Phoenix Rising

by John J. Nance, Brian Emerson (Contributor)

WELCOME TO THE DEADLY SKIES
Pam Am Flight 10 is heading routinely from Seattle to Tokyo when one by one its engines explode. Only brilliant work by its pilot saves the 747 and the hundreds of passengers on board....
At Pan Am headquarters, the newly revived airline is facing a serious setback--rumors of financial uncertainty have panicked Wall Street and sent stock prices and bond ratings plummeting....
At the airline's maintenance facility, a mysterious intruder has left behind evidence of possible industrial sabotage....
Since the new Pan Am has risen from the ashes of deregulation to challenge the big three U.S. airlines, nothing has gone smoothly. Now with threats from all sides, Pan Am's chief pilot Brian Murphy, its new chief financial officer Elizabeth Sterling, and international financier Creighton MacRae must work together to save the beleaguered airline--if their personal feelings don't get in the way....
"The Airport of the 1990s...A superb novel."
--Library Journal

Genres: Fiction, Aviation, Novels, Thriller, Action

Audio Cassette

First published June 7, 1994

About the author

John 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.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not care for this story at all. It's about an airline and what interest could that be unless you work for the industry. Not much here that resembles any of Mr. Nance's good stories. 0 of 10 stars

[Space · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thing was bigger than pro football. I can't even begin to imagine how to go about writing a story with this many moving parts. Once again, Mr Nance delivers a powerful tale in a relatively short book that looks completely impossible from the beginning. I'm very impressed with the level of research and planning it took to pull this one off. Huge plot. Excellent resolution. Brilliant, believable characters. Fun read.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book from this author was my first review of this calendar year. The year isn’t even a fourth done, and I’m back with another book from Nance. I can’t help it. Any time you need a story that is an adrenaline-saturated rollercoaster, you can count on Nance to deliver.

Elizabeth Sterling is a single mom raising a teenage daughter. As the book begins, she’s an investment banker on Wall Street. But a small group of investors have resurrected Pan-Am Airlines, and if they’re successful, they will change forever how airlines operate and how they treat their passengers. Naturally, the major airlines don’t want the upstart to succeed, and it very nearly fails.

The vivid immediacy of Nance’s writing ensures that the author will pull you into and emotionally involve you with the race against court-ordered time as beleaguered employees of the new airline seek to prove that others want to sabotage the new company. Part of that sabotage includes plane trips wherein a sinister shadowy figure compromised the plane’s performance. You learn of some techniques pilots use to prevent crashes. One such incident involved a risky landing on an ice-covered Canadian lake. Those are the scenes that will stay with you long after you finish the book.

[Sherry Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathing problems

As usual Mr Nance has made my heart beat faster and breathing struggle for more air. If you have ever been on an airplane this one is for you. Realistic ideas and knee knocking fast moving. Take it with you the next time you are on a plane. It will be fun to read.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written with a great deal of action. I continue to enjoy Nance’ stories

[Maureen Hadley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as some of his other books. Too much legalese. The chapters concerning the aircrafts and flights were good, but I slogged through the rest of it. Two and a half stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the lead female character admirable and a true heroine for the story. Sadly, I think white collar crime and corporate takeovers never have the fictional resolution that was central to the story though.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad, but not as good as many of his other books. This one didn't have as much in flight adventure as most. This was more running around here and there gathering evidence, getting financing, etc.

What bothered me the most about the book was the oddities in technology throughout. In the initial chapters, nobody had a cell phone. (Book was written in 2016) It was a fluke if someone had a mobile phone, but for the most part everyone was leaving messages on answering machines. At least a dozen times a character had to find a pay phone, and one new reporter camped out in a diner next to a bank of pay phones.

And faxes everywhere.

In 2016???

But oddly, by the final chapters, almost everyone had a cell phone.

Reading start to finish, it felt like the book was started in 1980 and finished in 2016. And maybe that's what happened, but if so, a bit of continuity checking would have been nice.

Maybe most people wouldn't notice the wild swing in available tech throughout the book, but it was a bit jarring to me.

[Diana H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I actually started reading this book, I could hardly put it down. It had my heart rate jumping and my muscles tensed as I anticipated the results of the airline problems being described. (I'm not a good airline passenger, so...).
Anyway, if you like thrillers and suspense you will really appreciate this book. The technology may be a little dated, but the plot line and story-telling live up to current standards - actually, I think this book exceeds expectations by a huge margin.
Definitely worth reading.
My new book to recommend!

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting novel by JIM about the hierarchy of the station industry and the pitfalls of big business. A major airline has declared insolvency , but has attracted enough investors to keep the company operating. Then a few unexplained hazardous events occur. Which immediately effects the newly reformed company in the stock market. Subterfuge is suspected and the employees attempt to work around the problems to keep the company running. This is an excellent bread for the genre.....DEHS

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat to discover that I had missed one of John Nance's and so had a 'new' read. This one is not one of his best - it is one of his earliest. But a sub par John Nance is still better than most of the rest. Pan Am is reborn as an airlines and is being sabotaged.

[Gregg Harcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting plot

Lists of twists and turns that leaves you on the edge of your seat. None of the good guys lose in the end

[Mary Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too long…repetitive.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, um, thriller I guess you could call it. Very long, very detailed. A huge, frayed, dangling thread, which is annoying. The main problem is I knew what the end was pretty early on. Of course, the only major woman in the novel, who was the central character, was smart but drop-dead gorgeous too so of course all the men swoon over her. It's so boring -- why couldn't she have just been a smart woman? I guess men like John Nance wouldn't bother with an ordinary-looking woman. Why couldn't one of the lawyers, or even the villains, be a woman? It's very sexist tale that was published less than ten years ago -- no excuse for it, really.

