Here are 93 books that Flight MH370 fans have personally recommended if you like
Flight MH370.
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I didnât sit down to write Carried Away with a personal sermon in my back pocket. No buried lessons or hidden curriculumâit was just a story I wanted to tell. But stories have a way of outsmarting you.Â
So when I chose these books, I wasnât looking for perfect comparisonsâI was looking for echoes. Some of these books will drag you through POW camps or strand you on a lifeboat with a tiger; others will lean in and whisper that youâve been running a program and calling it personality. A few say the quiet part out loudâabout grit, meaning, and purpose. Others ring you up with fable, abstractions, or science, but they leave their mark just the same.Â
This book hit me as both tragic and strangely hopeful.
Chris McCandless walked into the Alaskan wilderness with little more than a backpack and a stubborn streak, and people have argued ever since: was he brave, reckless, or just plain stupid? But his compulsion isnât as rare as we might think. In my book, Cole feels the same tugâescape the sterile shoebox apartment and the $8 lattes. This canât be all there is.
What drew me in wasnât the verdict but his hunger for something realâstripping away every layer of artifice most of us cling to. Krakauer tells it with empathy and curiosity, letting you wrestle with the questions instead of handing you neatly typed answers. I recommend it because it forces you to stare down your own compromises: freedom versus responsibility, idealism versus pragmatism.
Admire Chris or dismiss him, you wonât forget him. And the story lingers like aâŠ
Krakauerâs page-turning bestseller explores a famed missing person mystery while unraveling the larger riddles it holds: the profound pull of the American wilderness on our imagination; the allure of high-risk activities to young men of a certain cast of mind; the complex, charged bond between fathers and sons.
"Terrifying... Eloquent... A heart-rending drama of human yearning." âNew York Times
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned allâŠ
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to runâŠ
My academic writing is focused on leadership, and leading mutinies is probably the most dangerous thing any leader can do: the chances of success are slim and the likelihood of the leaders surviving even a successful mutiny are negligible. So why do it? The book suggests an answer through a typology of dissent that is rooted in the environment mutineers find themselves in, but that still doesnât explain by very similar conditions generate very different outcomes. To explain that I turned to two ideas: the importance of the moral economy and the role of the puer robustus â the inveterate recalcitrant who takes it upon themselves to resolve the despotic situation.
If ever there was a mutiny that road roughshod over the romantic assumptions that mutineers were the âbetter angelsâ of these events, then the mutiny on the Bataviais it. In 1628 the largest ship owned by the Dutch East India Company during the Golden Age of the Netherlands is shipwrecked and taken over by Jeronimus Cornelisz and his gang of mutineers. They then establish a dystopian world on a deserted island and systematically murder many of those who survive before the last survivors are rescued. You need a strong stomach to read this, but it is an important warning for idealists and romantics.
From the bestselling author of Tulipomania comes Bataviaâs Graveyard, the spellbinding true story of mutiny, shipwreck, murder, and survival.
It was the autumn of 1628, and the Batavia, the Dutch East India Companyâs flagship, was loaded with a kingâs ransom in gold, silver, and gems for her maiden voyage to Java. The Batavia was the pride of the Companyâs fleet, a tangible symbol of the worldâs richest and most powerful commercial monopoly. She set sail with great fanfare, but the Batavia and her gold would never reach Java, for the Company had also sent along a new employee, Jeronimus Corneliszoon,âŠ
Jane Finch lives in Norfolk, England and is married with one son. Jane has travelled extensively and has also lived in Canada, Spain, and the Caribbean. Having spent over twenty-five years working in English Law, Jane decided to try her hand at writing crime thrillers. Her first novel, Due Process, is based in her hometown in Norfolk. Her book, The Black Widows, published by Solstice Publishing, reached the top ten of Amazonâs crime thriller list. Jane is a member of International Thriller Writers Inc. Now retired, Jane is free to write full-time, when inspired to do so, although she says, âNone of my friends tell me anything anymore because they know Iâll write about it!â
When John Darwin got into debt and ran out of money-making ideas, he decided to fake his own death so that his wife could claim the life insurance. The plan was to move to another country and live off the proceeds of his crime. But things didnât go to plan. The arrogance and ineptitude of John Darwin, and his complete disregard for his family, defies belief. I couldnât wait to read this book and was not disappointed. It has now been made into a drama by the BBC in the UK.
When Anne Darwin told the world and her family that her husband, John, had disappeared while canoeing in the North Sea, her life changed forever.
She had just lied to the police, the press, her friends and neighbours, insurance companies and her own sons.
While her husband hid in a bedsit in their rental house next door, Anne had to face the music. She claimed the life insurance payouts, endured the police questioning, accepted the consolations and left the country she loved to start her life again.
