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Rat Trap
Finally touching down at Heathrow after a near-fatal mid-air malfunction, a damaged British Airways 707 becomes the target of armed terrorists. By the author of Firefox, The Last Raven, and The Hooded Crow. Reprint.
318 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
2 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Craig Thomas
87 books92 followersDavid Craig Owen Thomas was a Welsh author of thrillers, most notably the Mitchell Gant series.
The son of the Western Mail rugby union writer, JBG Thomas, Craig was educated at Cardiff High School. He graduated from University College, Cardiff in 1967, obtaining his M.A. after completing a thesis on Thomas Hardy. Thomas became an English Teacher, working in various grammar schools in the West Midlands, and was Head of English at the Shire Oak School, Walsall Wood.
After unsuccessfully trying script writing for radio, Thomas wrote part-time, with his wife as editor, in two fields: philosophical thoughts in books of essays; and techno-thriller genre, which although invention is often attributed to the better-known Tom Clancy, many feel that Thomas was its true originator. Most of Thomas's novels are set within MI.6 and feature the characters of Sir Kenneth Aubrey and Patrick Hyde.
His best-known novel which brought him to global prominence, Firefox became a successful Hollywood film, both directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. After writing his third novel, 1960s Cold War espionage thriller Wolfsbane, he left teaching altogether in 1977. His later books include Snow Falcon and A Different War. Shortly before his death he finished a two-volume commentary on German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Thomas and his wife Jill had lived near Lichfield, Staffordshire, but moved to Somerset in 2010. He died on April 4, 2011 from pneumonia, following a short battle with acute myeloid leukemia. He was 68.
The son of the Western Mail rugby union writer, JBG Thomas, Craig was educated at Cardiff High School. He graduated from University College, Cardiff in 1967, obtaining his M.A. after completing a thesis on Thomas Hardy. Thomas became an English Teacher, working in various grammar schools in the West Midlands, and was Head of English at the Shire Oak School, Walsall Wood.
After unsuccessfully trying script writing for radio, Thomas wrote part-time, with his wife as editor, in two fields: philosophical thoughts in books of essays; and techno-thriller genre, which although invention is often attributed to the better-known Tom Clancy, many feel that Thomas was its true originator. Most of Thomas's novels are set within MI.6 and feature the characters of Sir Kenneth Aubrey and Patrick Hyde.
His best-known novel which brought him to global prominence, Firefox became a successful Hollywood film, both directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. After writing his third novel, 1960s Cold War espionage thriller Wolfsbane, he left teaching altogether in 1977. His later books include Snow Falcon and A Different War. Shortly before his death he finished a two-volume commentary on German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Thomas and his wife Jill had lived near Lichfield, Staffordshire, but moved to Somerset in 2010. He died on April 4, 2011 from pneumonia, following a short battle with acute myeloid leukemia. He was 68.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 28, 2021
Craig Thomas’s 1976 novel Rat Trap is a serviceable thriller which does manage to notch up the suspense quotient in its 318 pages.
British Airways Boeing 707 flight 5106 from Kennedy to Heathrow experienced minor engine failure on its approach to London. Cool heads and competent hands ensured a safe landing – until the aircraft came to a halt and the crew and passengers discovered they were party to a hijack.
The hijackers want the Arab terrorist Shafiq Nasoud in exchange for the passengers.
These events set into motion ‘Rat Trap’ – code for alerting the airport police, the Met., Special Branch, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. It appears that Thomas did his homework – though this time removed I suspect the response situation is different these days. Certainly, much of the conning tower jargon would sound familiar to anyone who has seen Die Hard 2.
DI Bracken, Special Branch arrives on the scene; to compound matters his wife Alison is on that plane. The Home Office civil servant acting as the Executive Officer in this response is Hilary Latymer; he is known as ‘the ratcatcher’. So begins a conflict of wills, involving tense bargaining.
As insurance policy, the terrorist Nasoud is sent for as a last resort exchange. Unfortunately, on his way there their transport suffers mechanical failure and Nasoud escapes…
A large portion of the book is then taken up in relating Nasoud’s efforts to evade re-capture.
