started this book: The first book was fun.

Why I finished it: Thrillers are all about racing through the book to make sure that characters survive and save the world. The faster you read, the better the book.
54 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2024
Another job, well done

Imagine having autism, then solving the cause of airplane crashes! Now, imagine A-10 crashes just to get rid of them and get new airplane contracts! Did I mention jackets that caused the A-10’s to crash? Fantastic read!
Profile Image for Diane Flindt.
24 reviews3 followers
December 19, 2019
Second Books in a Trilogy Are Always Tricky

I love Book #1 in a series—the world building, the novel characters, the bad guy depicted at his evil worst. I love Book #3 in a series—the characters using their own natures and the world they inhabit to scramble around and come up with a plan to defeat the bad guy, finally, at the last minute. The bad guy, sensing how close he is to losing it all, behaves even more despicably—making his defeat all the more satisfying. Justice happens. Justice rules.

But Book #2 can leave me less than enthused. And that’s how I feel about Thunderbolt. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I loved Book 1, Drone. I still love Miranda Chase and her ever-growing team. And while I welcome the newest team member, and I appreciated learning more about Jeremy, I still have questions about other characters—what’s with Holly, anyway?

The world inhabited by the NTSB is still fascinating. Oh, the science/technology in Thunderbolt overwhelmed me at times, but I had confidence in Matt Buchman that he’d ultimately bring me up to speed on all the nuts and bolts. And he did.

And the bad guy is getting worse which is both satisfying and frustrating at the same time. Satisfying because I can smell the denouement from here, the hand of God poised to make a flat patch out of the evil doer. Frustrating because I’m impatient and I want the comeuppance now, damn it.

So I really liked Book 2, Thunderbolt, the massively complex plot, the layers of characters and events. Thoroughly engrossing for a book that isn’t Book #3.

I received a free copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review.
7 reviews2 followers
December 19, 2019
I received a free copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. I have been a fan of ML Buchman and have read all of his books. The first Miranda Chase book blew me away with the plot and characters. This one is even better. Miranda Chase is another Emily Beale as she builds a team to investigate crashes with the NTSB - but she doesn't realize that she is building a team. This book, like the first, is investigating Military crashes of an old plane, the Warthog. I really was intrigued with the hackers and how they were able to control the airplanes and information (something I think could happen in real life). I wasn't fond of how the Daemon hacker ended up - but no one really knows for sure - would like to see her show up in a different story on the side of the good. Can't wait for #3!!
4 reviews
December 23, 2019
Loved it! I really enjoyed the first installment of the Miranda Chase NTSB books, Drone. Book 2 does not disappoint! Thunderbolt is packed full of detail, technical and otherwise. As each puzzle piece of the mystery falls into place, my mind is jumping to solve the next piece of the puzzle. I enjoyed getting to know more about the main characters and meeting the new ones. Definitely a must read, I can’t wait for Book 3! I received a free copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review.
55 reviews2 followers
December 27, 2019
Even Better than the First Book!

This second book in the series is even better than the first. It focuses on the mysterious aircraft sabotage incidents--both in tangible arenas and in the arena of coding--the planes, pilots, their abilities, and a whole lot of Miranda's brilliant thought processes. Like Jeremy, I'm totally in awe of Miranda (whose brilliance and social awkwardness reminds me in many ways of Connie from the Night Stalkers). I can hardly wait to read the next book.

I purchased this book (although I also received a copy from the publisher for an honest review).
Profile Image for Charlene Long.
4 reviews
January 1, 2020
Another great thriller from Buchman! I have to admit my main genre is romance but these books suck me in like few do. The Miranda Chase series is as full of intrigue, mystery and twists as all of Buchman's are and I find it irresistible. So few writers have the ability to speak in such deep technical and military language while still keeping the reader riveted but these are spot on. In this second book, we see Miranda and her team continue to grow as a family as they each continue to find their footing together. I cant wait for the next book in the series.
1,396 reviews11 followers
December 15, 2019
I received a free copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. I enjoyed, Thunderbolt. The funny thing about it is that some of the things that I like about it, are also the same things that I don't. There are a ton of facts, I mean a lot. Sometimes they went right over my head. Other times I found them to be helpful and almost humorous a points when Jeremy was involved. It did help to make Miranda's character unique.
Profile Image for Paula.
1,965 reviews6 followers
December 19, 2019
I volunteered to read and review
an advance readers copy of Thunderbolt . I enjoyed reading this intense story . This is book two in The Miranda Chase series . I love the quirkiness of Miranda . Her team of unique characters fit with her just great . It's a fantastic suspense and definitely an edge of your seat story .
It was interesting from the start . It held my attention from start to finish . I highly recommend reading .
Profile Image for Beverly.
1,634 reviews40 followers
July 22, 2020
I received a free copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review.

I'm really starting to like this series. I like the characters as well as the action and suspense. This is a series that gets better if you read the series in order.

Rereading the books in order is a treat.
42 reviews3 followers
December 17, 2019
I received a free copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Absolutely enjoyed this second book. A lot of facts which makes the reader understand how complex Miranda Chase is. The secondary characters’ personalities are coming through more in this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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