I followed up the book that “inspired” Die Hard with its sequel. No, not the books’ sequel, but the novel that “inspired” Die Hard 2. This was 58 Minutes by Walter Wager.
This is a very, very loose interpretation of “inspired” (or as the cover says: “basis”). About the only thing that this novel and the movie have in common is that terrorists takeover an airport. In this, case, it is JFK Airport in New York, along with the others in the area. They demand the release of seven political prisoners. On the case is airport officials, the FAA, and the NYPD chief terrorist captain, Frank Malone, who just happens to be there because his daughter is flying in. The plane she is on will run out of fuel in 58 minutes, hence the title.
It's fine, as these thrillers go. It’s not necessarily a “page turner” but it’s not boring. There are quite a few conveniences to make the plot happen. One of my biggest pet peeves is that, at the end of the story, Malone is convinced that there was an inside person who helped it all happen, he and the others say they need to figure out who it is, and then they all live happily ever after. Did the author not know who it was? You can’t just leave that important piece dangling. Maybe the author was an early influence on J.J. Abrams?
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