Blue Skies

April 19, 2004
Drawing on her husband's experiences as a pilot and executive in the commercial airline business, Carr (Down by the River
, etc.) spins a detailed but none too compelling tale focusing on the career ups and downs of pilot Nikki Burgess. After the death of her ex-husband, Nikki decides to move from Phoenix to Las Vegas to take a job at start-up airline New Century Air. Her friends Carlisle Bartlett and Dixie McPherson, both flight attendants and both recently separated from their lovers, follow her to Vegas. Unfortunately, Nikki's narcissistic mother, Opal, does too. Present ostensibly for comic relief, Opal continually refers to Carlisle as "that nice young homosexual man," which is less hilarious than the author seems to think it is. Nikki's battles with Bob Riddle, vice-president of operations, also grow tiresome. Though Nikki and Dixie eventually develop solid relationships with fellow pilots, the book focuses more on the inner workings of the airline industry and the challenges Nikki faces at work than on the characters' relationships. These airline details can be fascinating, but too often, the story descends into tedium.