Falling by T. J. Newman is an okay thriller on an airplane. The novel does feel authentic like you the reader are getting insider information on how the flight crew works. The author was a former flight attendant and Falling is her debut. This book has moments of thrills but it felt pretty formulaic too me. I would say this book is Airframe by Michael Crichton meets a decent James Patterson thriller. I think if you read this novel it should be on a plane, because that will amp the fear, and you couldn't help wonder what goes on behind the door of the flight deck. You will come out respecting your fight attendants and the job they have to do. I think this book is getting over hyped, it is good but not great. Thanks to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for giving me access to Falling early. Falling by T. J. Newman is published on July 6 2021.

The Plot: Airplane Pilot Bill has picked up a flight to the disappointment of his wife Carrie who will miss his 9 year-old Son's first baseball game of the season. After Bill leaves his family is kidnapped my Sam, who wants Bill to gas his passenger's and crash the plane. Bill is in flight when he finds this out, the terrorist warn there is a mole on the plane that will let the terrorist know if anything is wrong. Bill confides in Jo his lead flight attendant that has been with him since the beginning of his career. Jo agrees to help, she also conveniently has a nephew that works for the FBI, she text him about the situation. Bill must think of something while not letting his co-pilot know, Jo must think of a way to keep her and the passengers safe from a gas attack, and the young FBI agent must save bills family.

What I Liked: I loved Jo the flight attendant so, so, much, she did remind me a lot of Nana Mama from the Alex Cross series, they could me cousins, but she is the stand out character. I liked the bad guys were bad but they were trying to make a point about there country and the war that we pulled out of despite our alliance to the Kurdish people. I like how fast this novel starts, and it was very easy to read. I makes you think and see plane travel a little differently.

What I Disliked: Some of the flashbacks were not needed at all and didn't add any insight. I was waiting for another twist, but it didn't happen. The plot was fairly straight forward. The biggest piece was we were missing the thoughts of a passenger to elevate the fear, we have action from the passengers but not thoughts, and they were needed badly. The action was a little hard to follow.

Recommendations: I think that falling is a run of the mill thriller, but I can see that reading it on a plane will ratchet up the thrill of it, so if you read this book I would recommend it on a plane. This book is getting over hyped right now I read it based on recommendations from Don Winslow and Lee Child. Falling is author T. J. Newman's debut and I saw some decent characterization, so I will read the next novel from T. J. Newman. I rated Falling by T. J. Newman 3 out of 5 stars.

Full of action, thrills and enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, Falling is a phenomenal debut for T. J. Newman. The entire time I was reading I felt like Captain Bill Hoffman should be played by Die Hard era Bruce Willis or maybe Liam Neeson but I think I prefer Die Hard Bruce Willis over Neeson. I love the fast paced thrills that Newman creates. There was never a dull moment. There was suspense on the plane as you try to figure out what the heck is Captain Hoffman going to do about his seemingly impossible choice. There was suspense on the ground as Hoffman's family is taken by the terrorist. Then there is agent Theo Baldwin who is trying to find the family and also trying to find out what is happening on the flight, which seems to be heading towards Washington to crash and kill all the passengers on the flight.

I really enjoyed T. J. Newman's writing style and plot development. I kept trying to jump a few steps ahead to but there were plenty of forks in the road that I didn't see coming and I ended up giving up and just enjoyed the ride. I look forward to reading more from this new author and I have a feeling that I wont be disappointed. This book was so enjoyable to read and I highly recommend it!

I want to thank T. J. Newman, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I included this title as part what's new in suspense, mystery, and thrillers in the month of July. I promoted on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram. https://www.bethfishreads.com/2021/07/22-mysteries-thrillers-suspense-novels.html

This was a fantastic read. I was so impressed by T.J. Newman's knowledge and writing. As the wife of a pilot-in-training, this was slightly terrifying. When I got close to the end, I stayed up past midnight to finish. It was that good and I couldn't wait.

“Death always feels personal, Bill. It feels damn fucking personal. But you know what the crazy thing about death is? It’s not personal. Everyone dies. No one escapes it. It’s the only fair thing in the world. Sometimes you’re young, sometimes you’re old, sometimes you deserve it, sometimes you don’t…Death doesn’t just happen to ‘bad’ people, death doesn’t give a shit.”

Falling is based on the premise of a no win situation. A seasoned pilot is flying a commercial aircraft with 149 souls on board. Not long after takeoff he is informed that his family has been kidnapped and he has to choose to either crash the plane or sacrifice his family. Like I said, no win.

I know that some people, myself included, can have books play out as movies in their minds if it is good enough. This one? This was exactly that, but like so much so that it almost seemed that I was reading a screenplay. If this one hasn’t been optioned for a movie yet I am quite certain it will be. I’m seeing Nicholas Cage in there somewhere 👀.

First of all, that cover! Just fabulous. 👏🏻👏🏻 This book was action packed and I flew through the first 1/3 in record time. But then, and I’m not sure I can put my finger on exactly why, I lost that 𝒂𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 level of interest. I wanted to know what happened, sure. But again, reading a book that is more like a screenplay leads me to conclude that I already know exactly how it will end. And I was not wrong. Make no mistake, this factor did not take away from my enjoyment of the story itself. It just didn’t have that pull for me to flip those pages to find out how it ends. Does that make sense? I hope that makes sense.

HA! I just checked and Falling was optioned by Universal for the movie rights 🎥!! I 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 it! This may be one of those rare books (like The Hunger Games) that will be even better on screen. 🙌🏻

Thank you to Netgalley, Avid Reader Press, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely LOVED this. Couldn’t put it down and I have recommended it to several people! The twists and turns kept me hooked until the very end!

Thanks to the publisher, Simon and Shuster, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of "Falling" by T.J. Newman.

This was a quick read, but I didn’t find it Uber suspenseful. The opening sequence was graphic, and I kept saying OMG this is going to be a nonstop action book. But, as I continued reading, I discovered the other events in the novel did not match, jibe, or hold the excitement of the opening sequence. The author did a good job providing background information on several main characters, but not for the so called “bad guys.” I had faith that Bill would find the right solution, but wondered if he truly understood what prompted the “bad guys” to do what they did. The conclusion was meh, and it left me with a lot of questions. How was Bill going to make life better for marginalized individuals? Surely, you have to do more than read books to truly learn about the plight of these individuals. This novel has been hyped to the nth degree, and doesn’t live up to the expectation. This is not a Jaws at 300 feet tale.

This definitely lives up to the hype. The story is told at a breakneck pace and I found myself racing through to find out what happens. I loved the backstage look at what happens on a plane. I wish we had more time to get to know some of the characters but I guess that is too much to expect of a thriller. I just wanted more time with Jo and Daddy. A great ride nonetheless.

Sometimes a couple of books are published close together that have similar plots. That is the case of the novels Falling by T. J. Newman and Hostage by Clare Mackintosh. Each has a story line in which a threat is made to someone who works for an airline. These threats in both cases are to cause harm to family members of the employee unless certain demands are met. In each case, there are moral decisions to be made. Further, in each of these novels, there is a lot of action and that action includes some violence. Within that framework, I found the beginning of Falling to be rather grim, more so than the opening of Hostage.

In Falling, a pilot, Bill, is putting over 100 passengers at risk. Who will he enlist to possibly help thwart a total catastrophe? What decisions will he make? Can it possibly end well (or less badly)? To find out, read this novel that many have hailed as a best book of the summer while, other reviews, have been just one star.

If you feel brave about flying, learn more about this title and decide if it is for you. The author has worked for an airline and has some inside knowledge.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book was written by a first-time author who has really created a hit! Just as he takes off, the pilot of a flight from LA to NYC learns that his family has been kidnapped, and they will be killed unless he crashes the plane. The action takes place in real time, during the 5-hour flight, although there are a few flashbacks for explanatory purposes. The story is fast-paced, action-packed, believable, and so much fun to read! Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC.

Absolutely love this unputdownable thriller! I was hooked from the start. It was fast paced and original. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time wondering how everything would be solved. Likeable, relatable characters and a crazy yet completely believable plot.

After just finished reading another book that seemed similar to this one in premise I was a little tentative about diving into this book. But it hooked me from page one. The writing was so immersive that I felt like I was right along side with these characters. Bill is a seasoned pilot that takes a last minute flight, much to the dismay of his wife whom he promised he wouldn't miss their sons game. Once Bill is in the air he gets word that his family is being held hostage and he has to choose between the lives of his family or the lives of all those on board. What ensues next is nothing short of an action film, filled with nonstop action. I finished this book in less then a day and look forward to reading more from this author.

Falling is a tense thriller with high stakes that will have you scared to fly. Imagine a flight filled with passengers. The pilot faced with an impossible choice: the 143 passengers' lives or his family. Both can't live. He must choose. Will he crash the plane so his family lives? Or will he let his family die so he doesn't have to crash the plane? The tension and suspense is the star of the novel. I dare readers to put this one down. Highly addictive plot with plenty of twists to keep readers hooked. If you enjoy suspenseful novels or high-octane thrillers, be sure to pick Falling up today!

Great summer vacation book alert!

For obvious reasons, I don’t recommend reading this one *on* the flight to your vacation destination (unless you realllly like to live right on the edge), but it should be the first thing you pull out of your beach bag when you arrive.

This is kind of like reading an action movie. Actually I suspect it will eventually become an action movie (starring Tom Hanks as the pilot, obviously). It’s a fun read with lots of action and excitement, heroic characters, and a lovely paean for oft-under appreciated airline workers.

The plot is relatively straightforward but still clever and keeps you right on the edge of your seat for the entire book. There are some fun insider-y bits of info about air travel as well, and an awesome baseball element that is minimally important to the plot but that is just the absolutely BEST.

Loved this one, and I bet the movie will be excellent as well.

I was nervous to pick this up before flying, but it was totally fine! My advice: skip the prologue. It does nothing to add to the story and is the only hard to read part. My other advice is to block out a few uninterrupted hours to read this because you will not be able to put it down!

Quick synopsis: a pilot’s family is kidnapped and he is told he needs to crash the plane or his family will be killed. This all happens right away and the entire book is a page turner!

Falling held my attention from the first line: "When the shoe dropped into her lap the foot was still in it." to the beginning chapters with: "Crash your plane, or I kill your family." to the very last line: "We already are." But let me back up. Pilots are taught to aviate, navigate and communicate. But what happens when a threat puts an entire flight of 140+ passengers, crew and family at risk?

On his scheduled day off, Captain Bill is called in to fly Flight 416 from LAX to JFK. What begins as a normal day ends in a worst case scenario of "would you rather?" His family is kidnapped thirty minutes before the flight. For his wife and two children to live, he must crash the plane.

I love a book that is written with facts. It is clear the author did her research when writing a novel about planes, flights and protocol because the details are on point. It turns out the author is a flight attendant. Yes, you better use personal knowledge of your profession to write a bestselling debut novel, T.J. Newman!

When I say intense AF...Bookhearts, this is no exaggeration! Falling had me unable to fall asleep. I stayed up late into the night reading and not wanting to miss a single clue into what was unfolding. It is nonstop suspense at its finest. I really cannot say more without ruining the story. Take my word for it and read this thriller, Bookhearts. Now excuse me while I book a flight and pray this doesn't happen.

Happy Belated Pub Day, T.J. Newman! Falling is now available.

~LiteraryMarie

Thank you so much for this ARC!

All I can say is WOW!

1. How can this be TJ Newman's first book? Seriously, the writing was perfect. The feelings she stirred in me while I was reading were incredible. I was nervous, I was sad, I was pissed and then most importantly I was relieved.

2. So much action that is backed by tons of real research.

3. Please write another book.

Amazing work! <3

This was so suspenseful, you never knew what was about to happen. An all around good time. I just wish it were longer. LOL

[Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an e-ARC, available everywhere on 07/06/2021].

In "Falling," the author draws on her experiences as a flight attendant to craft a page-turning read where our protagonist is faced with an impossible decision. Captain Hoffman must crash the plane, killing all 144 souls on board and save the lives of his family OR land the plane safely at JFK, knowing his family will pay the ultimate sacrifice. A nail-biter toward the end, this is the perfect novel to accompany you on a beach day.

This was an engaging novel that held my interest until the end. I finished it in one afternoon! That said, there were a few misses for me in the novel. The first, the opening sequence, which felt out of place with the rest of the novel. There was something incredibly jarring about it. Second, one of the character's was nicknamed 'Daddy,' because he was so well-known by other flight attendants for his great service. He had a great presence on the page but I could have done without the nickname. It felt like a lot. Third, and perhaps most importantly, I wasn't crazy about the antagonists' motivations for wanting to crash the plane. I understood the point the author was trying to make, especially with the neatly wrapped up sugary end, but there were so many other viable reasons to go with.

A strong debut, however. I could certainly see this one making its way to the big screen eventually.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This is one of those books you are glad it came after the 9/11 attacks like way after because this is scary. I could not imagine being on a plane, and it is used to get a message to people by crashing it. Another neat thing about this book is that our author was a flight attendant, and I felt her knowledge on the procedures of the plane and what not was good. I honestly had no clue about how the cockpit worked as far as attendants being allowed in there at times. We are introduced to our pilot, Bill, who has problems at home and seems to enjoy his job. So when a semi-normal day for him turns bad, he has a decision to make one that you have to ask yourself would you be able to make. Not everyone is on his team to make this plane not crash, and as we got closer to the end, I found myself going, OMG, that one I did not see coming. Even though I guess most people would have. My only issue with the storyline was the Yankee Stadium; that is all I can say. That was literally way over the top! Even though I understood the meaning behind doing it, it could have been omitted. Or found a different way to do it. I don't mean what was happening but more like the people and game. I liked our flight attendants in the story; I felt that they were normal people that I could see being this way in real life. Another character, Theo there was a part of the story that had me thinking of how he just jumped up from an accident like he was not already hurt. I understand adrenaline pumping and kicking, but how he could have maneuvered a motorcycle with one arm messed up just was not what I was thinking could have happened. Theo must be a strong dude to take a lot of hits and jolts and still be good to combat. Overall the story was pretty good, and I was ready to see what would happen next. Would Bill be able to save the passengers, or will his family come first?