Departure 37 by Scott Carson hooked me in the first chapter and kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. A very enjoyable and suspenseful read!

This unique and disturbing story is told through two timelines (1962 America during the Cold War and current day 2025 America) and multiple POVs. Characters are well-developed, and the alternating time lines and voices build suspense while filling in the details of the connections between them all.

This is one of those books that are difficult to review without spoiling the read. Better for you to go in cold.

Well done! I look forward to reading more from this new-to-me author.

My thanks to Atria/Emily Bestline Books for permitting me to access a DRC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Departure 37 by Scott Carson is a genre-blending thriller that fuses Cold War paranoia with modern-day psychological suspense. The novel opens with a surreal crisis: hundreds of commercial pilots across the U.S. receive cryptic, late-night phone calls from their mothers—some of whom are deceased—urging them not to fly. The result is a nationwide ground stop and a scramble by military and AI experts to uncover the source of this eerie coordination. At the heart of the story is sixteen-year-old Charlie, newly relocated to a coastal Maine town she loathes, who witnesses a strange balloon drifting toward her home. Her father’s failed brewery project sits atop an abandoned airfield that may hold the key to a decades-old mystery involving a physicist’s dangerous discovery in 19622.

This was my first read by Scott Carson (the pen name of Michael Koryta), and I was immediately drawn in by his ability to balance high-concept suspense with intimate character work. Charlie’s voice is sharp and emotionally honest, grounding the novel’s speculative elements in the relatable angst of adolescence. Carson’s dual timeline structure—shifting between Charlie’s present and Martin Hazelton’s Cold War-era research—creates a layered narrative that’s both thrilling and reflective. The pacing is deliberate, with tension building through atmospheric dread rather than cheap shocks, and the historical threads add weight to the unfolding mystery.

What makes Departure 37 stand out is its emotional resonance. Beneath the sci-fi and horror trappings lies a story about family, fear, and the consequences of secrets buried too long. Carson’s prose is elegant and propulsive, and his themes—technological anxiety, generational trauma, and the fragility of truth—feel especially timely. For a debut experience with this author, it was a compelling and thought-provoking ride, and I’m eager to explore more of his work. If you enjoy thrillers that challenge genre boundaries while delivering a deeply human story, this one is worth the journey.

If you are a fan of X-Files or The Twilight Zone, this thriller will be right up your alley. Scott Carson weaves history with science fiction in Departure 37. Set in two separate timelines between multiple POVs, the reader is taken on a journey regarding one of America's best kept secrets.

If you are interested in learning more about our government in the 1960s during the Cold War era and are able to suspend belief in reality, Departure 37 may be a fun read for it. It was a healthy mix of science fiction and historical fiction.

For me personally, the book became too technical at points regarding aviation and scientific elements, but I do think others who are interested in this sort of topic would thoroughly enjoy the book! I just loved the hook of the book: "On a clear October day, American skies empty after pilots refuse to fly [...] The pilots received disturbing, middle-of-the-night calls from their mothers, and each mother had an urgent request: do not fly today."

Thank you to Atria Books for sending me a finished copy of this book and the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm gonna call this one 3.5 stars rounded up. While I love reading Michael Koryta aka Scott Carson, this book was a bit out of the norm for him. The premise was definitely unique and inventive but I'm not sure it was carried out well. First, there are alternating timelines between 1962 and 2025 which can be somewhat confusing, but my biggest issue was just comprehending all the science involved. I'm not sure if I was distracted and missed some critical information or if it was just not explained very well to a casual reader. Bottom line, I still enjoyed the story even though it went in a different direction than I was expecting from the opening chapter and I remained a bit confused throughout. My thanks to Atria Books for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Departure 37 is a pulse‑quickening dual‑timeline thriller that blends Cold War paranoia with contemporary mystery in an eerily plausible way. In 1962, a determined scientist makes a groundbreaking—but dangerous—discovery that could bend time itself; decades later, a nationwide aviation crisis erupts when pilots across the country receive chilling calls from mothers—some even deceased—warning them not to fly. Meanwhile, a determined teenage girl named Charlie in remote Maine stumbles into the mystery when a strange balloon lands near her home, drawing her into a covert world she never expected. Scott Carson’s taut prose and clever pacing keep you turning pages long into the night, and the intertwining timelines collide with haunting precision—and an ending that will linger in your mind long after the final line.

Scott Carson delivers a genre-bending thriller that is equal parts eerie, thought-provoking, and suspenseful.

The novel opens in October 2025, when every pilot in the country suddenly receives the same midnight phone call—an urgent plea from their mother not to fly. Some mothers don’t remember making the call. Some have been dead for years. From there, Carson weaves together two timelines: the present day, where teenager Charlie and her father find themselves caught in a mystery that seems to center on their quiet Maine airfield, and the early 1960s, where a physicist working on secret Cold War experiments makes a discovery with terrifying implications.

The dual timelines build steadily and converge in surprising ways. The Cold War sections bring a sense of dread and inevitability, while Charlie’s contemporary storyline adds immediacy and heart. Carson blends elements of thriller, science fiction, and horror, and the result is a story that feels both unsettlingly timely and hauntingly classic.

Strengths include the atmospheric tension, strong pacing in the first half, and an intriguing mix of speculative science and espionage. Charlie is a compelling lead, and the eerie phone call premise hooks you right away. Some readers may find the second half leans more heavily into supernatural explanations than expected, but the journey remains engaging.

Overall, *Departure 37* is a smart, layered thriller that fans of *The Twilight Zone*, Cold War fiction, or speculative suspense will appreciate. It’s chilling, imaginative, and raises questions about the cost of ambition and the dangers of secrets that can’t stay buried.

This was an incredibly unique book that was genre-bending and covered subjects I had never read before. I had a hard time getting into it, but, I am sure this will be a hit among fans. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team!

I enjoyed this genre-defying, sci-fi? coming-of-age? historical? thriller?

At the library I work at we break up our fiction into genres and I thought that this one would be a dozy to classify. We landed on Paranormal Fiction, which doesn't really fit, but Carson's other books are there, so, whatever.

The novel pivots between 1962 and 2025, I enjoyed the 1962 viewpoints much more than the current day, and found myself skimming some of the modern day scenes. I enjoyed how the two narratives connected with each other.

Been a Koryta/Carson fan for a long time and will continue to be so.

Departure 37 is a horror and thriller book where the forgotten Cold War mystries end up making a horrified return. I was so excited to read this book, but sadly this is one that I did not enjoy as much as I would have liked. At times the book got confusing for me and I did not like the 1961/1962 sections. Every character in this one was interesting and the author wrote this well. I would still suggest this book to readers who like horror. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books/ Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this read in exchange of my honest review of Departure 37 by Scott Carson.

Captivating premise isn’t enough to make this Cold War mystery thriller a standout for me.

The calls come in the middle of the night, ostensibly from the moms of pilots meant to fly the next day. The message is clear and results in a callout that empties the skies.

That’s a pretty exciting opening and honestly, that whole concept would have been enough to get me really going, but the whole Seeker Script plot line just fizzled. Then the dual timeline starts and we are alternating between a brilliant physicist, Dr. Martin Hazelton, doing experiments in 1962 and then to present day when two teenagers left alone in Ash Point, Maine, can’t escape their little peninsula when electricity and internet go off when the airline shutdown occurs. Just so happens they are close to a supposedly inactive airfield owned and maintained by the US Navy. And then a B-62 bomber appears out of the sky and lands. Charlie and Lawrence, both 16, learn about secrets and bizarre aviation events from the Cold War.

I can suspend disbelief about lots of scientific things in a heartbeat, but what I just could not wrap my brain around was the inclusion of these two teenagers and them having such a huge impact on what happens in the story. Seriously? If I want my heroes and main characters to be that age, I’ll read young adult literature. It ruined the book for me honestly. I’m sure I’m an outlier, and that’s fine, because it would have made a better and more realistic climax and ending if it wasn’t for that “perceptive” teen girl and her tagalong. Maybe I’m not the right audience but I do like science fiction and the whole concept of being able to disappear a plane and then call it back was quite interesting. All of the characters felt incomplete and at times the flip between past and present was disorienting. There were other issues I might expand upon as well too explain why this book didn’t really work as well for me as I had anticipated, but that would be spoilers.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrators, Mia Barron, Catherine Ho, and Johnny Heller, were a mixed bag. I liked the voices and performance of both women, but Johnny Heller consistently mispronounced the word, nuclear, and that got on my last nerve. I finally had to just skip over his part because I did not find his voice fitting for the part.

I had not read anything by Scott Carson before, but I was sucked in to description where I heard the premise of every plane in the US being grounded because the mothers (some dead, some alive) of every pilot called them and demanded they not fly that day. I thought I was diving into an AI thriller, but it was so much more than that. The Cold War meets 2025 in this novel. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys history and science fiction, bonus points if you like a dual timeline.

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for a free digital copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Departure 37 is a sci-fi, historical fiction thriller which are all genres I enjoy.

One day every airplane pilot’s phone rings and when they answer their phone, their mother is on the other end with a message for their son or daughter… Do not fly today! The strange part is that even the mothers who have passed on are also calling. All airplane traffic stops.

The story goes back and forth between 2025 and 1962. In 1962, brilliant scientist Marty Hazleton creates a technology whereby he can make planes disappear and then reappear again at a set time. Set during the Cuba crisis, the government wants to use this technology as a weapon.

In 2025, Charlie and Lawrence discover a very old weather balloon with a watch inside a connected box. What happens next ties them to the 1962 experiments.

I found this to be an interesting read and was definitely invested in Charlie and to the bizarre technology. I can’t say too much more because… spoilers.

