Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster (2021), 304 pages
Description
Thirty minutes before a flight to New York, the family of the pilot is kidnapped and in order for them to live, all 143 passengers onboard must die in the first novel by a former flight attendant.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jfe16
Review of Advance Reader’s Edition
On an ordinary Saturday morning, Bill Hoffman prepares to fly an Airbus A320 on a transcontinental flight lasting roughly six hours, traveling from Los Angeles International Airport to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
It’s an ordinary
Until it’s not.
It's not because there's an unexpected ultimatum for the pilot: Your family will die unless you crash the plane.
What choice will Bill make? Will he choose the lives of his wife, Cassie, ten-year-old son Scott, and ten-month-old daughter Elise? Or will he choose the one hundred forty-nine souls aboard Coastal Airways Flight 146?
Readers will find themselves pulled into the telling of this riveting tale from the outset. Anchored by a strong sense of place and filled with credible, relatable characters, this can’t-put-it-down thriller radiates palpable tension. Underlying whispers of menace permeate the compelling narrative as it plays out on the ground and in the air.
Although told mostly in the present, the story benefits from flashbacks that provide some backstory and give both the characters and the story depth and authenticity. The pace is relentless, the action, non-stop, and the book, impossible to set aside, especially with the stupendous plot twist readers simply won’t see coming, the one that changes everything for the aircrew.
Readers are sure to empathize with the stalwart pilot determined to save both his family and his passengers, the courageous mother defending her children, and the courageous flight attendants determined to do their part to thwart the terrorists and keep the passengers safe.
There’s much to appreciate in this tale of bravery in the face of terrorism; it belongs in every reader’s must-read pile.
Highly recommended.
On an ordinary Saturday morning, Bill Hoffman prepares to fly an Airbus A320 on a transcontinental flight lasting roughly six hours, traveling from Los Angeles International Airport to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
It’s an ordinary
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flight.Until it’s not.
It's not because there's an unexpected ultimatum for the pilot: Your family will die unless you crash the plane.
What choice will Bill make? Will he choose the lives of his wife, Cassie, ten-year-old son Scott, and ten-month-old daughter Elise? Or will he choose the one hundred forty-nine souls aboard Coastal Airways Flight 146?
Readers will find themselves pulled into the telling of this riveting tale from the outset. Anchored by a strong sense of place and filled with credible, relatable characters, this can’t-put-it-down thriller radiates palpable tension. Underlying whispers of menace permeate the compelling narrative as it plays out on the ground and in the air.
Although told mostly in the present, the story benefits from flashbacks that provide some backstory and give both the characters and the story depth and authenticity. The pace is relentless, the action, non-stop, and the book, impossible to set aside, especially with the stupendous plot twist readers simply won’t see coming, the one that changes everything for the aircrew.
Readers are sure to empathize with the stalwart pilot determined to save both his family and his passengers, the courageous mother defending her children, and the courageous flight attendants determined to do their part to thwart the terrorists and keep the passengers safe.
There’s much to appreciate in this tale of bravery in the face of terrorism; it belongs in every reader’s must-read pile.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Falling is T.J. Newman's debut novel. And I just have to tell you the story behind the book before I tell you how much I enjoyed Falling!
T. J. Newman, a former bookseller turned flight attendant, worked for Virgin America and Alaska Airlines from 2011 to 2021. She wrote much of Falling on
"Bookseller turned flight attendant writes sensational thriller set on an airplane, gets rejected by forty-one literary agents before finding the right one, and then sells it in a major multibook deal to the first editor to whom it's submitted."
I am most definitely not a fan of flying. (You might not be either after this tale!) This isn't a spoiler, but is the publisher's description...." 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."
Oh, great premise! There are so many ways this plot could unfold - and Newman gives us enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. Newman's familiarity with commercial flying gives her setting and characters detail and believability. The characters are all intense, from the captain, the flight crew and the 'bad guy'. I think Jo, the lead flight crew member was my favourite, but Big Daddy is a close second. Just as intense is the action - it just never lets up. And that means I couldn't stop turning pages. Easily done in a day.
Yes, you might have to suspend belief a few times, but just go with it.
Falling reads like an action movie - think Die Hard and Speed. The film rights have already sold to Universal Pictures. (Betcha those first forty one agents that said no are kicking themselves!)
Looking for an addictive read for the the beach bag? Pick up Falling! And I can't wait to see what Newman writes next.
T. J. Newman, a former bookseller turned flight attendant, worked for Virgin America and Alaska Airlines from 2011 to 2021. She wrote much of Falling on
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cross-country red-eye flights while her passengers were asleep. But getting it published was a whole 'nother thing.... From the publisher:"Bookseller turned flight attendant writes sensational thriller set on an airplane, gets rejected by forty-one literary agents before finding the right one, and then sells it in a major multibook deal to the first editor to whom it's submitted."
I am most definitely not a fan of flying. (You might not be either after this tale!) This isn't a spoiler, but is the publisher's description...." 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."
