Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Nowhere To Land

Rate this book
They have nowhere to run, nowhere to land, and they’re running out of sky.
A pilot and an air marshal struggle against impossible odds to save passengers above the Atlantic Ocean after a predator turns a crippled plane into a flying death trap.

Quentin Kane hasn’t been a detective for years, but when a strange woman asks the air marshal to help bring down a shadowy organization, he gives in. But the next morning, he wakes up with no memory of the woman or the odd wooden box she gave him.

Eden Stone could fly an F/A-18 through a keyhole but can’t outrun the dark secret that threatens to destroy her career. On her first Boeing 747 flight, the former navy fighter pilot notices that her captain is suddenly behaving erratically. Purple spots develop on his skin, and his eyes turn cherry red.

Eden and Quentin race to find the origin of the strange disease before it takes out the last person who can fly the aircraft, an aircraft that gives increasingly more dire warnings.

The passengers and crew are not alone. Something has awakened in the cargo hold, something created in a secret lab. Now it’s unleashed onboard and could be more lethal dead than alive.

For the survivors trapped 37,000 feet above the middle of the ocean with an apex predator that can turn every inch of the aircraft into a deadly weapon, there is no safe place. The only place where some have any hope happens to be the most dangerous place on the aircraft—the heart of the animal’s lair.

The vicious animal, the bizarre illness, the shadowy organization, and the odd wooden box are all connected. Quentin and Eden must find the link fast to keep the passengers alive until they can reach land—if they can reach land. But it may already be too late.

This fast-paced thriller runs on rocket fuel from the first page until the surprising ending. It explores second chances and shows that sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself.

It’s Michael Crichton’s JURASSIC PARK blended with T.J. Newman’s FALLING with a bit of Stephen King horror at its core.

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2022

110 people are currently reading
1505 people want to read

About the author

Teretha Houston

2 books9 followers
Teretha Houston has followed other career paths but never strayed from writing. She had the pleasure of singing background for some of her favorite artists including Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder on award shows, Good Morning America, Saturday Night Live, and a Super Bowl. Before the bright lights were cool, she was often working on a story.

After receiving her master’s degree, she worked for the federal government while writing novels, plays, short stories, and screenplays with the help of a voice recorder during her three-hour commute. She is a film school graduate with directing and screenwriting credits.

Equal parts nerd and adrenaline junkie, she is a science geek who loves to learn about the latest discoveries, especially if they can be categorized as strange but true—which is how she describes herself —and a sports fanatic who played full-contact football and was on the martial arts competition team in college.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
172 (50%)
4 stars
67 (19%)
3 stars
57 (16%)
2 stars
15 (4%)
1 star
33 (9%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
Profile Image for ♡Heather✩Brown♡.
1,017 reviews74 followers
October 7, 2022
That was one H-E-L-L of a flight and an amazing read. Never a dull moment, from the start you will be pulled in and won’t be satisfied until you finish it. With high tension and some hilarious dialogue, Houston weaves an exciting page-turner story.

Such a fun read. Hopefully there will be future books by this author. Keep on writing girl! 5 stars and a favorite of mine.
Profile Image for theliterateleprechaun .
2,445 reviews217 followers
May 17, 2023
They have nowhere to run, nowhere to land, and they’re running out of sky.

In her fast-paced thriller, Houston examines second chances and reveals that oftentimes, the most difficult person to forgive is oneself.

I’ll be honest, this was a book like no other I’ve read.

I’m not a big sci-fi reader, so suspending disbelief was difficult for me.

It’s been described as “Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park blended with T.J. Newman’s Falling with a bit of Stephen King horror at its core.”

You’ll experience a whole range of emotions with this one. One moment I was laughing at the cheesy dialogue and the next I was in an adrenaline-fuelled frenzy. Added into the mix were many eyebrow-raising moments where I had no idea what was going to happen next…or even what was happening at the moment! You may be tempted to put it down. Give it another chance. It’s great entertainment….with a horror flare.

I was gifted this book by Yorkinton and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Profile Image for Karen Barber.
3,244 reviews75 followers
May 9, 2023
Nowhere to Land is the kind of story that makes no sense - on most levels - and plunges its characters from one bizarre situation to the next.
The action occurs mostly on a 747, with its passengers in a desperate fight for survival.
Our antagonist is a bizarre scientific experiment that is being transported. Unfortunately, its genetic make up means it can shift and modify, and has the kind of relentless need to destroy that makes for a truly horrifying enemy. As passenger after passenger is picked off, those remaining are caught in a frantic bid for survival.
For this to be successful you have to completely suspend any sense of normality. From start to finish the scenarios these characters are placed in are absurd, and it struck me throughout that we would be very unlikely to have anywhere near the level of success we see in dealing with this danger.
If you’re in the mood for something scary and completely over the top then this will probably be perfect.
3 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Yorkinton.

Anyone who loves fast-paced thrillers and characters you can't help but fall in love with (including the dogs), this one's for you. Here’s a flight that’s thousands of miles from land. People start to die with scary symptoms. No one knows why. A dangerous mutated animal has escaped a cage in the cargo. There’s no way the jet can make it across the ocean. I wouldn’t want to be on this flight.

Thank you NetGalley and Yorkinton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Sky.
105 reviews15 followers
February 25, 2023
It was an action-packed of storyline from the beginning until the end. The green blood, almost neon-like reminded me of the monster from Predator movie. The ability to write from different POVs of various characters, well-explained of sciences to any kind of reader (even you're not a science geek) and great pilot lingo from Eden's POV to keep up what was happening–these are what I liked the most about Houston. She knew what she was writing about. Though, there were monologues where they got me confused who's talking since the narrative was from the third person.
Profile Image for Kate Victoria RescueandReading.
1,888 reviews110 followers
February 25, 2023
I just could not enjoy this one. It felt like the plot to a low budget, cheesy SciFi channel movie.
The writing and characters felt flat with awkward dialogue and inner monologue.
Normally I love a good creature feature, but this one just wasn’t it.

If the writing and interactions in the story were more natural and flowed with the plot I think it would be a book I’d really enjoy reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Yorkinton for a copy.
Profile Image for The Cats’ Mother.
2,345 reviews192 followers
March 21, 2023
Nowhere to Land is a fast-paced horror/action thriller that reads like a 1980s monster movie, with an intriguing if nonsensical premise. It’s a quick read but it failed to grip me completely, due to the predictability of the plot and cheesy stereotyped characters.

A pair of mad scientists have created a terrifying new creature, and now want to transport it to a nefarious research base in South Africa. Quentin Kane is one of the air marshals charged with keeping the passengers safe, and Eden Stone is making her first flight as a commercial co-pilot after an accident derailed her navy career. They are midway across the Atlantic when things start to go very wrong - a fulminant disease starts killing people, a storm is brewing, and in the cargo hold, the beast has awoken…

I love action movies, but this tries to fit every single trope and cliche in - a grieving widower, a beautiful badass pilot, a cute but precocious child, a repugnant politician, even a dog - and pretty much everything that can go wrong on a plane does. It was all just a bit much, and it became rapidly apparent that the author was not willing to sacrifice any characters we might care about. The monster was OTT ridiculous - why would anyone willingly create such an uncontrollably dangerous beast, and the medical aspects were equally silly. The writing is full of strange made-up words and expressions eg “tickle your nickel” is used by the hero three times, and sounds ridiculous each time, coming from a tough guy. Overall it’s not a bad read if you’re after brain dead escapism - but I don’t recommend reading it on a long distance flight!

Thanks to NetGalley and Yorkinton for the post-publication review copy. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. Nowhere to Land is available now.
Profile Image for Rach.
122 reviews2 followers
March 27, 2023
I LOVED THIS ONE! My sister always recommends the best books for me. From the moment everyone got on the plane to the last page - I WAS HOOKED. So thrilling, with lots of suspense and action, I could not put this one down. This would be a fantastic action/sci-fi movie!
Profile Image for Janalyn, the blind reviewer.
4,607 reviews140 followers
February 13, 2023
This is a very high octane thriller a mysterious box a strange woman in a wheelchair a plane ride and forgotten memories these are just a few of the unknown entities that the ex-cop detective came is trying to put together he will get help from a female pilot who is bad ass and my new hero. I loved this book and highly recommend it I am not usually one for adventure thrillers dealing with planes national security who won a book is good it is hard to put down. I received this book from NetGalley and the author but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
3 reviews1 follower
May 22, 2023
Fast action to the max.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a book that will keep their hearts racing nonstop until they read the last word on the last page. The fast-paced thriller gripped me from the start with some of the best action scenes ever.

Within the first three pages, a man kicks some serious butt in a surprising way, a police car is the one being chased, dangerous criminals are on the rampage, and a box containing secrets is stolen. I thought there was no way this pace could continue for the rest of the book. If anything, it got even faster. I kept waiting for a lull in the story to take a break. I didn’t find one until I had finished the book. I can’t wait to read the next book by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Yorkinton for the opportunity to review this book.
Profile Image for Amy.
619 reviews26 followers
August 18, 2023
Ebook/Horror: I want to thank Netgalley for a copy of the book, but I was disappointed. Give me a creatures and a body count and I'm in. This one was a hot mess mostly because it took place on a plane. If I'm not happy with the writing, I get nitpicky. The writing was awful. The beginning settings were vague for several paragraphs and I was constantly trying to find out night, day, hot, cold. Cottage, mansion, apartment, city, rural.
Keep in mind that the monster is making holes in the plane, but is smart enough to not damage the hull.
My biggest peeve was the little girl who was allowed in the cockpit during the flight. That does not happen since 9-11. The stewardess takes the girl without asking the captain during the flight. All visits are at the discretion of the captain and only done after the flight.
Keep in mind the monster spends half the book making a racket and shifting the weight in the freight backend of the plane and it does crash.
There pseudo science and then there's stupid science.
Profile Image for Stevie.
228 reviews3 followers
March 2, 2023
This book was not what I was expecting. It was way more sci-fi then the synopsis led on. It wasn't at all what i wanted to read, but then it got it's CLAWS into me, and I couldn't put it down.
It was fast paced and I enjoyed that. But there were quite a few words in the novel that I had to go look up, and they weren't actual words, more like local slang. When i have to go look up a word that takes me out of the story and I didn't enjoy that. The other problem I had was there were too many characters, I couldn't keep track of them all.

But I enjoyed the read It was kinda like snakes on a plane and the island of Dr. Moreau. Id read the author again.
Profile Image for Lindsey.
13 reviews8 followers
January 27, 2023
This book was entertaining. Full stop. Despite my eye rolls and frequent cringes from the dialogue, I wanted to keep reading. It was action packed (almost too much so for me) but felt very poorly executed. There were several storylines that were not well flushed out, one that was abandoned completely. If you’re looking for a page turner, this one is for you. If you’re looking for well executed plot/storylines/characters, you’ll want to keep looking.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Steph (Teacups & Tropes).
867 reviews129 followers
February 18, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the synopsis of this book I was SO excited to dive into it. And I think I made it halfway before giving up and throwing in the towel. I didn't connect with either of the characters, everything was jumbled and something just felt off about the whole thing. I was hoping that this would be a page turner for me but it was a flop, which was disappointing.

Maybe one day I'll try and circle back to see if the ending got better but for now, I think I'll just leave this one in my DNF pile.
2 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2023
Great book with an unforgettable ending.

I don't read many science fiction novels. This one has made me a sci-fi fan.

The synopsis drew me in with the promise of a story of survival. I found this story to be that and much more. Tight writing moved the plot at a break-neck pace. I can't wait to read the next book by this author.

The author adroitly kept raising the stakes as well as putting more obstacles in the way while providing the hero and heroine fewer chances of saving themselves or the flight as the novel progressed.

Thank you Yorkinton and NetGalley for this advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Kelly.
849 reviews83 followers
May 20, 2023
As if being stuck on a plane with no fuel and no landing zone in sight is bad enough, imaging doing it while being hunted by a creature out of your worst nightmare. Teretha Houston’s thrill ride of a story reads just like a movie. It made me think of if Jurassic park was crossed with Snakes on a Plane. This one can be described as part horror, part thriller and all action.
Profile Image for Jaime Andrews.
Author 2 books14 followers
November 27, 2023
This was a fun, crazy train kinda read.
Or maybe craZy plane.
Picture Jurassic Park on an airplane.
Or Snakes on a Plane with a shape shifting monster of mass destruction. And spit.
Can't forget the spit.

My biggest complaint: I'd be reading and it had a good flow and then all the sudden it was like the author went crazy with a thesaurus and it messed the whole thing up. I spent so much time trusting thru words nobody ever uses that the flow became annoying and choppy until it smoothed back out with normal language. 🙄

Overall I enjoyed this one. I did find the "big words just to sound smart" BS highly annoying but not enough to stop reading. Will definitely read more by this author.
Profile Image for Susan.
165 reviews8 followers
February 10, 2023
Nowhere to Land is so much fun! It’s a combination of an airplane-in-trouble thriller with the movie The Thing. I read the book in one day while traveling. Reading it on a plane made it even more exciting. I stayed up late to finish it. I look forward to Teretha Houston’s future books.

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.
Profile Image for Leanne.
2,157 reviews43 followers
June 8, 2023
With non stop thriller I couldn't have asked for more. The tension is so taught and running on all cylinders. I could read this again and again, just to get that adrenaline rush.
Profile Image for Katarzyna.
204 reviews2 followers
February 21, 2025
This a quick and fun read. You are taken on a crazy ride right from the beginning and it's hard to put this book down. I really enjoyed the sci-fi elements in this story. Great thriller!

Thank you Yorkinton and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Karen R..
389 reviews9 followers
August 14, 2023
Fast paced, didn’t know what was going to happen next. Great quick read! For some reason, I am drawn to stories in planes or on ships, and this did not disappoint.
Profile Image for Michel Hansotte.
41 reviews8 followers
January 21, 2023
This book follows an airline marshal and a pilot as they board a transatlantic flight. The flight becomes one of nightmares when a creature is found on board. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book and it kept my attention from the beginning.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Graham Bingham.
22 reviews
September 4, 2024
What a romp. Let yourself go with this book
It's outrageous, crazy, unbelievable, ridiculous and awesome. The whole experience is chaos in the best possible way. Will some say there are flaws in the writing? The plot? Who cares. This is pure escapism and thoroughly enjoyable. If I saw this as a blockbuster summer movie, I'd have a grin on my face from ear to ear. Why aren't you reading it yet?
2 reviews1 follower
March 9, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My heart was in my throat before the flight from hell even took off. It was a fight for survival, and I mean a FIGHT. I kept thinking that there was no way Eden, the pilot, and Quentin, the air marshal, can save the passengers or themselves from any of these dangers. They had a genetic creature trying to break through to the passengers, a storm of the century they were forced to fly through, people dropping dead with the same mysterious symptoms, an aircraft flying over the ocean that they know can’t reach land. There was always the question whether the last pilot would survive.

The pilot and air marshal came up with a hail-Mary plan to save some of the passengers, but it created the risk of certain death for the rest.

There were great supporting characters like Hercules, a rock-star that became Quentin’s right-hand-man when facing imminent death. Rona, a three-year old girl who’s a tough cookie herself. And some unsavory ones like the senator.

The scene where Eden had to land a fighter jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier at night is one of the most intense scenes I have ever read. I now have even greater respect for our military and how well they’re trained.

I know we have strong female protagonists, but give me more bad-to-the-bone females like Eden.

Thank you NetGalley and Yorkinton.
1 review1 follower
March 29, 2023
This is one continuous thrill ride. It’s a taught sci-fi thriller, and a bit horror to a lesser degree. If you’re looking for a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, read this one.

People start to drop dead inexplicably on a transoceanic flight that’s thousands of miles from land. A flight attendant calls the cockpit and gets radio silence. Eden is a pilot in the cabin with the passengers. When she finally gets the cockpit door open, it’s too late. No one’s flying, and the jet is already doomed. Other reviewers say this would make a great movie. I couldn’t agree more. Hollywood, take note.

Thank you NetGalley and Yorkinton.
1 review1 follower
March 15, 2023
A mash-up between "Miracle on the Hudson" and Jurassic Park.

The little-known science facts sprinkled throughout also make the book Intellectually stimulating. I bet I wasn't the only one who didn't know you could get water to boil at room temperature.

I really loved the pacing and snappy dialogue of this one. A plane load of people with very little chance of surviving.

Thank you Netgalley and Yorkinton
Profile Image for M.J. Edington.
Author 3 books4 followers
August 3, 2023
Mediocrity with a Masters Degree

The concept is intriguing, but that's where it ends. Scene transitions are clunky and sometimes unnecessary altogether. This novel has more plot holes than a cemetery.
There are books a reader can't wait for the ending because they are entertained and want to see how it ends. This book was an interminable collection of scenes that you knew going in would be resolved by some entirely ridiculous means.
The description of Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island is a terrific example. The runway at one end certainly is close to the ocean. The other isn't, yet the Author made it much more perilous than it actually is. The air marshal used his sidearm, but stopped when he feared the center fuel tank would blow up the entire aircraft if compromised. Yet later, with the center fuel tank bone dry, he does not use his pistol when it would have helped.
I expect better from a far less educated writer. This novel became tedious, predictable, and poorly written.
While some books lead me to rapidly turn pages, anxious to see how it ends, this book drags you on and on without mercy, page after agonizing page, anxious to see IF it ever ends. The end never came soon enough.
Some books I recommend to others. Some books are merely okay. Then there are books like this that I wish I'd never picked up.
This is all my opinion, your own milage may differ.
Profile Image for Donna Maguire.
4,895 reviews120 followers
February 3, 2023
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I was really intrigued by the blurb for this book and I knew that it was a book that would have plenty packed in after I read the first few pages.

I read the book over a couple of nights, having read the initial 150 pages in one sitting, I think I would have carried on if it wasn’t for needing to sleep as I had to drive to Liverpool for work the next morning!

I thought that the characters were excellent, they worked really well together, I liked the mix of personalities and the different levels of interaction.

The book was set at a fast pace, and I really enjoyed that and I do think that it worked really well with the story to keep me hooked.

The book had danger, action, shocks and surprises and a little bit of a romantic undertone too. It is 5 stars from me for this one, it was a really addictive thriller with a lot of action and a well crafted plot, it is a book like you have probably never read before – very highly recommended
16 reviews
January 15, 2023
HANG ON TO SOMETHING. This is a rip-roaring thriller from start to finish. It grabbed me from the first sentence and didn’t let go until the unforgettable end. It’s a tightly written story told mostly from the point of view of the two main characters, Eden and Quentin, with each having a unique and distinct voice. Eden, the pilot, tries to get the plane across the ocean before the engines fail. Quentin, the air Marshall, tries to save the passengers from something put onboard by a secret organization. If either fails, everyone dies.

The scenes in the cockpit are amazingly detailed right down to which buttons and screens Eden interacts with. The chances of anyone surviving dwindled with each scene. I loved everything about this story, but I have to single out the author’s unique voice. The way she turns a phrase made me laugh out loud at times and chilled me to the bone at others. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOWHERE TO LAND..
1 review
May 22, 2023
This was a rare combination of a plot-driven story and a character-driven story.

Eden must pilot a plane across the ocean with the help of an air marshal who had a secret crush on her. The author understandably spent little time on that. Some form of danger was threatening the passengers and trying to crash the aircraft in the ocean at all times. Or it was trying to kill the last person onboard who could fly. Two scientists onboard were escorting a dangerous animal that got free and attacked passengers on the main deck, sending them into the much smaller upper deck.

The air marshal shot it multiple times. It backfired in a horrible way he couldn’t have imagined. If they kill it, they all die. But Eden thinks of a way to stop it, but there are too many people in the upper deck for it to work. They get another setback and more bad news.

If you want a story that is intriguing and has endless surprises, read this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.