From AudioFile
An unusual twist is added to the "airplane in peril" plot. A high-altitude supersonic jumbo jet has been hit by a drone missile; oxygen deprivation kills some but leaves most passengers brain-damaged zombies. Five passengers and flight attendants escape injury and must land the plane. The authors defeat predictability by mixing in the military and the airline company: Both want this embarrassing problem to vanish without a trace. David Dukes establishes individual vocal personalities, bringing to the narration the fear and tension of those fighting to save the plane, as well as those desperate to destroy it. Especially chilling is his expression of the unintelligible grunts and moans of the injured passengers who are milling through the plane, terrified. Expect a knotted stomach throughout this thriller. M.A.M. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

FROM THE PUBLISHER

An airliner on a routine flight from San Francisco to Tokyo is struck by a U.S. Navy missile. Because of the sudden change in cabin pressure, all but five people on board are either dead, comatose, or raving mad. As Flight 52 becomes the ultimate test of survival, onboard horrors begin to mount. In addition, the airline, the insurance company, and the Navy are desperate to cover up the mishap -- no matter what the cost.

SYNOPSIS

If you thought Michael Crichton's Airframe posed the ultimate in-flight nightmare, welcome to Mayday. When an airliner going from the United States to Tokyo is hit by a U.S. Navy missile, chaos and death engulf the plane. The people aboard who are lucky enough to still be alive care only about making it to safety. But the government only wants to cover up the potential public-relations disaster.

FROM THE CRITICS

New York Times Book Review

Fascinating, frightening, and furiously paced...A story of almost unrelenting suspense.

AudioFile