*Thanks so much to partner Atria Books and to
NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*

I tried to get through the audiobook but could notnget past track 15 (Catherine Ho?) ,which has to be the worst audio narration i have ever heard. The narrator's intonation, I swear, was AI, but the voices (esp Hanover) were so contrived and bizarre. Publishers should edit not only the writing but have separate editing for audio narrations.

Will need to postpone review pending reading the ARC.

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Okay, read the ARC and typical of Scott Carson or Michael Koryta books, the writing just flows and draws you in, and keeps you engaged till the end. Truly a gifted storyteller.

As a rule, i take book cover blurbs with a grain of salt. I agree with most of yhe reviews, this is not horror and not really much of a coming of age story, at least not at its core. More sci-fi historical thriller. "Horror meets coming of age..." was referring to <i>Lost Man's Lane.</i>

First off, I must admit I am biased. Biased because 1) Scott Carson aka Michael Koryta is from my neck of the woods, I've met him and he's such a nice and humble guy, and 2) Because part of this story takes place at the Naval Base near here. That's what I love about Carson/Koryta, he adds areas near his hometown in his books. Pretty sure my little town got a mention in one of his books.

Anyways, this is a novel that blends Cold War espionage with coming of age, with horror and science fiction. It follows two timelines. One involving 17 year old Charlie Goodwin in present-day Maine, and the other in 1962 where a government project involving the disappearance of a B-52 bomber and it's connection to time travel.

It definitely isn't for everyone, but people who enjoy Carson's work, will probably enjoy it.

First, thank you allowing me to read this one in advance, which was noted as ‘read now’

I struggled so much to get into this and was quite frankly bored by the 25% mark.

This was more of a historical fiction meets sci-fi thriller and not what I expected at all. I love Scott Carson’s other work which lead to me to believe this was going to be great too.

This ended up being a DNF for me and I will not provide a review on Goodreads.

Thank you again for the chance to review!

Are you in the mood for an engaging thriller? Check out Departure 37 by Scott Carson! I loved it!! It’s available now!

When I started reading Scott Carson’s Departure 37 I was instantly hooked. What I didn’t know was Scott Carson was a pen name for Michael Koryta, which had I known I’d have been reading his books all along as I have been a massive fan of Koryta’s work for a very long time. It all starts with pilots receiving odd calls in the middle of the night, family begging them to call off, warning that something horrible will happen if they fly. The result is air transportation comes to a screaming halt. But the story is two fold, with the origin stretching back decades. While this is a fascinating story and I don’t regret reading it at all, I will say Carson/Koryta, could have lightened up a bit on the in-depth details. Parts of this actually reminded me of how deep into the detail Tom Clancy would sometimes go…which always seemed a bit too far for me personally. But again, I still enjoyed the tale, just could have been streamlined a bit. Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley foe the review copy.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/departure-37-scott-carson/1145682723?ean=9781982191481&bvnotificationId=ad0812e2-75a0-11f0-b2d5-0e76f773d397&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/353983082

A great premise that fell flat for me. The dual timelines didn't quite work. If you like thrillers, you might enjoy this one!

Started like an absolute banger. Moms calling pilots in the middle of the night saying don’t get on that plane?? One of them’s been dead for sixteen years?? I was LOCKED IN.

But then… the book wandered off into a tangle of flashbacks to the 1960s, Cold War nukes, DARPA deepfake technology, and a buffet of subplots. I kept waiting for the tension of why these calls were happening to build, but instead I got a tour of every possible conspiracy thread the author could think of. Someone somewhere is probably building a corkboard about this book. I am not that someone.

Made it to 40% before realizing the hook I loved had quietly left the building, and I was stuck in a different novel entirely. Strong start, but ultimately not my thing.

DNF.

Departure 37 is a book unlike any other and I thoroughly enjoyed it! In the middle of the night in October, airline pilots across the country get a mysterious call from their mothers. Their mother, in every case, tells the pilot not to fly the following day. There is a complete ground stop across the country and the skies are empty. There's one problem though as none of the mothers remember making such a call and some of the mothers that called are dead! What?! Yes, that's correct. How could this happen? As the military and artificial intelligence communities try to figure this out, weird things begin to happen. Charlie is a 16 year old girl living in Maine as her father has opened a craft brewery there. The brewery is on an old airfield and it hasn't been the success her father was hoping for. One day when Charlie is outside she sees a silver balloon flying across the water and towards her home. When Charlie goes to investigate she gets more than she bargained for.

The story begins in 1962 on a remote Naval base. A physicist discovered something amazing and dangerous with pressure to use this new discovery to help American forces. The book is told in two different timelines, those from 1962 and current time. Both storylines are fascinating and you will have trouble putting this book down. I can't say much more without giving away the secrets of Departure 37, but trust me you want to read this book. Departure 37 keeps you enthralled throughout and it's so different from other books that you will love it! I didn't know where the book was going, but it caught my attention immediately and kept it until the end. I rate Departure 37 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of Departure 37 in exchange for a fair review. #Departure37