Former flight attendant TJ Newman showed a great knack for taking readers on white-knuckle thrill rides with her first two novels, Falling and Drowning, and now presses all the alarm bells with an even more terrifying premise: what if a commercial airliner crashed into a nuclear power plant? As the Arizona author recently discussed with former ESPN anchor Rich Eisen, while such a situation is extremely unlikely, it’s those type of ‘low probability, high consequence’ events she writes about in her novels that pilots truly fear. Despite all the well-drilled safety procedures both airliners and power plants have to prevent, mitigate, or contain accidents, there are chains of events, however unlikely, that could lead to disaster.

Worst Case Scenario delivers exactly that: when a pilot suffers a widow-maker heart attack at 35,000 feet while his co-pilot is in the bathroom, a commercial airliner crashes into the Clover Hill nuclear power plant in Waketa, Minnesota. The two worst nuclear accidents on record are Fukushima and Chernobyl; now Clover Hill roars past them. As the world watches on, its up to ordinary people – power plant employees, firefighters, local teachers – to try to deal with an unimaginable crisis that threatens not only their town, but the world at large.

Newman delivers a tense, terrifying read that is threaded with humanity. A high-concept thriller that would likely translate well to the big screen, Worst Case Scenario also has plenty of heart, as we see the human impact of unfolding events through the eyes of various characters from workers and first responders to local children to the US President.

[This review was first published in the New Zealand Listener magazine]

For those looking for another gripping plane story, you might need to pivot a little. A plane sets up the plot for this one, but it all unfolds on the ground in the aftermath of an event.

I was on the edge of my seat and more than once I was yelling at the book. I really connected and felt protective of one of the characters.

There is tension from the start and the action just kept going, but I would say the characters, their actions and their character really stole the show for me. There is no shortage of characters and I had moments where I had to step back and take a moment to get them straight, but over all I really was entertained by this one. A true summer blockbuster read.

I struggled a little with the narration on this one, but it was really me. Joe Morton narrated the audiobook and with every word he said, it was Papa Pope talking. I was a huge Scandal fan and not a fan of his character. So I was a little tense listening to this for a reason other than the story and it was due to my uncanny ability to remember voices and not getting his previous character out of my mind.

📚✨ TJ Newman is back with another heart-pounding thrill ride! 🚀 From the very first page, I was glued to my seat, and the pacing? Perfection! The character development is absolutely top-notch, pulling you right into the story and hitting you with ALL the feels. Seriously, keep some tissues handy—you might need them! 😭💔 Joe Morton’s narration in the audiobook is a game changer; he brings every character to life in a way that just makes you *feel* everything. I couldn’t stop listening!
This book is a MUST for all you action thriller fans out there. If you’ve been trying to get your husband to dive into a good read or listen, this is the one! It’s packed with suspense, action, and so much emotion—it really has something for everyone. 🔥
Overall, I’m giving it a resounding 5 stars!

T.J. Newman opened the book by saying that he asked pilots what they feared the most and one replied crashing into a nuclear power plant, thus this book was born. When a pilot has a heart attack while flying a commercial airliner, it crashed into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota, This becomes ground zero and the setting of this story. As firefighters and nuclear safety personnel work together, their goal is to prevent a world wide disaster. If they can not prevent a melt down or explosion, this would be a Level 8 nuclear disaster, worse than Fukushima and Chernobyl.

Oh my goodness, this book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. This is a book that you have to go in cold. I am not going to share anymore about the story itself, just how it made me feel. With my limited knowledge of what a nuclear disaster could do to the world, I am now wondering why we have nuclear power points, knowing that this type of thing could happen. I was frightened for the people in the story, especially the children. There are heroes in this story, some that were willing to give their lives to save everyone. The main characters were well developed throughout the story, as we learn about their pasts and what brought them to where they are. The townsfolk pull together to help people in need, and ordinary people take charge to keep everyone informed. It reminded me a bit of what happened during 9-11. This is a jaw dropping, can't put down story that I highly recommend. I have enjoyed each of the thrillers written by T.J. Newman and this was her finest. I can't imagine what she could follow this up with. I had planned on doing a read/listen, but once I started listening, I couldn't stop. Joe Morton has the perfect voice to narrate this book with a newscaster sound, but one that pulls you into the story. If you enjoy audiobooks, then I suggest you listen to this one.

