Drowning

Flight attendant turned New York Times bestselling author T. J. Newman—whose first book, Falling, was an instant international bestseller and the biggest thriller debut of 2021—returns with her second book, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a commercial jetliner that crashes into the ocean, sinks to the bottom with passengers trapped inside, and the extraordinary rescue operation to save them.

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent—Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife—who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them—against impossible odds.

Praise for Drowning:

'Stunning, emotional, and unforgettable. Drowning reads like Apollo 13 underwater' — Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of City on Fire and The Border.

'Drowning is The Poseidon Adventure meets The Martian. It is another can’t-put-down, edge-of-your-seat thriller from T. J. Newman, one of our most exciting new authors' — Adrian McKinty, New York Times bestselling author of The Chain and The Island.

'Drowning is pure adrenaline and all heart. Gripping, relentless, effortlessly assured, T. J. Newman’s thriller is tense and moving. You’ll be grabbed from page one as the crew and passengers of a downed airliner fight for survival and rescuers race to reach them. Drowning is an incredible ride—strap in, brace, and remember to breathe' — Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author.

'Drowning is the first terrific thriller of 2023. Honest. It has at least a dozen legit cliffhangers and a dozen huggable characters you can’t stop rooting for. T. J. Newman has the goods. Make that the greats!' — James Patterson.

'No second album syndrome for T. J. Newman, who follows up her hit plane-hijack debut Falling with another tense, affecting account of an aviation disaster in Drowning. This feels like a movie blockbuster-to-be, with James Cameron the ideal director.' — The Sunday Times.

‘Buckle up because this edge-of-the-seat thriller won’t let you go, not until you know the outcome, anyway. Cue rescue teams, complex plans, and a nail-biting and emotional race against the clock. Breathtaking stuff.’ — Zoe West, Women’s Weekly.

'With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them—against impossible odds.' — Magic Radio Book Club.