(Review 1 of 3)
FIRE FLIGHT
Reviewed by Reed Business Information, Inc.
Publishers Weekly

Nance's latest aviation thriller (Pandora's Clock; Turbulence) departs a bit from his successful formula of race-against-the-clock plotting and in-flight suspense. Instead, it plunges into the world of smoke jumping, with many intricate and intimate sequences featuring airborne firefighters at work. It's a good trade-off.

There is still plenty of suspense and high-stakes action, but the story is more character-driven and lighter on professional jargon, anchored by a romantic triangle and a whodunit. At the center of both is veteran pilot Clark Maxwell, called back into battle from the private sector by his slightly sleazy former boss Jerry Stein when multiple forest fires stretch the resources of the Forest Service and threaten local populations. Clark's re-up with the service lands him in the orbit of feisty fellow smoke jumper Karen Jones, his longtime "fantasy pinup girl." Their mutual chemistry is undeniable, but nonstop firefighting-and, more important, Karen's hot-tempered husband, Trent-stand in the way of romance. Troubles in the air begin when a last-minute switch puts hotshot pilot Jeff Maze aboard the Douglas DC-6 originally earmarked for Clark. The wings break off the plane in flight, killing Jeff and his co-pilot instantly. Jeff's distraught girlfriend, Misty, holds some of the keys to the puzzle, which Clark determines to piece together. He suspects merely negligence, but when the same airborne fate nearly befalls pilot buddy Sam Littlefox, Clark concludes that it's sabotage. But by whom, and for what purpose? With its lively cast and rich plot, this is Nance's best book in years.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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(Review 2 of 3)
FIRE FLIGHT
Reviewed by Mary Frances Wilkens from Booklist
American Library Association

Jerry Stein is under a lot of pressure. The wealthy owner of an aging fleet of military planes retooled to fight forest fires, he feels his fortune slipping from his grasp as the government lobbies to move "fire bombing" duties from the forest department to the military. The political heat only worsens when in-air accidents start to occur with some frequency.

In the meantime, fires rage throughout the West, destroying hundreds of acres of national parks and endangering bordering towns. That's why Stein is relieved when recently retired star pilot Clark Maxwell agrees to unretire temporarily in order to help out during what has become a particularly brutal fire season. Maxwell knows Stein's excellent mechanics wouldn't let an aircraft lift off if it wasn't prepared to withstand the intense heat of the fire beneath it or the extreme weight of the chemicals within it. Could something else be behind the planes' in-air failures? Maxwell's instincts are right on, and what he uncovers involves some high-profile political operatives. Nance has carved out his own subgenre, the aviation thriller, and here he successfully melds a timely topic, forest fires, with his specialty, pulse-pounding airborne excitement. There's a built-in audience for this one.
Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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(Review 3 of 3)
FIRE FLIGHT
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
www.thebestreviews.com

Near West Yellowstone, Wyoming the fires are out of control. They threaten the two nearby popular National parks and the local populace. The National Forest Service is undermanned and the outlook is bleak. Air tanker fleet owner Jerry Stein knows they need more specialized help so he asks his friend former fire bomber pilot Clark Maxwell to join the fray, which he does.

Besides fighting the out of control fires, Clark must deal with seeing his personal "pinup girl" married smoke jumper Karen Jones. A pilot dies in a plane originally intended for Clark's use. A second pilot almost has his wings clipped in the same way. Fighting fire and his feelings for Karen, Clark finds time to investigate who and why someone is sabotaging the planes. The action is hot and heavy as expected form a John J. Nance thriller, but the author also makes sure his key characters, especially the star, are fully understood. Clark is a strong protagonist, who struggles between his secret love and doing what he believes his right. The sabotage conspiracy seems a bit stretched, but then again in a world where jets crash into buildings perhaps not. Fans will enjoy this action-packed tale that brings alive the dangers of forest fire fighting.
Harriet Klausner

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