The manhunt is well told; though I admit that I wanted to have to hand an OS map in these scenes. The American hijackers don’t sound too believable, but they do manage to move the story to its shattering climax.
British Airways Boeing 707 flight 5106 from Kennedy to Heathrow experienced minor engine failure on its approach to London. Cool heads and competent hands ensured a safe landing – until the aircraft came to a halt and the crew and passengers discovered they were party to a hijack.
The hijackers want the Arab terrorist Shafiq Nasoud in exchange for the passengers.
These events set into motion ‘Rat Trap’ – code for alerting the airport police, the Met., Special Branch, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. It appears that Thomas did his homework – though this time removed I suspect the response situation is different these days. Certainly, much of the conning tower jargon would sound familiar to anyone who has seen Die Hard 2.
DI Bracken, Special Branch arrives on the scene; to compound matters his wife Alison is on that plane. The Home Office civil servant acting as the Executive Officer in this response is Hilary Latymer; he is known as ‘the ratcatcher’. So begins a conflict of wills, involving tense bargaining.
As insurance policy, the terrorist Nasoud is sent for as a last resort exchange. Unfortunately, on his way there their transport suffers mechanical failure and Nasoud escapes…
A large portion of the book is then taken up in relating Nasoud’s efforts to evade re-capture.
The manhunt is well told; though I admit that I wanted to have to hand an OS map in these scenes. The American hijackers don’t sound too believable, but they do manage to move the story to its shattering climax.
March 13, 2018
The author's debut, a competent thriller but nothing more. A British Airways passenger plane is hijacked on landing at Heathrow. The baddies (none of your nuanced grey lines here) are an odd mix of American anarchists and Arab terrorists, all straight from Central Casting. They want a Palestinian released from prison (never really explained why) but he escapes on route to the exchange and a fairly exciting manhunt ensues.
Spy chief Latymer makes a return appearance after "Wolfsbane" and it's all good straightforward stuff. There's not an ounce of fat on the satisfying - if rather abrupt - finale. Back in the 70s terrorist ambitions seem to stretch to killing passengers rather than crashing into buildings - ah, the good old days! The prose doesn't exactly fly but this is a first book and there's better to come: "Firefox" next up, yayy!
Spy chief Latymer makes a return appearance after "Wolfsbane" and it's all good straightforward stuff. There's not an ounce of fat on the satisfying - if rather abrupt - finale. Back in the 70s terrorist ambitions seem to stretch to killing passengers rather than crashing into buildings - ah, the good old days! The prose doesn't exactly fly but this is a first book and there's better to come: "Firefox" next up, yayy!
June 27, 2019
The first book I read of this author and it was clearly planned with great detail, lots of geographical detail etc provided. I did however feel that the story was a bit farfetched in places which I found irritating - 1 fugitive vs 1000 British Army searchers is surely not going to slip through their fingers so many times and given the state he was in too.
Enjoyable enough but just too far I think.
Enjoyable enough but just too far I think.
April 15, 2016
On the whole it's a good book if a little dated, Farley fast paced action and the style of writing is easy to follow despite it being to separate storey lines. Essentially it's split between a terrorist on the run and a hijacked plane but both stories are essential to the understanding of the book. The ending was very unexpected which I liked as I thought it was going to be your run of the mill ending however I was pleasantly surprised!
I'll definitely keep an eye out for more books by this author.
I'll definitely keep an eye out for more books by this author.
January 1, 2016
This book was fast paced.
Really there were 2 stories running along side each other. I found the one about the fugitive more interesting.
The ending didn't disappoint and was unexpected.
I have not read anything by this author before. If this book is not already a film it should be!
Really there were 2 stories running along side each other. I found the one about the fugitive more interesting.
The ending didn't disappoint and was unexpected.
I have not read anything by this author before. If this book is not already a film it should be!
May 21, 2017
Tom Clancy perfected the "techno-thriller" but Craig Thomas created the genre. This is his debut novel.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews