Murder at 30,000 Feet

By: Susan Walter

ISBN: 9798228357334

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Publication Date: 02/17/2026

Format: Hardcover

My Rating: TBR (ARC)

FEB 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS

Under the cover of turbulence, a killer strikes. With nowhere to land and nowhere to hide, who will save the passengers from this nightmare at 30,000 feet?

It’s a ticket to paradise. Flight 868 has nonstop service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Over a dozen tipsy passengers are off to a destination wedding. A team of high school baseball players are headed to a tournament. The plane is packed with people eager to escape their lives, and others who can’t wait to return to their beloved home.

But sweet anticipation 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, with only a bewildered air marshal to solve the crime. He soon realizes that several passengers are harboring dark secrets, but the identity of the murderer eludes him. There’s only one certainty: The killer is on the plane.

Thousands of feet above the earth with thunderstorms closing in, the danger outside is as grave as the mounting threat within. Can the captain outrun the storm? Or will the murderer among them bring the plane down first?

Passion, betrayal, and murder collide in this high-stakes, locked-room mystery. A must-read for fans of T. J. Newman and Jeneva Rose.

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Praise

“Ingenious, cinematic, and absolutely riveting! The oh-so-talented Susan Walter has created a marvelously complex and unique adventure—T. J. Newman meets Agatha Christie at thirty thousand feet. A page-turner of a plot, absolutely, but Walter’s clever and knowing skill in fast-paced plotting, layered characterization, and revelations of the highest of stakes result in a brilliant, surprising, cannot-put-it-down thriller. Standing ovation. I love this!”

—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling and five-time Agatha Award winning author

“Susan Walter has crafted a riveting locked-room mystery at high altitude. With twists and turns and deadly turbulence, Murder at 30,000 Feet is rife with suspects, shady agendas, and passengers hiding deadly secrets. Keep your trays in the upright position and stay buckled because once you take off, you’re not gonna want to get off this ride.”

—Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of the Orphan X series

“A harrowing prologue gives way to a full-throttle thriller set in the claustrophobic confines of an airplane. Turbulence ahead! Walter’s artfully crafted plot ricochets between an unsolved hit-and-run cold case and a grisly in-flight murder, challenging an air marshal to fit the pieces together in order to save his fellow passengers, his career … and his own life.”

—Marcy McCreary, award-winning author of The Summer of Love and Death

“Fasten your seat belts for this terrific, sky-high obstacle course of a thriller that’ll keep you guessing from start to finish. Walter has assembled a rich ensemble of potential suspects and victims as she deftly weaves her story’s intersecting threads into a super-involving tale of secrets and lies. I couldn’t put it down!”

—Gary Goldstein, award-winning author of Please Come to Boston

“A heart-stopping ride at 30,000 feet, this locked-room thriller crackles with suspense, secrets, and jaw-dropping twists. Clear your schedule and trust no one—the killer could be anyone on board.”

—Audrey J. Cole, USA Today bestselling author of Missing in Flight

“A cast of suspects in the spirit of Agatha Christie slammed with the thrilling suspense of Harlen Coben, Walter keeps you strapped to your seat, trapped in a pressure-box at 30,000 feet where everyone has a motive to kill.”

—Adam Sikes, award-winning author and former CIA officer

About the Author

Susan Walter was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After being given every opportunity, but failing to become a concert violinist, Susan attended Harvard University. She took an internship at the local TV station in hopes of becoming a newscaster, but flubbed her audition, so was given a job writing promos instead.

Seeking sunshine and a change of scenery, she moved to Los Angeles to work in film and television production. Upon realizing writers were having all the fun, Susan became a screenwriter, then a director. She made her directorial debut on "All I Wish" starring Sharon Stone, which she also wrote. Susan transitioned to writing novels during the pandemic so she could murder people without consequences.

​When not writing (and also maybe while writing) Susan can be found streaming Red Sox baseball and drinking too much coffee. WEBSITE