Final Flight

The most daring -- and deadly -- terrorist plot of all time is about to unfold aboard the supercarrier USS United States. If it succeeds, the balance of nuclear power will tilt in favor of a remorseless Arab leader. And it looks as if no one can stop it - except navy "jet jock" Jake Grafton. "Cag " Grafton is one helluva pilot. His F-14 Tomcat is one helluva plane. But some of Jake's crewmates have already vanished. A woman reporter who boarded the ship in Tangiers may not be who she claims to be. And Jake may have to disobey a direct order from the President himself for one spine-tingling, hair-raising Final Flight.

In October 2005, two mountaineers climbing above Mendel Glacier in the High Sierra finds the mummified remains of a man in a WW II uniform, entombed in the ice. The "Iceman" discovery creates a media storm which draws author Peter Stekel to investigate and stumble upon the case of a navigation training flight crew missing since 1942. Early attempts at recovery are thwarted due to empty graves, botched records, bad weather, bad luck, and bad timing. Then, in 2007, Stekel himself discovers a second body in the glacier. Through meticulous research, interviews, and his own mountaineering trips to the site, Stekel uncovers the identities of these four young men. Final Flight explores the story of the ill-fated flight and the misinformation surrounding it for over 60 years. The book is a gripping account that's part mystery, part history, and a personal journey to uncover the truth of the events that occurred on November 18, 1942. In the process, Stekel rewrites the young aviators' last days and takes us on their final flight.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY BESTSELLER, & INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER! Look for The Lies I Tell, the next novel from Julie Clark, coming in June 2022! "The Last Flight is thoroughly absorbing—not only because of its tantalizing plot and deft pacing, but also because of its unexpected poignancy and its satisfying, if bittersweet, resolution. The characters get under your skin."—The New York Times Book Review Two women. Two flights. One last chance to disappear. Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns bright and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move. What he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish. A plan that takes her to the airport, poised to run from it all. But a chance meeting in the airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision. The two women switch tickets, with Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico crashes, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden. For fans of Lisa Jewell and Liv Constantine, The Last Flight is the story of two women—both alone, both scared—and one agonizing decision that will change the trajectory of both of their lives. Praise for The Last Flight: "The Last Flight is a wild ride: One part Strangers on a Train, one part Breaking Bad, with more twists than an amusement park roller coaster! Julie Clark is a devilishly inventive storyteller." —Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Watch Me Disappear and Pretty Things "The Last Flight is everything you want in a book: a gripping story of suspense; haunting, vulnerable characters; and a chilling and surprising ending that stays with you long after the last page." —Aimee Molloy, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Mother "The perfect combination of beautiful prose and high suspense, and an ending that I guarantee will catch you off guard." —Kimberly Belle, internationally bestselling author of Dear Wife and The Marriage Lie "The Last Flight sweeps you into a thrilling story of two desperate women who will do anything to escape their lives. Both poignant and addictive, you'll race through the pages to the novel's chilling end. A must read of the summer!" —Kaira Rouda, internationally bestselling author of Best Day Ever and The Favorite

A deadly crash, a government conspiracy, a lone pilot with one chance to uncover the truth. Project Guiding Light is NATO's biggest secret. A system to take long-range bombers deep into the Soviet Union, undetected. There's just one problem. And veteran engineer Chris Milford has found it. A lethal flaw that means aircrew will pay a terrible price. Undermined and belittled by a commanding officer who values loyalty over safety, Milford is forced down a dangerous, subversive path. Even his closest friend, Rob May, the youngest test pilot on the project has turned his back on him. Until the crash that changes everything. James Blatch's page-turning thriller is set in the 1960s world of secret military projects and an establishment that wants victory over communism at almost any price.

On April 10, 2010, Polish Air Force 101 (roughly equivalent to the U.S. government Air Force One) carrying the Polish President, first lady, and 94 other high level government officials, clergy, military, representatives of Katyn Families, and other important individuals in Poland's business and culture crashed in a fog outside of Smolensk, Russia. The plane was on its way to a ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre. There were no survivors. This book describes what happened and why. It points out the complex nature of such tragic plane crashes often due to human factors. More importantly, it tells the story from the perspective of the people involved and the terrible loss to the country which resulted from this historical and tragic event.

“Move over Clancy! [Stephen] Coonts' power is his use of real and immediate crisis, and human failings, topics crying for discussion and worthy of high drama.”—John Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy After flying A-6 Intruders in Vietnam and commanding an air wing in the Mediterranean, Jake Grafton is grounded. He draws assignment to the Pentagon where he takes on development of the navy's new top-secret stealth attack plane—the A-12. At every turn, Jake encounters political and technical problems. Before long he learns of Minotaur, a mole hidden in the Pentagon who is funneling American defense secrets to the Russians. Who can he be? Jake sets out to find him.

Amelia Earhart's account of her ill-fated last flight around the world, begun in 1937, remains one of the most moving and absorbing adventure stories of all time. Last Flight compiles the letters, diary entries and charts that she sent to her husband, G.P. Putnam at each stage of her trip. In her own words, these dispatches offer a window into her experience on this ground-breaking journey and illustrate her cheerful, charming nature. Her story continues to intrigue and inspire people to this day.