Skyjack by K.J. Howe
Quercus Books, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1681443010
Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

K.J. Howe’s The Freedom Broker was last year’s surprise thriller hit,  the first in a series featuring Thea Paris, a character tough enough to stand toe to toe with Lee Child’s Jack Reacher and F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack. With Skyjack, Howe reaches deep into the realms of darkness and emotion that drive suspense and horror, engulfing a story with characters who challenge the limits of genre.

Thea Paris is flying two brothers to a new home after saving them from Boko Haram, where they were forced to serve as child soldiers when the plane is hijacked by the pilot, who has been compromised by the leader of the Sicilian Mafia. A World War II era threat that can end a massive section of mankind rears up, controlled by a secret, generations-old group that mirrors terror groups in the world today. A teen torn by family ties has to fight the darkest parts of humanity.  Paris’ kidnap and rescue team delves into dark territories that combine the thriller aspects with character development rarely found in the genre. How these individuals intertwine, and work both with and against each other, drives this thriller, surpassing the adrenaline rush of the first book.

Highly recommended for fans of good storytelling, especially with high stakes plots and characters who face the abyss throughout, fighting to either hang on or dive within.

Reviewed by Dave Simms