I have very quickly become a fan of T.J, Newman. A friend recently recommended Drowning, which was edge of my seat, heart pounding and riveting and when I saw that Worst Case Scenario was available, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have to say T.J Newman didn’t disappoint. I think that it was a very different premise from the other book I read, with less emphasis on the passengers and more on the impending doom that is created when a “worst case scenario” situation arises. I was hooked from the first chapter of Worst Case Scenario. I hate flying, so it doesn’t do anything for my anxiety…but T.J. Newman captivates you from the first sentence. There is a lot going on when the worst thing that can happen on a plane is not only the pilot having a heart attack but the plane ends up crashing into a nuclear plant in the heart of America. It seems like such a far fetched concept, but is it really? This could impact not only the passengers on the plane, those in the town but also catastrophically impact the entire world.

T.J. Newman has created a world that you are simply a part of, and the character development is so well done that you will be crying by the end of the book (no spoilers - it’s just big emotions all around…you know, worst case scenarios and all). This was a quick, well narrated thriller that not only focuses on the personal disasters and stories of those affected by this catastrophe but also the impact that one seemingly small event has on the rest of the world. The way this was written, and narrated had me invested and stopping everything in order to find out what was going to happen next. As sad as a catastrophe is, this was a well written and entertaining disaster, that seemed to be very well researched and explained.

Thank you to NetGalley, T.J. Newman, Little, Brown & Company and Hackett Audio for the ARC audiobook of Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman. Publication date for Worst Case Scenario was 13 August 2024. If you haven’t already, grab your copy today…audiobook or print - both compelling and heart pounding.

Wow 4.5⭐️. What a treat!! TJ Newman and Joe Morton made this story an auditory experience!

I was hooked from the first chapter and before I even realized I was at 70%. The book opens with a commercial flight heading nose first in to a nuclear power plant.

These types of books always run the risk of sounding far fetched as some authors don't do the correct research. Not here. Every moment/page of this book sounds/feels real. On the flip side, some novels like this also run the risk of becoming boring with too many technical details. I definitely did not experience that here. I'm sure the author's experience as a flight attendant helped.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I would definitely check trigger warnings here. The book was fairly gruesome in parts. Lots of death (obviously) and heart wrenching stories. I don't know how much more of Connor's storyline I could take. I was on edge of my seat the entire book!

The audio version was absolutely amazing and my choice for how to consume this story. The sound effects really made you feel immersed. I loved that the emergency responders actually sounded like they were on emergency radio. The audio definitely heightens this story. The narrator's voice smooth and transitions flowed. Joe Morton read a variety of characters and read them all well, even the female voices- which is my usual gripe with narrators.

Thank you @netgalley and @HachetteAudio @LittleBrown for a copy of this title. All my reviews are unbiased.

Another TJ winner. I’m not sure how these books keep getting more terrifying (not in a thriller way; in a holy cow that can’t ACTUALLY happen…can it? way), but this one mirrored Falling and Drowning and I could not stop listening.

I loved watching as the community came together to help each other, and loved seeing people do the right thing. I cried more than once.

Overall, maybe don’t read on a plane but do read this!

This very much felt like a made for tv movie. And I think it would actually be a pretty cool movie. As a book, it felt like too many characters interspersed with many technical terms which to me is like Greek.
Add to that a small child trapped in a van with dead parents gave me a super high anxiety level. Perhaps because I have a 6 year old and that would be too horrible for me to bear.
This 100 percent felt like something my husband would love to read. And I’ll be glad to watch if it’s a movie.

TJ Newman is the best thriller writer out there. Her stories make me feel sick to my stomach but I cannot look away. Highest recommendation

I loved this book, and the audiobook version was exceptional! Very well performed, and while the story on its own was powerful, the narrator brought a whole other level to the experience. I recommend!

It's a compelling, if predictable thriller a plane crash into a nuclear plant and various parties scrambling to contain the disaster. If you liked Falling, you'll like this.

Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman

The worst thing that can happen on a plane is when the pilot has a heart attack and crashes into a nuclear power plant. It’s not just the passengers' lives that are lost but the world could have catastrophic losses around the world unless the people within the small town can work together to stop a nuclear disaster.

