First published 2011
In 1971, a quiet passenger slipped a flight attendant a note claiming he carried a bomb. This began the most famous unsolved crime in American aviation history. The man who called himself D. B. Cooper collected $200,000 from Northwest Orient Airlines, then jumped into the stormy Pacific Northwest night and vanished forever. Journalist Geoffrey Gray received a tip about a potential suspect and dove into the decades-old mystery. He interviewed new sources and gained unprecedented access to Cooper's FBI files. Gray recreates the hijacking from multiple perspectives and profiles the obsessed investigators who chased Cooper for years. He introduces Ralph Himmelsbach, the relentless FBI agent who watched a criminal become a folk hero. He follows Karl Fleming, the reporter whose career crumbled over a fake Cooper lead. He meets Barbara Dayton, a transgender pilot who claimed to be Cooper. Gray uncovers fresh evidence and explosive new information that brings readers closer than ever to solving this legendary case.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action, aviation
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigation, mystery
Setting: Pacific Northwest, America
Period: 1971
320 pages · Hardcover · Crown