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Jammer Davis #1

Fly By Wire

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The C-500 is the world’s most advance cargo aircraft, built by a consortium funded by
a group of oil-rich states. Yet a routine delivery goes horribly wrong, crashing in
central France, and the world calls in the best experts available to find out why.

Jammer Davis has a reputation for getting things done, and letting no one stand in his
way. His first finding is troublesome-he has been inserted into the investigation at
the behest of the CIA. Soon suicide attackers launch a series of strikes against oil
refineries around the world.

As financial markets fall into a tailspin, a relentless Davis keeps digging. What he finds is a conspiracy of unthinkable proportions. One he might not be able to stop.

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2010

1239 people are currently reading
1205 people want to read

About the author

Ward Larsen

32 books583 followers
Ward Larsen is the USA Today bestselling author of espionage thrillers. A seven-time winner of the Florida Book Award, his first novel, The Perfect Assassin, has been optioned for film by Amber Entertainment.
A former Air Force fighter pilot, he has also served as an airline captain, and is a trained aircraft accident investigator.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
Profile Image for H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov.
2,125 reviews820 followers
August 4, 2018
Well doctor, I am not sure why I chose to read this book on a long flight. Yes, I read the cover blurb: "The C-500 is the world’s most advance cargo aircraft, built by a consortium funded by a group of oil-rich states. Yet a routine delivery goes horribly wrong, crashing in central France, and the world calls in the best experts available to find out why...."

No, it didn't make me feel nervous about the flight I was on. I was just too into the plot about why this C-500 crashed and what it had to do with terrorism at oil refineries. The hot-shot crash investigator is Jammer Davis. Jammer doesn't want the assignment and he lets most of the world know that. But that doesn't mean when his arm is twisted to take the job, that he will give any thing but his best to the task.

Larsen shares a nice chunk of information about how modern planes fly and how/why our oil refineries may be vulnerable to terrorist attack. He moves the plot along at a quick pace and the outcome at the end is satisfactory.

This was a cut above what I thought it would be.

If you need more of the plot to decide whether to read it, I am happy to supply but it may spoil your enjoyment.
Profile Image for Abibliofob.
1,589 reviews104 followers
July 4, 2023
I have encountered Jammer Davis before when reading the David Slaton series also by Ward Larsen. I liked the way he was portrayed and I like Wards writings so why not read this series as well? Now that I have read the first book Fly by Wire I am glad I did. Great book and story. I love the characters and will throw myself at book two immediately. I really like it when characters from different series meet. I wish more authors would do that. I can and will recommend this series to all who will listen to me ranting and raving about books.
Profile Image for Todd.
2,225 reviews8 followers
January 31, 2025
I've been reading Larsen's David Slaton series and Jammer Davis made a cameo. I liked the character there and saw there was a series featuring him, so here we are

When one of the latest in advanced cargo jets literally plummets from the sky like a rock in France the NTSB is requested to send an investigator. Hence what starts out feeling like a John Nance air disaster novel quickly turns into a thriller featuring a terrorist plot.
Profile Image for Jim A.
1,267 reviews82 followers
November 3, 2019
As novels breaking down airplane crashes go, John J. Nance does a better job, IMHO. What gives this one a leg up in the action department is the terrorist/corporate greed angle.

Not too impressed with Larsen's depiction of Jammer. Never really connected with his character although he did present some moments of humor.
Profile Image for Eric.
369 reviews60 followers
December 23, 2017
Here is a book that has an interesting twist in the suspense/thriller genre. I'd almost characterize the story as "thriller-lite" compared to other authors. There is very little in the way of profanity and excessive gore or grit. I like the idea of the storyline and how it is written.

Jammer Davis is a single dad of a 15 year old daughter. His wife was killed 2 years earlier in an auto accident. Jammer was his pilot call sign flying fighter jets when he was in the Air Force. Jammer now works for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as an investigator of aircraft crashes. This job requires frequent travel which conflicts with his need to be home for his daughter. In any case, he gets assigned to a crash of a cargo jet in France. Among the people there is a CIA agent whose cover is an aircraft component rep. She is a petite beautiful blonde woman who ends up working with Jammer. And yes, as these stories seem to go, a chemistry develops between them.

There is an overeaching plot where oil refineries around the world are under attack by suicide car bombers. The President and his Security Council are trying to get to the bottom of these attacks.

The overall story is well written. I like the author's style. The characters are also well developed and absorbing. Anna Sorenson, the CIA agent (call sign Honeywell) seems a little off but still likable. The bad guys are also well written and kind of fun. The information conveyed in the story about aviation and related accidents, while interesting, causes the story to lag a bit from time to time. The characters are what brings the story to life.

I found Fly By Wire a good and entertaining read that doesn't get overly gruesome but yet has a good level of suspense to it. It has technical language but is purposely restrained as to not inundate the reader. I might go so far to call this story a "cozy" suspense read. I recommend this book to people who like more of a PG-13 version of this type of story.
Profile Image for Sarah Elizabeth.
599 reviews6 followers
May 21, 2020
Really liked this one! I haven't read any aircraft thrillers before, and this one was excellent. Larsen constructed a compelling story (with the handful of stretches that are typical to the genre), and Davis is a great protagonist. I like his dedication to his daughter--it makes him a more relatable character. He wove the accident investigation together very well and I like what he suggest about fly-by-wire technology. I read another book where that was a key component of an aircraft crash investigation (Final Approach by John J Nance), but this one being written in 2016 is much more timely. Initial apprehensions about the tech have faded, but new ones have risen in their place, and Larsen makes a compelling story out of that. The francophile in me also like that this was mainly set in France. The only thing I didn't like was how much the story jumped around in the beginning. I know Larsen was trying to build tension, but it was a little choppy for me.

Ultimately, a great read for anyone who likes thrillers, flying, or both!
Profile Image for Jeffrey.
193 reviews7 followers
April 7, 2015
Have you ever read a book where the hero was a really bad-ass comptroller who was recruited into a secret organization and ended up saving the world through his superior knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles? I know you haven't, but just pretend anyway. Well, this book is about a really bad-ass former pilot who is reluctantly pulled into high-profile international intrigue due to his ability to forensically reconstruct airplane crashes. I want you to stop, take a few deep breaths, and take a wild guess at what the author used to do for work. This really isn't meant to trash this book - I enjoyed reading it, and it is 100% good "beach reading" material. It's just a little ham-fisted in terms of its construction. But it never professed itself to be something different... and it was attractively priced on Amazon, and worth every dollar as a fun read.
Profile Image for Alan Livingston.
Author 3 books19 followers
October 16, 2015
This is a really good, fun aviation story, with the entertaining main character Jammer Davis. I liked this even more than Larsen's other Jammer novel, Fly By Night. My timing was a little wierd, reading an air-accident investigation story during the disappearance of Malaysian Air 777. This is a good who-dun-it set in France, and this one gets solved. I'm very glad to have found Mr. Larsen, and I'll be adding another of is books to my "To Read" list, and looking for another with of this NTSB-guy series. I truly enjoyed this book!
Profile Image for Kevin.
Author 22 books242 followers
May 7, 2017
Fly By Wire is a fast-paced action adventure with an interesting protagonist with a complex back story. The story keeps you guessing and keeps you interested. There are a few small holes in the plot, and at times the author gives away a little too much, but he always has a twist coming. The writing is top notch, and the back story between the protagonist, Jammer Davis, and his teenage daughter, as well as a romance plotline between Jammer and a pretty CIA agent provides nice interludes between the action and the main plot. It's a quick read and very enjoyable.
Profile Image for Chase.
204 reviews
March 25, 2023
This book was really entertaining as a light read and I really like the premise because I love air crash investigations. I’m giving it 3.5 rounded up because I enjoyed and it was a speedy read.

I will say that Jammer was characterized really well, Sorensen not as much, and the romance reminded me of Dan Brown romance, i.e. the romance is built by the narrator telling us that the man finds an aspect of the woman attractive. But the thriller formula is what it is :)
Profile Image for Sue Kozdras.
25 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2020
Awesome! As a former fighter pilot, it blows my mind that the author can weave a story of military life, international relations, civilian family, and world terrorism in one novel. A good read.
988 reviews5 followers
April 28, 2022
Strong language warning on this one. If you like a thriller with a tough ex-military leading character you will like this book. It was intense and interesting. Make sure when you get to the end you are where you can finish as it is action packed. The epilogue was awesome! I liked but didn’t love Jammer’s character and I liked him more at the end than I did at the beginning. I may try one more in this series but the language is off-putting.
Profile Image for Michael L Wilkerson (Papa Gray Wolf).
562 reviews13 followers
June 7, 2019
I have enjoyed Larsen's David Slayton series, an ex assassin for the Israeli secret service/commando organization, Mossad. I then read Stealing Trinity and was disappointed. It didn't show any of the well written prose of the Slayton series. So I was wondering if I would like the Jammer Davis series.

Oh I do. I really do. I will say that the very ending wasn't done all that well; overly dramatic and hard to believe but that was minor compared to the overall quality of this book, the plot, the matter of fact prose.

Jammer's relationship with his daughter seems realistic (this from a father who went through teenage years with his daughter) as does his relationship with Honeywell. No, not the company, not a thermostat. . . you can find out what that is by READING THE BOOK.

Larsen is a former fighter pilot. Davis is a former fighter pilot. Check.

Larsen is an airplane accident investigator. Davis is an airplane accident investigator. Check.

Larsen seems to, and should know enough intimate details of an airplane crash investigation. Is there drama added? Sure, but hardly enough to hamper a suspension or reality. In fact there are enough details about this investigation in the book to make it seem quite real.

The book moves along briskly and it jumps from location to location, but Larsen does that well. It isn't confusing at all, in fact it helps the story to move along reasonably.

There is a bit of action, a bit of intellectual discourse, family and even a bit of interpersonal relationship.

A note about sex in a book; some authors can do sex well (I'm talking about writing, I have no idea how they perform in the bedroom and good god! That's none of my business) with either graphic detail (Anne Rice is a master at that) and some make it look ridiculous. There are others whose insertion of sex is realistic, it isn't lurid and not graphic at all. I am not a prude. Good sex (hey, we're talking literature here, get your mind out of the gutter and my bedroom!) can add to a story and doesn't offend me at all. Lurid sex done for the sake of sex or sex done poorly can really detract from a story. Larsen does the non lurid, little detail sex in this book and I appreciate that.

So, would I recommend this book? Oh hell yes!

An enjoyable read, an enjoyable character.
Profile Image for Alan Marston.
184 reviews6 followers
February 6, 2017

Amazon Description.

With its revolutionary fly-by-wire technology, the C-500 had become the freight airframe of choice. Until a routine delivery goes horribly wrong. Falling like a stone from six miles up, a brand new C-500 crashes in central France, killing two pilots aboard. When French officials take over this highly public investigation, they call in the best there is: they call Frank Jammer Davis. A retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Davis is part of the NTSB's go-team. With a reputation for getting things done-and for steamrolling anyone who gets in his way-Davis starts to dig. But just as Davis starts his investigation, news of the crash is overshadowed by a more spectacular disaster: suicide bombers attack oil refineries worldwide, sending governments and financial markets into a tailspin. A relentless Davis keeps investigating, but uncovering the cause of the crash, and its terrifying connection to this worldwide disaster, reveals a conspiracy of unthinkable proportions-a conspiracy he might not be able to stop. Jammer Davis won't stop until he gets answers-or until somebody stops him from getting answers.

Review.

I like books that grab you from the first page, and then hold on to your interest so much that it seems to be no time at all before you have finished the book. This is one of those books for me.
The plot is logical, steers clear of developing into scenarios that are not believable and contains some surprises along the way. I was interested in Larsen’s knowledge of aircraft mechanics and development, which is not surprising knowing his background as a military pilot, and he always managed to keep such content interesting.
The idea of such a conspiracy as the one behind this story is quite terrifying, but Larsen never allows it to go too far as to make it incredible. I look forward to the next in the series.
Profile Image for Charles Robinson.
186 reviews1 follower
February 14, 2019
I don't do many written reviews not saying the books I've read were bad but this book deserves a hands down 5 stars. Read it less than 36 hours because I just couldn't put the thing down. Fast paced and the characters were well developed I believed. I noticed some reviewers didn't like the ending. I really didn't see a problem with it. Another author I will add to my reading list. Already have FLY BY NIGHT ready to be opened.
Profile Image for Brenda Dennison.
74 reviews
August 10, 2017
Excellent Read!

Very interesting, suspenseful and a reality. Having said that, I am Muslim, so I hate to see this wonderful religion marred by the very few that would ever do this. In the end, it was never about religion, just greed by mostly non-Muslims. Please keep writing, Mr. Larsen. I will definitely be a fan.

Profile Image for Deborah Whipp.
755 reviews9 followers
December 15, 2017
Didn't love it. I found "Jammer" to be just a touch obnoxious and immature, with a hint of bully in there. I love thrillers and espionage books, but this isn't a protagonist I'd bother with again.
Profile Image for Alinana Alth.
1 review
April 24, 2023
L'utilisation des brouilleurs : Attitudes et perceptions de différents groupes de personnes

En tant qu'appareil électronique, un brouilleurs https://www.jammer-home.com/peut interférer efficacement avec les signaux radio et empêcher l'utilisation normale des téléphones mobiles, des réseaux sans fil et d'autres équipements. Cependant, différents groupes de personnes ont des attitudes et des points de vue différents sur l'utilisation des brouilleurs. Cet article explorera la perception des brouilleurs par différents groupes de personnes et analysera les raisons qui les sous-tendent.

1. Gouvernement et application de la loi

Le gouvernement et les forces de l'ordre sont parmi les principaux utilisateurs de brouilleurs. Le but de leur utilisation de brouilleurs est de lutter contre les crimes, tels que l'utilisation de brouilleurs dans les prisons, les tribunaux, les aéroports et d'autres lieux publics pour empêcher les criminels de communiquer et les empêcher de mener des activités illégales et criminelles via des téléphones portables et d'autres appareils.

L'attitude du gouvernement et des forces de l'ordre est positive et ils pensent que les brouilleur de portable https://www.jammer-home.com/brouilleu... sont un moyen efficace d'assurer la sécurité publique et la stabilité sociale. En outre, lorsque le gouvernement et les forces de l'ordre utilisent des brouilleurs, ils opèrent conformément aux réglementations et procédures légales pour garantir la légalité et la légitimité de l'opération.

2. Entreprises et commerçants

Les entreprises et les entreprises sont un autre groupe de personnes qui utilisent des brouilleurs. La raison pour laquelle ils utilisent des brouilleurs est de protéger les secrets commerciaux et d'empêcher les fuites d'informations. Par exemple, utilisez des brouilleurs dans les salles de réunion, les événements professionnels, etc. pour empêcher les concurrents de voler des secrets commerciaux via des réseaux sans fil.

Les attitudes des entreprises et des commerçants sont également relativement positives. Ils estiment que les brouilleurs peuvent protéger les secrets commerciaux et empêcher les fuites d'informations, ce qui contribuera à protéger les intérêts des entreprises. Cependant, ils doivent également prêter attention à la portée et à la méthode d'utilisation, afin d'éviter les interférences et l'influence sur la communication normale des autres.

3. Utilisateurs individuels

Les utilisateurs individuels sont un groupe de personnes qui utilisent à la fois des brouilleurs et sont dérangés. La raison pour laquelle les utilisateurs individuels utilisent des brouilleurs est principalement pour éviter d'être dérangé et pour protéger la vie privée. Par exemple, utilisez des brouilleurs dans les lieux publics pour empêcher les sonneries et les appels autour de vous d'interférer avec votre travail et votre repos.

Cependant, le comportement d'utilisation des utilisateurs individuels interfère et affecte souvent les autres, provoquant des disputes et des conflits inutiles. Par conséquent, les utilisateurs individuels doivent éviter d'utiliser des brouilleur traceur gps https://www.jammer-home.com/brouilleu... en public et respecter les droits et intérêts d'autrui.

4. Système juridique

L'utilisation de brouilleurs implique des problèmes juridiques. À l'heure actuelle, le "Radio Management Regulations" de mon pays stipule qu'aucune unité ou personne ne peut fabriquer, vendre ou utiliser des brouilleurs sans autorisation. Ceux qui enfreignent les règlements seront passibles de sanctions administratives et de poursuites pénales.

L'existence du système judiciaire garantit les droits et intérêts légitimes des citoyens et la stabilité sociale. Par conséquent, lorsque quelqu'un utilise un brouilleur, il doit respecter la loi et utiliser le brouilleur de manière légale et appropriée.

En bref, l'utilisation de Brouilleurs signal GSM https://www.jammer-home.com/brouilleu... est une épée à double tranchant, qui doit être pesée et sélectionnée en fonction de la situation spécifique. Le gouvernement et les organismes chargés de l'application de la loi, les entreprises et les entreprises, ainsi que les utilisateurs individuels doivent respecter la loi et utiliser les brouilleurs de manière légale et légitime afin de protéger les droits et intérêts légitimes des citoyens et la stabilité sociale.

https://www.jammer-home.com/tenue-la-...

https://www.jammer-home.com/blog-dema...
665 reviews10 followers
January 8, 2018
3 1/2 *. Some weeks ago, I read and reviewed Ward Larsen's 3 Assassin novels featuring David Slayton. Fly By Wire is one of Larsen's earlier books and introduces Jammer Davis, a former fighter pilot and now an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board. He is called on to investigate the crash in France of a brand new plane and becomes involved with a CIA agent, Anna Sorenson. Together, they look into the possibility that the terrorist Caliph is involved in the crash, as well as a number of suicide bombings of oil refineries around the world.
Fly By Wire has a great deal of aircraft technology throughout. Rather than being dull and boring, however, Larsen makes it exciting and informative. He also makes Jammer Davis not only a free-wheeling, gung-ho, "do it my way" kind of guy, but also a regular guy raising a teen-age daughter (his wife had been killed in an automobile accident) by himself.
This combination of terrorism and international conspiracies along with a likeable hero makes for good reading.
Profile Image for Balthazar Lawson.
773 reviews9 followers
August 25, 2024
Jammer Davis is an ex-air force pilot currently working for the NTSB. He is assigned to assist with the investigation into the crash of a relatively new plane in France. Things don't go well from the beginning and he has little faith in the whole investigation, wondering why things are as they are.

Not only is this book about an air crash but also terrorism and the hunt for one in particular. There are a series of attacks on the oil infrastructural around world and fears of more to come.

Naturally, in a book like this, there is a link and this is the big let down in this story. There are many holes in this scenario and it really doesn't make sense. But apart from that, I enjoyed this read. I like the characters, even though a bit cliche in places, like being a single dad with a teenage daughter but never having the time to be there.

The whole premise was good but not executed so well.
121 reviews2 followers
September 25, 2017
Out of tragedy, victory!

Jammer Davis, it turns out, is NOT someone you want to mess with! An NTSB Investigator partners-up with an undercover CIA operative to find the reason why a new type of aircraft has crashed, and in doing so, find themselves as targets from unknown sources.
Author Ward Larsen has delivered-up a first-rate aircraft crash thriller, introducing to the reader a very tough and very tenacious protagonist, in the form of one Jammer Davis... and, in doing so, has created a 'hero' that so needs to be written about, again!
Great characters, very interesting, but scary, plot and dialog realistic to the genre depicted in the book (complete with some very funny one-liners) make this a winner, and one whose sequel I've already purchased, thanks to the great writing by Larsen.
Profile Image for Jefrois.
481 reviews4 followers
January 31, 2022
.
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Lots and lots of refined sipping going on in this travesty, as the American wipes his mouth on his hand (gadzooks, apparently, how UNrefined !!!)

“He sipped his beer, wiped a trace of foam from his lips with the back of a wrist…This made him take another sip…..”

And then there’s this which no real operator would EVER do:

“She pointed her weapon toward the sky and backed closer to Davis.”

Why should I believe anything else this author says about stuff outside of flying and whatever else he might know “for sure?”

WHY??

AUTHOR: “Any other technical errors or faulty assumptions are my own.”

.
.
Profile Image for Farhan.
310 reviews4 followers
September 30, 2017
Larsen has matured as an author: the writing was sharper, more natural; some of the dark humor had me chuckling; and the central idea was very cool. Having said that, I think the book suffered from the fact that it had two, parallel narratives going. I thought it not only diluted the pacing, but also stole most of the suspense. The story had a lot more potential than the author delivered, but Larsen is now pretty good at the tradecraft and I'm sure his next novels are going to be better than his previous ones.
48 reviews
January 28, 2018
Great adventure story

I read book 2 in this series first. Both books have a tight plot with plenty of fast, page-turning action. I think the secondary characters were a little better drawn in the second book than the first. At the pace was a bit faster in this book and I appreciated the author's ability to explain technical background information without sounding like he was talking down to the reader and actually making it very interesting. If you like a good mystery, well structured suspense, and a lot of action, you will really enjoy this book.
1 review
February 26, 2019
I managed to read this over two days. I had read Passenger 19 earlier and liked the character enough to get the first two books in the series.
I found the character easy to look and the pacing of the narrative exciting. The hero, "Jammer" Davis is an ex-Marine, ex Air Force pilot who is now with NTSB and is investigating a plane crash in France. As a result of his work, he uncovers a bizarre plot that threatens the oil supply of the world.
The narrative switches between various characters and kept me interested through to the end.
556 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2020
What a story!!

A definite 5 stars for this novel. A fabulous read that you just cannot put down. Worrying thing is that this is quite believable with today's technology.
Jammer is hauled in against his wishes to investigate a crashed cargo plane in France. The reasons behind the accident hide a web of intrigue and greed. Just have to keep reading to find out what happens and this is what makes a good book.
Now for the next in the series and I hope it is as good as this one Mr Larsen.
Profile Image for Theresa.
54 reviews2 followers
January 20, 2025
I loved this book.
The author is new to me, but I will definitely download the rest of the titles in this series. I loved the characters, the story moved at a good pace & was engaging from start to finish.

There were a couple of places when I thought there was going to be some romance between two characters, but thankfully the author decided to not go into any details, as I don't think romance was going to add anything to the overall story.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the characters & their environments, plus the author's imagination of how a Flying Wing aircraft would look & operate.
Profile Image for Stephen Dahlin.
11 reviews
June 2, 2017
Fly By Thiller

The main character of this book, Jammer Davis is highly relatable & well defined by the author. This book has a little bit of everything exciting complex characters, diversified story lines that all come together in the end. It would make for an excellent movie in the realm of any Tom Clancy book/movie. I highly recommend this book & cannot wait to read Jammer Davis next encounter. This is book one of so far a 3 part series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews

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