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Final Authority
Bruce Bannock is a senior captain for Global Alliance Airlines, the world's largest carrier. He has a job he loves, a vivacious, pregnant wife, a young son and a beautiful home in Evergreen, Colorado. Bruce's life is rewarding, full, and his position is seemingly secure. Suddenly, an accident in Reno, Nevada, threatens to snatch away everything he his family and his career. Bruce was in command of the ill-fated flight, and the airline and FAA blame him for the catastrophe.Bruce soon finds himself fighting against powerful the airline's bosses, the government, his wife's wealthy mother, and other unseen but dangerous adversaries. Just when Bruce's situation seems hopeless, help arrives from several David Goldstein, an investigative reporter, reveals that there is much more to the accident than meets the eye. Mike Barrow, a retired Marine colonel and close friend of Bruce's, joins the investigation only to find himself thrust into the corporate intrigue at the highest level. Ava O'Kane, a thirty-eight-year-old executive within the circle of power at the airline, makes a shocking discovery of corruption within the organization and she has to choose between evil and good, love and money.Finally, pushed to the limit, Bruce takes control of his predicament in an unprecedented and decisively violent, though legal manner. It's the only way he can stop the conspiracy. In the process of saving himself, his career and his company, can an airline captain get away with murder?
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2002
96 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 24, 2015
This is one of those airline mysteries that is filled with authentic details. You’ll feel like you boarded a flight and can’t get off until you’ve landed at your destination.
Written by two brothers who fly for competing airlines their experience with the large complicated industry is revealed in their realistic look at fictitious Global Alliance Airline and several of the key people who run it.
I would have given this book a five star rating instead of four except for a couple of issues.
The authors would bring the story to a stop to go into a lengthy tale of a character’s backstory, when I feel this could have been layered in throughout the novel, or left out. I also felt the authors overly dramatized several of the characters who weren’t pilots. A couple I questioned how they rose to their lofty position within the airline, an issue many pilots have with their airline’s management, but in this case it came across as exaggerated. Lastly, I questioned the need of the prologue. It showed the trouble the protagonist Captain Bruce Bannock faced at some point in the novel, yet it wasn’t until the very end of the novel its purpose was revealed. I read the majority of the book questioning what the prologue had to do with the story.
That aside, the authors did an excellent job showing the lengths some within an airlines hierarchy will do to seek power and wealth. Offsetting this group were some qualified, hard-working individuals who did the real work at keeping the airline operating while it faced the crisis portrayed. The authors showed this latter group realistically.
And, extremely important to this reviewer, the flying details were exacting. Readers interested in an airline mystery that could potentially happen will enjoy this book.
I look forward to reading more from these authors.
Written by two brothers who fly for competing airlines their experience with the large complicated industry is revealed in their realistic look at fictitious Global Alliance Airline and several of the key people who run it.
I would have given this book a five star rating instead of four except for a couple of issues.
The authors would bring the story to a stop to go into a lengthy tale of a character’s backstory, when I feel this could have been layered in throughout the novel, or left out. I also felt the authors overly dramatized several of the characters who weren’t pilots. A couple I questioned how they rose to their lofty position within the airline, an issue many pilots have with their airline’s management, but in this case it came across as exaggerated. Lastly, I questioned the need of the prologue. It showed the trouble the protagonist Captain Bruce Bannock faced at some point in the novel, yet it wasn’t until the very end of the novel its purpose was revealed. I read the majority of the book questioning what the prologue had to do with the story.
That aside, the authors did an excellent job showing the lengths some within an airlines hierarchy will do to seek power and wealth. Offsetting this group were some qualified, hard-working individuals who did the real work at keeping the airline operating while it faced the crisis portrayed. The authors showed this latter group realistically.
And, extremely important to this reviewer, the flying details were exacting. Readers interested in an airline mystery that could potentially happen will enjoy this book.
I look forward to reading more from these authors.
March 29, 2020
Superb from start to finish
The authors are highly compensated as airline pilots, I'm sure, but I think they should give up their day jobs and write for a living! This book sustains its action and suspense from start to finish. It provides some insights into airlines operations and flying while stretching the bounds of credulity just the right amount. Characters were developed very well. Wish the Dobransky brothers would give us an equally entertaining sequel. Highly recommended!
The authors are highly compensated as airline pilots, I'm sure, but I think they should give up their day jobs and write for a living! This book sustains its action and suspense from start to finish. It provides some insights into airlines operations and flying while stretching the bounds of credulity just the right amount. Characters were developed very well. Wish the Dobransky brothers would give us an equally entertaining sequel. Highly recommended!
August 15, 2024
Should be made into a blockbuster movie!
I'm not going to share any plot lines. Read it for yourself. Every detail was spot on. Only error in fact regarded the late once great Eastern Airlines. Eastern's wings were permantly grounded in 1991. In this book it was referenced as going belly up in 1989.
And one little tidbit for my fellow pet families. The one survivor of the DC-10 incident was a white kitten! Dubbed the "miracle kitty!" Can't wait to read the sequel.
I'm not going to share any plot lines. Read it for yourself. Every detail was spot on. Only error in fact regarded the late once great Eastern Airlines. Eastern's wings were permantly grounded in 1991. In this book it was referenced as going belly up in 1989.
And one little tidbit for my fellow pet families. The one survivor of the DC-10 incident was a white kitten! Dubbed the "miracle kitty!" Can't wait to read the sequel.
July 17, 2017
Well Done! Good Reading!
