Velocity (Steve Worland, Michael Joseph)

Judd Bell is a NASA astronaut who has lost his mojo. Ever since his best friend was killed in a shuttle disaster, he’s been doubting himself, and the strain is starting to show. But when terrorists hijack the space shuttle Atlantis, taking his girlfriend captive and preparing to crash a nuclear satellite on US soil, he has to step up, prove he’s a steely-eyed missile man, and save the day. From Cape Canaveral to the central Australian desert, Velocity is a high-concept action conspiracy blockbuster, filled with quirky characters—a nutty Australian chopper pilot who talks to his dog, a nasty German ex-pop star villain—and explosive action that would be super-expensive to film, but is very reasonably priced to read. If you enjoy Matthew Reilly or the movies Mission: Impossible, Die Hard or Armageddon, you’ll love this too. Steve Worland is a screenwriter by trade, and his debut novel is paced exactly like the big-budget movie it will probably become. The plot is completely over the top, the action is utterly unbelievable, and the characters are straight from Hollywood central casting, but it’s perfectly executed and fabulous fun, and I loved every minute.

Lachlan Jobbins is a reviewer, editor and ex-bookseller. He is one of the presenters of For the Love of Books on STUDIO (Foxtel)

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews