Flying Boat is a historical novel that depicts early long-distance airline commercial passenger service from a copilot's perspective. These earliest flights were in seaplanes. Most large cities had harbors. Before airports and longer runways, flying boats, heavily laden with fuel, could make safe takeoffs and landings with a measure of convenience and safety. During the 1930s, while war was brewing in Europe, commercial airlines were expanding their route systems. Pan American Airways flew from New York City to Rio de Janeiro and then from Oakland, California, to Hong Kong. This novel is a story of when travelers transitioned from boats to planes.
Advance Praise for Unsettled States
Heresy Press, 2023
"A good old-fashioned mystery novel that goes beyond its elegantly crafted whodunit into the deeper, messier mysteries of mental disorder and religious belief. Unsettled States is as thoughtful and thought- provoking as it is fun." - Kurt Andersen, author of Heyday
"Casey weaves together diverse and seemingly discordant storylines, and in the end settles the score in unexpected ways. Unsettled Sates is the work of a great writer working at the top of his game." - Daniel Frisch, author of Looking Forward to Monday Morning
"Diversely average characters given extravagant but believable situations with satisfying but sometimes unexpected resolutions at the end. A remarkable literary achievement." - Michael Mailer, writer & filmmaker
"The lives of citizens in a small Connecticut town are anything but simple in this enchanting book ... The dysfunction hovering over suburbia is not exclusive to the life of a cop or a voyeur, as the story's drama encapsulates the dissolution of two prominent couple's marriages. The characters are well-developed, and the plot's pacing is consistent, with more than a few surprises thrown in to make for a fulfilling read." - Philip Zozzaro, US Review of Books
"Good character development and fast pacing add to the book's appeal, as do some moments of levity that effectively vary the tone ... An often- thrilling novel that's likely to satisfy mystery buffs." - Kirkus Review
Other novels by Tom Casey Human Error, St. Martin's Press, 1996
Strangers' Gate, Tor/Forge, 2006 Praise for Strangers' Gate and Human Error
Strangers' Gate
"From the brilliance of the opening chapter, one is aware of a writer with an exceptional point of view. I know of no other American novel where the protagonist is an accomplished pilot who can write the story with his own fair share of winged prose." - Norman Mailer, winner of the American Book Award, author of The Naked and the Dead
"Strangers' Gate is the best noir thriller since James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice. Casey is a star of the fist magnitude."
- David Hagberg, author of Soldier of God
"Tom Casey is a pilot's pilot and a writer's writer. This fast-paced story rockets you from one bed to another as it builds to a climactic and bloody finish."
- Walter J. Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Human Error
"Tom Casey evokes the personal and corporate dramas that follow in the wake of a major airline crash with tremendous power. Anyone who has ever wondered about the lives of commercial pilots or the corporate intrigues and strategies of the major carriers and their regulators will find a world opening to him in this novel. As there are great sea stories, this is a great story of the air. A suspenseful and informative read." - Robert Stone, winner of the National Book Award, author of Dog Soldiers
"A first-rate debut novel." - Kirkus Reviews (starred)
