June 2023

T. J. Newman wrote a terrific debut novel, FALLING, a couple of years ago. She knows her stuff about airplanes and flying as she was a flight attendant for a number of years. Her new thriller, DROWNING, has a very similar cover, which I have not seen done before. But this time, the plane is not in danger of crashing. Flight 1421 crashes very early in the book. Forget the drinks and the snacks. The flight crew here is in full crisis mode as the plane headed to San Francisco from Hawaii goes down a mere six minutes into the trip, and suddenly passengers have a view of the Pacific Ocean from below. The plane has been ditched.

On board is Will Kent, who is traveling with his 11-year-old daughter, Shannon. He is soon to be divorced from Shannon’s mom, Chris, who feels that it was rather over-protective of him to accompany Shannon to her summer camp in San Francisco. That’s an idea she quickly rethinks as she knows Will can help guide Shannon to safety. But the plane has taken the lives of a lot of the passengers --- and the captain. Some passengers head from the aircraft, while others decide to wait for a rescue. But the first plans for a rescue are thwarted. All hope is placed on the shoulders of Chris, who is a diver and an expert in underwater rescue. But as she develops a plan, the plane is teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff, and the air is running out.

The hours tick by, and T. J. keeps ratcheting up the drama and the pace. It reads briskly, and you can see this as a movie in your head. You’re not wrong; it’s already been optioned for a film. I do not suggest reading this on an airplane, especially one flying over water. But I do suggest you read it.

And I want to know what T. J. plans to write next!