The Flight

Coroner Jenny Cooper, Book 4

By: Matthew Hall

Narrated by: Sian Thomas

Coroner Jenny Cooper investigates… A tragic accident or a terrible crime? When Flight 189 plunges into the Severn Estuary, Coroner Jenny Cooper finds herself handling the case of a lone sailor whose boat appears to have been sunk by the stricken plane, and drawn into the mysterious fate of a ten year-old girl, Amy Patterson, a passenger on 189, whose largely unmarked body is washed up alongside his.

While a massive and highly secretive operation is launched to recover clues from the wreckage, Jenny begins to ask questions the official investigation doesn’t want answered. How could such a high tech plane – virtually impregnable against human error – fail? What linked the high powered passengers who found themselves on this ill-fated flight? And how did Amy Patterson survive the crash, only to perish hours later? Under pressure from Amy’s grieving mother, and opposed by those at the very highest levels of government, Jenny must race against time to seek the truth behind this terrible disaster, before it can happen again…

2012, CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger, Short-listed

©2012 M. R. Hall (P)2013 Pan Macmillan

Critic reviews

”As premises go, this one’s a killer . . . It’s a terrific series, meticulously researched, sharply plotted and peopled with sympathetic characters, led by Cooper, who is always aware of the human consequences of failure” (Financial Times)

”The Flight is M R Hall's fourth story to feature clever coroner Jenny Cooper. His investigation of a plane crash in the Severn estuary is as complex and impressive as his debut The Coroner” (Sunday Telegraph)

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this story it put me in mind of the Boeing crisis with their planes and the faulty antistall softwear, Good storyline great characters again and I love her attitude.

Intriguing story that makes you think.

Some suspension of disbelief required, more than previous novels. But the "ride" is a good one.

Another excellent story line!

My stepfather was a fighter pilot, as well as a Thunderbird pilot, and for a time I lived with him and my mom on an air force base in Aviano, Italy (which I was amazed to hear mentioned in this book), and also in TX. I got to listen to many stories about airplanes, associated experiences, and adventures, resulting in a lifelong fascination with planes and the people who fly them. Therefore, I found this story line to be very interesting. Amazing detail about many aspects of today's passenger airplanes. I also, once again, very much enjoyed Sian Thomas' narration. On to the next book in the series!

gripping & thoughtful

interesting aviation tragedies, unclear good & bad guy's, and role of computer's in our demise. Intriguing plot, mystery of who is to be trusted in light of the big picture, and a adrenaline pumping conclusion. I enjoyed this audio book, and Mrs. Cooper the coroner, as always proves to be a mighty force in the pursuit of justice. A person relatable because of her character defects but admirable for her unrelentable fight for the truth.

I love Jenny

I love all of the Jenny Cooper stories. This one was a little too heavy on the airplane tech- I think it had to be for the story to make sense. I like being able to work out what has happened and this topic limited that but they are enjoyable always!

Jenny Cooper, 7th Vale District Coroner

The Jenny Cooper series always keeps me hooked and interested. this is the 4th book in the series and the first one to kind of ... drag a bit.
Sian Thomas is always perfect at narrating, getting the voices perfect for each character. The will forever be the voice of Jenny Cooper to me.
I will continue to read/listen to these books.

Another great Jenny Cooper Tale

Had a hard time putting this down despite the detailed descriptions of airline mechanics and engineering. I like Mrs Cooper all the time. The way the author ties everything together is virtually seamless. it did have one major flaw, her arrest, it seemed toe she could have had the charges easily dismissed by having the deceased brother refuse to press charges but that was only a small distraction. I think it bothered me because Jenny is so intuitive in her reading and understanding of everything and everyone she encounters and her ability to get the truth in situations that have me confused made me a bit disappointed.

Great story.

This series is one I like but always have a bit of a love annoy relationship with. The main character is delightfully flawed. But sometimes I want to shake her and scream - get your act together! In the book she seems to have managed it much better than in prior outings.

I truly loved the premiss of the novel and applaud the timeliness of the story. I wasn’t sure exactly what was happening until it was revealed.

Danger in the skies and in the software

Would you consider the audio edition of The Flight to be better than the print version?

Having not read the print version I am only guessing but I think the narration was so good that I would choose the audio book over the print version.

What other book might you compare The Flight to and why?

Any of the many books which have a plot based on a group of people facing an impossible situation which they solve in a pretty novel way.

What does Sian Thomas bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She has a lovely voice- the tone and quality of her voice is very easy to listen to. I think if it had been narrated by a male reader the performance would have lost something important.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The scenes involving the coroner's involvement with the accident victims and their families were particularly moving.

Any additional comments?

This book has some technical passages regarding airplanes and the software now used for many parts of the flight process. The author did a very good job of writing these passages so they are understandable and entertaining without talking down to the reader.

A comfortable leisurely listen

I am a fan of author Matthew Hall’s Coroner Jenny Cooper Series and have found the collection riveting. The narrative talents of Sian Thomas go above and beyond. “The Flight,” is an complexellent suspenseful thriller and does move along a bit slowly; this time, that is a good thing. The plot and subplots kept my interest throughout; I found it hard to take a break. A lesson learned: Listen intently, no multitasking during this one, as there are surprising twists and turns. Highly recommended. Well worth a cherished credit or the $10+ I paid. Kudos to all involved for making this available to Audible.