𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅𝒚?

Susan Walter just raised the bar for the locked room mystery trope. We've all read and enjoyed this trope done on trains, but on an airplane? It's Susan, so I knew it would be good, but I had no idea just how cunning and diabolically clever this twisty thriller would be.

Flight 868 is headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico. As expected, there is a diverse cast on board the plane, including a wedding party, a high school baseball team, a grief-stricken woman, and someone with a secret they are desperate to keep hidden. The mood is light and celebratory until the plane hits turbulence due to bad weather, and then a lightning strike plunges the plane into darkness for a short time until the electrical system is restored. Everything is breathing a heady sigh of relief...well, almost everyone. One person isn't breathing at all. The battered body of a passenger is left behind in the lavatory, and the air marshal on board has the unenviable task of desperately trying to explain how this could have happened under his watch.

As an avid people-watcher who often makes up stories about the people I encounter, being privy to the inner lives of all of the passengers really appealed to me. One by one the layers were peeled away until the common thread holding them together was revealed.

*cue meme of Susan standing in front of a board with 57463 post-its on it grinning maniacally*

It was nothing short of brilliant how everything came together, and with so many moving parts, this was a huge risk that paid off in a BIG way. You will suspect EVERYONE on board this plane because every single person has something they're trying to hide. The action refused to abate, and even though I was getting claustrophobic and overwhelmed with panic at times, I wasn't letting go of this book. At the risk of including spoilers, I'll just say that this is much more than just a relentless survival thriller. There is an unimaginable loss coupled with casual privilege that is developed and explored so brilliantly, I think just about everyone reading can relate in some way, even if only peripherally.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this coveted early copy. This book will publish February 17, 2026.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the truly sweetest Susan Walter for giving me early access to Murder at 30,000 Feet!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

When I say I want a thriller that's a complete page-turner and keeps me guessing until the very last page—this is exactly what I mean!

Susan Walter has a true gift for storytelling. She masterfully weaves multiple perspectives, immersing you in each character’s emotions and situations. The title alone grabs your attention, but add in a cold case hit-and-run, aircraft tampering, and a small town with big secrets—and you’ve got a recipe for an absolutely compelling read.

I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend adding this to your most anticipated reads for 2026!

A flight delay. A crew change. A thunderstorm brewing. The building blocks for chaos are set. And then there's the troubled cast of characters. A groom with a terrible secret. The ex who's threatening to tell it. A baseball team struck by tragedy. A grieving mother who wants revenge. The intrigue is sky high.
And then the storm closes in. A lightning strike short circuits the lights. In the turbulence and darkness, one of those passengers seizes the opportunity to kill. They're over the ocean, the plane can't land, and there's only am inexperienced air marshal to figure out whodunnit and save the passengers and his job, because he should have been paying attention, this is kind of his fault.
If this sounds intriguing, it is. But it just gets better. Because the worst thing that can happen at 30,000 feet happens, and things go off the rails quickly and completely. But in all the fast-paced action, you never lose your connection to these people, who are flawed but so sympathetic, so well-drawn they could be people you know.
I won't spoil the ending, just say it does not disappoint. Unlike other cozies that tend to feel small, this locked room mystery goes from claustrophobic to explosive. This should be a movie!
Thank you to the author and the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

Murder at 30,000 Feet

By: Susan Walter’s
Pub day: February 17, 2026
Publisher: Blackstone
Your: Thrillers Book Lovers THE PULSE

5✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️

Get ready for one heck of a bumpy ride!!!! Walter’s always packs a lot into her books and this is now my new favorite.
✈️
Flight 868 is heading to Puerto Rico and it is filled with non-stop action. A baseball team, grieving mother, a Federal Air Marshal, and many more passengers filled with secrets.
✈️
When the plane looses power, a murder occurs. The victim has their own past and the secrets of several passengers create chaos for all.
✈️
A wedding party aboard this plane provides added drama. Lots of secrets past and present might just bring this plane down!
✈️
This epic flight is one that will keep you reading to find out who might be next or will the passengers land safely. After all, there is a killer among them. #susanwalterauthor, #blackstonepublishing, #thrillerbookloversthepulse, #thepulse, #thrillerlovers

Wow, wow, wow! If T.J. Newman and Agatha Christie wrote a book together, you'd get something like this. I read hundreds of books a year and Murder at 30,000 Feet is one of the most exciting I've ever read. I'm afraid of flying so I was in tears with anxiety at times. The prologue was gripping, and I was hooked from that point on. A murder taking place during a blackout on a plane is extremely intriguing. The characters have all kinds of interesting connections and just about everyone is a suspect. There are secrets galore and plenty of motives to want the victim dead. Then the plot goes a direction I didn't expect at all, and the action is practically non-stop after that! This is definitely a book that will get your adrenaline pumping and it would make an excellent movie! The ending was incredible, and I never did guess who the killer was or any of the other twists. Clear your calendar because you will NOT want to put this book down once you start. This is an absolute must read, and I can't recommend it enough! 5 glowing stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

This story had me completely hooked from the very first chapter. I was constantly trying to piece together all the different threads, but every time I thought I had it figured out, another twist hit me out of nowhere. I love when a book feels like a full-on guessing game, and this one nailed it. With so many moving parts and multiple narrators, the mystery felt layered and complex without ever losing momentum. The way everything came together in the end was so satisfying, and I closed the book already wanting more from this author. If you’re into twisty mysteries that keep your brain working the entire time, this is definitely one to pick up.

Murder at 30,000 feet by Susan Walter

As most of you know I’m a big romantasy fan and typically stay mostly in that genre. I was feeling a little too underwhelmed with romantasy lately so decided to read a good old fashioned thriller and y’all let me tell you, this was a great one!
This is basically a locked room mystery but bigger stakes. I, at the beginning was super confident in my guess of whodunnit and why. Well guess what? I was wrong. Eventually I figured it out but it was fairly last minute.
The thrills of this book. Wow. I was in tears and I had anxiety. I was so into this book. It’s not just a who killed who scenario. We’re on a huge flying machine. What do huge flying machines sometimes do? Yah. Just thinking about what I would do and what I would do if my kids were with me, woof. The good news is, this story does not feature any young children so wipe those anxiety driven sweating mama foreheads.
The characters. This author knows how to develop characters. I felt for each character. Sometimes not great things but I felt for them. My favorite character was the pilot. I told myself if he died I would boycott lol. He didn’t (spoiler I guess? Sorry,) so we’re not boycotting yay!
The story involved a small group of people mostly from the same town on one flight to San Juan. Most were teenagers going to a baseball tournament with their chaperones, others were there for a destination wedding. We hear voices from each group, a mom who lost her teenage boy three years ago in a hit and run, a girl who was assaulted by her ex boyfriend, her ex boyfriend, her best friend, a federal Marshall, the pilot, a flight attendant, and the baseball leagues president. Each one has a very in-depth story to tell. Then when the plane hits turbulence, the lights go out and a murder happens. The Federal Marshall wants to solve the mystery before they land, but will they land safely with a murderer in their midsts?

Y’all this book had me in a tight grip and you all need to read it!

Thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the arc.

This was my second time reading this author and it did not disappoint. It was fast-paced, gripping, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Can’t wait to read more by this great author.

A plane trip to Puerto Rico with more than one passenger hiding devastating secrets. A woman who has lost everything. A couple headed to their doomed destination wedding. A bridesmaid with a horrible experience to share. A boy who was tragically killed, whose memory is on many of these passengers' minds.
So many secrets and lies start to emerge once lightning strikes this plane. After the lights come back on, someone is dead. But who, how, and is the killer done? A fast-paced locked room mystery once they are in the air. Imagine having a killer aboard your next flight! Even an air marshal will be helpless once the lights go out. I could not turn the pages fast enough! 4.5 stars.

During a flight to Puerto Rico, a body is found in the rear bathroom. The murder weapon left with the body. The air marshall now has to find out who had motive and opportunity to kill this person, but it turns out this case is a lot more complicated than he originally thought. Can he solve the mystery and keep everyone safe?

Locked room mystery on a plane? Yes please. As someone who’s terrified of flying, I was nervous about picking this one up. Do I really need more reasons to fear airplanes? Apparently yes—because I like to make myself suffer. But honestly, it was worth it. I ended up absolutely loving this book. My butt was clenched the entire time, new fears were unlocked, and yet it was a bloody brilliant read.

This is a cleverly written, twisty story where multiple threads weave together in the most thrilling way. The setup is pitch perfect: a delayed flight, a last-minute crew change, a brewing thunderstorm, suspicious behavior, and a cast of characters with dark secrets. There’s a lot happening, but it never feels overwhelming or hard to follow.

I need more books like this.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

I found this book to be very exciting, which is rare for me. Plus, I loved the combination of baseball and air travel. The author put together a rather intricately layered puzzle that made me consider several different people. I figured it out before it was revealed, but it was still well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Murder at 30,000 feet by Susan Walter is yet another excellent thriller from the American author who I discovered two years ago through Lie By The Pool. If you're looking for a new-to-you author with an excellent backlist I highly recommend Walter, who is also a screenwriter and director... which I think is evident in her writing - placing readers firmly in the midst of the novel's events through its narrative or 'the action', rather overly descriptive place-related prose. Here that action is fast-paced and, though we jump about in time a little, Walter ekes out the who and the why, creating tension and suspense.

Walter places us in a few different heads so we're given snippets of intelligence about the present and past without knowing the whole story. There's Carlos Renaldo who's an Air Marshall and excited about his weekly rendezvous with a flight attendant (though that fraternisation is strictly off limits and we understand why, when he's distracted from his job by a change in plans). And then there's Penelope, a wealthy woman who is akin to patron of her sons' school baseball team. Her youngest son is the only one left at school and (in terms of a future in baseball) even Penelope admits he's probably the least talented of her three boys. Francesca is a school teacher and on the trip as chaperone to the team. Her decision to volunteer for the role surprises others as she's very much in mourning for her only child, also a former member of the baseball team, killed in a hit and run three years earlier. The plane is also hosting those travelling to a wedding and head bridesmaid Angie is grappling over the need to share a secret about the groom with the bride, her best friend Jilly.

We meet others of course... the school baseball coach who's a local hero, along with his estranged wife, Cathy called in unexpectedly to work a shift as flight attendant on the plane. And then there's Billy, the groom-to-be resplendent with a cocky attitude and drinking problem. It takes some time to remember who's who but certainly not an issue. It also means there are a LOT of backstories and potential victims and perpetrators on offer. And Walter keeps the victim's identify from us for quite some time which is a clever move to keep us guessing.

The plane hits turbulence and power is lost when lightning strikes, the body discovered once the lights come on. So it's certainly not a premeditated murder, rather one of convenience... or perhaps desperation and we wonder if so many coincidences are feasible or if fate has intervened in a Bermuda-triangle-like way to cause the events here. Renaldo realises his role is limited to keeping those on the plane safe, but with the FBI on the ground giving instructions he starts questioning some of the other passengers.

We move between narrators and back and forth in time a little, with the FBI on the ground revisiting past events to see if they precipitated those in the present.

Walter takes things up a notch when the plane loses fuel and needs to make an emergency landing. Early events are now suspicious... someone seen sneaking something onto the plane and we wonder if there's something bigger at play that has nothing to do with baseball players or upcoming nuptials.

This is an excellent read and Walter again delivers great characters and a complex addictive locked room mystery that kept my spidey senses on overdrive.

4.5 stars

What a wild ride this story is! I was initially drawn in by the title, because I love locked room mysteries, but it is so much more than that! A lot of the passengers on Pioneer flight 868 to San Juan are connected in some way and the author weaves their story together perfectly. There are multiple POVs in this story and all are handled wonderfully.

This is a page turner and I just had to know the outcome. This would make for a great movie!

Thank you to Thrillerbookloversthepulse and the author for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. The opinions are my own and freely given.

I absolutely love a "locked room" mystery and honestly you can't get much more locked in than an airplane. A high school baseball team traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico and a destination wedding party end up on the same flight. The groom used to be one of the team so he knowss the coaches, the maid of honor used to date the groom and has reason for her best friend, the bride, not to go through with the wedding. There are plenty of secrets and then one of the passages ends up dead. The Air Marshall tries to investigate the murder while hurtling through the skies.

I really enjoyed this story. Before we discovered who the victim was it kept me guessing and then once that was revealed, I ket trying to figure out who the killer was, and why.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers The Pulse and the author, #partner, for an advanced copy of Murder at 30,000 Feet in exchange for my honest review.

