Great thriller that kept me turning the pages. Great story, great writing and characters. Really enjoyable and would read this author again.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a while since I have picked up a contemporary thriller - mainly because the last few I read seemed a little unoriginal. Not so with this little gem of a book that I read in one sitting. When reviewing thrillers it is best not to give too much away, but if you like a mystery with a couple of twists and some fiendish characters, you will like this book. Not a lot of the characters were likeable - I would even go so far as to say that I did not like Jamie, the protagonist, that much at all. But it didn’t matter - the story still kept me engaged and guessing.

A gripping read from start to finish, with plenty of twists & turns to keep you guessing until the very end. Louise has an excellent style of writing that draws the reader in & keeps them engaged in a story, even when the characters are very unlikeable.
Jamie Buckby is scared of the underground so travels to work in London by riverboat with his relatively new friend Kit Roper. The pair met through their partners who work together, about a year ago. Although very different in age & financially they enjoy socialising together. On the cold morning of 23rd December Jamie embarks on his morning commute, noting that Kit has not caught their regular ferry. He disembarks for work where he is met by the police. Kit has been reported missing by his wife Melia & Jamie is questioned about the disappearance as he had been seen arguing with Kit after drinks, late on Friday night on the boat home. Jamie is the prime suspect, but what really happened? A gripping story follows.
This is the first novel I’ve read by Louise Candlish, but I look forward to reading more by her.

When Jamie and Clare, a couple quickly reaching middle-age befriend the young, lively and energetic couple Kit and Melia, they have no idea just how much this friendship will change their lives.

A new friendship which starts like most others - with drinks and the occasional dinner, quickly results in something more sinister - accusations of murder.

Candlish explores the darker side of friendship dynamics in this brilliant novel - with so many twists and turns you will have no idea what is going to hit you next!

A solid 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Other Passenger is the fourteenth novel by British author, Louise Candlish. On the morning of the first business day after Christmas 2019, as he departs the Thames river bus at Waterloo, Jamie Buckby is detained by two Metropolitan Police constables. His close acquaintance and regular fellow passenger, Kit Roper has been reported missing, last seen as he and Jamie disembarked late on the previous Monday night.

James and his partner, Clare Armstrong met Kit soon after his then girlfriend, Melia Quinn started work at Hayter Armstrong Real Estate in January. While Melia was a beautiful and charismatic young woman, Kit was the epitome of the entitled Millennial, with a massive chip on his shoulder regarding inherited wealth. Clare’s ownership of their luxurious St Martin’s mansion became a target, yet the couples socialised quite happily despite their age disparity.

But now Jamie was being explain his relationship with Kit and Melia Roper: “You’re the one who was there on Monday night. You’re the one with the history of emotional outbursts. You’re the one Kit trusted to be a witness at his wedding, even though you were in fact betraying him in the worst possible way … You’re his only known enemy, Jamie.” Jamie finds it unsettling, but isn’t overly worried: he hasn’t done anything wrong…

For the first half of the book, the narrative alternates between Jamie’s informal interrogation by the constables, and the events that began at the start of the year and culminated in the last known sighting of Kit Roper. It’s a slow build but the action ramps up in the latter half, which covers an aftermath that features a number of deliciously dark twists, only a few of which are predictable.

This is not a story filled with endearing characters: f there is even one vaguely likeable character in this story, it certainly isn’t the (likely unreliable) narrator, whose male arrogance negates the adage that ought never to be forgotten: “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” What will appeal, especially to anyone slightly familiar with it, are the many mentions of that area of London and the Thames.

When Candlish has Jamie musing “2020 has a sci-fi ring to it, I feel, like it might be the year of alien landings or the one when the world folds in on itself and crushes us all to death” a reader might wonder if this particularly prescient sentence was composed before the coronavirus pandemic began; heads will nod in agreement. Ultimately, this one is clever and rather good!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia

EXCERPT: 'What about you? Any resolutions?'

'Actually I do have one,' she said. 'I've decided I'm going to embrace the new. I read that's the key to aging successfully.'

'I think all aging is unsuccessful ultimately,'I said, grinning. 'New what, exactly?'

'New everything. New hobbies, new ideas, new friends.' She grew emphatic as she searched for the right phrase and I saw she was very determined about this. 'I'm open to submissions'

Enter Melia and, a step or two behind her, Kit, with their winning submission of youth, fun, freedom. Everything Clare feared she was losing.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is this whole thing began with exactly the midlife crisis you might imagine - just not mine.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: On the morning of Monday 23rd December, Jamie Buckby takes the commuter riverboat from his home in St Mary’s, southeast London, to work in Central London, noting that his good friend and neighbour Kit Roper has not turned up for the 7.30am service they usually catch together.

At the London Eye, where he disembarks for his job in a café behind the South Bank Centre, Jamie is met by the police. Kit has been reported missing by his wife.

As Jamie is taken in for questioning, he discovers someone saw him arguing with Kit on the boat home late on Friday night. The other passenger believes Jamie committed murder.

But what really happened?

MY THOUGHTS: 'But what really happened?' is the million dollar question.

Certainly not what appears to be happening on the surface. Or even underneath. You're going to have to dig deeper than that!

The Other Passenger is a page turner. Dark domestic noir. Candlish has taken the old adage that men don't think with their brains when a beautiful woman is involved, and used it to great advantage. This is heart-pounding stuff. The moment you think you have everything straight, Candlish throws in a twist, and doubles it. There is nothing mundane or predictable about this read. It kept me on my toes and more than once I had to pick my jaw up from the floor. I had no idea where this was going, and never in my wildest imaginings could I have guessed where it would wind up. But you do know that it's not going to be good, for the characters anyway. For the reader, it's excellent stuff!

The characters are a diverse bunch. Clare is a successful partner in a top end real estate company, privileged daughter of a wealthy family and, oh dear, I made her sound 'snobby', didn't I? But she's not. She's quite lovely. Jamie (never James), her partner of ten plus years, used to be a high flyer in marketing, but dropped out after a personal crisis and now froths milk and mashes avocado for a living. Melia works in the same company as Clare, but in a different division. She is young, beautiful, a complete narcissist, (there's a reason her name is shortened to 'Me'), and has that certain something that attracts people to her like moths to a flame. Kit, Melia's partner, works in insurance, when he bothers to show for work. They are both failed actors and live well beyond their means in what they believe to be poverty.

The two couples make odd bedfellows. Different generations, different backgrounds, different socio-economic status. Not a lot in common. Except for envy. Melia and Kit want the life that Clare and Jamie have. Clare and Jamie want their youth.

One of those books that you just have to finish as quickly as you can because you want to know the who and why, but that you don't actually want to end at all.

🤯🤯🤯🤯.75 mind blowing stars. Not quite the full five because there is a point where the narrative gets a little bogged down and we wallow briefly in the mud. It doesn't last for long, but it was just long enough for me to wonder if the author had run out of impetus. She hadn't.

'Sunrise, when it came, had no more effect than a frosted glass lamp with a failing bulb.'

'There must be a slight difference between acting and lying, otherwise half the population would be auditioning for the RSC.'

'I don't want to be rich when I'm old, I want to be rich while I'm young.'

THE AUTHOR: Before writing fiction, I studied English at University College London and worked as an illustrated book editor and advertising copywriter.

I live in a South London neighbourhood not unlike the one in my novels with my husband, teenage daughter, and our fox-red Labrador Bertie.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for providing a digital ARC of The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

If the genders in this story were flipped, Jamie Buckby might well be called a gold-digger. At 48 he’s not-unhappily stuck in a menial service job as a barista, because he doesn’t have to work to get ahead. His girlfriend Clare is doubly blessed; the owner of a very valuable inherited property, she also has a high-powered career. Jamie’s just quietly coasting along without a real care in the world until Kit and his girlfriend Melia come along. In their late twenties, Kit and Melia are just barely getting started in life and already are on a downward spiral into a pit of debt due to an extravagant lifestyle. When Kit disappears, Jamie’s startled to find the finger of suspicion pointing in his direction. But as the story unfolds, it quickly becomes apparent that these suspicions aren’t unfounded, as Jamie slowly admits that maybe he’s not the all-around good bloke he’s portraying himself as.

It’s hard to find anyone in this story to like. Of the four principals, Clare is the only one who’s not actually prepared to do something criminal, but she’s also hard to empathize with because her inherited wealth makes her arrogant and oblivious to what the unprivileged majority have to face up to. And honestly… having her be the only not-awful person by the end of the story felt pretty elitist. Kit is an entitled brat, Melia’s even worse - especially with her choice to seduce and use Jamie - and Jamie, frankly, is a selfish idiot. He deserves exactly what he gets by the end of the story, though he, at least, has enough self-awareness to acknowledge it. All three of them are motivated by greed.

There are some interesting twists and turns here, but the problem I had was that with each reveal, I liked Jamie a little less. Starting to dislike the first-person protagonist of the book you’re reading makes it a hard slog to get to the end, no matter how clever and original the plot might be. I like the writing style but the story itself just didn’t really resonate with me; I couldn’t relate to any of the characters because in their shoes, I just wouldn’t have made their choices. I’ll give it four stars.

I loved the plot in this book. Lots of surprise twists . It was very well written and you will find yourself yelling at the characters. Its a complicated story about 2 couples. I couldnt put it down.

Wanting what others have fast becomes a fatal obsession in The Other Passenger. Whether that be your job, your house, your bank balance or your relationships, perhaps there is always someone in your circle of friends and acquaintances who feels that for you in particular, it all came a bit too easy.

Unable to cope with the suffocating commute that is the London underground, Jamie has been instead working nine hours a day at a café not far from the Thames. For a man in his late forties, it’s a bit of a step down from his previous corporate position, but as time goes on, Jamie is beginning to find the pleasure in the simple things.

Girlfriend Clare works in real estate and the pair live in a gorgeous London home, thanks to the generosity of Clare’s parents. Jamie knows that Clare has the position of power in the relationship, but it has never really been a problem between then. Clare introduces Jamie to Kit and Melia, a millennial couple who are barely scraping by, despite the two of them both holding down solid full time jobs.

Kit is magnetic, one of those people who draws all into his orbit, but there’s a dark side to him as well. The resentment Kit obviously feels for anyone who is doing better than him, whether that’s due to hard work or good luck, makes itself apparent to Clare and Jamie who being older, have little patience for those who constantly complain. At first when Jamie begins to catch the ferry every day to work, it seems like the obvious solution to save him from any more embarrassing panic attacks on the underground. Traveling every day with Kit and another two commuters, the four form an informal little club called The Water Rats. As the relationships begin to splinter off and entangle, Jamie is lost in the arms of his new obsession. He is the obvious suspect when Kit goes missing.

The Other Passenger is an absorbing thriller packed with the murderous intentions of the newly discontent. As with her prior works, British author Louise Candlish excels in writing characters that are standing at the crossroads of making monumental life choices. Will they walk away and continue with their safe lives, or will they take a chance, knowing that their future happiness will come at such a high cost to someone else?

The dangers of wanting to change your life and relationships by scuttling everything that came before and the thrills of beginning something new are quandaries thoughtfully explored in The Other Passenger. It’s a testament to the work put into building fully realized characters that the objections to personal accountability we encounter here seem quite reasonable.

The two couples are not trussed up as odious, self serving Londoners who can’t afford to live in their expensive city of choice. They are instead two couples who would have been a lot better off if they had never met.

A surprisingly intense thriller with many moving parts, The Other Passenger is published by Simon & Schuster Australia.

Jamie Buckby travels to work by riverboat due to his claustrophobia. His friend Christopher (Kit) Roper usually catches the same riverboat but on the morning of December 27 he does not show up. When Jamie disembarks, he is met by police who take him in for questioning as Kit has disappeared.

This is a great psychological thriller which is slowly revealed over the course of the novel with some memorable twists and turns. I really enjoyed the pace and the structure that slowly reel the reader in. Much of it explores the relationships between Jamie, Kit, Jamie's partner Clare, and Kit's girlfriend, Melia. There is a considerable age difference between the two couples. While flashback is used extensively particularly in the second half, it doesn't feel like a jolt from the story but is interwoven seamlessly. The writing is good and the characters are complex enough to sustain believability. I haven't read Candlish before but will definitely be looking out for more from this writer.

There were so many twists to this story, and the ending was great! I liked the way that this was written, with a single unreliable narrator, and liked how it went from present day to various dates in the past year. I felt that it dragged a bit in the middle, but otherwise this was really enjoyable.

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. I have enjoyed a few of Louise Candlish's books now and I was excited to find I was approved to read this one. The plot revolves around a small group of commuters who become friends. They enjoy camaraderie whilst travelling together via a ferry to and from work each day. One day one of the regulars doesn't turn up for the commute and police are waiting to talk to another member of the group about the missing man after his wife has reported him missing and they were seen in a heated discussion the last time they commuted together. A spellbinding and twisted plot that will keep you wondering just what has happened and who knows what until the very end. What would drive someone to kill their fellow commuting buddy? Another great read from Louise Candlish that did not disappoint. #theotherpassenger #louisecandlish #netgalley #goodreads #tea_sipping_bookworm #litsy #kindle #amazon#kindle #bookqueen #greatreads #bookbesties

This is a book I've looked forward to for ages, and im so glad I finally got around to reading it!

Louise Candlish always does an amazing job with her plots and her twists, and this story was no exception.

I was kept on my toes the entire book, wondering what had really happened. I found myself getting through this quite quickly, because I didn't want to stop reading!

This was one I really enjoyed and I definitely recommend it.

Set mostly in 2019 in London. Jamie lives with his partner Clare. Clare’s parents own the house they live in. Clare sells real estate and Jamie works in a coffee shop. Jamie is troubled with claustrophobia and in early 2019 starts travelling to work via a river bus.
Clare works with a young woman Melia whose partner is Kit. Kit stars on the river bus with Jamie, where they become friend with two other commuters.
I loved the way the story developed by introducing all the characters and how it switched between early 2019 and late December 2019.
Full of twists, lies and deception. Kit goes missing and Jamie was seen arguing with Kit prior to Kit’s disappearance.

James Buckby has developed a claustrophobic fear of travelling in the London tube so has given up his office job in the city and now works in a cafe so he can catch a ferry to work. Although he's in his forties he doesn't worry about the drop in salary and status as his partner, Clare is wealthy and owns the upmarket house they live in, although she is worried by his lack of ambition. Returning to work after the Christmas break, James is met by police at the wharf where he disembarks to question him about the disappearance of his friend and fellow commuter, Kit Roper. James and Kit were seen arguing after going out for drinks two days before Christmas and Kit has not been seen since. His wife Melia has reported him missing and is frantic with worry.

This is a well thought out plot with quite a few surprise twists. I enjoyed the opening chapters with the two couples becoming acquainted and forming an unlikely friendship. Kit and Melia's constant complaints about not being able to afford a house in London and their jealousy of Clare and Jamie's beautiful house did start to grate and it would be difficult to not to be annoying in a friendship. The book was also a little slow in the middle as Kit's disappearance dragged on, but the plot definitely picked up towards the end as the lies and deception started to emerge. Would make an excellent read for your daily commute!

The Other Passenger is dark and twisted with a cleverly written and unpredictable storyline.

Hurtling towards fifty James Buckby travels to work on the commuter riverboat to the cafe he works at in London each day. As he disembarks he’s met by a couple of policemen, they want to question him regarding a missing fellow commuter/friend named Kit. James was the last person to see the charismatic Kit and they had been arguing, he also had a reason to want him dead. Kit’s gorgeous wife Melia had reported him missing to the police.

A story with well developed characters, sinister and warped people that are just not right and twists aplenty. The river bus is a great setting for a psychological thriller that involves unlikely friendships, deception and evil treachery. The Other Passenger is deliciously plotted, an enjoyable and suspenseful read.

When Jamie disembarks his River bus on his journey to work via the Thames, he is approached by 2 detectives who want to talk to him about the disappearance of his friend Kit. Jamie was the last person to have seen him and a witness saw them fighting. So begins this wonderful page turning tale of secrets and lies and oh so many twists.
Jamies wife Clare works in real estate, Kits girlfriend Melia works with her. Soon the foursome meet up for a drink and a meal and after Kit learns Jamie is to forgo the train to work, due to a claustrophobic reaction to the tunnels and crush of passengers, he also buys a year ticket to take the river bus along the Thames to work also. Jamie works in a cafe making coffee, it’s Clare his wife who has all the money. Kit and Melia are as broke as can be, living in debt and mounting bills. As the story progresses, we realise all is not as first appeared. Jamie and Melia are having an affair even though he is a good deal older than she is. She knows he has no money so this must be true love right?
It’s one hell of a read, and you never know where the twists will take you. I loved it and I love the authors way of writing. This is the second book of hers I have read and I can’t wait for the next.
#netgalley #theotherpassenger