Deliveries by Paul Smyth; Over Long But Adventurous Flight Plan

Deliveries by Paul Smyth; Over Long But Adventurous Flight Plan

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Paul Smyth’s Deliveries  is a suspense thriller that can get long and tedious but once it gets going, can be pretty suspenseful and thrilling.

Cargo pilot Paul Jackson accepts an assignment to deliver some cargo to his friend, resort owner, Jack Ward. With his co-pilot, Dave McMurray, Paul takes his Cessna 185F to the air in what should be a typical delivery flight. Unfortunately, inclement weather and a dwindling fuel line make the flight anything but typical. Worse, Paul displays some symptoms of poor health while he is in the air. Some news from Paul’s wife, Diane, makes the situation clearer: Paul should not be flying. He is ill and is currently on what is supposed to be his last flight. However, if they don’t land the plane soon, it really will be their last flight. 

The plot summary makes the book sound more exciting than it really is. For a novel about flying, the book ironically takes a while to get off the ground. Each plot point takes forever to develop before it actually does.

Paul exhibits a few warning symptoms in the air. Then ten chapters later, Diane gets a phone call about a changed appointment. She panics over it for several more pages before she learns what his condition is and what the ramifications are for him while flying. Then she tells his colleagues many, many pages later. It doesn’t build suspense or emotional conflict so much as the characters just repeat the same conversation about Paul’s condition and that he shouldn’t be in the air, etc. After a while the feeling is like, “We got it the first time. Can we move on now?”

Once it finally does, there are genuine moments of suspense. Paul and Dave are hanging on for dear life in the air and the turbulent weather adds to the overall effect of feeling trapped in a large cylinder in high altitude. It takes a long time for a crash or a landing to occur to the point where the suspense can either be gripping or repetitive. Oddly enough in this case it does both. It's repeated often but the Reader is at the edge of their seat while simultaneously rolling their eyes.

The stress by the people on the ground is also keenly felt. In an almost cathartic moment, Diane lets Paul's colleagues have it because of her worry and frustration. Her characterization is not particularly compelling and at times, she comes across as shrill and whiny. However, in this incident, she isn't wrong in her accusations and her outburst is completely justifiable.

Deliveries is like one of those long layover flights. It takes awhile to get you where you need to go, but once it actually gets moving you may like parts of the journey.