When a brand new C-500 crashes in France, Frank “Jammer” Davis is called in by the French government to help with the investigation. He has experience, having been a U. S. Air Force fighter pilot and has been part of the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigations before. He is a no nonsense kind of guy but before he can really get a handle on what is going on, oil refineries throughout the world are attacked and governments are concerned about the situation and fears of oil shortages spread throughout the world. Is there a connection?
Davis is a likable hero – the one who has a job to do and is not about to let anyone including government bureaucracy keep him from finding out why this plane crashed. Neither will another investigator, Anna Sorensen, who is a beautiful and smart woman. But Davis wonders if she is who she says she is and can she be trusted? Davis has a mission and is not about to be sidelined by a pretty girl. Other C-500s are still being flown and he wants to make sure there are no more tragedies. He needs to solve this mystery quickly but most be thorough.
Being meticulous, Davis checks every detail, as the world situation intensifies. It all comes down to the recordings from the cabin – what is that click he is hearing? And are he and Sorensen in danger as they continue to ask questions? That will not stop them.
Larsen has written other thrillers and Fly by Wire does not disappoint. He himself was an airline captain who flew in combat missions and also investigated in aircraft crashes. That kind of firsthand knowledge gives a real feel to the book. Larsen also moves the action from France to the White House to Switzerland and around the world seamlessly taking the reader along for an excited ride. I enjoyed this book and would love to see more of Jammer Davis in future thrillers.