Airborne by DiAnn Mills {Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

 

Heather Lawrence’s long-awaited vacation to Salzburg wasn’t supposed to go like this. Mere hours into the transatlantic flight, the Houston FBI agent is awakened when passengers begin exhibiting horrific symptoms of an unknown infection. As the virus quickly spreads and dozens of passengers fall ill, Heather fears she’s witnessing an epidemic similar to ones her estranged husband studies for a living―but this airborne contagion may have been deliberately released.

While Heather remains quarantined with other survivors, she works with her FBI colleagues to identify the person behind this attack. The prime suspect? Dr. Chad Lawrence, an expert in his field . . . and Heather’s husband. The Lawrences’ marriage has been on the rocks since Chad announced his career took precedence over his wife and future family and moved out.

As more victims fall prey days after the initial outbreak, time’s running out to hunt down the killer, one who may be closer to the victims than anyone ever expected.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is Director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Conference, and Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

Connect with DiAnn here: diannmills.com

Talk about a timely book release. Though written before Covid-19 was ever on our radar, the theme of this book really hits home with the current world events. In Airborne, we meet FBI agent Heather Lawrence as she is boarding a plane to Salzburg, alone on a trip that she'd planned to take with her now estranged husband, virologist Dr. Chad Lawrence. Hours into the flight, passengers start coming down with a mysterious and deadly virus...and it seems it wasn't released by accident. 

Right from the start, this story had me in it's grasps. Sure, the world events as they are might have contributed a bit... but more than that it was the captivating writing. Have you ever watched the movie Final Destination (or any of it's sequels)? I know an odd reference for a Christian book review, but the most fitting one I can find. In these films, attention is paid to the every day ordinary occurrences in a way that has you on the edge of your seat, knowing something big is just about to happen. I could not help but feel that the opening of Airborne had this exact same feel. I found myself paying attention to these little detail in wait to see how it was going to play out. That fantastic suspense writing held me right through the very end. While I suspected quite early on who the bad guy would ultimately be, there were many twists and turns that I admit I certainly did not see coming. I truly could not put this one down.

Reading during our very own pandemic, I think that certainly brought about a realness to this story that perhaps would not have been there had I not had this Covid-19 experience to draw on. We have seen firsthand what the idea of a pandemic will do to people and how they react, and it's quite astonishing how true to life the book plays out...

Overall, this was a fantastic and timely read that fans of romantic suspense are most certainly going to want to check out. It's definitely one NOT to miss.

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