Then there's the economics of decking out airliners like luxury liners. I didn't buy into that -- unless the airline was only for the rich. I've been flying as a passenger in all kinds of jets and prop planes for more than 50 years and flying has never been luxurious for those of us who are not wealthy. A little more leg room was about the most luxury we got. I even flew Pan Am to Mexico -- definitely not the lap of luxury.

It starts out as a fun read, and I initially like all the business machinations, but it soon grew tiresome (especially because you know things will end well) -- it was just too long. Even the exciting parts were too long.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost all of Nance's books are great. The plots he creates based on his inside knowledge of the airline industry make most of his books impossible to put down. "Phoenix Rising", however, was the least compelling of the dozen or so Nance books that I've read. The plot revolves around the rebirth of Pan Am Airlines and the attempt by unknown attackers to bring it down before it ever really gets a chance to start again. As usual, there are a number of interesting characters created as the story moves along, but most are more underdeveloped than the usual crew found in a Nance book. In addition, the plot seems somewhat padded as if Nance was on a "page count". The first half of the book was especially difficult to slog through as the characters flitted across the globe and Nance slowly peeled back layers of the plot. The book was saved by a decent ending even if there were a few holes in it.
There are plenty of great John J. Nance books to read before you tackle this one. In particular, I would highly recommend "16 Souls", "Blackout", "Headwind", and "Turbulence".

[Neil Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always dive into a John J. Nance aviation thriller excited for the adventure ahead. Phoenix Rising doesn’t disappoint. An iconic airline name from the golden age of air travel is resurrected to brand a new airline. The people leading the venture intend to shake up the industry by delivering a flying experience that draws on the past in defiance of the bean-counting cattle call that rules the modern industry. This is a big, sprawling story with many disparate elements that plunge readers into the same sense of bewilderment the protagonists feel as events spiral out of control. Unexpected, potentially lethal punches land on our protagonists at every turn, lending a sense of urgency as the propulsive plot gathers steam in a race against the clock. The characters are compelling, Nance keeps us in suspense with clever writing, and the resolution is exciting and satisfying. Another day at the office for this masterful thriller writer; an exciting adventure for the rest of us!

[Lisa DesJardins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

This legal/aviation thriller is now my favorite book of my husband’s! It is a gripping story of sabotage of a newly reestablished airline and the heroic efforts of the pilots when threatened in the sky, as well as the newly appointed CFO’s adept handling of the financial plight that is threatening immediate ruination. With last minute twists and turns it’s impossible to put the book down. And it has the right mix of understandable flight and legal suspense. I highly recommend this book!

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very suspenseful. I really could appreciate the stress that pilots feel when things go wrong with the plane. I am impressed with pilots' ability to make split second decisions as well as the responsibility they feel for all the people in their care.
My only issue with this book was the romantic dilemma experienced by the main character. I did not think it was necessary and I felt that it detracted from the story line.

[Tom Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about the third John Nance novel I have read, and the others were... rather mediocre. Much of the action was out of the realm of believability, too verbose, repetitive, and overblown. Phoenix Rising, on the other hand, has an intricate, multithreaded plot with believable characters. I enjoyed the international intrigue, which must have involved either plenty of research or a genius imagination, or both. I may look for more books by Nance that have great reviews.

[Sally Trabulsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pan Am is under attack, financially and planes have been sabotaged. Traveling around the world to find a loan to avoid bankruptcy, smart female CFO goes after the perpetrators with help of a former victim of a like crime from Scotland. I liked this thriller about high stakes finances and subterfuge. Wrapped up nicely.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting

I'd previously only read Turbulence bt Mr. Nance but had unsuccessfully searched for additional books since. Phoenix Rising is another in these exciting airline books. It is isn't necessary to understand pilot talk, although Mr. Nance, a pilot himself, seeds the story eith tech talk. However, the story itself will pull you along and retain interest. Give it a try.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kept me up for hours, glued to every page. Nance just has a wonderful way of unfolding a complicated, exciting mystery and this one was perhaps one of his best. This isn't just about airplanes and the airline industry. It is about corporate greed and the intricacies of the story are just damn fascinating!

[Janis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was absolutely gripped by the first half of the book, but lost interest quickly as it started spending more time in the finance world. That’s a world I don’t understand and don’t have any interest in.

[Laz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mix of action, disaster scenarios, business and legal intrigue, the obligatory romance. Moves at a good clip, keeps interest up. You have to suspend disbelief sometimes but it's also very interesting.

[ChrisGA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still suspenseful airplane thriller

[Haroon Siddiqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good aviation novel. The corporate conspiracy adds a welcome layer of intrigue.

[MR CHRISTOPHER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super novel

John J Nance is imo second only to Colin Forbes so if you like Colin Forbes get into John J nance.

[Paul Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, nice plot.

I wish he wouldn’t write sex scenes, they are cringeworthy. He also mentions CNN multiple times in every novel. I guess that’s just the period that he was writing in.

[Carol Crabtree]

Thrilling

[Henry Northcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping Airline tale

This one is a real page turner .I intended just to read it in two sittings but ended up reading it in less than four hours . Didn't spot any typos either