Murder at 30,000 Feet

Walter’s latest (after Letters from Strangers) is a slick locked-room mystery set aboard a flight to Puerto Rico. Already rattled by extreme turbulence shortly after leaving San Diego, the passengers—including a bridal party, a high school baseball team, and a heartbroken mother—are further terrified when lightning strikes, plunging the plane into darkness. The pilots regain control of the aircraft, but the shaken crew and passengers face more terror when the lights come up to reveal the battered corpse of former star basketball player Billy Wilcox, the groom headed to his destination wedding. As U.S. Air Marshal Carlos Renaldo and his on-the-ground FBI contact Sam Cooper investigate each passenger one by one, a series of lies and cover-ups come to light that link the murder to the death of another passenger’s son. Facing an emergency water landing on the ill-fated flight, Renaldo and Cooper race the clock to identify the killer before time runs out for everyone aboard. Breakneck pacing makes up for some far-fetched coincidences, resulting in a screen-ready, red herring–filled bit of popcorn entertainment. It’s a flight worth taking. Agent: Carrie Pestritto, Laura Dail Literary. (Feb.)