Scottish novelist Alistair MacLean never planned to become a writer. After serving in the British Royal Navy during World War II, MacLean attended Glasgow University, where he received a degree in English literature. After working briefly as a hospital porter, MacLean secured a job teaching at a secondary school just outside of Glasgow. When he entered his short story "The Dileas" in a competition sponsored by the Glasgow Herald, MacLean had no expectations of ever hearing back from the newspaper Much to his surprise, MacLean won first place. A London-based publisher was so impressed with the story that he encouraged MacLean to submit a novel to his firm. It took MacLean less than three months to write and submit his first book H.M.S. Ulysses was published in 1955. Fear Is the Key is a 1961 first-person narrative thriller. In the prologue, set in May 1958, John Talbot, owner of Trans Carib Air Charter Co is at an airfield in British Honduras, awaiting radio contact with one of his aircraft en route to Tampa, Florida. Not long after establishing contact the aircraft is attacked by a P-51 Mustang, after which all contact is lost. The story starts when he shoots his way out of a courtroom, takes a hostage, and starts his escape. In fact, he has conceived an elaborate plot to track down those responsible for killing his wife and family in a plane crash… You can listen online to free English audiobook “Fear Is the Key” by Alistair MacLean on our website. Enjoy it!