But why, when she had been perfectly happy with her lifestyle, knowing herâŠ
The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More
by
Meredith Marple,
The coastal tourist town of Great Wharf, Maine, boasts a crime rate so low you might suspect someoneâs lying.
Nevertheless, jobless empty nester Mallory Cooper has become increasingly reclusive and fearful. Careful to keep the red wine handy and loath to leave the house, Mallory misses her happier selfâand soâŠ
I am a novelist who loves stories that express deep emotions and life-changing experiences, suspenseful stories that explore how humankind responds to tragedy, to heartache, and to joy, so that is what I write. My stories donât come from me; they come through me. I often listen to scene-setting music full blast over and over again as scenes form in my head and the words pour onto the page. I donât write my stories in order. I usually know the beginning and end, but I write whatever scene I âseeâ and then arrange them in the right order when Iâm done.
I loved The Waltons, the closeness of the family, and how they solved typical family squabbles. As an adult, I watched every episode again with my kids, so I was thrilled when I actually met The Homecoming author Earl Hamner, Jr. (the real John-Boy Walton/Clay-Boy Spencer) in an online writersâ group way back when the internet was first invented. We became great online friends. His John-Boy character inspired the character in my book, a good-hearted teen who, despite living in modern times, traverses his small southern town on a horse, just as John-Boy rode Blue, his mule.
A young man searches for his missing father on Christmas Eve in this sequel to Spencerâs Mountain, the novel that inspired The Waltons.  Itâs the night before Christmas, but Clay Spencer has failed to return home. Leaving his worried family to keep watch at the homestead, his son, Clay-Boy, takes to the snowy Virginia hills in search of his father. Along the way, he will meet an irate deer, a threatening county sheriff, a congregation of African American churchgoers, and two elderly women who happen to be bootleggersâin this tale filled with warmth, humor, and emotion.  Along with Spencerâs Mountain,âŠ
USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King's Daughter - âSubtle, brilliant and mature . . . as good as a thriller can be.â â The New York Times Book Review, and soon to be a major motion picture starring Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn, and The Wicked Sister, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2020. "Massively thrilling and altogether unputdownable. Dionne is proving to be one of the finest suspense writers working today.â â Karin Slaughter
Frankie Elkin doesnât know the woods, but she knows how to find people.
As she and her rescue team head into the Wyoming wilderness in search of a lost hiker, it quickly becomes clear that someone is tracking them; someone who will do whatever it takes to stop them. Gardner is an avid hiker, and her intimate knowledge of the rugged Wyoming backcountry shines on every terrifying page.
This immersive, propulsive, utterly chilling, and yet deeply moving wilderness thriller is one of the best books I read all year.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner, a chilling thriller about a young man gone missing in the wilderness of Wyoming . . . and the secrets uncovered by the desperate effort to find him  Timothy OâDay knew the woods. Yet when he disappeared on the first night of a bachelor party camping trip with his best friends in the world, he didnât leave a trace. What he did leave behind were two heartbroken parents, a crew of guilt-ridden groomsmen, and a pile of clues that donât add up.  Frankie Elkin doesnât know the woods, but she knowsâŠ
I'm the oldest granddaughter of Leora, who lost three sons during WWII. To learn what happened to them, I studied casualty and missing aircraft reports, missions reports, and read unit histories. Iâve corresponded with veterans who knew one of the brothers, who witnessed the bomber hit the water off New Guinea, and who accompanied one brotherâs body home. Iâm still in contact with the family members of two crew members on the bomber. The companion book, Leoraâs Letters, is the family story of the five Wilson brothers who served, but only two came home.
The B-25 of one Wilson brother was lost off New Guinea. This book is about the location and recovery of the remains of 22 men lost with a B-24 in New Guinea in 1944. Fascinating but tedious forensic work identified all 22 men.
Part I tells about bird hunters in Papua New Guinea finding remains of a large plane in 1980 and about Bruce Hoy, the first curator of the Aviation Maritime and War Branch of the National Museum and Art Gallery of Papua New Guinea, who was obsessed with finding the remains of about 350 aircraft downed there between 1942 and 1945. A team, including the two bird hunters, located and identified the B-24, mapping out an area to begin identifying the human remains and artifacts with X-numbers. The pilot was from Iowa.
This book is historically valuable but also a poignant human story.
An in-depth account of the discovery of a crashed American bomber missing for thirty-eight years and the painstaking identification of the plane's passengers
Donât mess with the hotheadâor he might just mess with you. Slater Ibåñez is only interested in two kinds of guys: the ones he wants to punch, and the ones he sleeps with. Things get interesting when they start to overlap. A freelance investigator, Slater trolls the dark side ofâŠ
Iâve always loved crime books and I love writing YA so why not combine the two! It makes fun school talks (I get to do a lot â so much more enjoyable than talking to adults!), especially when you get to discuss crimes with teenagers before the teachers realise! Most of them are amazed the kids are getting into reading before they actually realise weâre discussing ways to kill people! And this is what books should be about (not necessarily violence of course) but thrilling, page turning, who did it, what happened stories. If I can get kids reading â then job done!
Ellie is an Australian writer and we share the same publisher so Iâve got to know her a little. This is her first book set in the States (us antipodean writers need bigger readerships!) and I think sheâs done great. I canât even start to imagine the research thatâs gone into it to make every fact right. And the blood! I love this book. I think itâs the perfect introduction for teenagers into the world of crime fiction. Go Ellie!
In 1982, two teenagers-serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell-are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case-a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers-things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson.
Since my childhood reading of Enid Blytonâs Secret Seven books Iâve been addicted to series. I love the character development, that ability to learn more about your favourite with each new story. Crime thrillers became my preferred leisure reading as an adult and, unsurprisingly my passion when I began a full-time writing career. My background as a retired detective from Irelandâs police force helps me understand the individual stresses on investigators and the strain of maintaining relationships and family life while pursuing suspects and protecting lives. I lived in Dublin for over twenty-five years and enjoy using the ever-changing city as a base for my series.
The quest to endure and overcome against seemingly impossible odds is a strong theme with The Highway. I liked that and also that the characters came alive from the first page.
The main character Cassie Dewellâs interaction with those around her keeps you guessing as to whether she is smart or flaky. As a rookie investigator in a rural sheriffâs department beset with corruption she has her work cut out to survive. The stressed interplay of her family and work life ramps up tension when she gets on the trail of a serial killer, snatching his victims from highways and truck stops. The plot is compelling and you hold your breath as you leaf through each page. If page-turning crime thrillers are your thing, I recommend The Highway.
When two sisters set out across a remote stretch of Montana road to visit their friend, little do they know it will be the last time anyone might ever hear from them again. The girlsâand their carâsimply vanish. Former police investigator Cody Hoyt has just lost his job and has fallen off the wagon after a long stretch of sobriety. Convinced by his son and his former rookie partner, Cassie Dewell, he begins the drive south to the girls' last known location. As Cody makes his way to the lonely stretch of Montana highway where they went missing, Cassie discoversâŠ
When I started writing mysteries, beginning with St. Martinâs Malice Award-winning Southern Fried,I wanted to get the medical, investigative, and courtroom details right. What better resource than good first-hand accounts from professionals who do those things every day? I must admit that, over several decades now, Iâve fallen down the rabbit hole. Real life is full of stories that, if told as fiction, would leave readers rolling their eyes in disbelief. The gruesome and cruel donât interest me. Iâm drawn to the storytellers who can capture the worst moments and turn them into finely written, compelling, accurate stories, showing us the complexity of life.
Journalist and award-winning crime writer Val McDermid is known for her gritty novels. In Forensics, she draws on her connections to introduce us to forensic crime fighting around the world. The best part for me: she introduced behind-the-scenes elements to cases I thought I already knew. And she is a novelist. She knows how to tell a good story.
In the course of researching her best-selling books, McDermid has become familiar with many branches of forensics, and now she uncovers the history of this science and the people who make sure that for murderers, there is no hiding place. Forensic scientists can unlock the mysteries of the past and help serve justice using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene, or the faintest of human traces. Now available in paperback, Forensics goes behind the scenes with some of these top-level professionals and their groundbreaking research, drawing on original interviews and firsthand experience on scene with top forensicâŠ
I was a broadcast journalist for many years and Iâm fascinated by the experiences of others doing that work. I love everything about it in my rearview mirror! From gossip about how famous newspeople behave behind closed doors to the nitty gritty of gathering facts to shaping a storyâonce itâs in your blood, itâs there for life. Iâve also spent a fair bit of energy defending journalism from people who are only guessing how it happens. Each of these books reveals a different but genuine reality about it. I hope you find them as compelling as I did.
I loved the way Ronan Farrow not only broke the Harvey Weinstein story but fought off repeated attempts to kill it. Much of a journalistâs work is a little mundaneâchecking facts, interviewing people by asking the same questions over and overâbut it can end up in something that literally moves pop culture, like this story.
Farrow takes us step by step. He also had resources and support that many other journalists simply donât have and this book profoundly illustrates why real journalism matters.
'Dripping with jaw-dropping revelations' Telegraph
'Absorbing' New York Times
In a dramatic account of violence and espionage, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow exposes serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost.
In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to eliteâŠ
