The only thing I really enjoy about psychological thrillers is that twist that you least expect. I was shocked with that twist, I abruptly stopped and people at my job thought something bad happened to me, lol. The book was pretty good, outside of the characters being very boring, and the story dragging a little too much, there were a lot of things I didn’t care to read now that we know what really happened, its like the author wanted to keep dragging the story and give everyone their little ending to the story, when in reality I just wanted to get to the point since the book in the beginning moved so quickly. Other than that I enjoyed the book, Jamie and I didnt a see it coming, lol.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

4.5 Stars

I am a big fan of Louise Candlish and this read is my favourite so far. The characters are well drawn and the plot moves quickly, I was able to read this in a day...I was left guessing through the whole book as to who and what was really going on and hated to stop reading. This is the typical new couple moves in and old couple makes friends with them trope BUT Ms. Candlish has a way of making it fresh and new. The characters are well defined with some welcome amorality and there are definitely a couple of surprises as the story unfolds. Skillful writing and a great plot, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Half a star off because I kinda figured out one of the reveals.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

When Millennials Melia and Kit move into the neighborhood and Melia begins as a Junior sales assistant for Clare’s real estate company, it’s only natural that a new couple style friendship would form including Clare’s partner Jamie to round out the numbers. When Melia and Kit are invited over to their 4 bedroom place in St Mary’s, it is clear that whilst they’re pretending to live the very middle class life they feel entitled to, Melia and Kit are doing anything but.

It is during this early interaction that Jamie reveals his deep seated phobia of public transport and so, the next day, knowing they are heading in the same direction, he and Kit purchase an annual ticket on the Thames river ferry and from this point onwards our two couples become deeply entwined. Whilst having dinner and drinks at their place, Melia hits on Jamie completely out of the blue, and despite their age difference, Jamie falls for her hook, line and sinker. As the thriller progresses, it becomes apparent that at some juncture Kit’s lavish lifestyle, which he cant’ afford is perhaps the reason for his sudden disappearance at Christmas. And when two detectives come to interview Jamie, the shady details of the affair he is having with Melia come to the surface threatening his relationship with Clare the the lifestyle he has grown accustomed to.

The first person, past tense delivery, played an effective role of deception and whilst the bulk pointed in one direction, the twists and turns were keenly drawn and well delivered in the closing chapters. Jamie, even with his relatively strong sense of self-awareness was duped by youth and clung onto it like every clichéd man nearing 50 who deludes himself that a woman in her 20s would genuinely be interested. And Melia played the part perfectly. Having established herself as a failed actor, it was evident early on that she was skilled enough in her craft to convince Jamie that not only did she love him, but indeed they could continue their affair with little recourse. And sadly for Clare, Jamie’s partner, there was little to no suspicion at all. This was furthered by the friendship that Melia maintained with Clare throwing her entirely off the scent given it played well into her decent unsuspecting nature.

Sadly, Kit was every bit the British entitled geezer Jamie made him out to be and whilst the friendship was never a BFF type deal, the two men did find a comfort in their shared companionship via their daily commute on the boat to work. For the most part, Kit’s disappearance and Jamie’s strong alibi in Clare enabled the plot to thicken further, and the unseen twists and turns furthered the tension of mystery and certainly rounded out nicely to a clever ‘who done it!’

For those who enjoy thrillers, this ticked many boxes and for those who enjoy the social criticism of generational entitlement and obsession with wealth, this is definitely a fun read.

I loved Our House by Louise Candlish so I was super excited to read The Other Passenger! It had be interested from the start and I was guessing until the very end. The writing was really strong and the character development was great. There were some really great twists and turns, which I find Louise Candlish really great at keeping up the suspense and unveiling twist after twist - what fun! I really liked this a lot as a psychological thriller and can’t wait to pick up another Louise Candlish book!

Unfortunately, I put this book down halfway through. I found the story to be very very slow paced and what was happening in the story felt a little repetitive l was waiting for the suspense and thrill and I didn’t find it, nor did I want to continue reading in hopes of finding it. .
I also didn’t like any of the characters - they all seemed very blah to me with no personally.

Oh, how this story had promise. I have to admit the blurb lured me in so I requested it from Netgalley. However, this book fell a little flat for me.

Claire and Jamie are a middle age couple living in a house with a view of the Thames. Claire's parents own the house. Jamie is claustrophobic, and has trouble riding on public transportation. They meet another much younger couple, Kit and Melia, and the couples become friends...often dining together. Kit and Jamie start riding a water taxi together and in turn they meet two other people on the boat, Steve and Gretchen. They all drink together on the ride home every night.

One night Kit goes missing and the police think Jamie did it. So this book is told from Jamie's point of view, and tells a past and present. The past is the year before Kit goes missing and the present is after Kit goes missing.

Up until Kit goes missing, for me, was just not a good read. BUT once he goes missing the plot goes into overdrive, the story gets better and the pace picks up. This book has a couple of twists, the first is better than the second and overall it was an ok read for me. The characters were all unredeemable. Claire looks down on Jamie's job, but yet lives in a house her parents provide. Melia, "Me" is nothing but a narcissist... Kit would rather snort cocaine than do anything worthwhile and Jamie is so gullible and just not a good man. I think I would have liked this book better if ONE character was likable, and if there was redemption at the end. There was a little redemption, but not enough to save the story. 2.5⭐ rounded up to 3⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely devoured this book! This was one that got my attention from the first chapter, and I did not want to put the book down.

I loved this dark domestic noir novel-the twists, the suspense of finding out who did it, the puzzle pieces that all fit together in the end. The ending was twisted, although I was able to predict it a few chapters before it was revealed.

I really enjoyed the pace of the book, the length of the chapters, the characters, and the plot.
The author is definitely good at keeping you guessing, and then throwing you a major curveball at the end! I definitely had to dig deep, because what I thought was the answer-definitely was not! I love books like this, they keep me on the edge of my seat, turning pages and not wanting to put the book down! This was definitely one of those books.

I enjoyed the description of the scenery, famous landmarks and public transportation in the city of London. I also enjoyed how I got to know each character a little more as I kept reading the story. I started having an idea of what each character was about and that changed the more I got into the story. The main characters were written beautifully. The book was great and very entertaining the first 2/3 of the book. Then the last 3rd part turned into a spectacular experience, full of twists, shocking revelations and surprises. I am so happy I found this book. I enjoyed it a lot. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for this advanced review copy for free.

As this book was somewhat a slow burn, I’m very glad I got to listen to an advanced audio copy of it. Audiobooks really help keep my attention through a lot of plot buildup, as opposed to my squirrel brain getting distracted while reading. I do think some of the backstory in the beginning could have been pared down some.

The slow burn paid off in the end, though, as twist after twist unraveled in the most clever way. The last third of the book had me hooked and unable to stop listening. I had no idea where the author was leading me, only that none of the characters were to be trusted.

I enjoyed the gloomy London atmosphere, and the fact that most of the book took place “in between” various locations. The dialogue was entertaining, and the characters were well-developed. I really felt for Clare, supporting a partner who was no longer in love with her, but could understand Jamie’s frustration with their imbalance in earning potential.

Overall, an entertaining thriller with whiplash-inducing twists that would be perfect to listen to on a road trip. I’m definitely interested in reading more by this author.

I read a lot of psychological thrillers, so it takes a lot to actually surprise me. This book definitely packed a wallop of an ending! Avoiding the pitfalls of the genre, this book races along and drags you into its world where you will stay white-knuckled until its satisfying ending.

I absolutely loved Candlish’s Those People and so I requested this book on Netgalley without so much as perusing the plot summary. And sure enough, another winner. In fact, Candlish might be well on her way to becoming one of my favorite authors of psychological thrillers.
I’d say it’s mainly the psychology of it all that she so excels it, because her novels do mostly read like fine literary dramas with a crime element, as opposed to the more traditional vice versa approach. We’re talking a character driven study so meticulously crafted that it doesn’t even require the easy gimmes of likeable cast or relatable situations. But then again this book is all about money, the exigencies of Mammon, the thing that makes the world go round and all that. So thematically it’s perfectly relatable, after all.
To be fair, everyone’s relationship with money is different, but there are some fundamental, unalterable similarities. Everyone wants it. It may not make one happy, but it’ll buy all the bricks to pave the road there.
For Jamie and his girlfriend of a decade it’s a complicated subject. She has inherited a grand manor, she has the well paying job and he pours coffee for a living (not ideal at all of especially while pushing 50) after a traumatic phobic experience with public transport. In fact, he has becoming so phobic about commuting that the only thing he finds that works for him is a river ferry. Where he makes some friends.
And then his new buddy Kit disappears and Jamie finds himself a prime suspect. And sure Jamie’s been having an affair with Kit’s much, much younger wife, thus risking all financial and emotional security he has, but is Jamie just a self sabotaging scoundrel or a murderer? Well, read and find out.
So that’s the crime element and, while initially subtle, it’ll stun with you how well it twists toward the end. I’m a seasoned genre reader, who all too frequently figures thrillers out easily and early, but this one surprised me time and time again. Which is, of course, awesome.
But then there’s all that terrific social commentary on the ever stratified by income lives and the constant craving of more. Of living in a city like London (any major city, really), where millionaires and homeless people walk the same streets. Of the relentless desperate pursuit of the elusive financial stability. At times, at any cost. Of what it makes people do. Well…some people. Those people. It’s clever, it’s poignant, it hits like a ton of bricks or well slung arrows. Well done, author, bravo. I seldom use worlds like enthralling…but this book calls for it.
You’re going to want to come along as a pssanger on this ride. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Another amazing read by Louise Candlish. I absolutely loved Our House so I couldn’t wait to read this one and I was not disappointed!

The Other Passenger had me intrigued from the very beginning and kept me guessing until the end! I really enjoy Candlish’s writing and this was an interesting cast of characters.

Such a great psychological thriller!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgallery for the digital ARC of this novel. This one is expected to be released July 20th!

Brief Synopsis:

Jamie and his wife Claire are getting older therefore when they meet young and ‘hip’ couple, Kit and Melia, a friendship is made. Wanting to feel cool again, the couples hit it off with dinner parties, which lead to Kit and Jamie taking the river boat together every day when commuting to work. One day, Kit doesn’t show up and everyone starts pointing fingers at the other. Has he disappeared? If so, who was responsible?

My thoughts/opinions:

Ahh..I don’t know how I feel about this one. For some reason I am tired of cheating spouses & secret affairs in thriller novels. It really annoys me and I have a hard time reading about it because it makes me so angry. I just want to slap some common sense in the characters. So I think maybe that affected my rating a bit on this one, because it just annoyed me.

BUT, besides that, there were some decent twists and turns in here that I wasn’t expecting. It was actually kind of interesting to have the main POV as a male character as well. When I think back, I feel like most books I read are from a female POV, which I never really noticed until this one.

This is my first book I’ve read by this author and I’ve heard she has some other ones, so I think I will definitely check them out one day when I have a chance.

Review of The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have loved all books by this author and this one was no exception. This book was exciting with many twist and turns and a must read for thriller lovers.

Jamie lives with his long term girlfriend Clare when he meets Melia and Kit, a younger couple. Melia works with Clare and the two suggest that Kit and Jamie commute together on a ferry boat. They get to know each other on the trips along with two fellow passengers, Gretchen and Steve. Then Kit goes missing and Jamie was the last person to see him.

You keep thinking you know what happened when once again a new twist comes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book

This is another winner from Louise Candlish - full of twists as turns masterfully written. We begin with our narrator Jamie being questioned about the disappearance of his friend Kit. Kit, the husband of Melia, who also happens to be the younger woman Jamie is involved with. All is not as it appears and you won't want to put this down until the end.

Christopher “Kit” is missing and Jamie is stopped by authorities as he is getting off the ferry on his way to work.

The narrative then alternates between past and present as Jamie is questioned about Kit’s disappearance.

Jamie, Kit, Gretchen and Steven catch the ferry to and from work together every day. Jamie and Kit live in the same area, and they along with their wives, Clare and Melia, have spent evening together socializing over drinks.

Melia and Clare work together in real estate, and when Melia and Jamie start an affair – they carry on in the empty homes. They all have secrets that they’d prefer to stay hidden. And what about “the other passenger”on the ferry that witnessed and reported Jamie and Kit fighting earlier on the night that Kit went missing.

The book started a little slow for me with the flash backs of Melia and Jamie’s affair, Clare wanting Jamie to get job counseling/ training so he can get a better job, the friendship between the four on the ferry. But, wait for it. It will all come together at the end, and you’ll be glad the author spent the time telling of events over the previous year.

RECOMMEND Our House and Those People by the same author are also psychological/ domestic thrillers that I have totally enjoyed

Thanks to #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #TheOther Passenger in exchange for an honest review.

Clever with dark twists and turns. Jamie and his partner Claire meet a younger couple through Claire's work and they become fast friends. Fueled by drugs and wealth envy, the friendship frays as personalities emerge. The relationship between Jamie and Claire is somewhat of a power play where she has the career and money. The relationship with money and it's perceived gift of happiness is central to the couples' interactions. The plot picks up at about 70% in and doesn't let go. Well developed characters and he use of present day vs flashbacks to tell the story builds suspense. Well done.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

IF twisty and twistier is your reading choice then look no further! I have not read any by this author so if this is how they all are count me in! The book is very well written, the plotting clever and plausible and there are occasions where you genuinely don’t know what’s going to happen next. So most definitely my kind of book!!! The dialogue is very believable, capturing the different moods and atmosphere between the main protagonists with the river commute adding another level of atmosphere. The characters are well constructed though not necessarily likable. The initial camaraderie and almost paternal relationship between Jamie and Kit are clear as is the unraveling of their relationship as the year progresses. One of the things I find most interesting about these two is their sense of entitlement versus working your way up the career and property ladder by hard work. They both resent Clare because of the lovely house she and Jamie live in which is a gift to Clare from wealthy parents and by default Jamie, as they see him as living rent free in lovely surroundings. There’s a mismatch in earning power between Clare and Jamie which adds to the resentment. The last part of the book has one shock after another and without giving anything away it’s a case of ‘the things we do for love’ or there’s no fool like an old(ish) fool. The end is great with two of the characters getting what they deserve.

Really fun slow burning suspense!

This story is told in alternating perspectives in a flashback form. Clare and Jamie (out of boredom with each other) meet a younger couple, Amelia and Kit who seem to be struggling financially. Jamie and Kit start bonding an a riverboat commute until one day - Kit doesn't return home. Suspicions are put onto Jamie as they are last seen having an argument but the twists and deception go much deeper.

Unfortunately The Other Passenger was not a hit for me. I struggled to get into this story for the first third of the book and by the time the action started to pick up I was not invested enough in the characters to care all that much what happened to them. The characters fell flat and they just weren't that likeable after what felt like so many cliches. I've enjoyed Candlish's other works, so I like this is more of a personal issue than a fault of the other and would recommend those on the fence read the many positive reviews to see if this may be more their cup of tea! Thanks to the publisher for the early copy for which I'm still grateful, even if it wasn't my favorite summer thriller!