Review of Airframe by Michael Crichton

Title: Airframe
Author: Michael Crichton
ISBN: 978-0-345-52677-9
Original Publication: 1996

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow! This book really hooked me and would not let go. I had to finish it ASAP because I couldn't stand not knowing how the mystery got wrapped up.

Pros:

- Action, action, action. With so many subplots weaving through the story, every move the main character, Casey, makes could be damning to the company or even threatening to her own life.

- Intrigue, mystery! What happened to the plane? Why? Is it a problem with the plane? Is it the pilot? Is it a cover-up? Scandal! Thrills! Excitement! Controversy! Exclamation points!!!

- Characters you hate getting their comeuppance

- If you like the TV show Mayday, like I do, you'll find the airplane talk interesting, even if it might be a bit outdated by now. You might even recognize some of the cases that are referenced, as they've been addressed on Mayday.

Cons:

- The characters are stereotypical. Crazy paranoid techy guy with the soundproof room and the secure phone line. Big bad executive fellow full of hot air. Young, bossy reporter with an ego so inflated she should be floating away. Crichton didn't go for deep character development here; he went for a thrilling story with characters who mostly served to move the story along.

- At one point, Crichton makes it pretty obvious what really happened, and then the story goes on for at least another hundred pages. Those hundred pages are good, but it makes the "big reveal" a little less thrilling when Crichton pretty much forced you to see it earlier on. It's still exciting to see how he brings everything to that moment, though.

- Sometimes the technical jargon is a bit much. Most of it is explained, but sometimes Crichton seems to include bigger portions of technical documents than are really necessary. I get that he's trying to conceal the reason the plane faltered, but he could have done that with fewer lines of zeroes and ones for the reader to skim past.

- Might make you afraid to fly if you're a sensitive sort (still safer than driving, folks!).

All in all, I thought Airframe was a real thrill. It's a satisfying mystery with lots of action, and the inclusion of the investigation procedure makes it all the more interesting for people who like that kind of thing. Recommended to people who want a genuine mystery/thriller and aren't looking for too much deep character development.