It’s not secret that I am a fan of Susan Walter’s books and when I heard about her latest book, I knew I had to read it…and let me just say, this just might be my new favorite of her books. Talk about a pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, breath-holding reading experience…this one had me in a choke-hold almost from the get-go and didn’t let up. It’s also one of those books where it’s really hard to talk about without giving too much away! ⁣
⁣
If you love locked-room murder mysteries, books where you suspect just about everyone, stories with multiple POVs multiple plots, this one is for you! It’s got a lot of moving parts and just when you think you might have started to work out some of the strands, the author pulls the rug out from under us & shakes it all up. I could not turn the pages fast enough…nor did I see where or how it would all come together…it was such a stressful, addictive read and one I highly recommend to everyone who loves thrillers! This is not your typical thriller…it’s one wild ride that literally takes your breath away!

I received this as an e-ARC from NetGalley. This was such a wonderful book to read. it had everything. it sucks you in from the very first page and does not let up until the very last. The writing style was engaging, entertaining and creative. There were some conventions that I had never seen before, such as the way this book wove many different stories together in a tight tapestry of suspense and thrills. This is a 5 out of five star book all day long.

If you love locked in mysteries, this needs to be on your tbr!! I was hooked right from the prologue - once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. I loved the use of multiple POVs to tell the story - it was interesting to get all the different perspectives. The author does a fantastic job dropping these hints…and I still had no idea how it was going to end!!

Airplane travel can be stressful - add in some storms and murder, and we see the passengers start to spiral! There is a sports team and a wedding party…and there some big secrets to uncover!!

I don’t want to give anything away - and I highly recommend going into this one blind!

✨What To Expect:
🔐Locked Room Mystery
✈️Airplane Setting
🔪Murder Mystery
⁉️Thriller
💥Suspense
🥀Secrets & Betrayal
🛫Multiple POV

Susan Walter has quickly become one of my favorites! Her thrillers are amazing, and so is her general fiction! This is her newest thriller; it will be out in April, so make sure you preorder it because it is absolutely fantastic!

Pioneer Flight 868 is en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico, carrying passengers that include a high school baseball team with their chaperones and a wedding party, who are already tipsy for the flight to the upcoming celebration. Things are going smoothly until the plane encounters a storm. The turbulence has everyone sick, and when lightning strikes the plane, the avionics system is disrupted. The plane goes completely dark for a few minutes. When the lights come back on, a passenger is found in the lavatory brutally murdered. Luckily, there is an air marshal on the flight. He'll need to keep things in order until they land. But this also means there is a killer on the flight. He feels compelled to try and find the culprit. As he starts to investigate, he realizes several of the passengers are harboring some dark secrets. Will he be able to piece things together before the killer takes another victim?

Told in multiple POVs with multiple plotlines, this book kept me on my toes. I didn't think a lot could happen on a plane, but boy was I wrong! Everything you can imagine going wrong did! The twists were crazy and totally blew my mind! I was completely captivated by the immersive writing, which held my attention from the very beginning and kept me engrossed throughout the entire book. This book was fast-paced, exciting, and a total page-turner! I loved how everything tied together in the end. This was a completely entertaining, thrilling, wild, locked-room mystery that I would HIGHLY recommend! 🩷

Great read.
A passenger is murdered on a flight to a Puerto Rico, during an in flight power electronics and lighting loss and, every one on the plane is suspect.
As the air Marshall on the flight starts trying to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death, he finds mire motives and suspects than he can handle.
Suspense filled mystery that grabs you from page one.
Well defined characters.

This is easily one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year! It’s a locked room mystery with the murder happening on a plane in flight but a lot of the book is spent off the plane in memories and investigations on the ground. As the story unfolds you see how connected a lot of people on the plane are. The characters have their own issues going on that are little subplots. I loved everything about this book from the vivid writing that made me feel as if I was in the story, to the clever plot. A must add to your thriller TBR!

Another banger by @susanwalterauthor, who has solidified her place as an auto buy thriller author for me! This book was just one crazy twist and misdirection after another. Just when you think you have something figured out you realize quickly that you were very wrong. There was just so much happening and so many connections on this one flight that it was absolutely mind blowing.

This is one my favorite types of thrillers with pulse pounding danger and tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I blew through this one in a single afternoon because it’s such a wild ride—literally—that I couldn’t put it down. This is a thriller lovers dream.

I don't think that my heart rate dropped a single second the entire time I was reading this book. This was one intense read! There's a cast of eclectic characters all thrown together on a plane on its way to Puerto Rico. Some of them may seem to have nothing in common, but when a murder happens midflight, secrets start to come out, and we begin to realize that things aren't what they seem. Every time I thought I had the murderer figured out, I thought wrong. This is written in short chapters and is very fast-paced. It's a page turner that is guaranteed to keep you hooked until you've gotten to the very end. This locked room murder mystery holds you in a vise grip and doesn't let go until you've devoured it all.

✈️𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗧 𝟯𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗧
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙵𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟷𝟽, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟼
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜.𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★✮
ʳᵒᵘⁿᵈⁱⁿᵍ 🆙 ᶠᵒʳ ᴳᴿ

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...The title is enough just know it’s packed full of way more than just that!

✈️𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢....HELL YES! 👏 This book was a total adrenaline blast!! 🎉 I read 📕her in a day & I wish I could get that pumped up feeling back. 👊It is packed full of so much more than just a murder on a plane! 😳Multiple POVs…numerous backstories….secrets🤫 & twists 🌀galore! Oh! 🤩And, the best part is they all get tied up & come together at the end. I sure do love a bow tied ending 🎀 If you are a thriller junkie like me this is a must read!

WOW!! I'm obsessed. This was such a great read. A locked room murder mystery that takes place on a plane. There's a thunderstorm that knocks out the electricity for a moment and when the lights come back on, one of the passengers is brutally murdered, and the only air marshall on board must figure out which passenger committed the murder. This was seriously so suspenseful and twisty. I had no idea where this was going or how it was all going to play out, and I loved every minute.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This is the author’s best book yet! It’s a suspenseful and clever whodunnit that kept me hooked from start to finish. I highly recommend this creative thriller…and all her other books while you’re at it.

This book had me hooked from the start, and I finished it in a single day. The tension builds as the plot unfolds, revealing a fast-paced mystery that keeps you guessing. This cast of characters have both obvious and subtle connections, each adding layers to the story. The confined setting of the airplane amplifies the suspense, making it a high-altitude cat-and-mouse game that’s hard to put down.

One of the standout aspects of this book is how all the different storylines come together. Walter skillfully intertwines the various threads, leading to a satisfying conclusion that ties up loose ends.

If you're in the mood for a thrilling mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Murder at 30,000 Feet is definitely worth a read so add this to your 2026 tbr!

I received a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for the ultimate “locked room” thriller, look no further!! Susan Walters absolutely KILLED it (no pun intended) with Murder at 30,000 Feet. There were quite a few storylines to follow and multiple POV’s throughout but this was written flawlessly, making it easy for the reader to follow along.

This book is fast paced, action packed and impossible to put down. There were so many red herrings brilliantly placed throughout and every twist and reveal was just as shocking as the one before it.

This was my first read by this author but it certainly won’t be my last!

Nonstop flight 868 is headed to Puerto Rico and on board are over a dozen passengers on their way to a destination wedding and a team of high school baseball players headed to a tournament. However, their excitement turns to terror when a lightning strike short-circuits the avionics and plunges the plane into darkness. When the lights come back on, a passenger is found brutally murdered without anyone noticing, and the Air Marshall on board is confused about how it happened on his watch. He realizes that he doesn’t have much time to solve the crime and that many of the passengers are keeping dark secrets!
Thousands of feet in the air with thunderstorms closing in and uncertainty about how much longer the plane can stay in the air, danger looms. Can the captain outrun the storm? Or will the murderer among them bring the plane down first?

Wow! This was soooo good! Locked room thrillers are one of my favorite tropes and this one was filled with tension, suspense, secrets, lies, murder and all of it happening 30,000 feet in the air! The story is so cleverly written, as we learn about the different passengers and what is going on in there lives. As the story unravels, we learn that many of them are connected to each other and that the murder on this flight isn’t the only mystery to solve. I loved that the victim wasn’t even revealed until later in the book, yet I still found a reason to suspect everyone! This story so brilliantly unravels as we realize how the lives of the passengers intersect and the story comes together. I read this in two sittings and absolutely couldn’t put it down! I’m already looking forward to seeing what Susan Walters comes up with next!

🌟 F I V E S T A R F R I D A Y review & book tour 🌟 featuring “Murder at 30,000 Feet” by Susan Walter!

