Clancy Tucker's Blog: 5 October 2015

WHO WAS D.B. COOPER?

G'day folks,

Ever heard of this man? Read on. Oh, not only but also, at the bottom of this post I've included another great review by one of Australia's best book reviewers for my latest novella - Sheeza!

The man who approached the Northwest Orient Airlines counter on the afternoon of November 24, 1971, said his name was Dan Cooper (“D.B.” was a distortion that later appeared in the press). He asked for a one-way ticket from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington—and used cash to pay for it. Wearing a dark suit, he sat in the rear of the plane, lit a cigarette and ordered a bourbon and soda. Shortly after Flight 305 took off, Cooper gave a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb, then showed her something inside a cheap attaché case that did, indeed, resemble a bomb.

Cooper’s demands were simple: $200,000 and four parachutes. When the flight landed in Seattle, Cooper allowed the authorities to evacuate the other 36 passengers and some of the crew in exchange for the money and parachutes. According to Cooper’s instructions, the plane then took off again, heading toward Mexico City at a low altitude. Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada, Cooper jumped out of the plane into a driving thunderstorm and sub-zero air temperatures, wearing only a thin suit, a raincoat and wraparound sunglasses. The pilots landed the plane safely, but Cooper was never seen again.

According to eyewitness accounts, Cooper was a white man in his forties, between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 feet tall and weighing 170 to 180 pounds, with brown eyes. The FBI followed thousands of leads to find Cooper, considering more than 800 suspects in the five years following the incident. Over the years, several suspects have been seriously considered—including Kenneth Christiansen, who worked for the airline and was an experienced paratrooper—and eliminated for various reasons. To this day, it is the only unsolved skyjacking case in American aviation history.

Clancy's comment: I wonder if Mr. Cooper is reading this post today?

REVIEW FOR SHEEZA!

Anastasia Gonis

at Buzzwords Books

Sheeza by Clancy Tucker (Morris Publishing Australia)

PB RRP $18.00 including postage E-book$3.00

(Overseas $21.00 including postage)

ISBN 9780646935843

Danny has an artificial limb and wears glasses. He’s the perfect target for bullies and ‘Mad Dog’ Fletcher is out to get him. Danny can’t play sport so longs to have a dog. Towards this end, he has been doing odd jobs for the lovely oldies in his area, and saving every penny.

He doesn’t want any dog, he wants a Kelpie, to train and enter into the sheep dog trials at the Agricultural Show. He has read every book he could find, and watched every video available in preparation for the moment he gets the go-ahead from his parents.

Joey is Danny’s best friend, confidante, and protector when things get rough. Joey is optimistic, lovable and daring. He balances Danny’s smart and responsible side well which makes for a perfect friendship.

When Danny sees the physically-challenged pup in the pet shop, he knows it’s the one. They bond immediately and training the pup, which he names Sheeza, is a breeze. They end up winning the sheep dog trials at Wanganui.

It’s when Sheeza is stolen that everyone joins the hunt to find her. Who could have taken her? Where can she be and will she ever be found? Posters, Current Affair programs, truckies with two-way radios across Australia and an informed public, set out to find and reunite the dog with the boy.

This is Clancy Tucker’s second novella. He’s a writer who loves to get his teeth into difficult themes and always manages to weave several issues into one story.

A well-researched book, Sheeza incorporates detailed information about working dogs, their training and habits. I loved this story. It kept me reading without stopping until the end. As usual, there are fantastic characters - humans and animals, bad versus good in people, and problems that are overcome due to a tight community and strong friendships. To never give up is a powerful message that flows through all the issues addressed.