The Activist

Issue date: 6/1/09 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Media Credit: Emily Goodson

"The Taking of Pelham 123" is a book filled with mystery and suspense written by John Godey. This is a book that almost seems real and makes you think it could happen anywhere.

The story begins on an average day in New York City. Then, all of a sudden, four men seize a New York City subway train, and hold its passengers hostage. The identities of the hijackers are unknown, their demands seem impossible, and their threats are real. There is one thing that's for sure: They aren't stopping for anything!

"You will all remain seated. Anyone who tries to get up, or even moves, will be shot. There will be no further warning. If you move you will be killed." These are the words of the hijackers to the passengers. At this point I didn't want to put the book down.

The police force is confused by the hijacking of Pelham 123, because they know the subway line it's on is a closed system, meaning that there is no way for any trains to escape. In addition, the train has a dead man's switch that requires any controller person to keep all trains running. This type of stuff prevents any hijackers from escaping from the running train. This is true in real life.

So how did these hijackers do this, you wonder? The four hijackers, led by a man named Ryder, have disabled this switch. These four hijackers are here for the money and aren't leaving until they get it. Once they get their money, they have a plan to kill all the passengers on the train. Not by shooting them, but by doing something they did while on that train.

What happens next? Will the passengers survive and will the hijackers get caught or will everyone be dead and remain a mystery?

The book is a mixture of a suspense thriller and mystery and is going to be a major movie starring John Travolta and Denzel Washington, opening June 12 everywhere. See you at the movie!

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