A current theory is all wars are about hunger for power, or money, or both. Unfortunately, in this eternal struggle, innocent people suffer, and sometimes the same innocent by-standers make all the difference in making the struggle survivable. It follows that all crimes are about money and power. What is crime, but a war on a smaller scale? J.H. Bogran explores this lust for power and money in his novel, Treasure Hunt.

James Thomas, a lean, competent man, runs Miami’s International Airport. It is not an easy job, but is it one he is used to. Beautiful, blonde and unusually perky Jessica Collins assists him. The Monday starts out like any other with a few messes to unravel until the call comes in.

Mike Smith is tired and irritated by the time he boards the plane in Dallas. He strikes out at the boarding attendant due to the long lines and inevitable waiting to board. An upgrade to first class is his reward for obnoxious behavior. Perhaps, this business trip wouldn’t be as bad as he thought it would be.

Roger Simmons is excited to be flying to Florida with his wife, Mary, and their two young daughters, Sandy and Jill. The girls are the apples of their parents’ eyes. They all deserve a vacation. Roger is a nervous flyer, and it's Mary first flight, but they both put on a good face to encourage their daughters that air travel is perfectly safe.

The last traveler, pilot Bill Porter, insists on the extra benefits that airline employees usually get as a courtesy. He passes through security by simply flashing his pilot's credentials. He seizes a first class seat and brings on two carry-on bags. He even asks the attendant to allow him to visit his old friend Bob, the pilot, in the cockpit. Overall, not an unusual request from another pilot, but this pilot is one with an agenda, a handgun, and two grenades.

Frank Cocker, head of Miami Airport’s Security, gets the call shortly after his shift starts; a plane in the air is being held hostage. His first reaction is shock, quickly moving on to disbelief. It isn’t unusual to get several bogus phone calls a month reporting possible hi-jacking or bomb threats, but this one sounds real. He alerts the airport and the feds. Nothing has ever happened like this, so it is difficult to know what to do. The hijacker’s demand is for five million dollars on landing or he will blow up the plane. Frank has been training for this situation all his life.

Treasure Hunt is a complex tale with a sympathetic antagonist in Bill Porter. It allows ordinary people to rise to extraordinary heights in the performance of their jobs. Passengers who began their flight with a known destination travel deeper into themselves recognizing their true priorities when facing the possibility of impending death.

Treasure Hunt is set in 1970s, which is very important to keep in mind, otherwise, the reader will spend most of their time thinking why such an incident couldn’t happen. Treasure Hunt focuses on the lives of the characters involved in the crisis, as in all thrillers. Unfortunately, there are too many characters to concentrate on. I used a notebook to keep them all straight; most readers won’t. All this is accomplished in one hundred ten pages, which means the characters are snapshots as opposed to being fully rounded. Action and terror are the lead characters, with greed being a strong secondary figure. With that in mind, I can recommend the book to thriller fans.

Reviewed by Morgan Wyatt
© January 2007