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Book Reviews

Recent reviews of Flight 7 Is Missing: The Search for My Father’s Killer

  • “My God. If you read only one book this year, this is the one to get your hands on. Exceptionally well-written by author Ken Fortenberry, “Flight 7 Is Missing” evocatively tells the story of his father, his family, and his fifty year crusade to find the truth behind one of the most baffling events in American aviation history. It is a stunning piece of work that will keep you riveted from beginning to end. – Donald M. Stinson, Author, “Downstairs at the White House”

 

 

  • “Everyone likes a good mystery, particularly when it involves an actual event. In this case, it’s one of the unsolved mysteries of U.S. aviation history. The fact that the author is the son of the co-pilot/navigator on the flight in question obviously makes it something personal. The fact that the aircraft disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on November 8, 1957, only helps to emphasize and enforce the mystery behind it.” —Thomas McClung, New York Journal of Books
  • “A very personal and detailed account by an obvious top-notch investigative reporter. From the first page until the last chapter, you wonder if the mystery will be solved — and that makes it a book impossible to put down. The letters from Dad sprinkled through the book illustrate where this author got his writing talents — oh, if we all could express ourselves so eloquently. The overwhelming amount of research for this project restores faith in business of newspaper reporting. A must-read for true-crime lovers.”  – Susan on Goodreads.com

 

  • “For many readers, good writing is the first qualifier, often eclipsing subject matter. Flight 7 Is Missing: The Search For My Father’s Killer does not disappoint. You’ll enjoy a real-life tragedy, the pain and heart-ache of a loving family who lost their hero husband and father. It is an aviation whodunit and tells the persistent, meticulous, and decades-long research by the author to discover the causes of the crash of the luxury airliner co-piloted by his dad. Fortenberry’s writing flows with ease, drawing you in, captivating, and transporting you to November 1957 when Flight 7, a Pan American Boeing Stratocruiser, mysteriously drops off the radar in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s a fast-paced page-turner!” – Sheila K. on Goodreads.

 

  • “Gripping Flight 7 chronicles real-life mystery . . . Fortenberry excels in capturing the human cost of the tragedy — not only for his own family, but for the other families as well. He documents the ups and downs of his investigation in a gripping style.” – John Berger, Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

 

  • “Exhaustively researched and painstakingly detailed, Ken Fortenberry’s journey through the onion that surrounded the fate of Flight 7 is the type of investigative journalism rarely attempted today. Fortenberry’s tenacity is evident in his copiously detailed analysis of information he gathered over decades of dogged determination to find his father’s killer.” – Dave on Goodreads.com

 

  • “Ken Fortenberry exemplifies the definition of perseverance in Flight 7 is Missing. Intrigue, agony and sheer determination exude throughout an account of one of America’s greatest aviation mysteries. Readers will be captivated by the endless variables, twists and turns, and gut wrenching heartbreak experienced throughout the book. It’s evident from the first few pages that this is the author’s lifelong crusade to uncover why he lost his father on board Pan American Flight 7.  There were many moments where I felt like I was standing beside the author experiencing the thrill of a new-found clue and the disappointment of a dead end. Fortenberry crafted a remarkable story of how Flight 7 not only affected his life but the thousands of others connected to the disappearance of 44 lives in November 1957. Fasten your seat belt. You’re in for one heck of a ride.” – Jason Ross on Goodreads.

 

 

  • “Flight 7 is Missing” hits the mark with intrigue, mystery and a wow factor of ‘could these things have really happened?’  It’s worth the read.” – Gordon Paulus in Snowbirds Gulf Coast magazine.
  • “Flight 7 is Missing is written in such a way that you could be watching a movie. The story is fast-paced and gripping. It reads like a novel but be under no illusion: this is a true story. An amazing book. I would give it 10 out 10.” – Graham Florence, aviation enthusiast, England.
  • “Detective stories featuring an impossible task and a lone investigator who simply can’t “let it go” have long produced fascinating tales from which we dare not turn away.  But when the twisted and tortured trail of the detective’s quest is a true story, it becomes all the more unforgettable.  In this truly compelling work, the disappearance over water of a giant four-engine airliner on a dark November night in 1957 resulted in the loss of 44 passengers and crew, and the burning question of “Why?” drove a major investigation following a massive search.
Captain John J. Nance

“Ken Fortenberry is the author and the protagonist of this story – the Don Quixote who doggedly chases seemingly unknowable answers across six decades – a man who refuses to give up because his quest is the immutable determination to discover who murdered his beloved father – one of the pilots of Flight 7.  Within disturbing echoes of the contemporary disappearance of Malaysia 360, this is a torture of cold trails and frightened relatives, but in the end, you’ll be as convinced as I am about the ultimate causes of the crash, the perpetrator of the crime, and the heroism of a loving son who refused to give up.

“If you’ve ever loved an aviation-based ‘whodunit’ you’ll treasure the genuine nature of this book! This is a must-read!”  – John J. Nance, Aviation Analyst, ABC World News & New York Times Bestselling author

  • “A fascinating read.  Flight 7 is Missing  is that ‘rara avis’ – a deeply-researched but riveting mystery; a real page-turner.”  – Gregg Herken, Curator Emeritus, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

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Reviews of Kill the Messenger:

“A chilling story that should be read by everyone interested in the role of the press in our society” – Don McKinney, former managing editor of McCall’s.

“I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I read it as fast as I read “Into Thin Air,” in a few days not weeks. It is very well written and a scary portrait of the town where my dad and his three siblings grew up. It is very captivating and in the deep south, unfortunately not very surprising.” – Amazon reviewer.

“Engaging account of small-town newspapering.” – Tallahassee Democrat.

“. . . proof that remnants of the bigoted, narrow-minded, good ol’ boy South of legend still exist.” – Gannett News Service.

“A lively account that reads at times like ‘All the Kings’s Men.’ One has to admire his courage in pursuit of truth and justice in the face of adversity.” – Atlanta Constitution.

“Fortenberry’s account of his victories and eventual defeat as a crusading newspaper editor in South Carolina is powerful. His crusade succeeded in unseating two successive sheriffs, and the persecution worsened. When bombs were set off on his property, Fortenberry decided to sell the paper and leave town, concluding that his fight could not be won.’ – Publishers Weekly.

“If you are a fan of the Buford Pusser story as told in ‘Walking Tall,’ then you will thoroughly enjoy this book.” – Houston Home Journal.

 

Reviews of The Field on Hanging Tree Road:

“If any book I’ve ever read needs to be made into a movie, it’s this one! Holy Cow! I couldn’t put it down. I’m shocked that it hasn’t received much more acclaim. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing a lot.” – Amazon Reviewer

“The only reason I didn’t finish it in one sitting is cause I had to work the next morning. Great page-turner with great story twists.” – Amazon Reviewer