Departure 37

Departure 37

Past mysteries reappear in this terrifying tale

On a clear October day, American skies empty after pilots refuse to fly, triggering a complete ground stop as authorities seek to explain an act of baffling coordination that the pilots insist was anything but planned. The pilots received disturbing, middle-of-the-night calls from their mothers, and each mother had an urgent request: do not fly today.

None of the mothers remember making these calls—and some of them are dead.

While the nation’s military chiefs and artificial intelligence experts mobilize in search of answers, a sixteen-year-old girl watches a strange, silvery balloon drift across the water and toward her home—a place she loathes. Her father’s dream of opening a craft brewery has been a disaster, and all she wants is an escape back to Brooklyn.

She’s about to get much more than that.

Her new home is ground zero for a story that begins at a remote naval base during the winter of 1962, when a physicist discovered something extraordinary—and deadly. All he wanted was time to seek an explanation, but pressure from both American and Russian actors forced him into a perilous race.

Moving between two timelines, Scott Carson deftly weaves Cold War espionage with contemporary terror in a story that explains why #1 New York Times bestseller Joe Hill declared himself “a fan for life.”

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About the Book

“If you loved THE TWILIGHT ZONE, this is for you. It’s a mind-blower.”
— Stephen King

“DEPARTURE 37 is a rollicking, and at times terrifying, mashup of the 20th and 21st century political, nuclear, and technological tensions and ambitions. It’s smart, inventive, breathlessly paced, and most importantly, humane.”
— Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of HORROR MOVIE and THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD

“Scott Carson is one of those rare writers who can grab you on page one, dive deep into his characters, keep you breathless with suspense, and do it all with gorgeous, propulsive prose. The past mingles with the present and the frightening future of technology in DEPARTURE 37, as Carson deftly weaves history, espionage, and horror into something totally unique, and utterly enthralling.”
— Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10

“DEPARTURE 37 is one of the smartest thrillers I’ve ever read. Scott Carson brilliantly revives Cold War secrets—tensions and innovations, fears and mysteries—and propels them into the modern day. From nuclear laboratories to a remote peninsula in coastal Maine, DEPARTURE 37 delivers a story that is as globally thrilling as it is personally uplifting.”
— Ivy Pochoda, author of ECSTASY and SING HER DOWN

In this striking thriller, Carson nimbly entwines a contemporary coming-of-age story with a tale of Cold War paranoia. With copious cliffhangers, an original premise, and a resonant emotional center, this builds on Carson’s previous success. It’s a winner.
Publishers Weekly

Vividly drawn characters, tension that keeps ratcheting up until it’s almost unbearable, and a smart way of dispensing information that keeps the readers from getting too comfortable with their notions of where the story is going. Wildly imaginative and genuinely, nailbitingly suspenseful.
Booklist

“A terrific blend of horror and espionage that could be frighteningly real”
— FirstClue Reviews

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Details
Author: Scott Carson
Series: As Scott Carson
Publication Year: 2025