If all thrillers were like this, I'd read nothing else. This is the rare kind of story that starts out at 100 mph and never lets up. T.J. Newman puts her background as a former flight attendant to expert use. Captain Bill Hoffman is in an impossible position - choosing between sacrificing either his family or the passengers on the plane he is piloting. It is a heart-pounding ride that you won't want to put down.

Veteran pilot Bill Hoffman boards a flight from California to New York — not his usual assignment, and in fact his wife isn’t too happy about the last minute change of plans. Before the flight even hits cruising altitude, he’s notified that his wife and young children have been kidnapped and he has a decision to make: crash the plane with 143 souls on board, or watch your family get murdered.

Holy smokes what a literal ride this was. I was on the edge of my seat — which had all four legs firmly planted on the ground, thank god. Seriously do not pick this one for your next in-flight entertainment. I really loved the characters — all of them — and felt for the decisions they had to make. I thought the depiction of the responsibilities of our flight teams was super well done — and you could tell the author had first-hand experience with flying with your family, aka crew!

I was absolutely in a thriller slump and this brought me right on out of it starting on page 1 — I was hooked.

TW: plane hijacking, Islamaphobia, graphic descriptions, explosion

This is so exciting. A pilot's family is kidnapped and he's given the choice to crash the plane or let his family die. Such a great premise for a book, but I wondered if the author would be able to keep the suspense going for an entire novel. Shifting perspective from the family, to the plane, to the FBI, author T.J, Newman keeps the suspense taught throughout. It's written by a former flight attendant, so the details all feel right. Don Winslow correctly raves that this book is "Jaws at 35,000 feet."