I thought this book was so outlandish with its plot that I was instantly drawn to it. I love books like this. What are the chances of any of these things happening all at once! The perfect storm of insanity. I’m here all day for it. The book was well written and the characters were all amazing.

I take issue with the end. I feel cheated! I know it made for good entertainment but I had angry tears streaming down my face and I might have taken my headphones off rather aggressively! I don’t want to spoil it but arghhh haha! Excellent book.

4.5 stars

I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. The plot had potential, but it was overshadowed by poor pacing and a lack of depth in the characters. I found it hard to stay engaged as the story felt rushed at key moments and dragged in others. The narration didn’t help much either – it felt flat and didn’t bring any real tension or emotion to the story. You would think it was fast paced and heart pounding, but it really wasn't.
For a thriller, it was lacking in suspense, and I didn’t feel invested in what happened to the characters. The twists were predictable, and the dialogue often felt forced.

Hold on to your seats, Newman's latest rollercoaster ride is here! This book had me hooked from start to finish as Newman throws you in to horrendous situations that have you on the edge of your seat. LOVED IT!

How does she do this!! All of her books make my heart race and this was no exception. Well plotted and written horrific story that kept me GLUED>

When I saw T.J. Newman had yet another airplane disaster book coming out, I was admittedly a bit skeptical. Just how many scares in the air can one take?!

Within the first chapter it became clear that the plane was most certainly going down and was the catalyst for THE WORST CASE SCENARIO. This high-octane thriller is heavy on plot as a small town is tasked with saving the future of earth from a nuclear meltdown.

T.J. Newman zooms into a personal disaster while also zooming out on the broader catastrophe of a plane crashing into a nuclear power plant. Sensitive readers should take care with the first portion of the book as depictions of the catastrophe are gory and matter of fact. As the story progressed I became more emotionally invested in the characters and the grittiness eased up.

While DROWNING remains my favorite book from Newman this was a wild ride that held my attention from beginning to end. The audiobook production was quality with added elements that really enhanced the story.


RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: August 13, 2024

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be an incredibly entertaining story. I love disaster stories, and this one did not disappoint. I could tell the author put a lot of effort into getting information about nuclear plants, their hazards, and their maintenance. I have no complaints, only one suggestion. I would have preferred to have fewer main characters, though Ethan, Joss, Steve, Dani, and the citizens of Waketa kept me cheering for all of them.

What a THRILLER this is from the first page and all the way through! Do you want a book that is explosive, riveting and heart-stopping? This is it! I don’t think my heart has stopped pounding since finishing! Pick this one up if you’re looking for an action-packed, hold-on-to-your-seat story that will have your heart racing! You will appreciate the small-town heroes that risk their lives to save others. I loved the way the author wrote another thrilling plane story and I chose to listen to this as an audiobook and the narrator, Joe Morton did an excellent job. He really delivered the believability and I got goosebumps and was tearful few times. I highly recommend this.

This is my first read by this author and my initial thought was “how many times can you do a plane crash?” But after reading this, I really don’t care even if she tells the same story each time because it was SO GOOD. Like, really me tearing up at the end of this book?? Also loved the narration, I thought it was fantastic. While I love thrillers, this one hit a little harder because l of the “what if…” (oh and realizing the importance of a calm and collected president if disaster were to strike…🤔). I will be holding off on reading Newman’s other two books for a bit since I will be traveling in the next two months and don’t want to introduce some bad juju, but after that it’ll be the first thing I pick up.

WORST CASE SCENARIO review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

🛩️File this one under “books I didn’t expect to make me cry.” This was my first book by this author so I went in not knowing what to expect. It was a wild ride and I definitely enjoyed it!!

🛩️Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
After the pilot suffers a medical emergency, a commercial plane crashes into a nuclear power plant. While the plane crash itself is a horrible tragedy, the devastation has only begun as the nation waits to see what the impacts will be from a nuclear disaster…

🛩️I was expecting a book about a plane disaster to take more place on the actual plane but it was actually more about the after effects of the crash. There were so many different plot lines and characters and I was invested in all of them! I felt like some of the plot lines weren’t fully wrapped up/resolved by the end of the book and that left me wanting more. But overall I enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend the audiobook!