Wonderful! I am not a fan of the psychological thriller genre as a whole, but keep reading to see if I can find one with a satisfactory ending. This one did! Without spoilers, I love that I love how it all worked out. It impressed me enough to check out more books by this author and perhaps give this genre another chance!

Fast paced story that shifts between timelines and narrators.
This book begins with two women with similar but opposite background stories who meet accidentally on a commuter train. They sit next to each other and begin a conversation about the problems in their lives. One, Martha, is dealing with the repercussions of having an affair with her boss who happens to be married to the owner of the company. On the other hand, Selena, is a married mother and wife who also works outside the home who has just discovered that her suspicions of her husband having an affair are well founded. She has moved the baby camera to a different location so she sees her husband with the nanny. These two women share their secrets and Martha says something questioning how Selena would feel if the nanny disappeared which unsettles Selena even more. Selena is unsure how to take the comment and passes it off as hypothetical. The following Monday, the police arrive at Selena's home and the nanny fails to show up for work having gone missing over the weekend. Quite a beginning!
There are more twists and turns in this plot than one would see coming but I loved every one!
This is a fun and fast paced thriller that will grab you easily and carries through to the very end.
Highly recommend.

#Confessionsonthe745 #NetGalley #HarlequinTradePublishing #ParkRow

OH MY!! This book is so good! I started it and had to leave half way through and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I love a good mystery but get so sick of seeing what is going to happen half way through. This book kept me wanting to know what came next. This story is such a twisted thriller you have to wonder what the author is really like. Who comes up with this stuff? Lisa Unger that’s who!

Lisa Unger has again written a book that draws you in immediately an keeps you up late at night to finish it. She weaves a suspenseful plot . Selena is commuting home from work on the train and starts a conversation with the women seated next to her, Martha. Martha confesses that she is having an affair with her boss. Selena confesses that her husband is sleeping with their nanny. Days later the nanny disappears. Selena life is turned upside down and wonders who Martha really is. No plot spoilers from me. Read the book and find out! You won’t be disappointed.

I read this in October 2020 and loved it:

I love how Lisa Unger writes! There is a dark side to what is happening to Selena and her husband. The surface is just that, the very least of what is happening. This book takes on so many dark and evil themes.
Read it! Knowing less is better.

This was my first Lisa Unger book and I had to stew about it for a while before I put my thoughts down.

I will admit that I’m not a thriller groupie like some of you are. But I was at one time, and I’ve come to expect a lot out of a book that vows to thrill me.

Selina Murphy is working hard to support her two boys and her husband who claims he is between jobs, the same husband she just caught doing their nanny.

On her commute home from work one night, Selina finds herself spilling her story to a strange woman named Martha, who herself admits she is caught in an affair with her boss.

Days later, when their nanny disappears, the police show up at Selina’s door. She can’t help but wonder if her husband had anything to do with this, and to make it even weirder she receives a text from an unknown number, “It’s Martha, by the way, from the train.”

There are the typical suspense tropes like cheating and cons in here, even a stranger on the train is nothing new. And you have to be a little patient, as a storyline about a girl named Pearl comes in, and for a while, it’s unclear the connection.

Unger digs into the individual moments of life: talking with your kids about an argument, not crossing that line with an ex, and it’s this type of writing that will make me read Lisa Unger again.

Thank you to @netgalley and @parkrowbooks for this digital copy.

TW: Adultery and spousal abuse

Lisa Unger has done it again - grabbed me from the first paragraph and didn't let go until I had read the entire book in two days. Fast-paced psychological thriller with great characters and plot twists. Highly recommended

Absolutely loved this story! Looking forward to reading more books by this author! Highly recommend!

There was a lot of hype leading up to this one and I think that may have worked against me. I was expecting a bit more punch to it. It did, however, offer gritty, engaging, multi-character suspense with lots of twists. I had it "figured out" (slightly incorrectly) early on, but didn't have it "all figured out" - the author took things down some unexpected paths. The pinnacle of the book was great - we moved at a decent pace and things sped up where needed, but then I found the falling action and denouement just a little flat and unsatisfying. In a nutshell, I enjoyed the book - pacing and atmosphere were spot-on and I was intrigued throughout. A few small aspects left me hoping for just a little bit more.

