A Survival & Mystery Mashup

3.75 out of 5 stars

I’ve read a couple of Mather books and I have even more in my queue to read. When I saw the cover and the synopsis of Polar Vortex I knew I was going to jump on it.  It wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be, but it was still an interesting story.

I need to read the synopsis again to see what Mather gives away there (as to not spoil anything for you here). The opening line of the synopsis really does most of the book justice.  “A routine commercial flight disappears over the North Pole. No wreckage. No transponder signals.” There was a lot more to this book those.  It reads like a survival thriller mixed with a mystery.  There were a few times that I was thinking that it had a “Clue” feel to it.  Not the funny movie necessarily, but every time you tried to figure out “whodunit” it felt like it was a guess of a person, a weapon, and a reason.

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a slow burn – it grabbed my attention early, but then took its time letting the reader really feel out what was going to happen.  There were numerous times that I thought for sure that things were just going to end and I was going to be livid.  Thankfully, that did not happen and the last 25% of the book absolutely flew by.  That’s when the final reveal(s) happened and it definitely made the book a worthwhile read.

Overall, I enjoyed Polar Vortex and while it wasn’t an “Oh my god, stop what you’re doing and pick this up” it is definitely one that survival thriller and mystery lovers would enjoy.

Book Description:

A routine commercial flight disappears over the North Pole. No wreckage. No transponder signals.

Mitch Matthews is writer struggling to make ends meet when his wife’s brother offers them a first-class seat on a flight from Hong Kong to New York. When his wife needs to stay behind, it becomes an opportunity for some quality daddy-daughter time with his five-year-old Lilly. At check-in, they run into a strange Norwegian arguing with a huge Russian. A mysterious redhead is guarding a package in the business lounge. But everything is fine…right up until the event.

Within hours of Allied Airlines 695 disappearing, a massive international search is launched. Aircraft and ships are dispatched from Russia, America, Canada, and Norway. How can a modern airliner simply vanish in one of the most heavily monitored places on Earth?

Global tensions rise. The media and grieving families whip into a frenzy. The armed forces of America and Russia tip the world toward the brink of an apocalyptic war.

Weeks later, found on the ice in a chance discovery, the journal of Mitch Matthews reveals the incredible truth behind the disappearance of Allied 695, and what really happened in the Polar Vortex.

four-stars
Polar Vortex by Matthew Mather
Narrator: Tom Taylorson
Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
Published by Blackstone Audio on April 2nd 2019
Genres: Thriller
Format: Audiobook
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Also by this author: Nomad, CyberSpace, Meet Your Maker

four-stars
Brian
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