Oh, great premise! There are so many ways this plot could unfold - and Newman gives us enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. Newman's familiarity with commercial flying gives her setting and characters detail and believability. The characters are all intense, from the captain, the flight crew and the 'bad guy'. I think Jo, the lead flight crew member was my favourite, but Big Daddy is a close second. Just as intense is the action - it just never lets up. And that means I couldn't stop turning pages. Easily done in a day.
Yes, you might have to suspend belief a few times, but just go with it.
Falling reads like an action movie - think Die Hard and Speed. The film rights have already sold to Universal Pictures. (Betcha those first forty one agents that said no are kicking themselves!)
Looking for an addictive read for the the beach bag? Pick up Falling! And I can't wait to see what Newman writes next.
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LibraryThing member juju2cat
Welcome aboard, enjoy the flight...if you live. What a thriller! I read this with a breathless panic. Calling in sick to finish it once I started was not an option but I sure thought about it. I have to say a few parts were a bit cheesy but all in all my heart was in my throat most of the time. A
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fast read and a great book! Show Less
LibraryThing member Cherylk
When I read the premise for this book I just knew I had to read it right away. Well, I am happy to report that this book did not disappoint. In fact, I am more shocked than anything. Shocked because this is author, T.J. Newman's debut novel. It does not read like a first book.
Author, T.J's
As soon as I started reading this book, I was hooked. I could not put this book down to the point that I finished it in one sitting. That was that good. It was like I was in the airplane experiencing everything first hand. I can guarantee you that this is a book that readers will be raving about this year. It is already in my top 3 for 2021!
Author, T.J's
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background of being a fight attendant means that she also was able to gain knowledge from pilots. As an aviation fan, I can say that the lingo used was accurate. As soon as I started reading this book, I was hooked. I could not put this book down to the point that I finished it in one sitting. That was that good. It was like I was in the airplane experiencing everything first hand. I can guarantee you that this is a book that readers will be raving about this year. It is already in my top 3 for 2021!
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LibraryThing member JopLee1
I liked it, no cliffhangers, good camaraderie, emotional scenes that make other people emotional, just make me angry, but when a lead character is successful I get choked up, then.
Recommend.
Recommend.
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
What a fantastic debut thriller from T.J. Newman!! It is intense and suspenseful from the beginning - once you start reading you will not want to put it down. I will be shocked if this doesn't get made into a movie. This is the perfect summer escape - but I wouldn't read it while flying! I look
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forward to reading more from T.J. Newman in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC. Show Less
LibraryThing member HuberK
FALLING by T.J. Newman
A new take on revenge and using an airplane to accomplish your foul deeds. Original story, highly recommend, reading while on the ground.
You or them? It's an easy question, right? Not so easy of a question, if it's referring to your beloved wife and two young children versus
I thankfully received a complimentary copy of #falling @falling from #simonschuster #avidreaderpress @simonschuster @avidreaderpress I was under no obligation to post a review.
A new take on revenge and using an airplane to accomplish your foul deeds. Original story, highly recommend, reading while on the ground.
You or them? It's an easy question, right? Not so easy of a question, if it's referring to your beloved wife and two young children versus
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the airplane full of innocent passengers, that you are flying along with you, the pilot.I thankfully received a complimentary copy of #falling @falling from #simonschuster #avidreaderpress @simonschuster @avidreaderpress I was under no obligation to post a review.
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LibraryThing member pgchuis
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
I could have done without the prologue, the purpose of which escapes me, but after that it was certainly action-packed. The blurb doesn't really make clear how much of the narrative focusses on the cabin crew and their efforts to
I could have done without the prologue, the purpose of which escapes me, but after that it was certainly action-packed. The blurb doesn't really make clear how much of the narrative focusses on the cabin crew and their efforts to
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contain the situation. I found the multiple perspectives diluted the tension, and I skimmed the second half as the characters lurched from one crisis to the next. There was a lot of detail about the procedures cabin crew and pilots follow. I think this would work well for readers who prioritize plot over character development. Show Less
LibraryThing member breic
Nothing extraordinary, but still enjoyable. The plot has major holes that knocked me out of the story.
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated, fasten your seatbelt and take a deep breath, we are about to take off and there aren’t any exits from T.J. Newman’s debut novel, Falling.
Barely a half hour into his flight from Los Angeles to News York commercial pilot Bill Hoffman receives an email from
The premise isn’t sophisticated but it is utterly compelling as Bill declares he has no intention of crashing the plane or losing his family. The hostage-taker warns Bill he is to tell no one but Bill nevertheless confides in the lead flight attendant, Jo, who contacts her nephew Theo, an agent with the FBI. As the captain and crew of Flight 416 attempt to devise a way to survive the terrorists threats, the FBI begin hunting for Bill’s family.
The pace is breathtaking as the crisis unfolds over a five hour timeline. While shock and fear eventually take a backseat to determination and courage amongst those trying to prevent a tragedy, the tension is unrelenting as the terrorists manage to stay one step ahead of Bill and Theo. Caught up in the intense emotion and action I couldn’t put it down. In all I felt there was only one awkward note, a mawkish quintessentially ‘American’ scene that happens on the ground near the end of the novel.
The heroes of Falling are, as one would expect, determined no-one will die. They use creative means to circumvent the terrorists, ignoring their own fears, and physical discomfort to protect others. The terrorists are not wholly typical, Newman makes an attempt to humanise by revealing their tragic pasts, and makes some valid points in terms of their cause, but their intentions really have no justification.
Almost everyone is at least vaguely familiar with the interior of a plane which makes scenes set in the AirBus easy to visualise. Newman draws on her experience as a former flight attendant so that the details in regards to the plane’s operation and the crew’s actions seem authentic, even if they are not accurate.
Falling is a well executed, exhilarating thriller, with appeal to a wide audience. Unsurprisingly it’s already been optioned for film and I imagine it will be a summer blockbuster.
Barely a half hour into his flight from Los Angeles to News York commercial pilot Bill Hoffman receives an email from
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his wife, there is no subject or text just an attachment showing Bill’s wife and young children, bound and hooded. The hostage taker’s demand is simple, Bill is to crash the plane he is flying with one hundred and forty eight souls on board or his family will die.The premise isn’t sophisticated but it is utterly compelling as Bill declares he has no intention of crashing the plane or losing his family. The hostage-taker warns Bill he is to tell no one but Bill nevertheless confides in the lead flight attendant, Jo, who contacts her nephew Theo, an agent with the FBI. As the captain and crew of Flight 416 attempt to devise a way to survive the terrorists threats, the FBI begin hunting for Bill’s family.
The pace is breathtaking as the crisis unfolds over a five hour timeline. While shock and fear eventually take a backseat to determination and courage amongst those trying to prevent a tragedy, the tension is unrelenting as the terrorists manage to stay one step ahead of Bill and Theo. Caught up in the intense emotion and action I couldn’t put it down. In all I felt there was only one awkward note, a mawkish quintessentially ‘American’ scene that happens on the ground near the end of the novel.
The heroes of Falling are, as one would expect, determined no-one will die. They use creative means to circumvent the terrorists, ignoring their own fears, and physical discomfort to protect others. The terrorists are not wholly typical, Newman makes an attempt to humanise by revealing their tragic pasts, and makes some valid points in terms of their cause, but their intentions really have no justification.
Almost everyone is at least vaguely familiar with the interior of a plane which makes scenes set in the AirBus easy to visualise. Newman draws on her experience as a former flight attendant so that the details in regards to the plane’s operation and the crew’s actions seem authentic, even if they are not accurate.
Falling is a well executed, exhilarating thriller, with appeal to a wide audience. Unsurprisingly it’s already been optioned for film and I imagine it will be a summer blockbuster.
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LibraryThing member deslivres5
This one is a definite non-stop thriller: you'll stay up late to get to the resolution.
Pilot Bill Hoffman is put in a lose-lose position by his family's kidnapper.
The supporting characters on his quest to save everyone are fabulous. Even one of my favorite iconic places in the U.S. (no spoilers!)
This novel reads like a screenplay: they BETTER make an awesome movie out of it!
Pilot Bill Hoffman is put in a lose-lose position by his family's kidnapper.
The supporting characters on his quest to save everyone are fabulous. Even one of my favorite iconic places in the U.S. (no spoilers!)
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makes an appearance as a supporting character.This novel reads like a screenplay: they BETTER make an awesome movie out of it!
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LibraryThing member MontzaleeW
Falling
by T. J. Newman
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book!
There is so much tension and suspense in this book! You really feel that! A pilot's family is held hostage and the pilot is ordered to crash the plane or his family
There's some great moments in here. Long stretches of suspense and terror. But there are also a lot of very unrealistic or predictable situations. This is a first novel and I think it was done well for that. Worth the read. 3 stars for me is "Good". Not great or excellent but good! I did enjoy it but wouldn't re-read.
by T. J. Newman
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book!
There is so much tension and suspense in this book! You really feel that! A pilot's family is held hostage and the pilot is ordered to crash the plane or his family
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dies. The terrorists also have someone on board to monitor that he does what he says. He is suppose to do a list of things. The stewardess and pilot work together to try to solve issues and get through this.There's some great moments in here. Long stretches of suspense and terror. But there are also a lot of very unrealistic or predictable situations. This is a first novel and I think it was done well for that. Worth the read. 3 stars for me is "Good". Not great or excellent but good! I did enjoy it but wouldn't re-read.
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LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
This was an incredibly entertaining read! It is always fun to try new authors so I decided to give this book a try and I am so glad that I did. This was one of those stories that made you wonder what you would do if you found yourself in the same situation as the characters and I found the pages to
Captain Bill Hoffman agrees to pick up a flight on his day off. It is a six-hour flight to New York and it should be fairly routine. It turns out to a nightmare that he could never have imagined. Someone has his wife and kids and in order to keep them safe, he is instructed to crash the plane he is flying, killing everyone on board. Bill is determined to figure out how to save his family and his passengers but he is not sure how he is going to be able to do it.
