Pilot Tim O'Hara's life is heading rapidly downhill - reduced to working for a strapped-out South American cargo courier, he finds solace in his hip flask. When the owner rousts him in the middle of the night, caring little for the fact that O'Hara's already exceeded his allowable monthly hours, O'Hara is resigned and apathetic - the only surprise is that co-pilot Grivas, usually more than slack, volunteered for the 'rescue' mission. Samair, a more prestigious passenger carrier, has had a hiccup, and Andes Airlift is taking their passengers on to Santilla.
O'Hara thought the only problem would be passenger-related - these people weren't expecting an unpressurised plane, or a trip through - rather than over - the mountains. And O'Hara wasn't expecting to make a forced landing on a too-short airstrip, at gun point. Grivas had another plan in mind, and before he knows it, O'Hara and the passengers are in a fight for the life. Stranded, at altitude, in inhospitable weather, the only down the mountain is over a broken bridge, with trigger-happy soldiers on the other side.
I realised reading this Bagely novel that I've already managed to get the chronological order wrong, not that it matters. I love High Citadel - the plot is cohesive and involving, the situation is believable but unusual, and the characters are complex and layered. This is generally true for all the Bagley novels, and other staples are present - the traitor from within, the untrustworthy and weak man, the alcoholic (usually the same one), the flawed hero who finds redemtion, the love interest. What sets Bagley apart is his ability to make each plot interesting and unique. In this case that's helped by the unexpected use of medieval weaponry but that, too, is par for the course - you always learn something unexpected. Stay tuned for the next rave about the works of this brilliant writer. - Alex
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