Murder on Air Force One

A Kate Dawson Thriller, Book 1

By: John Flynn

Narrated by: Kevin Chambers

When Inspector Kate Dawson, a homicide detective from the San Francisco Police Department, is called in the wee hours of the morning, little did she know what would be waiting for her on the tarmac of San Francisco International Airport.

Air Force One has landed with a corpse in the lavatory; the victim is a beautiful Fox News reporter, known as the "fair and balanced" girl. Apparently, she enjoyed kinky foreplay, like having her oxygen supply limited, a gasper, but it just went too far...or did someone else take advantage and finish her off?

Madame President and the First Man were on board with a couple of senators, several generals from the Pentagon, secret service agents, and a slew of reporters and other presidential personnel. Dawson's only clue is a lipstick container, which contains microfilm dating back to 1947, the crash at Roswell, the Truman letter which formed the MJ-12, the military industrial complex, and a shadow government hiding the greatest secret of the Cold War era.

International politics, conspiracies, affairs, cover-ups, a looming war with Iran, and all involving the First Family.

©2017 W&B Publishers (P)2019 John L. Flynn

Christmas Stocking-Stuffer Gift Goes Rogue!

I bought the audio book Murder on Air Force One for my wife who loves the Kate Dawson mystery/thrillers as a stocking stuffer for Christmas. I was curious, and I thought that I would just listen to the first few pages. Well, beautiful blonde Megan Kendrick is killed during an apparent sexual tryst with the First Man, and her body is later discovered by secret service agents in the rear restroom of Air Force One. That was all I needed! Suddenly, I found myself listening to the entire book, like a rogue secret service agent gathering evidence and clues like homicide-detective Dawson. The audio book was great, with a fast-paced plot, absorbing characters, and plenty of twists and turns worthy of a top-notch thriller. I now know why my wife loves Flynn's novels, and just because they feature a woman in the lead, both men and women can enjoy them. I plan to listen to other audio books in her collection. I just need to solve how I'm going to tape this audio book back up so it looks brand new. Please don't tell my wife what I did.

I hope it will be a movie based on this story.

From the murder of a female reporter in the opening minutes to a confrontation with a Cold War Soviet spy, the story was incredibly riveting; the writing was also masterful and the characters were just so nicely well written. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, trying to anticipate what was going to happen next. So much amazing information; so much to learn. The narrator Kevin Chambers one of the best I ever heard. Beautiful voice and a great performance. Highly recommend! 5 stars!

Last book of 2019 is the Best!

I managed to squeeze one more book into 2019 before the holidays, and Murder on Air Force One turned out to be the BEST audio book I listened to this year. The story is incredibly suspense-filled, with the murder of a journalist in the first few minutes. What makes the murder unique is that she is a member of the Press Corps on board Air Force One. Anyone could have committed the murder: a rival journalist, a guest on board the President's plane, a member of the Presidential staff, or even the President or First Man. Not only do we want to find out whodunit, but also we want to get to the reason why she was killed. Enter Kate Dawson, a homicide inspector with the San Francisco Police Department. In the author's other thrillers, Flynn's protagonist has fought against religious fanatics, a serial killer, a brother-sister duo who trade in drugs and weapons, and a cartel that deals in human trafficking. This time, she appears to be outmatched by a ruthless female President, her amoral First Man, and a handful of other suspects who each have a motive of their own. I loved following the clues (along with the Inspector), and was surprised by the ultimate revelation. The writing was masterful, and the narration by Kevin Chambers was outstanding. Overall, I loved this story, and have no problem giving it 5-stars across the board. Every so often, you read an author, and something very positive clicks. That's what happened here. I could easily see this book being made into a big budget action-adventure movie. Thanks, Audible!

Much-Anticipated New Mystery Thriller!

In this much-anticipated new mystery thriller from John Flynn, Kate Dawson is back on the San Francisco Police Department investigating a murder. This time, the victim is a FOX news reporter, and her body was found strangled to death in the rear lavatory of Air Force One. The murder triggers a series of highly suspense-filled events as the homicide detective finds herself at odds with the Secret Service who want to dismiss the death as self-inflicted, but even a rookie can see the evidence points to the First Man. But then, as the evidence of a much larger crime begins to mount up, Dawson finds herself on the run from a KGB operative who may have been hired by the First Family to silence her. Secret microfilm and a seventy-year-old cold case removes all doubt Kate is dealing with a conspiracy at the highest levels of government. This great new thriller from the master of mystery-thrillers features a fast-paced plot, plenty of action and suspense, and a story that seems to be ripped from the headlines of the New York Times. Kate Dawson is a welcome addition to action heroes like Jason Bourne and Jack Ryan, and her ensemble cast of miscreants and malcontents who work for the SFPD provide first-rate characters to back her up. This is the fourth Kate Dawson thriller that I have listened to, and I love this one. Each story seems to get better and better. I am even very impressed with the narrative abilities of Kevin Chambers who brings each of the characters to life with his impressive work here. This audio book deserves to be on everyone's Christmas list this year! Thanks, Santa, for putting this one under my tree.

The BEST of the Kate Dawson Thrillers!

Yesterday, my husband and I went out Christmas shopping, and we spent the day listening to Murder on Air Force One between stops at our favorite stores and shopping centers. We both loved the audio book, and spent the last hour "glued" to the radio as we listened to the last chapter. I've listened to other Kate Dawson thrillers, but this is clearly the BEST. Author Flynn and narrator Chambers deserve a lot of credit for delivering so much entertainment. Megan Kendrick is murdered in the first few minutes of the audio book. When Kate Dawson takes charge of the investigation, the Secret Service claim Kendrick died of a drug overdose...despite the clear evidence that she was strangled. The President and the First Man are among the chief suspects as are members of the Secret Service, the Press Corps, and several guests who hitched the ride on Air Force One. While conducting a routine search of Kendrick's seat on board the President's plane, Dawson finds a hidden roll of microfilm in Kendrick's lipstick container. The microfilm contains Cold War secrets that have been hidden for more than 50 years. It appears that the victim was going to reveal that information on Fox News, but was killed for it. Before long, everyone is after the microfilm, including an aging KGB operative, and Kate must stay one step ahead of them in order to solve the how and why. The story moves at a breakneck pace, much like a roller-coaster ride, but Flynn keeps things moving with his excellent writing skills. The characters and setting are all first-class. When the truth about what's on the microfilm is finally revealed, you're in for a real surprise! We loved this book, and both of us concur this is the BEST of the Kate Dawson thrillers!