This was an exciting, can't put it down, fast paced thriller. The characters are just as important as the action. Newman created characters that the reader really connects with and cares about. Of course when a large, full plane crashes into a nuclear power plant, people are going to die, but you'll be rooting for your favorite characters to pull through.

The damage to the plant is extensive, to the parts of the plant that will become extremely dangerous when compromised. It's a thrilling race against time as they try to repair the damage and minimize radiation leaks. The community pulls together in a very heartwarming way, and first responders are brave and heroic.

I recommend this to people who have read and enjoyed TJ Newman's books Falling and Drowning, I think you'll like this one too. The book has a very cinematic vibe, so I'd also recommend it to people who enjoy intense beat-the-clock to avoid disaster type of movies.

Worst Case Scenario
T.J. Newman
The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) is a tool for communicating the safety significance of nuclear and radiological events to the public. It is used to enable prompt communication of safety significant information in case of nuclear accidents. Each increasing level represents an accident approximately ten times as severe as the previous level. The scale has 7 Levels. Chernobyl and Fukushima were Level 7.
This is a Level 8.
A commercial airliner, a 757 with 295 souls on board, was flying at 35000 feet. The pilot suffers a widow maker heat attack. The First Officer is in the bathroom when the plane plumets. There is no time to warn the passengers. The flight attendant cannot get to the radio. The plane nose dives, headed toward the Clover Hill Nuclear Power Plant.
Could it get any worse?
It Does.
When we face a Worst-Case Scenario the best of us shines through.
Steve Tostig, Joss Vance, Dani Allen, Ethan Ross and President Dawson and others forced to make impossible decisions. Innocent victims.
This is the tale of ordinary people, firefighters, teachers, power plant employees, families, neighbors, and friends facing an extraordinary situation. This was a life and death situation. Ordinary people demonstrate extraordinary courage, ingenuity, and determination to save the people they love, their community, the country and the world. Ordinary people, HEROES!
I could not turn this book off. I had to listen to the very last word. Joe Morton is a superb narrator. The tension is this book keep building in this tale. The characters came to life on the pages of this tale, and I wanted them all to live. If I could give this book 10 Stars I would. Publish Date is August 13, 2024.

A pilots heart attack in the cockpit. The co-pilot in the lavatory. The flight attendant on the flight deck can only get out the basics and screams for help. As the plane careens out of control, it comes down in the worst place it could...over a nuclear power plant. As security systems at the nuclear power plant malfunction due to the crash, the players have to figure out how to mitigate the disaster. Now if that doesn't get your blood pumping, I don't know what will. What follows is the countdown to a disaster of possibly biblical proportions. What a seat of the pants thriller. As each chapter passes, the countdown clock continues. Will the reactor core melt down? Who can fix it and how? Who will risk their lives to help neighbors and complete strangers? Whew...so much happening...so quickly! The coda was emotional and I admit to tearing up as we learned the fate of some of the rescuers and the posthumous awards they were given...OK...I ugly cried. I loved it! I have never read anything by T.J. Newman before and I absolutely will run out or log on and grab her first two novels! I so enjoy trying a new to me author and end up finding a winner!

Wow! 5 stars! AMAZING book! This is Newman‘s third novel and while I have enjoyed them all immensely, Worst Case Scenario is my favorite! In the opening scenes, a pilot suffers a heart attack mid-flight and his commercial jet crashes into a nuclear power plant in Minnesota. Obviously, chaos ensues. We follow the journeys of several characters, including nuclear engineers, firefighters, families, and even the president of the United States. Heart-wrenching, propulsive, and cinematic, I found myself on the edge of my seat from start to finish, unable to put this book down! A must read for fans of disaster movies, high octane thrillers, or Chernobyl (the HBO series or history buffs)! A top read of 2024!! Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC!