The Last High Ground

White's complex mystery combines airplane sabatoge with a Japanese takeover bid for Boeing. The story moves from the deathbed of a notorious Japanese crime boss to a passenger plane spinning out of control at 40,000 feet, and a hunted man who claims to know why the planes are crashing.Aviation lawyer Roger Case and accident investigator Brian MacHenry try to determine if the crashes are bombs, as the FBI claims, or equipment failure, which could torpedo the Boeing deal. Meanwhile, Japanese economic police investigator Shig Onishi finds his own examination of connections between a respectable and wealthy foundation for atomic-bomb survivors, and the Nippon Aerospace Consortium growing ever more strange and complicated and leading, eventually, to the halls of Boeing and a clash with MacHenry.White keeps the pages turning with a plot that's perhaps too complex, at least on the economic side, and characters that, while not deeply fleshed, are appealing. Shig, particularly, with his unJapanese independent streak and his handy knowledge of marshal arts, could be the beginnings of a series character.White includes plenty of Tokyo color, from scented telephone booths to the odd details of office protocol and the decorative uses of "office flowers." And the finale offers not one but two hair-raising bang-up, smash-up aerial battles.

While looking for a substitute for Clive Cussler as I wait for his next Dirk Pitt adventure, I chanced upon this - my first read of a Robin White book. It held my interest right from the first pages and did not disappoint until the conclusion which could have been stronger. The jingoistic concerns, which could also apply to Cussler's Red Dragon, are unfounded - the antagonists are the MAFIA, who could be based in Russia, Italy or New York, instead of Japan. Personally, I found the Japanese angle enhanced the story; it did not detract from it. I look forward to further reads from this author ( until the next Clive Cussler novel)