cover image Maximum Impact

Maximum Impact

Jean Heller. Forge, $22.95 (429pp) ISBN 978-0-312-85203-0

The new Sexton 811 aircraft, fast and fresh and filled with passengers, tumbles off the runway at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., killing more than 300 people and getting this deftly written, suspenseful first novel off to a stomach-churning start. As the various agencies gather to determine the accident's causes, ace aviation reporter Steve Pace quickly discovers the possibility that evidence is being concealed. Was the cause pilot error, a bird sucked into the engines or faulty design? Are the investigators thorough and unbiased, or are they involved in a cover-up? And who are the thugs in the blue van? While Pace works phones and friendships to unearth the truth, potential sources are being bought off or killed and it is soon clear that the reporter's own reputation--and even his life--are in danger. Heller, who has won the Polk Award for her investigative journalism, offers an accurate insider's view of news reporting, the aviation industry and the seamier sides of corporate and political manipulation. Her management of a large cast of characters is deft and she keeps readers guessing until the stunning final surprises. Her debut is as vivid and exciting as a bolt of summer lightning. (Sept.)