Another winner by Lisa Unger. An intriguing, although somewhat confusing, story involving multiple characters and intertwined stories. After randomly sharing her problems with a total stranger(?)On a train, Selena finds her life will never be the same again after catching her husband having relations with the nanny who shortly thereafter disappears. And that’s the easy part. I found it difficult to figure out the relationships of the other characters in the book both with Selena as well as each other very confusing and took something away from my enjoyment of the book. I love her books but if it wasn’t for her writing ability I think I might have given up when things became convoluted.

The impulse to bare one’s soul to the stranger sitting next to you is a popular trope in fiction. And while I’ve never had the impulse to say more than “hello” to my seatmate, the existence of advice columnists, “AITA” subreddits, and anonymous confessional websites point to the real-life popularity of this cliché. Now Clearwater, Florida author Lisa Unger has used this scenario as the basis of her latest thriller, Confessions on the 7:45. And while the book starts out in an expectable way, Unger takes the plot in completely unpredictable directions.

To read the complete review, click on the link below.

A great psychological suspense. A bit too much introspection by the main character but still quite riveting. Lots of anti men comments, but the ones in this story definitely deserve it! A twisted tale of revenge, scams, and assumed identities.

In "Confessions on the 7:45," Lisa Unger's characters routinely lie to themselves and others, ignore lessons they should have learned from the past, and are under the illusion that vengeance, wealth, and putting up a false front to the world will bring them the satisfaction that they seek. Pearl is the fifteen-year-old daughter of a single mom as well as a bright student who loves literature, but she has little contact with her peers. Selena has been married for almost ten years to Graham, and they have two young sons. Sadly, their relationship is a house of cards; one nudge, and it will collapse. A third character, Anne, is having a torrid affair with Hugh, her wealthy boss's attractive husband.

For much of the novel, we wonder what connection, if any, exists between Pearl, Selena, and Anne. In this diabolically clever and original tale, the author gradually exposes a series of shocking secrets. Furthermore, in alternating chapters, we learn how their childhoods formed Pearl, Selena, and Anne's personalities. Unger suggests that traumatic experiences in one's youth can have devastating effects on an individual's ability to grow into a mentally healthy adult. In addition, parents and other guardians may feed their children a steady diet of falsehoods in the belief that they are doing so with good intentions. Duplicity, more often than not, has adverse consequences that it is difficult, if not impossible, to undo.

Unger ratchets up the suspense as her ingenious plot unfolds. We are mesmerized by the myriad ways in which various people (some well-meaning, others malevolent) destroy themselves and others. One unconventional element is that the villains, as obnoxious as they are, have one or two redeeming features. We do not fully sympathize with them or condone their bad behavior, but we recognize that their actions are a logical outgrowth of their upbringing. Eventually, everyone's lives intersect in strange and perilous ways, and it is fascinating to observe the skill with which Unger concludes her novel. Although at times, evildoers may appear to get away with their crimes, this is an illusion. There is always a price to pay; the worst may be the death of one's soul.

“This is Martha, by the way. From the train.” *chills*

Lisa Unger Took me on one wild and crazy ride with this tents thriller. imagine if you are on a train with a beautiful stranger and the train gets stuck on the tracks. While you are stuck the stranger confesses she’s having an affair with her boss, not knowing what to say you blurred out that you think your husband is having an affair with the nanny. can’t do any harm Canet? After you get off this train you’re never going to see the stranger again. then a few days later said nanny goes missing, coincidence? I think not.... This is what happens to Selena, and after this encounter on the train her life will never be the same.

The story bounces between multiple perspectives as well as now and then. I was completely consumed by the story all I kept thinking is what in the world would I do if I were Salina? She really got herself into a terrible pickle. as the story went on Selena got even more twisted up with Martha digging a deeper and deeper hole for herself. And this begs the question, who in the world is Martha? And what is her connection to Selena? You will need to read this to find that out, and trust me you’ll be surprised. A well told, fast-paced, addictive thriller!

*** Big thank you to Harlequin for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Oh my!! What a book. It thrilled from the beginning when secrets of the past and present collided on the 7:45 train, and none realized that their path was getting derailed.

Selena led a good life with Graham and the boys and their nanny, with just a small twist. Graham was sleeping with the nanny. On the 7:45 train, she met Martha, and both confessed secrets about themselves. And life exploded when the nanny went missing, and cops got involved.

My first book by author Lisa Unger held me in thrall from the first page and never let me go. It took me time to reconcile with Selena’s character. I could see shades of myself in her. The first section with multiple POV seemed confusing initially, until I figured out where their lives would entwine.

In such a story where lies were paramount, I was amazed that the author could make me feel empathy for the characters. Life was shown in different shades. And all the characters including a retired cop had their ups and downs.

There was just a tiny nigglette, if you could call it that, the best friend and the would be identity of one of the characters were the same, so that confused me. I thought it was another subplot. But it wasn’t.

Overall, a fun breakfast read where I needed something fast to get my adrenaline flowing.

Selena Murphy was having a bad day. She caught her husband having sex with the nanny on their security cameras. It wasn't the first time Graham had ignored their marriage vows, but for some reason, this time leaves Selena feeling empty. She really liked that nanny. On the train home from work, Selena finds herself sharing her deepest secrets with a complete stranger. At home she confronts Graham and it does not go well. And then on Monday, the nanny doesn't show up for work. The police get involved and question both Graham and Selena. Selena knows that Graham has issues, but did he murder the nanny, too?

Confessions on the 7:45 is a fast-paced mystery novel about the secrets we keep. Selena Murphy is a sympathetic character. She just saw her husband having sex with the nanny and I don't think there is a female reader out there who wouldn't sympathize with her. From the very first moment he was introduced, Graham came across as a dick. Of course, we were first introduced to Graham as he was screwing the nanny, but it did not get better from there. As for Pearl and Geneva, it was easy to feel sympathy for them, too. Their childhood was tragic and that manifested into what they were doing. When it came to the train, I thought for sure that we were going to get some twist on the old "Strangers on a Train" movie. But I was wrong. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - Confessions on the 7:45 was a fabulous mystery. It was fast-paced full of thrilling moments. And with twists that will leave you speechless!

Details:
Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger
On Instagram
Pages: 368
Publisher: Park Row
Publication Date: 9/1/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

In this fast-paced, twisted novel, we follow a woman who shares a secret with the stranger on her commute. But when a mysterious disappearance happens a few days later, she believes the listener may be more than just that..

From multiple POVs, we jump through all the lies, secrets, and disguises slithering into a well-written story of revenge. I was completely engrossed in this slow-burning thriller that quickly withers me from page to page.

I 100% recommend this one for lovers of domestic, cheating dramas mixed with a powerful, thrilling, edge-of-your-seat suspense plot. This one deserves every inch of a high 4 out of 5 stars.

This book was amazing. I loved the story and how they overlapped. It kept me on my toes, I would 100% recommend.

This book was an excellent mastery of suspense. the characters were unaware of the complexities they were to endure in their worlds. The depth of the lies and deceit caused many unexpected turns to the characters.The characters were flawed but well developed. This mystery was very engaging.

Confessions On The 7:45 was filled with instant drama. Once Selina missed her train and the nanny-cam started rolling, I was in!! Unger’s book is filled with incredibly flawed characters with hidden pasts and secrets oozing out of their pores. The pacing was perfect, the plot was well developed and the suspense was on point. The storylines hop around a bit in the book, but Unger did a fantastic job knitting it all together. Cheating husbands with a dash of mysterious strangers and a splash of deception make a toxic cocktail. Throw in a few dead bodies, a couple of con artists and twists to catch you off guard, and Confessions On The 7:45 is your next stiff drink. Bottoms up!

I hope you enjoy this thrilling ride…choo choo!!!!