This book started with a bang and never let up. There were so many twists and turns and I spent most of the book worried about how things would work out for the characters. I grew to really like the key players in this story and loved seeing them work together to get things done. There were some really exciting scenes that had me turning the pages as fast as I could just so that I could see what would happen next.
I would recommend this book to others. This was an incredibly exciting and entertaining story that had me glued to the pages. I am incredibly impressed by T.J. Newman’s debut novel and cannot wait to read her future works.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Avid Reader Press via NetGalley.
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fly by quickly. I am so glad that I decided to pick up this fast-paced and exciting story.Captain Bill Hoffman agrees to pick up a flight on his day off. It is a six-hour flight to New York and it should be fairly routine. It turns out to a nightmare that he could never have imagined. Someone has his wife and kids and in order to keep them safe, he is instructed to crash the plane he is flying, killing everyone on board. Bill is determined to figure out how to save his family and his passengers but he is not sure how he is going to be able to do it.
This book started with a bang and never let up. There were so many twists and turns and I spent most of the book worried about how things would work out for the characters. I grew to really like the key players in this story and loved seeing them work together to get things done. There were some really exciting scenes that had me turning the pages as fast as I could just so that I could see what would happen next.
I would recommend this book to others. This was an incredibly exciting and entertaining story that had me glued to the pages. I am incredibly impressed by T.J. Newman’s debut novel and cannot wait to read her future works.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Avid Reader Press via NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
3.5 This book has been majorly hyped. I've seen it pretty much everywhere on book sites and other media sites. Of course my curiousity was piqued, had to jump on the bandwagon and see if the hype was justified. It was and it wasn't, mixed for this reader but then again I'm not a huge fan of
It was exciting in places, definitely kept me reading though there were parts I skimmed. Did come to like the main characters, appreciate the horrible dilemma in which they found themselves. The reason behind the scenario does make one think about how much in the news we just let pass us by. Doesn't really affect our lives, so we let it go. Anyway, this was filled with the usual thriller impossibilities and implausibilities, but it will, if it hasn't already, be optioned for a film. It's the way it is written.
Wouldn't read this if one intends to fly soon.
ARC from Edelweiss.
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thrillers. It was exciting in places, definitely kept me reading though there were parts I skimmed. Did come to like the main characters, appreciate the horrible dilemma in which they found themselves. The reason behind the scenario does make one think about how much in the news we just let pass us by. Doesn't really affect our lives, so we let it go. Anyway, this was filled with the usual thriller impossibilities and implausibilities, but it will, if it hasn't already, be optioned for a film. It's the way it is written.
Wouldn't read this if one intends to fly soon.
ARC from Edelweiss.
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LibraryThing member tibobi
The Short of It:
Lots of hype over this book!! Turned down 41 times before getting published, I can happily tell you that it’s the page turner you want right now.
The Rest of It:
There are 143 passengers on board headed to New York. What they don’t know is that their pilot’s family has been
Captain Bill Hoffman decides right then and there, that they will NOT kill his family and he will NOT crash the plane. Although he’s told not to alert his crew, he doesn’t see how it can be avoided. He owes it to the passengers to have every chance at survival that they can have.
What a ride.
What you will notice right away is that there is an air of authenticity to the story and that’s probably because T.J. Newman spent years as a flight attendant. The attention to detail puts the reader right on the plane with those passengers. You are in the galley, in the jump seat, scrambling through the cabin trying to save lives. It’s riveting.
Some of the story may not seem plausible but at the same time, given limited means, it’s what the average person would do in that same situation. The last quarter of the book gave me high blood pressure and I could not put it down.
This is what you want in a thriller. Characters you care about, a fast pace, a seemingly impossible situation. It’s good. Throw this in your beach bag and you won’t leave the beach until you’ve turned the last page.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
Lots of hype over this book!! Turned down 41 times before getting published, I can happily tell you that it’s the page turner you want right now.
The Rest of It:
There are 143 passengers on board headed to New York. What they don’t know is that their pilot’s family has been
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kidnapped and unless he brings the plane down according to the orders he’s been given, his wife and two children will be killed.Captain Bill Hoffman decides right then and there, that they will NOT kill his family and he will NOT crash the plane. Although he’s told not to alert his crew, he doesn’t see how it can be avoided. He owes it to the passengers to have every chance at survival that they can have.
What a ride.
What you will notice right away is that there is an air of authenticity to the story and that’s probably because T.J. Newman spent years as a flight attendant. The attention to detail puts the reader right on the plane with those passengers. You are in the galley, in the jump seat, scrambling through the cabin trying to save lives. It’s riveting.
Some of the story may not seem plausible but at the same time, given limited means, it’s what the average person would do in that same situation. The last quarter of the book gave me high blood pressure and I could not put it down.
This is what you want in a thriller. Characters you care about, a fast pace, a seemingly impossible situation. It’s good. Throw this in your beach bag and you won’t leave the beach until you’ve turned the last page.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
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LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56
For some unknown reason, I really enjoy a thriller set on board an aircraft. Newman’s “Falling” was, thus, the perfect read for me. I was immediately hooked by the premise of the book. Pilot Bill Hoffman has just gotten his aircraft to cruising altitude when he receives an email. His family
I loved the characters in the book. The bravery of the flight crew had me cheering them on. I could envision Octavia Spencer as senior flight attendant Jo Watkins. I was equally impressed with the pilot’s wife and son. She even humanized the terrorists. I won’t give any more details as I certainly do not want to leak a spoiler. You need to experience this for yourself.
The author is a former flight attendant so the scenes in the main cabin and cockpit had that insider touch. I could hear the mechanical noises of take-off, the chimes used as communication among the flight crew, the bumps of turbulence. And I could feel the tension of the crew’s in-flight emergency response.
This book should give everyone a greater appreciation of the duties and responsibilities of flight attendants.
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has been taken hostage, and he has a choice to make. Either he crashes the plane, or his family dies. That comes in Chapter 2, and I was along for the ride. Switching back and forth from what was happening onboard the aircraft to the happenings on the ground kept me glued to the book. I was in suspense throughout much of this fast-paced book. I loved the characters in the book. The bravery of the flight crew had me cheering them on. I could envision Octavia Spencer as senior flight attendant Jo Watkins. I was equally impressed with the pilot’s wife and son. She even humanized the terrorists. I won’t give any more details as I certainly do not want to leak a spoiler. You need to experience this for yourself.
The author is a former flight attendant so the scenes in the main cabin and cockpit had that insider touch. I could hear the mechanical noises of take-off, the chimes used as communication among the flight crew, the bumps of turbulence. And I could feel the tension of the crew’s in-flight emergency response.
This book should give everyone a greater appreciation of the duties and responsibilities of flight attendants.
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LibraryThing member FormerEnglishTeacher
I’m a sucker for airline stories, and this was a pretty good one. There was enough intrigue to keep me interested, but it was fairly predictable. Once scene near the end at Yankee Stadium was more than ridiculous. I’m not sure why the author decided to include it because I think it weakened the
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ending. I have no doubt that Newman has a promising career ahead of her if this debut is any indication. An enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dokfintong
I didn't realize what this book was when I started. I read the first chapter which sets up the story and then I quit. There are only three paths here and I don't need hours of reading to find out which the author chose.
LibraryThing member silversurfer
Wow!
A superb thriller written by a Flight Attendant brings realism to this gripping story.
An intense page turner of epic proportions that reads like a film.
You take a flight with one hundred and forty three other souls.
But what you don't know is the First pilot's family has been kidnapped.
The plane
Or his family will be killed.
An agonizing choice. A great book.
I can only imagine the forty one literary agents that passed
On this best seller, kicking themselves.
Universal Studios has picked up the film rights.
Highly recommended except when taking a flight!!
A superb thriller written by a Flight Attendant brings realism to this gripping story.
An intense page turner of epic proportions that reads like a film.
You take a flight with one hundred and forty three other souls.
But what you don't know is the First pilot's family has been kidnapped.
The plane
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is hijacked and his instructions are to either crash the planeOr his family will be killed.
An agonizing choice. A great book.
I can only imagine the forty one literary agents that passed
On this best seller, kicking themselves.
Universal Studios has picked up the film rights.
Highly recommended except when taking a flight!!
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LibraryThing member DrApple
This is certainly a page turner! The only part I felt was unnecessary was the preface. The graphic description of a plane crash was a bit much. I guess is was provided to create tension in the following chapters. Overall, I enjoyed this book about a terrorist attempt to crash a plane. I
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particularly liked the teamwork of the flight staff which was essential to the survival of the passengers. Show Less
LibraryThing member DocWalt10
For a first-time novelist, this was an exceptional read. You are hooked from the first page and want to continue reading. I love to read and T.J. Newman joins authors I want to read whatever they write. I highly recommended this book.
LibraryThing member tottman
What would you do if you were a pilot and someone told you they’d kidnapped your family and if you don’t crash the plane, they’ll kill them? That’s the terrifying premise in T.J. Newman’s debut novel, Falling. Pilot Bill Hoffman gets just such a call shortly after beginning his
Falling grabs your attention from the opening line and propels you forward for the next 300 pages. Newman develops her characters with care. The premise is exciting, but the tension arises because you get to know and care about Bill, his family, the flight crew, and the FBI agents. You even gain some understanding of the perpetrators, who are more than monolithic bad guys.
Newman more than delivers the goods when it comes to action as well. Alternating between events on the plane and on the ground keeps you flipping the pages. The safety of Bill’s family and the safety of the plane appear to be mutually exclusive, especially as the ticking clock gets closer to zero.
This book is the closest I’ve come to the experience of seeing Die Hard for the first time. Great action, great characters, and pacing that will have you holding your breath. This summer thriller is going to be in everyone’s hands. Don’t miss out!
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.
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cross-country flight. Along with a picture of his wife in children in hoods with bombs strapped to them. Crash the plane or your family dies. Bill’s response is I won’t crash the plane and you won’t kill my family. Now he has five hours to try and make both those statements true.Falling grabs your attention from the opening line and propels you forward for the next 300 pages. Newman develops her characters with care. The premise is exciting, but the tension arises because you get to know and care about Bill, his family, the flight crew, and the FBI agents. You even gain some understanding of the perpetrators, who are more than monolithic bad guys.
Newman more than delivers the goods when it comes to action as well. Alternating between events on the plane and on the ground keeps you flipping the pages. The safety of Bill’s family and the safety of the plane appear to be mutually exclusive, especially as the ticking clock gets closer to zero.
This book is the closest I’ve come to the experience of seeing Die Hard for the first time. Great action, great characters, and pacing that will have you holding your breath. This summer thriller is going to be in everyone’s hands. Don’t miss out!
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
"When the shoe dropped into her lap the foot was still in it." Great opening to this decent airplane thriller with relatable characters and and clever plot developments. The ending is a bit trite but that's a minor quibble.
LibraryThing member JHSColloquium
During a red-eye flight, debut author T.J. Newman, then a flight attendant, looked at the passengers, many of whom were sleeping, and really pondered the fact that passengers' lives are in the pilot's hands. For the first time, she thought about how the pilots have so much power and responsibility
Even after Newman completed over thirty drafts of the book, success did not immediately follow. She began querying agents and received forty-one rejections. The agent who finally said "yes" -- lucky number forty-two -- turned out to be "a perfect fit," and helped her secure a publishing deal.
Newman's characters were inspired by the crew members and passengers she encountered over the years. At the heart of the story is Captain Bill Hoffman, the pilot who accepts a flight from Los Angeles to New York because he could not refuse a request from the Chief Pilot. His wife, Carrie, is displeased because Bill promised to attend their ten-year-old son, Scott's, baseball game and team pizza party. Things between them are tense, as Bill heads to the airport where he is happy to see that his friend, Jo, with whom he has flown for twenty years, is heading up the flight crew. She will be assisted by Michael Rodenburg, known to everyone at the airline as Big Daddy, and Kellie, a new flight attendant who has only recently completed her training. He's also happy to find that Ben, with whom he has flown before, will be serving as his First Officer (co-pilot). Bill plans to speak with Carrie before his flight begins in an attempt to smooth things over and assuage his guilt about having left Carrie at home with Scott, Elise, their ten-month-old daughter, . . . and a technician from the local cable company dispatched to repair their internet connection.
Carrie offers the repairman a cup of tea, but turns to find him holding a gun. Shortly thereafter, once the plane is in the air, Bill receives an email on his laptop. There is no message. There is only a photo attached. Bill recognizes his living room, but Carrie and Scott have their arms outstretched in the shape of a cross and black hoods over their heads. Strapped across Carrie's whole torso is a vest with brightly colored wires protruding from small bricks inside pockets. Bill immediately observes that it looks like the vests he has seen in photos of suicide bombers, but he can't "process the sight of something so perverse strapped across his wife's body." Another email arrives that says, "Put on your headphones." A FaceTime call is initiated, and Bill recognizes Sam, the purported cable technician, who is also wearing an explosive-laden vest and holding the detonator. Sam tells Bill, "You will crash your plane or I will kill your family. The choice is yours." Bill knows his cockpit has been breached and the plane is in jeopardy. Bill's response? "I'm not going to crash this plane and you're not going to kill my family."
Stories about kidnappings, airplane hijackings, and terrorist attacks are nothing new. But the way Newman has melded the concepts is new. She has cleverly combined the kidnapping of Bill's family, the fact that Sam is not working alone, and the revelation that he and his accomplice intend for Bill to crash the plane at a specific location for clearly articulated reasons into one terrifying tale.
Newman's characters are convincing. Bill is exactly the kind of pilot that every passenger wants to find in the cockpit of their flight. Competent, dedicated, and fully aware of the massive responsibility he shoulders every time he reports for work. He has never lost sight of what he learned in flight school at the age of just eighteen: why flight plans use the term "souls on board." Right then he had to evaluate his prospects as a pilot. "Could he bear the burden of duty Could he be the man the job demanded?" He reminds himself as he performs the pre-flight checks that he has "souls on board" . . . and after the kidnapper's demand is communicated to him, he is believably horrified that he is being asked to choose between the innocent souls entrusted to his care and his precious family. It is an impossible situation which is, of course, the kidnapper's point. Sam also warns him not to involve the authorities or try to warn the flight crew, further complicating Bill's predicament.