This was worth the time to find and read. Personally, I wasn't crazy about how the authors broke up the story into different timelines, and I think it would have been a better tale if told chronologically. Other than that, I'm glad to have read the book, and believe this was a good story.
This was worth the time to find and read. Personally, I wasn't crazy about how the authors broke up the story into different timelines, and I think it would have been a better tale if told chronologically. Other than that, I'm glad to have read the book, and believe this was a good story.
May 3, 2018
I really enjoyed this book
This was my first foray into aviation story telling, but I have to admit that I found it riveting. At times the technical side of aviation was Greek to me but it never distracted me from enjoying the story. The author did a great job of combining sabotage, aviation, suspense, corporate greed and weaving it all together into a great flight.
This was my first foray into aviation story telling, but I have to admit that I found it riveting. At times the technical side of aviation was Greek to me but it never distracted me from enjoying the story. The author did a great job of combining sabotage, aviation, suspense, corporate greed and weaving it all together into a great flight.
August 19, 2021
A White Knuckle scary First Outing!
I love an airplane adventure and mystery. This one has it all in the sky & on terra firma, joy and misery & even a wicked grandmother and a sweet kid & dog.
I look forward to more from this father \ son pair. But IMHO they are off to a fine start!
I love an airplane adventure and mystery. This one has it all in the sky & on terra firma, joy and misery & even a wicked grandmother and a sweet kid & dog.
I look forward to more from this father \ son pair. But IMHO they are off to a fine start!
August 10, 2017
Pretty accurate
Especially the flying and aircraft descriptions. The corporate side although equally descriptive by my experiences, but not as fueled with dope, I would hope.
Especially the flying and aircraft descriptions. The corporate side although equally descriptive by my experiences, but not as fueled with dope, I would hope.
September 19, 2019
A Page Turner
If you like aviation, you will not be able to put this book down! The story is well presented. Perhaps a bit unrealistic, but very well done.
If you like aviation, you will not be able to put this book down! The story is well presented. Perhaps a bit unrealistic, but very well done.
May 23, 2020
Page turner
Really enjoyable book. Very detailed, developed characters. Hope the author has another book following. Would like to follow the characters and the airline's story.
Really enjoyable book. Very detailed, developed characters. Hope the author has another book following. Would like to follow the characters and the airline's story.
October 4, 2021
Great Read
First read of these authors work.
Enjoyed the story. I certainly will purchase the next book by these authors.
Looking forward to it.
First read of these authors work.
Enjoyed the story. I certainly will purchase the next book by these authors.
Looking forward to it.
June 1, 2025
Kept me reading
Had trouble putting this book down. Am on a cruise and used every few free minutes to read more until I finished it. Truly enjoyed it.
Had trouble putting this book down. Am on a cruise and used every few free minutes to read more until I finished it. Truly enjoyed it.
August 22, 2014
FINAL AUTHORITY HAS IT ALL!
GREAT PILOTS, SABOTEURS, ACTION, SUSPENSE, MURDER, LONG FRIENDSHIPS, HEARTBREAK, WORKPLACE POWER STRUGGLES, NICE FAMILIES, AND THE TRUSTING PUBLIC WHO PUTS THEIR LIVES IN THE CREWS HANDS. WELL WRITTEN AND IT KEPT ME COMING BACK FOR MORE. TO TOP IT OFF, THERE'S A HAPPY ENDING WHICH IS EVEN BETTER WITH A LONG-TERM IMAGINATION. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT IF YOU LIKE THE THINGS I MENTIONED ABOVE.
GREAT PILOTS, SABOTEURS, ACTION, SUSPENSE, MURDER, LONG FRIENDSHIPS, HEARTBREAK, WORKPLACE POWER STRUGGLES, NICE FAMILIES, AND THE TRUSTING PUBLIC WHO PUTS THEIR LIVES IN THE CREWS HANDS. WELL WRITTEN AND IT KEPT ME COMING BACK FOR MORE. TO TOP IT OFF, THERE'S A HAPPY ENDING WHICH IS EVEN BETTER WITH A LONG-TERM IMAGINATION. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT IF YOU LIKE THE THINGS I MENTIONED ABOVE.
January 11, 2015
Two-niner-zero rolling! ( my old airships #)
A believable, exciting read for pilots. an interesting suspense for air travelers and a great lesson for you upper corporate types.
Well written humor nicely sprinkled.
A believable, exciting read for pilots. an interesting suspense for air travelers and a great lesson for you upper corporate types.
Well written humor nicely sprinkled.
June 3, 2015
A very quick, supermarket paperback. Fairly predictable and cliched. Set in Denver and Reno, which was kind of fun, but the author got a fair number of details wrong which was annoying. Overall, would not recommend.
December 9, 2015
Awesome airline suspense, what we all have thought might happen...
Recommended to all aviation lovers. Excellent use of real world possibilities and frightening consequences if it were true, or could it really happen.....
Recommended to all aviation lovers. Excellent use of real world possibilities and frightening consequences if it were true, or could it really happen.....
July 13, 2016
Pretty good mystery
I enjoyed this book although it dragged in places and I wasn't really happy with how it ended. They got the bad guys in the end but the ending was disjointed. All in all, a good read.
I enjoyed this book although it dragged in places and I wasn't really happy with how it ended. They got the bad guys in the end but the ending was disjointed. All in all, a good read.
March 7, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book. Good suspense. Much aviation information interspersed throughout. I highly recommend "Final Authority" and hope that the authors will continue to publish.
October 15, 2016
Outstanding!!!! Twists & turns I never saw coming.
Can't wait for more by this author.
Can't wait for more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews