Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be someone else? Have you ever wanted to switch lives with someone else? Have you ever wished you could just start over? It seems like an innocent enough wish but identity is more than just a name. Identity is a story we tell ourselves. But what happens when that story is more fiction than fact… How do you separate the truth of who you are from the lie of who others think you are? Today’s book The Passenger explores these intriguing questions. So sit back, get comfortable, make yourself a strong beverage (I suggest my recommended Kaffee Pairing), keep your wits about you and let’s go on the run with…
In case you were wondering, I didn’t do it. I didn’t have anything to do with Frank’s death. I don’t have an alibi, so you’ll have to take my word for it . . . .
From the author of the New York Times bestselling Spellman Files series, Lisa Lutz’s latest blistering thriller is about a woman who creates and sheds new identities as she crisscrosses the country to escape her past: you’ll want to buckle up for the ride!
Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband’s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It’s not the first time.
She meets Blue, a female bartender who recognizes the hunted look in a fugitive’s eyes and offers her a place to stay. With dwindling choices, Tanya-now-Amelia accepts. An uneasy―and dangerous―alliance is born.
It’s almost impossible to live off the grid today, but Amelia-now-Debra and Blue have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation, to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret . . . can she outrun her past?
With heart-stopping escapes and devious deceptions, The Passenger is an amazing psychological thriller about defining yourself while you pursue your path to survival. One thing is certain: the ride will leave you breathless.
Let’s Klatsch about this Book
From the first line in this book I was intrigued. As the story developed, I kept on wanting to turn the pages to have my questions answered. Who was this protagonist really? What had she done to make her run? Was she someone I should sympathise with or did her story hold more lie than truth? Was she a reliable narrator of her story or was her story just another smokescreen?
Haven’t we all, at one point or another, fantasised what it would be like to switch lives with someone else, even if for just a day? But the decision would be a very different one if you were forced to switch identities because you were on the run.
This is what the protagonist in this story is forced to do. Most of the story will have you guessing, hypothising and constantly asking questions. You’re not told the truth or the reasons until the very end of this story. You won’t necessarily agree with every choice the Protagonist makes but if you put yourself in her shoes, you’ll understand that when you’re truly on the run – not out of desire but out of necessity – sometimes you have to go with the decision that is the quickest and not necessarily the best.
Lisa Lutz is a new author to me and this is her first book in the “thriller” genre. In The Passenger she has crafted an intriguing premise of a story and she takes you on a journey of twists and turns, both literally as her main character crisscrosses the country and psychologically as the character’s real story is hidden between tricks of mirrors and smoke screens.
I read this book through in one sitting. I give it a 4 stars/coffees rating because for me this was a mystery suspense and not a thriller. It also rates 4 stars because the story with its intriguing premise will keep you turning the pages. You won’t always like the protagonist and often her choices and decisions will frustrate you but you’ll want to keep turning the pages to see if she will redeem herself and if you’ll finally get to the truth of her story. Intrigued? You’ll have to just read The Passenger for yourself.
☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️
Author|Book
[I would like to thank Netgalley, the Publisher and the Author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.]
Time for the Kaffee to our Klatsch
This story calls for a clear head with an extra jolt of keep-alert caffeine as the protagonist goes on the run constantly switching identities in The Passenger. It’s going to take a few red eyes to keep all the stories straight.
The Red Eye (Also known as “Shot in the Dark” or “Eye Opener”) is the perfect coffee pairing for The Passenger.
Tell me, What book/s and coffee (or other preferred poison) is keeping you up at night?
Kim Koning 