AIRBORNE

by

DiANN MILLS

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Date of Publication: September 8, 2020

Number of Pages: 400

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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.

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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

The storyline for Airborne came to me three and a half years ago. All I had was a what-if: A virus unleashed on an international flight.

The search to find experts who were willing to give me accurate information took another year. Along the way, God placed the right people in my path: a woman and new friend whose doctorate is in microbiology and immunology, a man who trains flight attendants for the airline that I envisioned in my story, a pilot who not only flies for my designated airline but is also a suspense and thriller writer, the amazing people and resources of the CDC, and the wisdom and guidance of the FBI.

Tyndale House Publishers saw my passion for Airborne. This book was completed and edited before COVID-19 spread across our globe. My mission then and now is to show a story that weaves hope, reality, and the sacrificial work of first responders when a deadly virus spreads through innocent people.

My prayer is people will experience God’s presence during our current global crisis. Will you join me in that prayer?

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Murder By the Book || Tyndale

Looking for a book that will keep you up at night because you don’t want to put the book down?  Airborne is that sort of book and I found myself reading it at work over lunch or on breaks and was sad when the story ended.

In today’s crazy world (all of 2020), this book hits a note with everything we have dealt with regarding COVID-19. While this book was written long before this virus, the similarities are uncanny. Perhaps DiAnn is a bit psychic.

The crux of this story is a deadly virus released on a plane and the search to determine how it was released, by who, and why. The cast of potential villains is not large and it is hard to decipher who is the guilty party.  Is it who is being reported by the media, or is it someone else? Are there multiple players in this game?  I have to say that I did figure out who but not the why.  It was more of a gut reaction to this character for no specific reason other than they just seemed off. Not that there weren’t a few other likely choices and I nearly changed my mind or considered adding another character simply for their behavior.  There are two chapters in the book that are told from the antagonist’s POV and there are no clues given as to the identity of the character. The second chapter might lead you down a path but will it be the right one? When all is revealed in the end, I was blown away by the why. It is a very complex story and while there are tiny hints, there are no overt clues to explain why this situation has happened.

While the main focus of this novel is the virus, there is also a major storyline between Heather and Chad and the demise of their marriage. Chad is dedicated to discovering a cure for some of our most deadly viruses after losing a friend to one.  This affected him drastically to the point of cutting Heather out of his life. This wasn’t their only issue.  Religion was a huge hurdle for Heather to overcome. She is a Christian but Chad is an Athiest. She knew this going in, but I suspect she thought she could change him or at least persuade him to be open to God and faith. Neither of them is perfect in this relationship and they both need to take some responsibility for the way their relationship cratered. I enjoyed watching them both admit to their mistakes and try and learn and grow and become better versions of themselves.

I appreciated that this book did not delve deeply into the science behind the virus or its creation. There is enough to set the stage for what happened but does not dive into the nuts and bolts of creating the virus or the research involved. It was intriguing to discover what they thought was the reason that some were not infected or become ill from the virus. Anything is possible when it comes to the human body and our ability to fight off disease.

There is a strong faith base to this story, as would be expected since the author writes Christian based novels. Not only is Heather a strong believer, but so are some of her FBI coworkers and a doctor friend of Chad’s. I enjoyed watching their stories unfold in a way that provided Chad with reason to reconsider his non-belief especially when confronted with works from several authors he admired. Chad’s transformation takes place over a weekend, but that weekend is intense and I was intrigued by the references to C.S. Lewis which sent Chad down a rabbit hole in his research.

Here are some of my favorite lines from this book because several of these are how I feel especially in today’s society. I feel the author has captured our society to a T and not necessarily in a good way.

“Heroes are built from adversity.”

“She craved confirmation God had not abandoned them.”

“Children are the seeds of a beautiful future. they should be nourished and loved.”

“…the world doesn’t revolve around the next scientific discovery by a man who doesn’t accept his humanity. Relationships matter.”

“Every virus has the potential to take lives.”

“One thing I’ll say about the media. They present news in a way that initiates responses, emotionally charged ones. The truth will be exposed, but in the meantime, we’ll hear facts and opinions.”

“Love was more important than prestige, power, and position. Chad called those the three p’s destined to destroy a man – or a woman.”

Overall, this book is a winner and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys romantic suspense. We give it 5 paws up.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; director, alongside Edie Melson, of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and Mountainside Retreats; and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.

DiAnn is passionate about helping other writers be successful and speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston. DiAnn is very active online and loves to connect with readers on social media.

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GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

FOUR WINNERS

Each gets a signed, personalized hardcover edition of Airborne

+ choice of either $25 Amazon or $25 Barnes and Noble e-Gift Card

August 18-28, 2020

(U.S. Only)

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