By Jon Brooks
Aviation-centered thrillers have certainly grabbed the public’s imagination recently.
Whether we are talking about T.J. Newman’s thriller “Falling” (read my review) or the Netflix movie “Carry-On” (which ranks as one of the streamer’s most-watched movies), we’ve seen some terrific stories built around airplanes, airports, and the world of aviation.
Brad Thor and fellow novelist Ward Larsen have entered the fray with “Cold Zero.”
Both writers have had fruitful careers in the thriller genre — Thor with his venerable Scot Harvath series and Larsen with his David Slaton thrillers. (Larsen has also published a number of standalone novels.)
I have read and reviewed books by both authors on this blog and was thrilled to receive an advance reader copy of “Cold Zero” from the publisher.
The narrative in “Cold Zero” centers around Hemisphere Airlines Flight 777, an ultra first-class carrier geared toward high-end clients.
In the opening pages of the novel, the CIA manages to extract Dr. Chen Li (a computer scientist) from China and puts him on the Hemisphere flight— a flight that is bound for New York City.
Along for the ride is a technology he invented called Sky Fire — a suite of software that has the ability to give geopolitical superiority to those who control it.
Dr. Li is under the watch of a CIA officer named Kasey Sheridan.
When the airliner crashes in the Arctic Circle under mysterious circumstances, Li and Sheridan find themselves in a fight to survive and a fight to keep Sky Fire from falling into the wrong hands.
Forces from the United States, Russia, and China are soon in the game as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
“Cold Zero” is a survival story with touches of Tom Clancy’s “The Hunt for Red October” and Alistair MacLean’s “Ice Station Zebra.”
Despite the novel’s frigid setting, “Cold Zero” is a cool “beach read.” The chapters are short and snappy and the overall story chugs along at top speed.
Larsen’s experience as a pilot is on display in the novel. He flew more than 20 missions while serving in the U.S. Air Force during Operation Desert Storm. He has also been an airline pilot and is a trained aircraft accident investigator.
Aviation-related sequences have been solid in his previous novels and they are strong again in “Cold Zero.”
Thor recently announced on NBC’s “Today” that “Cold Zero” is set to be made into a movie by Netflix.
According to Deadline, “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto will adapt the screenplay and Peter Berg (who directed “Lone Survivor” and the underrated thriller “The Kingdom”) is set to produce under his Film 44 banner (which has a first-look deal with Netflix).
Overall, the Thor/Larsen “team up” for “Cold Zero” has resulted in an action-packed novel that serves as a terrific introduction to two of today’s best thriller writers.
Highly recommended.
Click here to order your copy of “Cold Zero”
To learn more about Brad Thor, visit bradthor.com.
To learn more about Ward Larsen, visit wardlarsen.com.
>> If you enjoyed my review of “Cold Zero,” please follow me on Twitter/X - @TheJonCrunch
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