Flight 868 nonstop to San Juan, Puerto Rico was supposed to be a ticket to paradise, but a sudden storm changes everything. The flight becomes an absolute nightmare at 30,000 feet when lightning strikes the plane’s avionics and is plunged into complete darkness in the sky.

During the turbulence and power outage, a killer strikes and murders one of the passengers in the rear bathroom. Now everyone on board is a suspect and with nowhere to run and hide, the killer remains amongst the passengers. As the captain tries to make an emergency landing in an insidious storm, the flight crew and air marshall must work together to keep everyone safe before the killer strikes again … or the plane crashes!

💭 Susan Walter has done it again with another 5 star thriller! The locked room airplane setting had me spiralling because you can’t get any more claustrophobic than an airplane! The danger looming inside AND outside the plane makes you feel unsettled, trapped and on edge at all times. The main characters are suspicious and unreliable and kept me guessing whodunit throughout! The shocking plot twists and unraveling web of secrets adds to the fearful, chaotic and turbulent (literally) situation at hand. I loved it!

Thank you kindly to @susanwalterauthor @blackstonepublishing @thrillerbookloversthepulse @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review and spot on this book tour! This book releases on February 17, 2026 and is a must read for your 2026 TBRs!!

Wow, what a ride (literally) 30,000 feet up!

This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter and kept a hold of it like a vise grip throughout every chapter through to the end. Never once was I was bored, in fact, I was actually sad to reach the end because of how much I enjoyed this heart pounding story.

Susan does an expert job at making so many people look like a suspect. Nearly all of the passengers aboard flight 868 have some sort of motive. The dual pov is perfectly done and the time line jumps weave the story together at a great pace.

I predicted one thing just to be "slapped" by a few other twists that I did not see coming.

I honestly got goosebumps in this one, it's a thrilling ride you don't want to miss!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Do you enjoy locked-room mysteries? How about we put that ‘locked room’ at about 30,000 feet? Got your attention now, didn’t I⁉️

Ladies and gentlemen, sorry for the delay, but we’re now ready to board our flight from San Diego to San Juan Porto Rico.

On board with us we have:
✈️A couple on their way to their destination wedding with an entourage of family and of course the bridal party.
✈️ A high school baseball team ready to play in a championship tournament.
✈️ The mother of a former player.
✈️ An air Marshal that may be slightly distracted.
✈️ A flight attendant and her ex-husband, the teams coach.
🛩️ And last but not least…one dead body

This is one flight our passengers will never forget!

Susan Walter always delivers diabolically fun thrillers that I love to devour! Not even my own fear of flying could keep me away from this read!

Loved all the characters and their back/side stories. I would cheer as each piece of the puzzle clicked into place!

Fasten your seatbelts! Her we go!

✍️ Susan Walter
📄 340 pages
🗓️ Anticipated release date: February 17 2026
📈 5/5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
👉 locked room thriller

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing

Thank you so much to Susan and Blackstone for a chance to read Murder at 30,000 Feet early, and thanks to the team at The Pulse for always giving me a place to rave about the books we read!

Flight 868 is headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, filled with a variety of passengers - a wedding party headed to a destination wedding who did quite a bit of pregaming in the terminal, a high school baseball team on their way to a tournament, and a few heading out in search of love or nursing broken hearts.

But when a lightning strikes the plane and sends it into darkness, terror descends on the cabin.When power returns, a passenger is found murdered in the bathroom. The air marshal must use his rusty skills to try and solve the crime while keeping the innocent passengers safe. As he covertly investigates, he discovers that several passengers have secrets and there’s more connections than meets the eye.

I just love Susan. Everything she puts out, I grab as soon as possible and I’m never disappointed. When I first heard about this one, my first thought was phew this is a lofty undertaking. A plane is, of course, the perfect setting for a locked room, but because it’s a perfect setting and there’s only so much you can do within that extremely limited space, this has got to be clever. And it was.

The webs that Susan wove had my head spinning. There were so many connections and somehow they all worked for me. Of course, some suspension of belief is required given the setting and all we know about TSA in a post-9/11 world, but as I always say - I suspend belief the moment I pick up a book, it’s why I read!

You don’t leave this one wanting for action. Even though we get a pretty good prelude to the flight, there’s action and drama from the start. However, and it doesn’t happen often with thrillers, but I walked away from this one wishing there would be another book. I’d love to know more about our Air Marshal, I’d love to see the characters repair their lives after this kind of tragedy/trauma. And I’m not positive, but it feels like Susan *did* leave the door open to the possibility so I’m hopeful!

This was an amazing and exciting book which deserves ten stars but five will have to do.
A flight going to San Juan had a wedding party on it also a team of baseball players going for a competition.
The bride and her best friend has been friends for a long time, the bride not knowing that her best friend was having an affair with the groom.
The bridal party were all getting drunk when on going to the toilet a body was found killed with a baseball ball bat, and at that time the plane hit a thunderstorm and started loosing altitude,
Someone on that plane was a murderer but there was more important things now to worry about the plane was juddering and going down.
Loved this book
READ IT

This is the first book I’ve read by Susan Walter and honestly at times I thought I was reading a T J Newman book!! This book was a heart pounding roller coaster ride from page one to the crashing ending! Great character and storyline development! You will not put this book down until the end. Thanks for the ARC!

This book absolutely flew past the expectations I had for it. Each turn of events in the story continued to leave me speechless. Everything flowed together well and as I was trying to figure out one part of the problem, then another concern would arise. It was perfectly executed and had just enough going on to make it difficult to put down, but not enough to make things confusing. It was easy to imagine being aboard that flight. The author wrote this story in such detail that you can picture all of the events actually occurring. When a closed case from a few years ago is reopened, this leads to a whirlwind of events. Suddenly, an investigation is taking place again regarding that crime. This situation causes a lot of hidden drama to be brought to the forefront.

While these passengers are on board the flight, they have no clue how intense the situation is. The air marshal and flight attendants work closely and quietly in order to find out who can be trusted on the flight and who might have something to hide. Many passengers are connected in some obvious and not so obvious ways. It is difficult to tell who has good intentions. As the drama unfolds in the air, there are also some problems with figuring out where to safely land the plane. Emotions are running high inside the plane matched with high turbulence outside of the craft.

"𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑶𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑."

Special thanks to @susanwalterauthor @thrillerbookloversthepulse @blackstonepublishing & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have loved every @susanwalterauthor book ive picked up and so I had (obviously) high hopes for this and it completely delivered.

I was sucked into this from the very first chapter. I couldn't put this down. Also now im slightly more terrified then before to fly anytime soon.

This one is so fast paced and bingeable. It has tons of twists and jaw dropping moments you'll be holding your breath til the very end.

Everyone is a suspect, but who actually committed the crime. The ending will surprise you!

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Feb 17, 2026

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Has anything crazy ever happened on a flight you've taken?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #susanwalter #murderat30000feet #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #pulsepoint
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Rating - 5⭐️
Wasting no time, Walters starts off Murder at 30,000 Feet with a solid bang. This story will sink it’s claws into you and no matter how hard you try to put it down, you will fail. Susan Walters dangles these tiny little carrots in front of you throughout the entire book, keeping you Invested and hanging on. Who knew such a small town had so many deeply hidden secrets. Let’s all get on a plane bound for Puerto Rico and see how it goes! There’s a whole lot of situations happening in a very small space. Literally.

I completely loved this book and hope you will too.

Safe travels everyone,
Taya Fagan

*Special thanks to Susan Walters for this wonderful gift.
To publisher Blackstone via NetGalley.

Talk about an intense, locked room mystery! On a flight Puerto Rico, a high school baseball team and guests on their way to a wedding get derailed. And an air Marshall gets more than he ever bargained for. The opening to this story was intense and the action never let up! A lightening storm, a murder, emergency landing - I seriously wasn’t sure which way was up but I couldn’t wait to find out what was going on! It turns out there are secrets on this airplane, and one woman refuses to stop until the truth comes out. Susan Walter is one of our favorite authors at The Pulse, and this book shows exactly why - she spun an action packed thriller that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time!

This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I really enjoyed this one! There was so much to like - diverse and complex characters, red herrings that didn't feel like throwaways, and lots of subplots and twists to keep me invested. I genuinely didn't know how this one was going to end; halfway through, the reader isn't even fully aware of who the victim is, which proved really interesting! Was it a little far fetched in parts? Sure - but I still loved uncovering how these characters are related. I had never heard of Susan Walter before finding this book, but now I'm going to have to look for more by her!

