Airborne by DiAnn Mills took my breath away.
I saw a copy of the cover several months ago, and thought then it sounded like a compelling premise. Then the Covid-19 pandemic took hold and my interest skyrocketed. Having read several DiAnn Mills novels, I knew I was in for a journey, but my goodness, I had no idea.
The book was scheduled for release in September, but as interest grew in the subject – a virus released on a transatlantic flight – the publisher, Tyndale House decided to rush the book to press.
Offering Hope
I had the opportunity to ask DiAnn how the rapid release came about… “Tyndale Publishing felt the story offered hope in the midst of the current pandemic. I had the idea for three years before writing the story, so neither Tyndale nor I felt I was exploiting victims of COVID19.”
Chapter one begins innocently enough with a vacation and a broken heart. Then there’s a nosebleed on the flight and chaos erupts at forty thousand feet. As tempers fray, heroes step up and the body count keeps growing, an unsettling suspect emerges. Red herring or guilty as charged? Hmm… not telling.
As FBI agent Heather Lawrence fights to stay alive and find the killer, her estranged husband Chad, a noted virologist fights to prove his innocence. Their battles intertwine as Chad wrestles with whether faith and science can be related or are polar opposites.
From research to reality…
I wondered how DiAnn’s research has colored her thinking during the pandemic… “I wrote it before. Edits etc were done and headed to the published arm of Tyndale when the COVID-19 epidemic spread across the globe. The reality of the virus brought to life my research and the things I’d learned during the research and writing process.”
For me, this book is a winner from start to finish. Heather had moments of fear and despair but stood resolute in her faith through it all. I think many of us can relate to that at the moment. Others came to faith in the toughest of circumstances and there’s an encouragement there. No matter what is happening around us, we can control our response and either look up, down or inward.
A gripping plot, clearly drawn characters and locations and a fascinating topic all make this a clear five star read for me. Airborne is now out in e-book form, while the paperback copies will be available as planned in September.
Love vs tragedy
In closing, I asked DiAnn what her prayer for this novel is, as it arrives I the hands of readers. “Hope and a knowledge that God is sovereign in all things. His love is far more powerful than any tragedy the world tosses our way. Personally, I’m looking to see how God is glorified through this.”
Amen.
To visit DiAnn Mills’ website, click here…
If you’d like to grab a sneak preview or buy a copy of Airborne, click here…
And to check out other reviews of DiAnn Mills books, click here or here…