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Miranda Chase NTSB #4
Ghostrider
An AC-130J “Ghostrider”—the latest variant of America’s Number One ground-attack plane for over fifty years—goes down in the Colorado Rockies. Except the data doesn’t match the airframe.
Air-crash savant Miranda Chase and her NTSB team are sent in to investigate. But what they uncover reveals a far greater threat—sabotage.
It could be a prelude to a whole new type of war; this time one far too close to home.
Air-crash savant Miranda Chase and her NTSB team are sent in to investigate. But what they uncover reveals a far greater threat—sabotage.
It could be a prelude to a whole new type of war; this time one far too close to home.
454 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2020
104 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Buchman
322 books613 followersUSA 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.
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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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 27, 2020
This book was so different from the others. Part of it is that Miranda is doing better with her team and how they all work together, part of it was the crashes themselves. The first one where they figured things out pretty quick, then the team split, boys and girls. Miranda and Holly went to a new crash, which seemed straight forward at first (we knew it wasn't) and it didn't take long before they figured out what was at the bottom of things. Mike and Jeremy on a different part of the job quickly were swept up into something bigger than just the crashes. They did pretty well and held their own, but it was iffy for a bit. By the end of the book the team is back together, at their new home, ready for whatever the world sends them and even Miranda seems more at peace with things.
June 26, 2020
Originally published at Reading Reality
The more I read this series, (I’ve read them all so far and loved every one of them, including this one), the more they remind me of Tom Clancy. Not the politics. Clancy’s viewpoint was all over his books, his political agenda was fairly clear. But the competence porn aspect of Clancy’s work, that all of his operatives knew what the hell they were doing and were heroes because of it, that part is certainly present in Miranda Chase and her series. Along with the smart banter and back-and-forth asides that pepper Clancy’s work.
Miranda Chase and her team are just plain fun to be with, and they are damn good at their jobs. In fact, they are the best team that the NTSB has. It is great watching them work.
Also nail-bitingly tense when they get just a bit too involved with that work, as they do in Ghostrider.
Miranda Chase is a savant when it comes to determining the cause of airplane crashes. She’s also extremely intelligent as well as autistic. And all of her gifts are a part of making her who and what she is – which is totally awesome if not always socially aware. In fact she’s seldom socially aware, but it is NEVER played for laughs.
The Ghostrider in this particular instance is certainly NOT the Marvel character, but rather, like the titles of all the books in this series, an airplane, specifically a military airplane, the Lockheed AC-130J Ghostrider, that has crashed near Aspen. And, like all of the other planes – and plans – that have crashed so far in this series, there’s something “off” about this particular crash and Miranda and her team are called in to investigate.
An investigation that turns up a whole bunch of red flags and something completely weird that would normally take the incident off of Miranda’s docket. She became an NTSB investigator in order to figure out what caused each crash she investigates so that it can’t happen again.
But this crash wasn’t a mechanical or technical failure. It wasn’t even pilot error. It was a deliberate crash caused by the pilot. Miranda can help make planes safer, but she has zero insights in making humans less stupid or insane – or whatever this mess might be attributable to.
She’s about to sign off when a second Ghostrider crashes, this time in California, also due to sabotage, while Miranda is closing out the Colorado investigation. It becomes clear that there’s something bigger and much more dangerous going on.
A something that Miranda and her team find themselves literally in the middle of. And something that some of them might not get out of alive.
Escape Rating A: The previous story in this series, Condor, had a lot to do with the emotional baggage that Miranda’s team is carrying. The series begins with Miranda’s baggage, that she became an NTSB investigator in order to prevent other children from losing their parents in plane crashes. But that story had a lot to do with Holly’s baggage, with the reasons that she left the Australian SAS. This story deals with other people’s baggage. Whole truckloads of it. Or perhaps that should be cargo loads?
The Ghostrider crashes that the team investigates aren’t random, aren’t mechanical, aren’t technical, aren’t pilot “error”. But they certainly are pilot-caused, just that the pilots acted deliberately and not accidentally.
Like many of the stories in this series – and OMG just start with Drone and be prepared for a fantastic binge-read – the reasons for both the crashes involve a whole lot of skullduggery at the highest levels.
Along with a retiring general who wants to go out, not exactly in a blaze of glory, but with the satisfaction of a necessary job done. Alternatively with the satisfaction of taking a whole bunch of bastards that need killing out with him. It’s all a matter of perspective.
One is left with the feeling that his cause is righteous, but his methods create way too much collateral damage and have the potential to create a whole lot more. It’s a question about whether the ends justify the means in a case where there are no easy answers – and there shouldn’t be.
That the heroes and the sorta/kinda villains in this one turn out to be, not exactly on the same side, but not exactly on opposite sides, makes for an edge-of-the-seat thriller that will have readers white-knuckling through the middle and gasping at the end – while still thinking about where the big picture went wrong and what different actions might have made it go right. Or at least right-er.
So a great story, fantastic characters, thrilling action and some thought provoked in the end. A job very well done, both for Miranda’s team and for the author of this terrific series. May there be many, many more!
The more I read this series, (I’ve read them all so far and loved every one of them, including this one), the more they remind me of Tom Clancy. Not the politics. Clancy’s viewpoint was all over his books, his political agenda was fairly clear. But the competence porn aspect of Clancy’s work, that all of his operatives knew what the hell they were doing and were heroes because of it, that part is certainly present in Miranda Chase and her series. Along with the smart banter and back-and-forth asides that pepper Clancy’s work.
Miranda Chase and her team are just plain fun to be with, and they are damn good at their jobs. In fact, they are the best team that the NTSB has. It is great watching them work.
Also nail-bitingly tense when they get just a bit too involved with that work, as they do in Ghostrider.
Miranda Chase is a savant when it comes to determining the cause of airplane crashes. She’s also extremely intelligent as well as autistic. And all of her gifts are a part of making her who and what she is – which is totally awesome if not always socially aware. In fact she’s seldom socially aware, but it is NEVER played for laughs.
The Ghostrider in this particular instance is certainly NOT the Marvel character, but rather, like the titles of all the books in this series, an airplane, specifically a military airplane, the Lockheed AC-130J Ghostrider, that has crashed near Aspen. And, like all of the other planes – and plans – that have crashed so far in this series, there’s something “off” about this particular crash and Miranda and her team are called in to investigate.
An investigation that turns up a whole bunch of red flags and something completely weird that would normally take the incident off of Miranda’s docket. She became an NTSB investigator in order to figure out what caused each crash she investigates so that it can’t happen again.
But this crash wasn’t a mechanical or technical failure. It wasn’t even pilot error. It was a deliberate crash caused by the pilot. Miranda can help make planes safer, but she has zero insights in making humans less stupid or insane – or whatever this mess might be attributable to.
She’s about to sign off when a second Ghostrider crashes, this time in California, also due to sabotage, while Miranda is closing out the Colorado investigation. It becomes clear that there’s something bigger and much more dangerous going on.
A something that Miranda and her team find themselves literally in the middle of. And something that some of them might not get out of alive.
Escape Rating A: The previous story in this series, Condor, had a lot to do with the emotional baggage that Miranda’s team is carrying. The series begins with Miranda’s baggage, that she became an NTSB investigator in order to prevent other children from losing their parents in plane crashes. But that story had a lot to do with Holly’s baggage, with the reasons that she left the Australian SAS. This story deals with other people’s baggage. Whole truckloads of it. Or perhaps that should be cargo loads?
The Ghostrider crashes that the team investigates aren’t random, aren’t mechanical, aren’t technical, aren’t pilot “error”. But they certainly are pilot-caused, just that the pilots acted deliberately and not accidentally.
Like many of the stories in this series – and OMG just start with Drone and be prepared for a fantastic binge-read – the reasons for both the crashes involve a whole lot of skullduggery at the highest levels.
Along with a retiring general who wants to go out, not exactly in a blaze of glory, but with the satisfaction of a necessary job done. Alternatively with the satisfaction of taking a whole bunch of bastards that need killing out with him. It’s all a matter of perspective.
One is left with the feeling that his cause is righteous, but his methods create way too much collateral damage and have the potential to create a whole lot more. It’s a question about whether the ends justify the means in a case where there are no easy answers – and there shouldn’t be.
That the heroes and the sorta/kinda villains in this one turn out to be, not exactly on the same side, but not exactly on opposite sides, makes for an edge-of-the-seat thriller that will have readers white-knuckling through the middle and gasping at the end – while still thinking about where the big picture went wrong and what different actions might have made it go right. Or at least right-er.
So a great story, fantastic characters, thrilling action and some thought provoked in the end. A job very well done, both for Miranda’s team and for the author of this terrific series. May there be many, many more!
February 16, 2022
Best one yet
I really enjoyed all the technical stuff and the characters development. Look forward to Raider. It is as good as this I will be thrilled.
I really enjoyed all the technical stuff and the characters development. Look forward to Raider. It is as good as this I will be thrilled.
June 23, 2020
Miranda’s Fan Club
I thoroughly enjoyed Ghostrider, book 4 in the Miranda Chase & Company series. This entry had more of Miranda’s team in it. It’s richer in characters, and the characters are richer. I’ve long thought that it’s the secondary characters that flesh out a story, make it come alive—fair warning, this book was quite lively.