Probably not the best idea to read this a month out from a long haul flight to Japan really!! Haha. This is one wild and bumpy ride and I loved every second of it. All of Susan Walter’s books are amazing and this might be my favourite so far.

This is a locked room murder mystery on another level! 30,000 feet in the air on a plane headed for Puerto Rico, a man is murdered in the bathroom and nobody saw or heard a thing. It happens while the plane is in total darkness after a bad bout of turbulence through a wild storm. It could have been anyone on the plane, but who and why?

Once I picked this book up I couldn’t stop reading. It is super fast paced and I had to remember to breathe whilst reading this. I had no idea how it was going to all end up and I was shocked by the conclusion.

Highly recommend this book and this author. Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for my early copy to read. Published on February 17th.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Buckle up for “MURDER AT 30,000 FEET” by Susan Walter. This thriller had me glued to every page.

#Partner #ThrillerBookLoversThePulse #BlackstonePublishing #giftedARC #NetGalley.

A flight, a mysterious death, and a cabin packed with passengers who each seem to be hiding something. Walter cranks up the tension without making us wade through a swamp of backstory.

I was mesmerized as the layers were peeled back. Every character has something they want to keep tucked away, and the story lets you enjoy each reveal without ever tipping its full hand. The story moves quickly, and every clue lands just right to keep you on your toes.

The drama stays focused on the characters, their choices, and the little details that make us wonder what we would do in the same situation. It is suspenseful without being grim, twisty without being confusing, and clever without trying too hard.

If you want a fast, addictive read that keeps your curiosity buzzing from takeoff to landing, this one delivers!

Wow, just wow! I don't even know really where to start about this. Yes it has taken me some time to actually get through this book BUT it was so good, it really did have me hooked!

The story was amazing, and it kept me reeling with all the povs, the different sides to the story. The story line was well written and the details well I dont even know where to start with these.

I was wrong about my own point of views of what happened, and when I learnt the truth about it all I was shocked!

Would I read this again? Yes I would especially in a physical hardback special edition. This would look amazing on my showcase bookshelf that is for sure. Have I recommended this book? Yes to all my family, friends and book club who read!

Thank you @blackstonepublishing #partner for the gifted copy of this eARC!

Susan. Susan. Susan.
Damn girl, you did it again. This one is an absolute banger.

Anything involving airplanes already sends my anxiety into overdrive (floating in the air with zero control?? absolutely not), so dropping a murder into that situation? I was DONE for.

My favorite part of this book was how smartly this story was layered. It was a true experience! Susan takes an entire plane full of strangers and slowly pulls back the curtain on every single one of them. Their backstories, motivations, questionable behavior, side-eye moments while boarding…I trusted no one on this plane. And honestly I loved that for me and my reading experience.

When the storm hit, the electricity goes out and someone ends up dead, you think you know what kind of story you’re in. But nope. Susan weaved in so many interconnected side stories that I was completely locked in trying to understand how it would all tie together. I wasn’t just reading either. I was stressed, deep breathing, biting my nails and mentally accusing everyone within arm’s reach. LOVE THAT!

The ending was action packed, twisty, and absolutely not what I expected. Multiple turns, high tension and a payoff that made the anxiety worth it.

If you love thrillers that:

Make your heart race

Keep you guessing nonstop

Turn everyday fears (like flying 😬) into full blown chaos

Leave you mentally exhausted

…this one is for you.

Perfect for thriller readers who like being stressed while they read.

Pick me. Pick me. I am that reader. 😅✈️

This thriller is AMAZING! Please tell me it’s going to be picked up for a movie adaptation because it would make and incredible movie. This was so suspenseful from beginning to finish and it will be on my top thriller list for 2026!

Make sure to have this top thriller of 2026 on your TBR!

Thank you to Susan Walter and Blackstone Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read it early!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

WOW
WOW
WOW
Phenomenal. Holy crap, this was something else! I figured out some of it early on but my jaw dropped and I gasped out loud at some of the twisty plot turns near the end. And the twists just keep coming! I read this in one sitting; it was so fast-paced, I couldn't read it fast enough, and thank goodness I didn't start it at night, because I wouldn't have slept before finishing it. I'd never heard of this author before and you can bet I'll be checking out her backlist. If you're a fan of T.J. Newman, you'll love this.