Blackout: A Novel

Minutes after a Boeing 747 rises majestically into a Hong Kong sunset, a flash splits the darkening sky. The pilot - suddenly blinded and doubled over in pain - fumbles in the dark in a frantic effort to gain control as the huge jet shudders through its descent. Kat Bronsky, FBI agent and terrorism specialist, is assigned the hunt for a Challenger-class business jet seen nearby just before the incident. The case poses countless questions: Was the flash a pilot error, a missile attack, or a malfunction? Or was it some new kind of weapon? And why are several government agencies interested in what Kat uncovers?

Editorial Reviews

Fly the Deadly SkiesAn involving novel of terrorism and highly placed corruption, Blackout is the latest from John J. Nance, the bestselling author of such well-received heart-stoppers as Pandora's Clock and Medusa's Child. With Blackout the proclaimed master of the airplane-disaster thriller once again melds all of his aeronautic expertise into a perilous, action-packed foray that adds enough new ingredients to his signature formula to keep the story fresh and exciting -- and the reader hooked until the novel's shattering denouement. When an American MD-11 mysteriously crashes in Cuban waters killing all on board, the "cold war" with Castro suddenly begins to heat up. Did Cuba fire on the plane for entering its air space? To confound matters further, the black box flight recorders seem to have been tampered with; the last several minutes have been erased. Kat Bronsky, an FBI agent who is also a specialist in terrorism, is on assignment in Hong Kong while delivering a seminar on the latest in antiterrorist protocol. While there she's sought out by Robert MacCabe, a journalist claiming to know inside information regarding the cause of the MD-11 crash. While Kat has nothing to do with that particular investigation, she's willing to hear MacCabe out. Suddenly MacCabe, who has barely begun to tell Kat what he knows, is attacked by two assassins and barely escapes. Promising to tell the rest of his story to Kat back in Los Angeles, MacCabe boards a Boeing 747-400. When a bizarre explosion shortly after takeoff kills the captain and leaves the copilot blinded, the crew and passengers of the 747 must work together in order to overcome their dire situation and get the plane safely back on the ground. While MacCabe struggles 30,000 feet in the air to aid in whatever way he can, Kat is given the task of investigating the phantom Global Express aircraft seen in the skies just before the explosion. As each battles to stay alive in the midst of a growing conspiracy, Kat and McCabe sail closer to the answers that they seek. But will the answers come in time to save MacCabe and 300 innocent others from a horrible fate? Compelling, nonstop action makes Blackout a genuine page-turning, breathtaking shocker. While the lives of various passengers are touched upon, characterization takes a back seat to the forward momentum of the gripping story line. Still, we do grow to become involved with those put into horrendous jeopardy, so that each travail and horror endured on board affects us as well. Nance's natural fluidity of voice is what holds this tightly woven tale together. The surrounding elements of a conspiracy capable of taking out aircraft in the middle of flight are engaging and terrifying, with Nance never letting up on the throttle of his narrative speed. If you're looking for a single-sitting read, Blackout is guaranteed to keep you grounded in your seat for the duration. —Tom Piccirilli

About The Author:

About The Author:

John J. Nance, aviation analyst for ABC News and a familiar face on Good Morning America, is the author of several bestselling novels including Fire Flight, Skyhook, Turbulence, and Orbit. Two of his novels, Pandora’s Clock and Medusa’s Child, have been made into highly successful television miniseries. A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Nance is a decorated pilot veteran of Vietnam and Operations Desert Storm/Desert Shield. He lives in Washington State.