Confessions on the 7:45 would make a great movie! While ostensibly a remake of Strangers on a Train, it is so much more.

Selena has had a bad few months. Her husband, Charlie, lost his job—and doesn’t seem to be searching too hard for another one. In fact, at this very minute, he is rutting with their nanny, Geneva, in the boy’s playroom. Selena had seen it once before soon after moving the nanny cam. Now, they will have to get another nanny. And Geneva was so good with the boys.

Anne is in an affair with her married boss. Unfortunately, the company’s owner is her boss’ wife. This doesn’t sound like it will end well.

When Selena meets a stranger in a train, her confession sounds suspiciously like Anne. When Selena describes her own problems, the two agree that they wished their problems would just go away. A few days later, Geneva disappears. Was it the mysterious woman on the train? Or Selena’s husband? And what does the stranger, now calling herself Martha, want in exchange from Selena?

Such a fun, and insightful book! The characters are all well-rounded and have their own, sometimes conflicting, motives. Almost all of them get their chance to narrate a chapter or two. The most interesting is Oliver, Selena and Charlie’s six-year-old son, who knows more than he wants to about his family and Geneva’s last day. But who will listen to such a young boy? Confessions on the 7:45 is highly recommended to thriller readers! 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Park Row, Harlequin Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I signed up to promote this book as part of a blog tour. This book was a moving thriller that was very fast moving. However there were some parts I found a little confusing and would have loved more explanation as to the ending. I did find it interesting overall though.

I love it when a book lives up to its hype and this one definitely does. Each twisty, eerie scene kept me turning the page to find out what happens next. I felt like I shouldn't like the characters - but I did. The characters were all well-described and sympathetic (even when they shouldn't be!) The writing is tight and flows well - - even when it's somewhat confusing. I figured out many of the twists as the story progressed and there were a few gasps of AHA!!

The story is twisty and fascinatingly original. With the beginning of 'strangers on a train' I was half expecting it to go the way of the old Hitchcock movie and was glad when it went in a totally different direction.

So many books are labeled as 'psychological thriller' and leave me disappointed. Not this one!! This book IS a psychological thriller - and a very good one!!

This is a very good thriller. The story is full of twists & turns. There are hidden pasts and secrets too. I figured things out as the story progressed. I really enjoyed this book & Lisa Unger has never disappointed me.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is one seriously twisty book. I liked both main characters right away though I had absolutely no clue how the second main character came into play. The story is told in two alternating points of view that come together astonishingly well in the end. I loved how the mystery played out and though I guessed a few twists the others I didn't see coming. The story is very fast paced and will keep you reading long past your bedtime!

Selena Murphy is married and has kids.
She has a lot on her plate which include her demanding kids, a full-time job, a husband who has no job and won't take care of the kids despite being home all the time. On top of that her husband is cheating on her, and the nanny who made everything easier for her has to be fired. Selena's life seems to be crumbling right before her eyes.

Selena takes the a train home everyday from work, the 7:45 it's called. One day she meets Martha whom confesses she's having an affair with her boss and wants it to end. Both these women confess their secrets to each other and just want their lives to go back to normal.

Then something happens and the nanny goes missing and the police look at Selena and her husband as prime suspects, but it seems everyone has secrets. Including her husband, Martha, and the nanny. This book was full of twists and turns, leaving you with that feeling of wanting to know what's next. Thanks to Netgalley, Park Row, and Harlequin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger is a taut psychological thriller that had my head spinning from the word go. I will say that the hype surrounding this novel is totally justified and richly deserved.

Serena Murphy is on a train when it unexpectedly stalls on the tracks. To pass the time, she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful fellow passenger who, in due course, confesses that she is stuck in an affair with her boss. For her part, Serena overshares that her husband is sleeping with their nanny. When they leave the train, Serena expects that she will never see the mysterious Martha again, until she receives a text that will send her life into a tailspin, and change the course of lives.

This is a multi-layered mystery that kept me on my toes. The plot unravels in such a way as to be anything but straightforward, so be prepared for a crazy and thoroughly addictive ride.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Mystery
Triggers: Cheating, Murder

Selena is seeing her life change before her. With a nannycam that shows a cheating husband, Selena isn’t sure who she’s more disappointed in – her husband or her nanny. And while she knows that her husband has had issues for a while, she thought that they had gotten past those issues.

When Selena misses her first train and hops on the next, only to be delayed, she doesn’t expect to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger. Little does she know that this conversation will come back to haunt her.

With a missing nanny and a husband she just can’t trust, Selena will have to figure out how to put her life back together.

Everyone has a secret and everyone is willing to protect their family. Who has the most to lose? Where did the nanny go and what does this mystery woman have to do with her life falling apart?

While this story is told from multiple viewpoints, it’s Selena’s that spoke the most for me. You’ll try to figure out what’s happening and where all the parts are moving to. It’s like a chess game. You’ll have to think three or four moves ahead.

I enjoyed the plot, but overall, the story kind of fell a little flat for me. I think I was expecting more danger or something. So while I enjoyed the book, it didn’t wow me.

This book is everything I didn't know I needed or wanted. I had never previously read a Lisa Unger book so I was excited to see what this book had in store. It did not disappoint. This book is the perfect blend of Strangers on a Train and Gone Girl. I loved how you felt the book was going in one direction and then would pivot in such a drastic way. I will highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a mystery, fast paced, crime novel. I can not say enough good things about this book.

After reading and loving Stranger Inside, I had some high expectations that I tried to leave behind before boarding this train of deceit. Well, not only were those expectations met, they were exceeded!

Confessions on the 7:45 is a clever, compelling, suspenseful story that explores the complexities of marriage while representing the gender roles women and men play well. I was a bit worried about the direction the story was going, and at first, I felt I was on the wrong track going nowhere I wanted to go. What I first thought was another cheating story with toxic male characters and manipulating women playing those expected gender roles in thrillers turned into not what I expect at all.

Lisa Unger hit the mark on what I love about unlikeable characters giving them an unexpected twist that made them very likable to me. Not only are their actions questionable and intriguing, but the turns their characters take are exciting and surprising. She creates strong, well-crafted female characters here that drive the story forward, and while the men do play a bit into their expected gender roles, there is some well-layered depth to them that added tension to the story.

Once I hit the climate to the story, it was full steam ahead for me, and I was pleasantly surprised by how Lisa Unger examed those gender roles of men and women with marriage making this one what I call better reading. I highly recommend it.

Alllllllll aboard!! Don't miss your train! This is what may happen if you DO miss it.

Selena misses her original train home from work so she boards the later train. On the train she meets Martha who she feels an immediate connection to that she can't explain. They begin talking and Selena starts unloading all of her problems while they sit there. She's going through a very tough time (no spoilers) and feels relief when she confides in Martha. Martha, in turn, confesses her own secret and they seem to form a quick, if not short bond.

Well, without giving it all away, Selena's life starts falling apart, not only because of the problem she confessed to Martha, but then to top everything off, Selena's nanny, Geneva goes missing and suspicion falls on Selena's home.

Did Selena meet a friend or did she open her life up for more chaos? If only she had caught her regular train home!

There's so much that goes on in this book after Selena meets Martha, my head was swimming, but in a good way! I enjoyed it but it went down some paths I wasn't totally buying. But, sometimes that's the kind of story you need-a good escape. So, all in all, I really did enjoy it. It is just a good, fun ride and if you can suspend SOME belief, you're going to have a good time! Lisa Unger really does deliver in her books.


Q and A with author Lisa Unger

Q: Please give the elevator pitch for Confessions on the 7:45.

A: Selena Murphy is a young mother who is having a terrible day. When she gets on her commuter train home, it stalls, dying on the tracks. The beautiful stranger sitting next to her strikes up a conversation with a confession. Maybe it’s her awful day, or the drink she shouldn’t have had, or the dark of the train, but, whatever the reason, Selena shares a secret of her own. When the train comes back to life and Selena is finally headed home, she’s embarrassed. What would lead her to confess her darkest secret to a complete stranger? She hopes she’ll never see the mysterious woman from the train, ever again. But, of course, she will.

Q: How do the ideas come to you for these bestsellers?

A: Every novel begins with a germ. A little zap of interest that starts me on an obsession for a particular topic. It could be a news story I read, or a sentence I hear or just an image that inspires me. One time it was even a piece of junk mail! Then, if that obsession connects to something larger that’s going on with me, I start to hear a voice or voices.I follow those voices, and they carry me through the narrative.

Q: Can you explain the popularity of the psychological thriller genre?

A: People have a deep and abiding desire, a need even, to understand themselves and those around them. This includes having some insight into the darkest aspects of human nature. Crime fiction is the perfect place to explore some of the big questions people have about what makes people who they are. Also, in difficult times, crime fiction provides a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end where some type of justice is delivered. Not so with the real world. So I think there is some comfort to be found even in the darkest and most suspenseful novels.

Q: There are so many twists in the story. Did you know the ending before you plotted all of the surprises?
A: When I sit down to write, I have no idea what’s going to happen, who’s going to show up or what they’re going to do day to day. And I certainly have no idea how things will end. It’s kind of a crazy way to write a book, but I’ve never done it any other way. I write for the same reason that I read, because I want to know what’s going to happen.

Q: What would you like to do if you were not an author?

A: I don’t know! I’ve never wanted to be anything other than an author. Psychology has always fascinated me, so maybe being a psychiatrist or counselor.

Q: If Confessions on the 7:45 were made into a movie, which actors would you choose to play the lead roles?
A: I would cast Scarlett Johansson as Selena and Gal Gadot as Martha. The supporting cast would be important, too, and Anne Hathaway would be perfect as Geneva and I’d love to see Bradley Cooper as Graham

Q: Which of your books would you like to see televised or produced by Hollywood as a movie?
A: Any of them! Currently, THE RED HUNTER and UNDER MY SKIN are under options. So fingers crossed there! If I had to choose some others, I’d pick FRAGILE or INK AND BONE. I’d love to see my fictional town The Hollows come to life on the big or small screen.

Q: Which came first: the characters or the plot line?

A: The characters, always. My stories always begin for me with a voice, someone with a story to tell.

Q: Why do you love Selena and why should readers root for her?

A: As most of my characters are, Selena is imperfect. The pressures she experiences from the world around her are matched by those she places on herself. She is struggling, but she also knows she has reserves of strength from which to draw to overcome the obstacles she faces, some of which are catastrophic. I think we’re all stronger and braver than we believe ourselves to be, so when we’re rooting for Selena, we’re really rooting for the warrior within us all.

Q: How do you come up with your stories? Is anything based on or influenced by real life?

A: Everything in fiction is autobiographical -- and nothing is! If we’re writing from a deep and authentic place, then all of our experiences, our observations, the people we meet, the situations we observe, the conversations we have and overhear, inform our fiction. Sometimes inspiration comes from the news, from travel, from questions I have about people and the world. My fiction is always influenced by my real life but in really layered and mysterious ways.

Q: What was your last 5-star read?

A: I’ve read so many fantastic books recently! GOOD GIRLS LIE by JT Ellison, IF IT BLEEDS by Stephen King, and LITTLE SECRETS by Jennifer Hillier are some of my favorite recent reads.

Q: What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

A: I worked for a publisher before I became an author, so I was lucky to have a lot of insight into the business of publishing. So I suppose I’d like to share what I knew going in that a lot of writers don’t. I knew that the book contract was not the end of the journey, but the beginning of the writing life. And that no matter where you are in your career -- an aspiring writer, or a published writer just starting out, or a mega bestseller, it never stops being about the writing. What you do on the page is always the most important element of your career, so never stop trying to get better.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank You to Park Row For an ARC In Exchange for an honest review.

Confessions On The 7:45 By Lisa Unger Review

Disclaimer: Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger is getting strong comparisons to Strangers On a Train by Patricia Highsmith. To be clear Confessions on the 7:45 is NOT a retelling of any sort. It is a completely original creation by Lisa Unger. This disclaimer is only what, as many (or few) who are regulars to my site, know me to do, for my benefit. When a new book has strong comparisons and/or is a retelling, reimagining, etc. I like to be clear on whether or not I have any knowledge of those works.

In the case of Confessions on the 7:45's comparison to Strangers On a Train, I'm back to being Captain America. Book? Nope. Movie? Nope. And please don't tell my mom, a connoisseur of all things Alfred Hitchcock. I have seen The Birds, more times than I care to count. When it comes to the original Strangers on the Train (movie or book) I don't understand any of these references.

And so, with that off my conscience, let us get down to the review of Lisa Unger's latest Adult Psychological Thriller, Confessions on the 7:45. Where to even start, is the question. Confessions on the 7:45 is going to be one of the tough ones to review without giving a lot of things away. That gives me an idea of where to start this romp.
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Themes'

Lisa Unger has a few in here and they are important. While I most definitely can't do a deep dive without giving away all the things. I can definitely list some of my favorites out. This won't be all of them, and I'm sure there are some that others will pick up. These are just some of the heavy hitters.
1) Obsession- Now this might seem like a well, duh. It is an Adult Psychological Thriller, so yeah. Except. That's just the thing. Obsession can almost be overlooked. Whether that is because it is a given or because it is in so many that you don't think about it much. Kudus to Lisa Unger for having at it. Obsession plays out in much different, darker ways than you would typically expect. That brings me to number two.

2) Trauma- Another well, duh. Except no. Again, the trauma rears its head in some expected and very much not expected places. You put that together with number one and the not so expected places provide really dark twists where you don't see it coming. It is easy to chalk Confessions on the 7:45 as one thing when it is a multitude of things.

3) VALUE YOUR VERBAL SHOCKS- I've said this about myself when reading and about characters multiple times now. It bears repeating. Characters need to start valuing their verbal shocks, both internal and external. If something leaves you shook, stop brushing it off. There is a reason that your Spidey-sense is kicking in. Listen to it. Then. There. In the now.

4) Savior Complex- Like what even in the hell. And really, search your soul. Are you saving this person? How exactly are you going about saving them? And are you, in saving them, providing them a better 'next step' or just another screwed-up set of circumstances?

5) Most Dangerous of Lies- This kind of goes back to #3, but the way women (but is it just women or people in general? I would argue that parents are the second big culprit here), justify, rationalize and lie to themselves about those they love most.

6) Social Media- Seriously. The greatest lie of all. Isn't it though? There will be many who read Confessions on the 7:45 that need to value every single verbal shock they get from the issues raised around how society projects what we want it to through Instagram, Facebook, and the like. Whatever it takes to keep the facade up. And how easy we make it for people to find us, learn about us and our every detail through social media. If it kicks in your Spidey-sense. If that or anything else in Lisa Unger's latest kicks in your Spidey-sense LISTEN TO IT.

Characters In Confessions On The 7:45

This is FANTASTIC. There are well-developed main characters and then, sometimes, a well-developed supporting cast. Lisa Unger wrote Confessions On the 7:45 from multiple points of view, so you know at least some of the supporting cast will have development.

But when the son, who is in Kindergarten, has chapters- great chapters? You know this is a cast of keepers. One of the best parts of Confessions on the 7:45 is that the further you go, the more points of view, you get.

Don't let that scare you, throughout this process, Lisa Unger never once loses any of the development or depth of the main characters that she originally starts with.

In fact, bringing in the other points of view only adds to their development. Upon further reflection, what I realized is that there are characters that I would have expected to have points of view that never do. And it didn't take away from the plot. In fact, again, it was refreshing because

I'm sick and tired of hearing from them. I know what they think, and I honestly don't care. They don't have a right to a say, anymore.

I'm much happier with Oliver having his own chapters. Especially when the first one starts with:

Grown-ups lie. A lot.

Yeah. Oliver. They sure damn, do.

And then he just lets it all fly

Grown-ups told you things were okay when they weren't... The Easter Bunny, Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy. All lies.

And that might sound like no big deal. But trust and believe. Oliver has game. Most kids do. I'm not a mom but fifteen years in education leaves you knowing that kids taught you more than you would ever teach them.

And Oliver is not stupid. To bring in his own chapters and then, later on, other characters that you wouldn't expect. It not only brought more depth to the story, dynamic to relationships, and connection between past and present occurrences, but it left out the stale tried and true arcs that normally play out.

Without Spoilers
Lisa Unger is a master at the structure of a story that it is the juggernaut that pulls together Confessions On The 7:45 brilliantly. The prologue is vital to the whole arc of the story. However, unlike most books, once I got into it, I completely forgot the prologue existed until a character uttered a key phrase almost 75% in. Then I inhaled so much oxygen, I nearly suffocated the cats. II never forget a prologue. Not in YA or Adult, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy. Ok. Let me not break out into the bookish version of Green Eggs and Ham. I know how vital they are, but yet there I was and then, BOOM.

Confessions on the 7:45 is completely character-driven. It is in the dynamics of all the characters, and how each of their stories builds upon each other, like a match that likes a wick. Unger builds the suspense through this continuous interweaving of a nefarious and unnerving set of dominoes. And it just continues to build, until the wick lights the bomb, the first domino topples, and the readers are left freefalling when eventually the entire bottom drops out.

Speaking of prologues- being there is a prologue that tells you that there is a long game. There has to be one, or the prologue doesn't make sense. However, as my favorite character, Kaz Brekker, would say, you don't win by running just one game. I would just twist that by saying you don't write a great novel by being predictable with one long game. HA! I'll leave that well, at that.

Lastly, I talk about the reveals you see coming that don't make a book predictable because the author sets the clues and they make sense. The reveals that are TOO shocking, they just don't make sense and are going for the shock factor. And the reveals within the reveals. The ones you can see coming but then there are the reveals within them. Well. Ms. Unger well played. Yeah, you might start off thinking, this is a bit predictable. I can only say one thing to that thought. READ THE BOOK

Secrets Told to a Stranger

Selena has a problem in her life. She thinks her husband, Graham is having an affair with the nanny. Graham has done it before but she and the children like the nanny. What should she do? One night coming home late, the train stalls. As they wait for the train to start, she and the woman in the next seat, Martha, start to talk. Martha tells her she’s having an affair with her boss and feels stuck. Selena confesses her suspicions about her husband and the nanny.

It felt good to talk to a stranger, but then Martha suggests more meetings. The nanny disappears leaving Selena wondering if there was a connection. As the mystery of the missing nanny deepens, Selena finds she must face the problems in her marriage. She wonders who Martha really was and then she discovers more frightening things.

This is a book that will keep you wondering until the end. It’s fast paced, well plotted, and filled with interesting characters. The one problem with the book is that there are many characters and the story is told from multiple points of view. It can be difficult in the beginning to keep everyone straight, particularly since the story moves between the past and present.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Sometimes meeting someone new compels you to share secrets and have trust in them thinking you’ll never see them again. But sometimes those strangers turn out to be much more than strangers.
I really enjoyed reading this book but it is a little confusing if you weren’t able to read it in a short amount of time. With the different points of view it was hard to keep up if you had to stop in the middle of a chapter. But I did still really enjoy the book and have recommended it to others.
It was twisty and surprising and definitely worth the read!

"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead" ~ Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac

It's been far too long since I've read a book by Lisa Unger. Confessions on the 7:45 was a wonderful way to come back into the fold. This is such a cleverly plotted story, with a variety of voices, conflicted characters, and mysterious motivations, and I was addicted from page one, as the prologue hinted that something dark and sinister was lurking. I found it very hard to step away from the drama and intrigue, and found myself praising about the book when I wasn't even twenty pages in. This is the sort of read where the slow peel back of the layers reveals things you might think you should have known, but how could you?

The story focuses on the swift unraveling of the marriage between Selena and Graham Murphy. From the start we know Graham has made a grave mistake in his adulterous actions and Selena's train-ride divulgence will come back to hurt the family in some way. It's just that who could have predicted how and why?

I loved the way the story is shared through many characters, and I kept trying to guess just why we were meeting these various ladies and gents. Martha is the main driver in the Selena/Graham chaos, but again the why is a huge mystery. There's also Pearl, and then the reality of Martha's game plan. And just where and how is Geneva? I really enjoyed the many voices and though I tried to connect the dots, I never imagined the way the story would play out.

Confessions on the 7;45 is one of my favorite domestic suspense reads this year and it's I've been recommending far and wide. 5 Stars and a #mustread recommendation for all readers.

Trigger warnings: domestic violence, murder

The book begins with an unidentified woman who is stalking someone, and one of the mysteries is trying to figure out which one of our characters is the stalker.

Selena has had a turbulent marriage with Graham, who is a repeat cheater. She thought their years of therapy were helping until she sees him with Geneva on the nanny camera. A series of events leads her life into a downward spiral and she begins to second-guess her husband and the woman on the train.

Geneva keeps mentioning a sister and a previous nanny job gone wrong. Why is the sister absent, and what happened at her last job?

Anne keeps getting threatening texts from an unknown source. She isn't a saint; she's continuously committing a crime no one knows about in addition to her affair. She comes off as a career con artist. She's a little crazy and emotionally disconnected. It's hard for the reader to feel anything for a character who herself doesn't feel.

Pearl's story revolves around her relationship with one of her mother's boyfriends -- he encourages her to grow intellectually and finally feels like the father she's never had. She doesn't trust Charlie completely, but her fears may be unwarranted. Will Pearl grow up to be one of the other women, or is her story connected to them in another way?

The reader starts to realize something isn't right when the woman on the train introduces herself as Martha. Who is Martha? Her story of having an affair with her boss matches Anne's. All of the women's stories have missing elements to keep the reader guessing, and the identity of the woman at the start of the novel isn't initially revealed.

Minor characters sometimes enter the narrative -- Selena's son Oliver, a police detective -- and add information unknown to the women and outsiders' perspective to the story.

Lisa Unger proves she is a master of the genre with this novel. The surprises keep coming until the very end.

Filled with twists and turns, this novel is great for mystery and thriller fans. Fans of women's fiction looking for an exciting story may also enjoy this novel.

(4.5 stars, rounded up)

"How complicated we all are; even the worst among us might still be worthy of love."

Things fall apart for Selena Murphy after she meets a stranger on the 7:45 train in this interesting psychological thriller. The woman calls herself Martha and Selena finds herself telling her about the problems in her life -- including mentioning that Selena thinks her husband, Graham, might be having an affair with their nanny. Of course Selena wishes her problems would all go away and that she might continue to keep up the facade of her perfect family and marriage. well, that's not going to happen. NO SPOILERS.

I'm sure it hasn't escaped most adult women that so much of what happens to women is because of their association with particular types of men. Good or bad, men have a huge influence on their happiness. A large number of incarcerated women are in prison because of men, how they were *mistreated by men, cheated on, lied to, manipulated, hurt -- it goes on. Even so, women are largely have themselves to blame for where they end up. A famous saying, "You are not responsible for what happened to you as a child, but you are 100% responsible, as an adult, for fixing it."

In this book, the women are quite damaged. All of them. Because of the men in their lives and the decisions they made around them. I never really developed any fondness for Selena nor did the pity party come out for Pearl. The writing was good, but the narrative seemed quite drawn out and a bit choppy with the alternating viewpoints and time leaps. I anticipated the twists so wasn't surprised or shocked by the reveals or climax. Always reminded of the fact that the biggest and worst lies are those we tell ourselves.

Thank you to Harlequin Park Row for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Selena Murphy is on her way home from work when the train stops and a passenger, Martha, starts talking to her and confesses that she is having an affair with her boss. Selena suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. Then the train starts up again and they are on their way.
Selena confronts her husband and the next thing e know is the nanny disappears.
How Selena stayed with her husband up to this point is beyond me but she did try to make the marriage work.
Selena starts getting txt messages from Martha, which is odd to her.
I really liked this book. Selena is a woman trying to save her marriage for the children's sake.
Martha we start learning about her past and how she got to where she is now. I saw most of it coming. Many twists and turns kept me intrigued.

this was a great mystery novel, I really like how the author writes both the plot and the characters. This kept me on the edge of my seat and glued to the page.

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger has Selena Murphy working hard to support her husband, two boys, and the nanny. She recently discovered that her husband and the nanny have been using the boys’ playroom for their own games thanks to the nanny cam. Selena ends up on the late train home one evening after work where she meets Martha. The dark night, an unmoving train, and small bottles of liquor lead to confessions. Martha confides that she is having an affair with her boss which leads Selena to tell about her husband’s extracurricular activities. Martha comments to Selena that doesn’t she just wish that their problems would take care of themselves. Not long after that night, the nanny disappears. The police zero in on Graham. Selena’s life takes a dark turn. The fun has just begun. Confessions on the 7:45 is a dark, twisty suspense novel. The story is told from multiple points-of-view. We get to see how Selena, Pearl, Martha, a retired detective, and Geneva ended up in their present circumstances. Each person has their own reason for doing what they do. There are hidden pasts, secrets, lies, and motives. Someone is messing with Selena and her life is falling apart. There are unexpected twists and surprises along the way. If you are an avid mystery or suspense reader, you will be able to figure out some of the events or surprises before they are revealed. But there is still plenty of suspense and action. I appreciated that all the loose ends are tied up. Confessions on the 7:45 is a well-plotted story. All the parts tie together into one complete story. I like how the author tied the train in to the story reminding me of the movie Strangers on a Train. Confessions on the 7:45 does contain violence, intimate relations, and foul language (fair warning). Confessions on the 7:45 is a riveting tale that will have you rapidly turning the pages as you ignore the world around you.