Review: Tailspin by Sandra Brown

Tailspin by Sandra Brown

Publication Date: August 7th 2018 by Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 424 Pages Audio book: 12 hrs 54 min

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Kobo

About the book:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a potent fusion of tantalizing suspense and romance, in a thriller about a reckless pilot caught in a race against time.

Rye Mallett, a fearless "freight dog" pilot charged with flying cargo to far-flung locations, is often rough-spoken, usually unshaven, and he never gets the regulation eight hours of shut-eye before a flight; but he does have a rock-solid reputation: he will fly in the foulest weather, day or night, and deliver the goods safely to their destination. So, when Rye is asked to fly into a completely fogbound Northern Georgia town and deliver a mysterious black box to a Dr. Lambert, he doesn't ask why--he just ups his price.

As Rye's plane nears the isolated landing strip, more trouble than inclement weather awaits him. He is greeted first by a sabotage attempt that causes him to crash land, and then by Dr. Brynn O'Neal, who claims she was sent for the box in Dr. Lambert's stead. Despite Rye's "no-involvement" policy when it comes other people's problems, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to the intrigue surrounding his cargo...and to the mysterious and attractive Brynn O'Neal.

Soon Rye and Brynn are in a treacherous 48-hour race to deliver the box before time runs out. With the hours slipping by and everyone from law enforcement officials to hired thugs hot on their heels, the two must protect their valuable cargo from those who would kill for it--that is, if they can trust each other. 

My Thoughts:

You get the gist of the story from the book description, so I won’t regurgitate the details in my review.  I can tell you the story was pretty addictive, with a few of Sandra Brown’s usual twists, but I did find a few scenes a bit tedious. I felt they should’ve wrapped up or got to the point much sooner.  Still, I really enjoyed the mystery, was on the edge worrying about our characters, and I liked the connection between Rye and Brynn. They got to know each other in bits and pieces while determining just how much they could trust each other. Their relationship/romance was antagonistic off and on throughout, but never doubt that Sandra Brown can create some palpable chemistry, and sizzling sex scenes!  

I listened to Tailspin during one our long stretches of driving on our Pacific Northwest coastal vacation.  It made the time go by quickly and allowed me to take in the scenery (the Fall colors were beautiful!) while my husband drove.  He said driving didn’t seem to take nearly as long (9 ½ hours one of those days!) because of the captivating story.

On a side note, Victor Slezak narrated the story, and he’s a regular narrator for Sandra Brown novels.  His style of narration makes a lot of the male characters sound like rednecks (not to be offensive!), I think more than they were actually meant to be. I’m used to his narration, but my husband said it made some of the story feel corny.

3.5 Suns