Cost of Life

The title is more than appropriate and serves as a brief summary of this novel. Larry Walder is the pilot for Pegasus Airlines. His wife Marie and seven year old son Sean have been abducted. The kidnapper makes his demands plain — the cost of his family’s freedom is for Larry to alter flight 816 from its destination of Cozumel, MX to the coordinates they dictate. Reese Rankin is Larry’s copilot. He holds a glock on him so he won’t interfere with the new coordinates. The hijackers don’t mind the passengers calling their loved ones; in fact they encourage it. Soon, they’ll be running a telethon where friends and families can pay for their safe return. The five people whose families have donated the most will be returned; the show more five people whose families have given the least will be executed.

Xanadu (Xana) Marx is finally getting her life back in order. She’s dry from her addiction to drugs and wants her job back with the FBI. Jim Christie had promised she would be reinstated. But, Jim didn’t have the authority to make that promise. However, they cannot understand the language of one of the captured men and are running out of time. They need Xana’s assistance as she speaks over 20 languages. With her foot in the door, she does all she can to locate the missing plane and assure as few casualties as possible.

The action alternates from Larry and the passengers of flight 816 to Xana and the FBI involvement. The author knows how to catch the reader early and not let go. It might be an understatement to say that Xana is a strong character. The truth is the reader never knows what she’s going to do next. During her query into the lives of the hijackers, Xana’s paths cross again with Madeline who runs a private security job in Baltimore. They had been Xana’s lover before she went into rehab. I didn’t feel like everything was tied up nicely at the end, however Cost of Life is still an exceptional and fast-paced thriller. Rating: 4 out of 5. show less

I selected this book based on the fact that the main character's name was Xanadu and I needed to complete a challenge which had a character with an X in his/her name. Before we meet Xanadu, we are introduced to Larry Walder, a pilot with a local airline. When Larry's wife and son are kidnapped, he is forced to land his airplane in a field where we soon find out the unique reason everyone on board has been taken hostage.

On the ground, disgraced FBI agent Xanadu Marx is called in to consult and translate. She's refuses to follow instruction, goes rogue, and decides to find where the plane is located. She's definite a rough and tumble character, but the author chose to team her with a young intern dying of cancer in a way that make her show more much more likable.

This wasn't the best book I've read this month but it wasn't a total dud either. I don't know if I would necessarily recommend it but it turned out be fairly suspenseful with an interesting plot twist. show less

This book is perfect for anyone that looks for a fast-paced action book with a great main character. Xana Marx, a disgraced FBI agent, just out of rehab will do anything to track down the plane. She has a temper problem and she recently got out of rehab after she drove under influence into a house and now she risks losing her job. Her boss Jim Christie decided that she needs someone that keeps an eye on her, the young intern Hayley. Hayley has always wanted to be an FBI agent, but because she is dying of bone cancer that will never happen. Xana and Hayley "working" together is actually one of the best things with the book. A cranky elder woman and this young woman that knows that she will never live to be old, but doesn't let that stop show more her working together.

Besides all the action on the ground, we also get to follow the people on the plane. I was surprised when the real reason for the hijacking of the plan was revealed. I had not been expecting that.

In the end, it's a struggle against time. Will they be able to save the hostage? How many will die in the end?

Personally, I found the book OK, it didn't click all the way out for me. But what really made the book for me was Xana Marx and I wouldn't mind reading more books about her and hopefully Hayley. But I couldn't help thinking about the crash in the French Alps not so long ago and that perhaps destroyed the reading mood about. It's been a bit too many planes crashed lately and reading about a hijacking, well that just didn't feel that good. But, beside that fact, I quite liked that book and I'm looking forward to reading more books by Joshua Corin.

3.5 stars

I received a copy from the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for an honest review! show less

Cost of Life: A Xanadu Marx Thriller by Joshua Corin warranted eight stars on a scale of one to five. I was delighted to discover a new author whose main character who was well written and will be long remembered.

Larry Walder is a pilot. His wife Marie and his seven year old son Sean are taken hostage to force him to take a different route in his next flight. There is a unique reason for this hijacking.

Xanadu Marx is an alchoholic ex-FBI agent who drove her car into a house while she was under the influence. She is multi-lingual, unpolished and abrasive in manner. She's also a brilliant heroine. Jim Christie, Special-Agent-in-Charge had promised her a job when she got out of rehab. He didn't have the authority to do this. She wormed show more her way in as a consultant when Flight 816 from Pegasus Airlines is hijacked.

Hayley is a young intern who has always wanted to be an FBI agent. She is dying of bone cancer so knows that will never happen. She is assigned to 'supervise' Xana. While Hayley knows she is dying, that doesn't stop her from working or helping solve this case.

I have added all of Joshua Corin's books to my to be read list. I highly recommend this book for an exciting thriller that kept my attention and was read into the wee hours of the morning.

I received a complimentary kindle copy from Random House Publishing Group-Alibi and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.

"Happy Independence Day. You’re all going to die." show less

This book is perfect for anyone that looks for a fast-paced action book with a great main character. Xana Marx, a disgraced FBI agent, just out of rehab will do anything to track down the plane. She has a temper problem and she recently got out of rehab after she drove under influence into a house and now she risks losing her job. Her boss Jim Christie decided that she needs someone that keeps an eye on her, the young intern Hayley. Hayley has always wanted to be an FBI agent, but because she is dying of bone cancer that will never happen. Xana and Hayley "working" together is actually one of the best things with the book. A cranky elder woman and this young woman that knows that she will never live to be old, but doesn't let that stop show more her working together.

Besides all the action on the ground, we also get to follow the people on the plane. I was surprised when the real reason for the hijacking of the plan was revealed. I had not been expecting that.

In the end, it's a struggle against time. Will they be able to save the hostage? How many will die in the end?

Personally, I found the book OK, it didn't click all the way out for me. But what really made the book for me was Xana Marx and I wouldn't mind reading more books about her and hopefully Hayley. But I couldn't help thinking about the crash in the French Alps not so long ago and that perhaps destroyed the reading mood about. It's been a bit too many planes crashed lately and reading about a hijacking, well that just didn't feel that good. But, beside that fact, I quite liked that book and I'm looking forward to reading more books by Joshua Corin.

3.5 stars

I received a copy from the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for an honest review! show less