About the Book:
Two women. Two Flights. One last chance to disappear.
Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he’s not above using his staff to track Claire’s every move, making sure she’s living up to his impossible standards. But what he doesn’t know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.
A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets ― Claire taking Eva’s flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it’s no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva’s identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.
The Last Flight is the story of two women―both alone, both scared―and one agonizing decision that will change the trajectory of both of their lives.
My Review:
An intelligent, gripping story with a clever twist. The audio book was fast-paced and entertaining. Loved the main protagonists! Highly recommend.
I have been reading lots of darker thrillers lately and had heard SO much about Julie Clark’s The Last Flight that I used one of my precious Audible credits. And it was well worth it! The audio book is fast paced and the dual narrators are spot on as Claire and Eva.
This book has a dual timeline, switched identities, hidden clues and two main protagonists who are women! The clever reader will realize what is in store for one of the main characters, but I was completely surprised by the ending. No spoilers here but the Epilogue was one of the best ones I’ve read in a long time.
Eva James and Claire Cook meet by chance at JFK Airport while Claire is plotting her escape from an abusive marriage. Rory Cook is a beloved public figure who controls Claire’s every move. Charming and handsome, he seduced Claire into his glittering life but behind closed doors became physically and mentally abusive. When her detailed escape plan is ruined, she decides to switch places with Eva for a flight bound for Puerto Rico. Eva flies off to Puerto Rico, while Claire takes Eva’s identity and flies to California. Sounds like the perfect plan!
Claire soon realizes that Eva was not truthful with her at the airport and was actually running from danger herself. And as if things could not get more suspenseful, the plane that Claire was supposed to be on crashes. Her husband will assume she is dead. She is at first hopeful that she has escaped her abusive husband but consumed with guilt that Eva was on the doomed plane. But then it comes out that Claire’s seat was empty! What has happened to Eva?
The Last Flight is a fast-paced, contemporary story about two intelligent and strong women who both found themselves in circumstances beyond their control. I loved the audio book and found the dual narration very enthralling. This thriller was unexpectedly poignant and I look forward to the Julie Clark’s next book!
