June 17th, 2021 by Jane Turner
This review of Falling by T.J. Newman comes courtesy of a Blog Tour organised by Random Things. Falling is published by Simon & Schuster UK on 10 June 2021. I received a free copy of the ARC to review.
You just boarded a flight to New York.
There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.
What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.
For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.
The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.
Enjoy the flight.
There’s been quite a bit of press about this book and author. If you didn’t see it, there was a major bidding war, ending with a 7-figure deal for Ms Newman; a former flight attendant who wrote this book on overnight flights when her passengers were sleeping.
Having read it, I can say with confidence that it is worth every penny.
This is one brilliant read.
Falling starts with Bill Hoffman, our pilot. He’s been having freaky dreams and a bit of a rough time with the wife, Carrie – she’s concerned he’s not making time for his kids. The standard work/life balance thing. Today, he’s missing young Scott’s game to take an extra flight. But Carrie and Scott won’t be making the game either…
The action starts on page 1, pauses for a few pages, then starts again on page 11 and runs all the way to the end. This one just doesn’t let go. I read it in hours.
The plot is well conceived, relatable and fresh. And, scarily, it’s entirely plausible…
The characterisations are excellent; everyone is fleshed and unique. The pilots, flight attendants, family, FBI guy – even the terrorists – are fully formed. We learn much about the operations of a plane in flight and about flight attendant training, about protocols and procedures related to terrorist events.
The writing style is smooth and flowing, nary a hiccup to mention. And there’s no hanging subplots at the end, which I love. Full resolution is achieved. (Though I’m wondering if the second of Ms Newman’s books will be a follow on – what happens to these characters after? I always want to know more…)
Don Winslow is quoted on the cover: “Stunning and relentless. This is Jaws at 35,000 feet”. And I have to agree.
Falling is brilliant.
T.J. Newman, former bookseller turned flight attendant, worked for Virgin America and Alaska Airlines from 2011 to 2021. She wrote much of Falling on cross-country red-eye flights while her passengers were asleep.
She lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Falling is her first novel.
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