A fiction thriller based on the shootdown of a Finnish airliner named Kaleva by 2 Russian fighters on Friday, June 14th, 1940 during a short flight from Estonia to Finland. The reason behind this tragic event forms the red line throughout the book.
The story begins 45 years later with the crash of a Boeing 747 at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport, carrying a Finnish passenger named Vellu. After touching down, the aircraft slides off the runway leaving the passengers unharmed. Interestingly, while writing this review, another 747-F recently slid off the runway in Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok Airport which gives the book a striking sense of realism. From that moment on, we follow the adventures of Vellu, a researcher and author, who sets out to uncover the reason why the Kaleva was shot down, even though Finland and Russia were not at war at that time.
His search takes him from Hong Kong to London, Helsinki and Tallinn (at that time part of the USSR) accompanied by Rog, a RAF Jaguar fighter pilot who has fallen out of favor with his government and is forced to assist Vellu in his quest for the truth. In the beginning the book reads more like a travel guide, highlighting what Hong Kong and Helsinki have to offer visitors. But gradually the story turns darker and more violent as the two men are drawn deeper into the world of international espionage. The plot is laced with elements of sex and aviation, leading to a dramatic finale were they attempt to escape from lifelong captivity by the Russians in an Antonov An-2.
The book starts off slowly but grows into a powerful thriller once the action begins, featuring brutal confrontations with the Mossad and the Russian secret services. A smooth and exciting read with an unexpected and surprising ending..
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