A flight attendant discovers a note in the first-class washroom indicating the plane (and its 400 passengers and crew) will be destroyed if two conditions are not met. Then it turns out that the pilot might be involved and the co-pilot is Alex's son.

For the first two-thirds I found this a page turner, but it went on a bit long. The portrayal of the differing priorities and approaches of the Swedish authorities and those in the US was well done and felt realistic. I thought the author could have done a better job of hammering home the diminishing time left for a solution to be found - I was never quite sure how much fuel the plane still had. The ending made sense and pulled most things together satisfactorily, but there were aspects of the pilot's behaviour that remain confusing to me. ( )

It's a credit to Ohlsson that I read this book at all. I don't particularly enjoy thrillers about terrorism or air travel, and I try not to read them. (Self-preservation for a frequent traveler.) But I didn't want to skip a book in this series, so I read it anyway. I did enjoy the commentary and perspective offered, and I can't disagree with the portrayal of my country. I really appreciate the author's knowledge and intellect. ( )

I enjoyed Ohlsson's earlier Frederika Bergman/Alex Recht series, and I enjoyed "Hostage", but it's a different kettle of fish. "Hostage" takes Ohlsson's two central characters out of their normal police procedural world, and puts them right into the middle of a developing incident of international terrorism. The pace is pounding and the suspense is gripping -- I read it in one sitting. One thing does carry over from the earlier novels: interesting, well developed characters with intriguing home lives. All in all, a top notch thriller. ( )

The book had a clever plot involving a plane hijack, the Swedish police and SAPO and the Americans! Nice to have Alex and Frederika back together - pity Peder is no longer involved, however this is understandable. Looking forward to the next book in this series. ( )

I do not like reading series out of order but that one looked interesting enough so decided to try it. I wish I had started from the beginning though - I really liked it and I am planning to read the rest of the series.

Due to things that happened in previous books, the old team had been disbanded and Fredrika Bergman had been reassigned away from the police (where she did not belong to start with). And then terrorists take control of a flight from Stockholm to New York. And just to make the things more complicated, the second pilot on the flight is her old boss's son - and the old boss is leading the whole investigation (or at least is not pushed back). Before you know it, the old team is back together - and the investigation is under way. And unlike most cases, it is time-critical - the plane will be taken down by the Americans if it does not follow directions.

Between two countries that are playing the usual diplomatic games and investigators on both sides of the ocean, there are a lot of egos to be bruised. And the clock is ticking. In the meantime, Muslim connections show up (and get everyone riled up) and more bombs treats are called in - those ones in Stockholm itself.

I loved the book. The ending was handled a lot better than I expected it to be - and the story of the team and their relationships was fascinating. Back to reading the first two and then to wait for the 5th to be translated. ( )