Review: Falling by T. J. Newman

Falling by T. J. Newman
Published by Simon and Schuster on July 6, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Psychological, Suspense, Terrorism, Thrillers
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Goodreads

Captain Bill Hoffman picks up a red-eye flight from LA to New York, knowing he'll miss his son's Little League opener.  There is definitely tension in the air as he leaves his wife and children behind.   This is just another regular day for Bill, until he learns his family has been kidnapped.  The only way to save his family is to crash the plane. 

Those who know me well know that I tend to avoid buzz books, I prefer to read without outsider input or influence. With Falling, far to many people whose opinion I value were raving about this debut, so I had to give in.

I sat down on my couch, promising myself that I can only afford to read a few chapters….and I read the entire book. I didn’t even stop reading to exercise; thank goodness for built-in book holders on spin bikes! I know it’s cliché to say that a book captured you from the first few pages, but in this case, it’s quite accurate. Non-stop tension and action from beginning to end.

There’s a saying: “write what you know.” In the case of T.J. Newman, that’s exactly what she’s done. A flight attendant for ten years, she got the idea for her book while on a red-eye herself. She down ideas on any piece of paper she could find in the quiet moments of her flight.

Her truly expert knowledge is clearly apparent in every aspect of this thriller. That unique perspective adds to the reading experience, as does the perfectly fleshed out characters. The reader can’t help but care for each of the characters, even feeling a bit of compassion for the terrorists. That truly takes skill, to relay that sort of emotion from the page to the reader.

There were minor issues with point of view near the end of the book, so minor that I nearly didn’t point it out. One scene in particular was a bit awkward, but if that’s the only issue, it can easily be forgiven.

Several have asked me if this book deters me from flying. Quite the opposite, actually, for I know that I’ll have the highest of confidence in my flight crew!

Newman signed a two book deal and this debut already has film rights. I’m impatiently awaiting more! Highly recommended.