Carrie is a mother placed in a nightmare situation. It is her duty to protect her children. Little Elise is too young to comprehend the danger they are in, of course, but Scott is being traumatized before Carrie's eyes. And, in his father's absence, trying to be very brave. Carrie also knows her husband's character and assures Sam that there is no way Bill will crash the plane. He will never choose Carrie and the children over all of the souls on board his flight. All Carrie can do is remain as calm as possible, comfort the children, watch for an opportunity to take action herself . . . and have faith that Bill will figure out a solution. Because everything is at stake. He has to.
Jo, Big Daddy, and Kellie also play critical roles in the story. Jo is their leader and Newman convincingly portrays the events that unfold in the cabin from her perspective. As Newman explains, "Once the doors shut, that's your cabin." After 9/11, the design of cockpit doors and access procedures were revised. Now the pilot and copilot are literally locked in the cockpit behind a door that cannot be breached, leaving the flight crew on their own to manage whatever happens in the cabin. Jo has dealt with in-flight crises over the years, but nothing like the threat posed by Sam. And like Bill, she knows there is a strong likelihood that there is a co-conspirator onboard, ready to implement the kidnapper's backup plan -- whatever that might be -- if Bill does not comply with Sam's orders. But who might that be? A passenger? Or, worse, a member of the crew?
The book moves at a steady, relentless pace as Bill, Jo, and Jo's nephew, Theo, an FBI agent whose career already hung in the balance before he learned about the drama unfolding on Flight 416, frantically work to out-smart Sam and his co-conspirator. Theo has to convince his superiors that his Aunt Jo is indeed taking care of her cabin and the threat must be taken seriously, even though that means involving officials at the highest levels of government and invoking protocols that leave no margin for error.
Newman's narrative is tautly constructed and, because of her decade of experience in the airline industry, thoroughly, frighteningly believable. She explains why characters take particular actions and why protocols exist (with some dramatic license), enhancing reader's comprehension of the threat. And the kidnapper's motivation, once explained, is infuriating, shocking, and, with the benefit of hindsight, entirely predictable.
Falling is engrossing, entertaining, and a perfect choice for readers who enjoy fast-moving, plausible thrillers. It is a stunningly accomplished and polished effort from a first-time novelist, which bodes well for Newman's next effort, the details of which she has not disclosed. Set aside time to read because the book is un-put-down-able.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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that they are vulnerable. She recalls asking a pilot, "'What would you do if you find out that your family has been taken, and you're told that if you don't crash the plane, your family will be killed?' Just based on the look on his face, I knew I had a story. He was terrified. He did not have an answer. There's wasn't a page in the manual for this." She knew she would not be "able to rest until I knew the answer to that question."Even after Newman completed over thirty drafts of the book, success did not immediately follow. She began querying agents and received forty-one rejections. The agent who finally said "yes" -- lucky number forty-two -- turned out to be "a perfect fit," and helped her secure a publishing deal.
Newman's characters were inspired by the crew members and passengers she encountered over the years. At the heart of the story is Captain Bill Hoffman, the pilot who accepts a flight from Los Angeles to New York because he could not refuse a request from the Chief Pilot. His wife, Carrie, is displeased because Bill promised to attend their ten-year-old son, Scott's, baseball game and team pizza party. Things between them are tense, as Bill heads to the airport where he is happy to see that his friend, Jo, with whom he has flown for twenty years, is heading up the flight crew. She will be assisted by Michael Rodenburg, known to everyone at the airline as Big Daddy, and Kellie, a new flight attendant who has only recently completed her training. He's also happy to find that Ben, with whom he has flown before, will be serving as his First Officer (co-pilot). Bill plans to speak with Carrie before his flight begins in an attempt to smooth things over and assuage his guilt about having left Carrie at home with Scott, Elise, their ten-month-old daughter, . . . and a technician from the local cable company dispatched to repair their internet connection.
Carrie offers the repairman a cup of tea, but turns to find him holding a gun. Shortly thereafter, once the plane is in the air, Bill receives an email on his laptop. There is no message. There is only a photo attached. Bill recognizes his living room, but Carrie and Scott have their arms outstretched in the shape of a cross and black hoods over their heads. Strapped across Carrie's whole torso is a vest with brightly colored wires protruding from small bricks inside pockets. Bill immediately observes that it looks like the vests he has seen in photos of suicide bombers, but he can't "process the sight of something so perverse strapped across his wife's body." Another email arrives that says, "Put on your headphones." A FaceTime call is initiated, and Bill recognizes Sam, the purported cable technician, who is also wearing an explosive-laden vest and holding the detonator. Sam tells Bill, "You will crash your plane or I will kill your family. The choice is yours." Bill knows his cockpit has been breached and the plane is in jeopardy. Bill's response? "I'm not going to crash this plane and you're not going to kill my family."
Stories about kidnappings, airplane hijackings, and terrorist attacks are nothing new. But the way Newman has melded the concepts is new. She has cleverly combined the kidnapping of Bill's family, the fact that Sam is not working alone, and the revelation that he and his accomplice intend for Bill to crash the plane at a specific location for clearly articulated reasons into one terrifying tale.
Newman's characters are convincing. Bill is exactly the kind of pilot that every passenger wants to find in the cockpit of their flight. Competent, dedicated, and fully aware of the massive responsibility he shoulders every time he reports for work. He has never lost sight of what he learned in flight school at the age of just eighteen: why flight plans use the term "souls on board." Right then he had to evaluate his prospects as a pilot. "Could he bear the burden of duty Could he be the man the job demanded?" He reminds himself as he performs the pre-flight checks that he has "souls on board" . . . and after the kidnapper's demand is communicated to him, he is believably horrified that he is being asked to choose between the innocent souls entrusted to his care and his precious family. It is an impossible situation which is, of course, the kidnapper's point. Sam also warns him not to involve the authorities or try to warn the flight crew, further complicating Bill's predicament.
Carrie is a mother placed in a nightmare situation. It is her duty to protect her children. Little Elise is too young to comprehend the danger they are in, of course, but Scott is being traumatized before Carrie's eyes. And, in his father's absence, trying to be very brave. Carrie also knows her husband's character and assures Sam that there is no way Bill will crash the plane. He will never choose Carrie and the children over all of the souls on board his flight. All Carrie can do is remain as calm as possible, comfort the children, watch for an opportunity to take action herself . . . and have faith that Bill will figure out a solution. Because everything is at stake. He has to.
Jo, Big Daddy, and Kellie also play critical roles in the story. Jo is their leader and Newman convincingly portrays the events that unfold in the cabin from her perspective. As Newman explains, "Once the doors shut, that's your cabin." After 9/11, the design of cockpit doors and access procedures were revised. Now the pilot and copilot are literally locked in the cockpit behind a door that cannot be breached, leaving the flight crew on their own to manage whatever happens in the cabin. Jo has dealt with in-flight crises over the years, but nothing like the threat posed by Sam. And like Bill, she knows there is a strong likelihood that there is a co-conspirator onboard, ready to implement the kidnapper's backup plan -- whatever that might be -- if Bill does not comply with Sam's orders. But who might that be? A passenger? Or, worse, a member of the crew?
The book moves at a steady, relentless pace as Bill, Jo, and Jo's nephew, Theo, an FBI agent whose career already hung in the balance before he learned about the drama unfolding on Flight 416, frantically work to out-smart Sam and his co-conspirator. Theo has to convince his superiors that his Aunt Jo is indeed taking care of her cabin and the threat must be taken seriously, even though that means involving officials at the highest levels of government and invoking protocols that leave no margin for error.
Newman's narrative is tautly constructed and, because of her decade of experience in the airline industry, thoroughly, frighteningly believable. She explains why characters take particular actions and why protocols exist (with some dramatic license), enhancing reader's comprehension of the threat. And the kidnapper's motivation, once explained, is infuriating, shocking, and, with the benefit of hindsight, entirely predictable.
Falling is engrossing, entertaining, and a perfect choice for readers who enjoy fast-moving, plausible thrillers. It is a stunningly accomplished and polished effort from a first-time novelist, which bodes well for Newman's next effort, the details of which she has not disclosed. Set aside time to read because the book is un-put-down-able.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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LibraryThing member Jacsun
This book was suspenseful for the first half and then totally predictable for the rest but would make a great action-packed film.
It's about Captain Bill Hoffman who finds out that his family (wife Carrie, four-year-old son, Scott, and baby Elise) has been kidnapped. He's given a choice: either
The bad guy, Sam, is on the ground giving him orders in their home as he keeps his eye on Bill's wife and kids. He's from northern Syria from an area called Kurdistan which I had to google to find. As you can imagine, Bill in this highly stressed state of mind, is not going to let anyone die if he can help it.
It's fast-paced and flows pretty smoothly. But once you can guess what's going to happen, the excitement slows down. The image of the characters was clear and it makes you think of the possibility of something like this happening. Let's just hope this book doesn't get in the hands of those that may get some crazy ideas.
It's about Captain Bill Hoffman who finds out that his family (wife Carrie, four-year-old son, Scott, and baby Elise) has been kidnapped. He's given a choice: either
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everyone on the plane dies or his family gets killed. His wife is strapped to a suicide vest. She thinks back on what her father once said to her, "You don't think everyone actually lives do you? Most people just exist and roam around. It's a choice, to actually live."The bad guy, Sam, is on the ground giving him orders in their home as he keeps his eye on Bill's wife and kids. He's from northern Syria from an area called Kurdistan which I had to google to find. As you can imagine, Bill in this highly stressed state of mind, is not going to let anyone die if he can help it.
It's fast-paced and flows pretty smoothly. But once you can guess what's going to happen, the excitement slows down. The image of the characters was clear and it makes you think of the possibility of something like this happening. Let's just hope this book doesn't get in the hands of those that may get some crazy ideas.
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Awards
Barry Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2022)
Indie Next List (July 2021)
Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (2021)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — July 2021)
Original language
English
Physical description
304 p.; 9.25 inches
ISBN
1982177888 / 9781982177881