Book Review: The Last Flight

THE LAST FLIGHT | Julie Clark
06.23.2020 | Sourcebooks
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Claire Cook has a picturesque life. She has married into a political dynasty, resides in a sprawling Manhattan townhouse equipped with a staff, and wants for nothing. Behind closed doors Claire lives in fear of her husband’s temper. Any wrong move could bring on a fit of rage from Rory. Claire has made plans to finally escape from Rory, but in order to do so, she must vanish. A chance meeting at the airport connects Claire with a woman named Eva who is equally as desperate to disappear. The women swap plane tickets for a chance at new lives and fresh beginnings. When Claire’s original flight crashes and news of her death hits the media she must scramble for a way to escape this new threat. 

THE LAST FLIGHT is the story of one decision changing the lives of two women forever. Claire and Eva are both on the run from lives that they no longer can stay living. While the motivations behind their need to escape may be different, these women are a lot more similar than meets the eye. Clark has created two strong female characters, who truly shine with strength that guides them through a series of hardships they have each encountered over the years and in the present day.

I love when I find a thriller/crime fiction book filled with strong female characters. Far too often this genre relies on an unreliable narrator, which often turns out to be a female struggling with alcohol or drug issues. These storylines don’t do anything for the female population of the world and what we need more of are characters like Claire and Eva. I love that Clark gives the reader every aspect of these women. We learn what makes them tick, what drives them, what scares them. Most importantly we learn how strong they are.

Julie Clark clearly has an ability to craft excellent characters, as seen with Claire, Eva, and a series of important secondary characters. Shining through in this book is also Clark’s ability to captivate an audience. I was hooked literally from the first few pages of this book! What an opener! Clark immediately pulls the reader into this book with a grand reveal from the beginning, which draws the reader’s interest to find out more. From here Clark weaves together two narratives, each following Claire and Eva respectively. These narratives also have differing timelines, which allows the reader to learn about both past and present. 

THE LAST FLIGHT is a thrilling journey in Claire and Eva’s lives and their desperate attempts to find better lives for themselves. This book is the perfect thriller with a timely nod to the #metoo movement. For readers looking for a bingeable summer read, this book is a perfect choice!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you to Sourcebooks for my gifted copy!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.