Hostage: A Locked-Room Psychological Thriller at 30,000 Feet

What if the only way to save your child... was to let others die?

Hostage by New York Times bestselling author Clare Mackintosh is a nerve-shredding psychological thriller that plunges you into an impossible moral dilemma--and doesn't let go until the final, breathless twist. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, and The Last Flight will devour this masterclass in emotional suspense.

Twenty hours. One plane. Zero good choices.

Mina is a flight attendant, mother, and woman on the edge. She boards the inaugural nonstop flight from London to Sydney hoping for distance--from her unraveling marriage, her daughter's struggles, and her own regrets. Instead, she finds herself trapped at 30,000 feet--when a chilling note warns: Follow our instructions or your daughter dies.

As paranoia spreads and passengers begin to die, Mina must choose: protect the innocent people onboard--or sacrifice them to save her family.

Praise for Hostage:

"Feels like a blockbuster movie." -- Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"An utterly riveting read with so many jaw-dropping twists and turns you won't dare unfasten your seatbelt." -- Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List and The Paris Apartment

"A propulsive read--Hostage will have you questioning 'what would you do?' at every turn." -- Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Wife

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Published Mar 1, 2022

336 pages

Average rating: 6.88

73 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Harrietaspy
May 04, 2025
6/10 stars
Maybe 2.5 starts. I just couldn't bring myself to really care what was happening to these characters and their decisions didn't seem to make any sense.
Chote
Mar 11, 2024
6/10 stars
The book starts off slow but then gets you hooked. So stay with it. If you're going to be traveling on a plane anytime soon, it's not the book to read.
Corarose15
Sep 30, 2022
5/10 stars
This was a slower read for me, took me a while.
Zo
Aug 16, 2022
9/10 stars
This book took me Hostage. I could not put it down! My recommendation, however, would not be to read this on a plane ✈️ 😂

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