"As compelling as any Hollywood thriller"
-- Daniel Rosenthal, British award-winning author and former editor of VARIETY INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE
November 1985 - An EgyptAir airliner is forced to land in Malta, its passengers caught between armed hijackers and clashing superpowers. In the control tower, Malta’s Prime Minister faces impossible choices — decisions that will define his country’s sovereignty, his own legacy and seal the fate of over ninety souls on board.
SELECT REVIEWS
"A riveting page turner from start to finish. Jam-packed with nail-biting events that play out in real time and captures a significant moment in history where disastrous choices lead to an unbelievable climax. Gripping."
- Anthony Mitchell from UK, former Netflix & BBC showrunner, quoted from Amazon reviews
"As compelling as any Hollywood thriller"
- Daniel Rosenthal, British award-winning author & former editor of VARIETY INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE
"The style of writing is easy to read and draws the reader in very quickly. It is a real page turner and doesn't waste extraneous verbiage on irrelevant details."
- Alan Lawson, advertising producer from Ireland quoted from Goodreads
"One of the most compelling books I have ever read about the recent history of our country... Through in-depth and meticulous research, Malcolm Scerri Ferrante gives a powerful insight into those crucial hours. Even though the ending is well known, the narrative keeps you fully engaged from beginning to end. What makes Sovereign even more powerful is the use of first-hand testimonies and raw recordings from the airport control room, giving the story authenticity and depth. An important read. Highly recommended."
- Noel Formosa, Mayor of San Lawrenz, Malta, quoted from Facebook
"Malcolm develops a believable narrative among these officials based on video and audio clips taken during a frenzied 24 hour period of time, and in the days that followed. He successfully creates a plausible dialogue based on these fractured pieces. The time of the hijacking involved chaos and inexperience, and the author weaves these elements quite well."
- Ed Leonard, Canadian victim of the Egyptair hijack, quoted from Goodreads
"Brilliantly researched. Beautifully observed. Thrilling and horrifying both. A tour de force."
- Derek Frost, author from UK, quoted from Goodreads
"Although this isn’t a genre I’d normally pick up, I was completely drawn in by this insightful, balanced, and beautifully written account of the tragic events that left so many dead and injured. The author delivers not only a compelling narrative but also a powerful cautionary tale about what happens when political ideology triumphs over humanity. Despite the horror of the circumstances, I found myself deeply moved by the portrait of a man burdened with the consequences of his decisions."
- Christa Schoeman, designer from South Africa, quoted from Amazon review
"Done. I have read the first book in my life. It drew me in. Really proud to have read. Thanks for encouraging me."
- Sammy Bruggeman, inventor and designer from Belgium
"This book is a masterpiece. I read it in one sitting, completely unable to put it down. This book drew me in immediately from the first page."
- Emma Brownrigg Fenech, student and part-time journalist from Malta, quoted from Goodreads
"Read the book on the plane. Half on the way to Sweden and the other half yesterday on my return to Malta. I enjoyed the book. The last book I read was at school."
- Franco Farrugia, retired manager with Bank of Valletta
"Incredible event which happened in Malta - An excellent book beautifully describing an actual event that happened in Malta some years ago"
- LauChis, quoted from Amazon
"I finally found a couple of days to read Sovereign. And what can I say? I couldn’t put it down - a real tour de force. It was totally riveting, moving and so frustrating, as you get so wrapped up in the story and realise all the wrong choices made... I want to shout at him and tell him to stop being so rigid and immovable. It is still in my mind, still visualising those terrible murders of innocent passengers."
- Betty Berry, UK national living in Malta
"This is an extremely powerful and fast-paced read, leaves you quite breathless. I remember the tragedy well, and reading this account pretty much confirms what I thought at the time - how political ideology and hardheadedness, and their subsequent interference in matters they should have no say in, can and will lead to horrifying and avoidable results."
- Daniel Zammit Lupi, Reuters Photojournalist & Stills Photographer, quoted from Amazon
SOVEREIGN is a gripping dramatisation inspired by the true hijack of Flight MS 648 — a moment when politics, ideology, and human survival collided. With the dialogue between the control tower and terrorists drawn from actual court transcripts, it immerses readers in the tension of a nation pushed to its limits.
A WHSmith/Agenda best-seller
(Malta, 12 Nov - 22 Dec)