Code Black

Professional aviator Philip Donlay presents Code Black, an aviation thriller that opens with a brutal blizzard and a horrific mid-air collision. The Wayfarer Flight 880 struggles on with half its roof ripped off, still carrying wounded passengers among its dead and dying. Pilot Donovan Nash must resist decompression and oxygen deprivation to reach the cockpit, and land a plane he's never flown with no power and no instruments. On the ground, his fiancee Dr. Lauren McKenna and her unlikely ally Henry Parrish must work together to help save the survivors aboard Wayfarer Flight 880; they struggle against the machinations of a ruthless airline seeking to manipulate the impending disaster for their own benefit, in the hope of executing a daring midair rescue. An exciting novel of grace under pressure and the desperate measures demanded by desperate times.

This aviation thriller literally starts with a bang, when an explosion in the electrical system of the Indianapolis airport shuts down their air traffic control. This accident leads to a military plane slicing the top off a passenger plane, Wayfarer Flight 880 in flight, headed for Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Donovan Nash, who is a pilot for his own small company Eco-watch, is a passenger in the back of the plane. When the accident happens, Nash is chatting with a woman who thinks she recognizes him. He grabs onto the woman to keep her from being sucked out of the plane. Nash then makes his way to the cockpit, only to find one pilot out cold and the other dead. He takes over the crippled controls-but there are NO electronics, and the plane is freezing. The oxygen supply will run out soon, and he desperately tries to get the altitude down quickly to save the passengers in back who are on the plane's limited oxygen supply. O'Hare has been shut down due to a horrific blizzard. Nash had been talking to his fiancé, Dr. Lauren McKenna, a weather expert who works for the government, when the crash happens. The few conscious passengers and Nash are only able to converse with Wayfarer and the Chicago tower via cell phone. One of Wayfarer's head pilots is Henry Parrish, who is trying to come up with some miracle to restore the electronics. Unfortunately there is a power struggle going on in Wayfarer's top management, and those people try to sabotage the rescue efforts. Eventually McKenna and Parrish come up with a daring and unconventional way to rescue Wayfarer 880 using another plane. This thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat (hopefully not an airplane seat!) until the exciting conclusion. Donlay is a professional pilot who has been flying since he was 17. His first novel, also featuring Donovan Nash, is Category Five. Armchair Interviews says: Whew, such an exciting read.

I just finished Code Black, Phlip Donlay's second novel and was completely blown away. His first book, Category Five was thrilling in every sense of the word, but in Code black, he truly outdid himself. The drama, pacing and dialogue jump off the page and drag the reader straight into the cockpit of a crippled airliner. Not since early Clancy or Cussler has an author held my interest in such an intense manner. I'd recommend Donlay's work to anyone who likes a riveting book and doesn't mind staying up way past their bedtime.

Philip Donlay's sophomore effort improves on Category Five by upping the intensity to almost unbearable levels. I sat down to read Code Black and was immediately drawn in for the first hundred some pages without breaking my eyes from the pages. At that point, I was exhausted but didn't know when the action would break so I peeked ahead ten, twenty, thirty pages. Basically, the book never slows down so I just had to put it down and go to bed. If you like the feeling of being right there in the mix of a disaster and you live for the thrills that only the best-written action sequences can deliver, Code Black is your book. (Side note: You will not have to have read the first book, Category Five, to understand and enjoy this book. That said, Category Five is also a very enjoyable read.)

Although I enjoyed Category Five, this latest book is even better, as Philip refines his craft. If you enjoy airplanes, disaster books, or just want to be absolutely thrilled with a page-turning book, this is a one you should not miss. Great characters, twists, action, heroism, tragedy. The sub plots all weave together seemlessly and will keep you on edge until the very last page. I have been a reader for almost 60 years and this is one of the very best thrillers I have read.