Ghostrider also had all the action, suspense, and science we expect in this series as Miranda and her NTSB crew investigate a military airplane that crashed in the Colorado Rockies near Aspen. The topography means Holly gets to rappel down a steep mountain side and takes Major Jon Swift along for the fun; Jeremy practically crawls inside a wing while Mike watches; and Miranda walks the impact site with the newest member of her fan club, Jeff, the young son of their helicopter pilot.
While they are following up on clues to the Aspen crash, word comes through of a crash in California of the same model plane. Relationships begin and shift and deepen as the work of the NTSB morphs into tracking down a maverick general, using military planes for his own purposes.
Miranda shares the general’s drive, however her focus is aimed at solving why planes crash in order to make planes safer. And since Miranda is a high-functioning autistic, her focus and her aim are impressive. At the same time, in Ghostrider we see people attracted to Miranda again and again in spite of her sometimes odd behavior. Some are attracted for the first time like Jeff and his father in Aspen. Others, like General Gray and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--who Miranda knows as Drake—others are long-term fans of Miranda.
Honestly, I’m waiting for the Miranda Chase Fan Club. Dibs on the first tee shirt!
"I was provided with an ARC to consider for an honest review."
I thoroughly enjoyed Ghostrider, book 4 in the Miranda Chase & Company series. This entry had more of Miranda’s team in it. It’s richer in characters, and the characters are richer. I’ve long thought that it’s the secondary characters that flesh out a story, make it come alive—fair warning, this book was quite lively.
Ghostrider also had all the action, suspense, and science we expect in this series as Miranda and her NTSB crew investigate a military airplane that crashed in the Colorado Rockies near Aspen. The topography means Holly gets to rappel down a steep mountain side and takes Major Jon Swift along for the fun; Jeremy practically crawls inside a wing while Mike watches; and Miranda walks the impact site with the newest member of her fan club, Jeff, the young son of their helicopter pilot.
While they are following up on clues to the Aspen crash, word comes through of a crash in California of the same model plane. Relationships begin and shift and deepen as the work of the NTSB morphs into tracking down a maverick general, using military planes for his own purposes.
Miranda shares the general’s drive, however her focus is aimed at solving why planes crash in order to make planes safer. And since Miranda is a high-functioning autistic, her focus and her aim are impressive. At the same time, in Ghostrider we see people attracted to Miranda again and again in spite of her sometimes odd behavior. Some are attracted for the first time like Jeff and his father in Aspen. Others, like General Gray and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--who Miranda knows as Drake—others are long-term fans of Miranda.
Honestly, I’m waiting for the Miranda Chase Fan Club. Dibs on the first tee shirt!
"I was provided with an ARC to consider for an honest review."
June 24, 2020
I volunteered to read and review an advanced readers copy of Ghostrider .
I really enjoyed reading this story . Miranda Chase and her team are called to Aspen Colorado when a C-130 Hercules plane has crashed on the mountain . As they investigate the site and the remains of the crash things are not adding up . The plane is not what it is suppose to be .
Soon Miranda and the team are called to another crashed plane An AG-130J Ghostrider flying out of Edwards Airforce Base . It crashed in the Avalon Harbor Santa Catalina island of LA , alot if civilians died . They soon find both plans are tied together and alot is at work . Some of Miranda's team are in an intense situation .
This story is fantastic and intense . An all out spectacular story . Keeps you on the edge . I highly recommend taking the time to read .
I really enjoyed reading this story . Miranda Chase and her team are called to Aspen Colorado when a C-130 Hercules plane has crashed on the mountain . As they investigate the site and the remains of the crash things are not adding up . The plane is not what it is suppose to be .
Soon Miranda and the team are called to another crashed plane An AG-130J Ghostrider flying out of Edwards Airforce Base . It crashed in the Avalon Harbor Santa Catalina island of LA , alot if civilians died . They soon find both plans are tied together and alot is at work . Some of Miranda's team are in an intense situation .
This story is fantastic and intense . An all out spectacular story . Keeps you on the edge . I highly recommend taking the time to read .
July 3, 2020
I received an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) from the publisher in return for an honest review.
I am coming to enjoy this series more and more. So much information about planes and guns, tactics and politics. All threaded into a story that keeps your attention from start to finish.
PROS: this story brought more of Miranda's team to the forefront of the story. We learn more about them and they become more real and complex through the experience. We get to see Miranda growing as a team leader, friend, and overall human, seeing how her past and her autism have shaped her as a person. But it doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties that can happen when communications styles are different.
CONS: There is a lot of information and it comes at you fast.
Everything comes together, so keep at it. I can't wait to read the next!
I am coming to enjoy this series more and more. So much information about planes and guns, tactics and politics. All threaded into a story that keeps your attention from start to finish.
PROS: this story brought more of Miranda's team to the forefront of the story. We learn more about them and they become more real and complex through the experience. We get to see Miranda growing as a team leader, friend, and overall human, seeing how her past and her autism have shaped her as a person. But it doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties that can happen when communications styles are different.
CONS: There is a lot of information and it comes at you fast.
Everything comes together, so keep at it. I can't wait to read the next!
June 26, 2020
An AC-130J “Ghostrider” crashes into the Colorado rockies... but the pieces that Miranda Chase and her NTSB team find are for a different plane. No they have to find the not dead crew before the chain reaction is lit.
Why I started this book: Interesting series, didn't know much about the investigators at airplane crashes.
Why I finished it: This one felt off, but I'm not sure if it was me (craziness abounds in the world and focus is hard); if it was because I hadn't brushed up on the series before jumping in or if it was just an odd book. That being said, the Chase crew needed to find out why so many planes were crashing and why the planes that they found didn't match the parts.
Why I started this book: Interesting series, didn't know much about the investigators at airplane crashes.
Why I finished it: This one felt off, but I'm not sure if it was me (craziness abounds in the world and focus is hard); if it was because I hadn't brushed up on the series before jumping in or if it was just an odd book. That being said, the Chase crew needed to find out why so many planes were crashing and why the planes that they found didn't match the parts.
June 21, 2020
I was provided with an ARC to consider for an honest review. Mr Buchman has done it again! Miranda’s character gets more and more defined as well as her working and personal relationships. The technicalities and mechanics of the military and the workings of the “Ghostrider” as well as the plot twist draws us in. I wish for a slightly different ending however I couldn’t see how a different ending would work. So well done! I have greatly enjoyed this.
July 6, 2020
This series just keeps getting better.
Miranda Chase continues to astound and charm, in her awkward way. It was great to see how the team is integrating and changing...while Miranda's social skills improve. Jeremy gets his own side story. The investigations--and Miranda's leaps to brilliant conclusions--move quickly in this story.
I purchased this book from the author (although I also received a copy from the publisher for an honest review).
Miranda Chase continues to astound and charm, in her awkward way. It was great to see how the team is integrating and changing...while Miranda's social skills improve. Jeremy gets his own side story. The investigations--and Miranda's leaps to brilliant conclusions--move quickly in this story.
I purchased this book from the author (although I also received a copy from the publisher for an honest review).
June 27, 2020
Love all the Miranda Chase books. Holly is such a stitch. Mike and Jeremy round out Miranda’s team . Not only are they all brilliant , but also understand and protect each other.
I definitely want to see a Holly story. Also more of the Generals Gray and Drake.
I also want a deep and happy bonding relationship of Jon and Miranda.
I definitely want to see a Holly story. Also more of the Generals Gray and Drake.
I also want a deep and happy bonding relationship of Jon and Miranda.
June 28, 2020
I was provided with an ARC to consider for an honest review.
I can't say enough how much I have enjoyed the Miranda Chase, series. A rollercoaster of emotions and suspense. Every page seems to have something new. Definitely kept me guessing.
I can't say enough how much I have enjoyed the Miranda Chase, series. A rollercoaster of emotions and suspense. Every page seems to have something new. Definitely kept me guessing.
June 30, 2020
Really like Miranda and her team. I like most of the side characters, especially Jon, Lizzy and Drake, too. I could entirely do without the thoughts and words of that one pilot, Tango. Ugh, need brain bleach for those. The story itself was well crafted and kept me going to the end.
September 4, 2023
Hmm. The question of who is good and who is bad is pretty muddy in this one. And I think a number of people are going to have some post traumatic stress reactions based on decisions they had to make. Diverting as ever, though.
June 17, 2020
Another great story about Miranda Chase. I like seeing her love relationship develop.
Read
June 25, 2020Yum. Great addition to the series. Review to follow.
July 12, 2020
Good, not as good as 1-3
Not nearly as captivating as the first three books in the series. Unknown if there will be a book 5, may be difficult to segue to #5.
Not nearly as captivating as the first three books in the series. Unknown if there will be a book 5, may be difficult to segue to #5.
July 14, 2020
Best one so far! Intense fast-paced action!
August 3, 2021
Easy reading. I can see how this would appeal to anyone with an interest in flying, specifically military aircraft. I'll read more by M.L.
January 9, 2022
Pretty good read.
This book was quite good, with the exception of the middle of the book. The middle of the book of the book was confusing and seemed to make little sense.
This book was quite good, with the exception of the middle of the book. The middle of the book of the book was confusing and seemed to make little sense.
January 4, 2023
4.5 stars
June 21, 2020
I was provided with an ARC to consider for an honest review.
I really like this series. It's a good story and a great group of characters.
I really like this series. It's a good story and a great group of characters.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews