Hostage by Clare Mackintosh #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping new novel by Clare Mackintosh, Hostage.

BLURB

The atmosphere on board the first non-stop flight from London to Sydney is electric. Celebrities are rumoured to be among the passengers in business class, and the world is watching the landmark journey.

Flight attendant Mina is trying to focus on the passengers, instead of her troubled five-year-old daughter back at home – or the cataclysmic problems in her marriage.

But soon after the plane takes off, Mina receives a chilling anonymous note. Someone wants to make sure the plane never reaches its destination. They’re demanding her cooperation . . . and they know exactly how to get it.

It’s twenty hours to landing.
A lot can happen in twenty hours . . .

MY THOUGHTS

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh is such a tense, nail biting read, and it opens with an explosive first page which paints a terrifying picture in your mind. I’m a huge fan of Clare Mackintosh’s books and I think this is her best book to date. It made me think that this is something that could happen which made it even more terrifying. It has made me think twice about getting on a plane, especially a long-haul flight any time soon.

We’re introduced to Mina, a flight attendant who is about to travel on the first ever non-stop trip from London to Sydney. Mina did originally want to become a pilot, but her plans changed. The flight is getting a lot of attention from the press; influencers and celebrities are among the passengers traveling in business class. The thought of being on a flight for twenty hours fills me with dread. The longest flight I’ve ever taken is when I flew to Japan a couple of years ago which was fourteen hours. As the flight gets underway it becomes clear to Mina that the flight has been taken hostage. Mina is faced with an impossible decision that will affect the lives of everyone on board.

I really had no idea how things were going to pan out for Mina. I could feel her fear as she comes to terms with the decision she has to make. It made me wonder what she was going to do, and it made me think about what I would do if I was in her position.

What I really liked about this book is that parts of the book are told from different passengers who are onboard the flight. They all have their own individual, unique backstories which I thought Clare Mackintosh crafted so well. It made me question everything about them and I felt as though I couldn’t trust anyone who was onboard.

Clare Mackintosh also tells the book from the point of view Mina’s husband who is at home with her daughter. I thought these scenes were done very well and they added to the tension in the book. I really liked Mina’s daughter. She is very bright, and I thought that Clare Mackintosh brought her personality to life really well. Mina’s husband is a very mysterious character and I wanted to find out more about him, especially as things for Mina begin to escalate.

Clare Mackintosh is a writer who knows how to deliver on tension. The plan creates the perfect, locked room setting and it also gives the book a very claustrophobic feeling. I loved this book and I devoured it in just a couple of sittings. I thought the ending was done very well and it wrapped the book up in a very satisfactory way on a chilling final note. Psychological thriller fans, you have to read this book! I highly recommend it!

Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: 22nd June 2021

Print length: 400 pages

Hostage is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones