"The Passenger" by Daniel Hurst is a gripping psychological thriller that takes readers on a rollercoaster of suspense and intrigue. The story revolves around Amanda, a hardworking single mother, whose life takes a terrifying turn during her daily train commute from London to Brighton.

Hurst skillfully weaves a tale that immediately captures the reader's attention. The premise is intriguing, and the tension builds steadily as Amanda encounters a mysterious stranger who holds her daughter's safety hostage. The ultimatum presented to Amanda creates a compelling dilemma, forcing her to confront a dark secret hidden in her safe.

The character development is commendable, especially Amanda, who is portrayed as a relatable and sympathetic protagonist. Her internal struggle and the fear for her daughter's well-being are palpable, drawing readers deeper into the narrative. The mysterious stranger adds an element of unpredictability, keeping the suspense alive throughout the book.

Hurst's writing style is engaging, with vivid descriptions that bring the settings to life. The pacing is well-executed, creating a sense of urgency that propels the story forward. The author skillfully navigates the psychological aspects of the characters, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

The plot twists and turns are cleverly crafted, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. The revelation of the secret in Amanda's safe is both shocking and satisfying, providing a resolution that ties up the loose ends of the story. The suspenseful climax delivers a punch, leaving a lasting impact on the reader.

While "The Passenger" is a thrilling page-turner, it falls just shy of a perfect rating due to a few instances where the plot feels slightly contrived. Some aspects of the story may require a suspension of disbelief, but the overall narrative compensates for these minor shortcomings.

In conclusion, Daniel Hurst's "The Passenger" is a highly engaging psychological thriller that delivers on suspense, character development, and plot twists. It's a compelling read for fans of the genre, and Hurst proves to be a skillful storyteller. With its gripping narrative and well-crafted characters, this novel is a solid four-star thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

After saving money for several years Amanda is finally ready to quit her job and fulfill her dream of becoming a published author. The life she envisions for herself and her teenage daughter is within reach…until a stranger approaches her and demands her hard-earned money.

The Passenger has a good premise and held so much promise as a suspenseful thriller. But, I found it to be terribly disappointing in several ways. First, I didn’t find any of the characters appealing or sympathetic and it was difficult to care about the characters and their outcomes. The pace was a little slow and intermixed with backstories that I didn’t find very compelling. Overall, it’s hard for me to enjoy a book when this is the case.

Finally, the plot was shaky and the justifications that were given for the decisions that were made and the actions that were taken seemed weak, indefensible, and lacked accountability. At best I can only give The Passenger 2.5 stars. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

A twisted plot that will have you guessing what choice she will make. As she starts to believe that her hard work will finally set her small family into a comfortable life, she must consider the demands of a man who would not only steal her life savings and threaten her daughter's life, he will find the one secret she has been hiding. An enjoyable read as I tried to figure out how all of the pieces could come together.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

OMG, this book was just so good. It kept me on the edge of my seat for like most of the time that I was reading this novel.
Amanda commutes by the train every day, but this day is unlike any other. She sits on the train in front of a guy, who looks like he may be interested in her, and what starts as a flirtatious encounter soon reveals that this passenger is not someone she ran into by chance, and that this stranger knows more about her than she thinks.
The stranger demands that Amanda gives the code to the safe where she keeps her money, and the only problem is that behind this money is a super dirty secret that she doesn't want anyone to know.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book is how it ended, and the fact that neither Amanda nor her daughter were particularly likable characters.
Overall, this was a very solid thriller.

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller.It was told from different pov's.I do enjoy the author's books.This was a fairly quick read.Thanks to net Galley and Daniel Hirst for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4 stars

This was a rather quick read for me - starts off quite intriguing and the plot was, overall, good. I did find information tended to be spoon fed to us and this rendered the plot more predictable than I would have liked. Moreover, I have to admit that I struggled a lot with the attitude taken by the MC's daughter - Louise was entitled, selfish and horrible towards her mother. It was quite the turn off, especially given how self-aware Louise seemed to be for a teenager - to the point where you would think she would be more understanding and make better choices but alas. I also wish the two con men were given a bit more substance in terms of character depth. All in all, a decent popcorn thriller but I likely won't reread it.

A big thank you to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for the e-copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was so entertaining! It kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what would happen next. Great read!

Amanda, a wanna be novelist is flattered when a charming, handsome stranger starts a conversation on the commute back to Brighton but not for long when she hears what he has to say. It was lively, easy to read but some of the situations were a bit contrived. Also I found the “villains” more amusing than scary! Not one of the four main characters could be described as being pleasant so very hard to root for any of them. There are four points of view, flashbacks but most of the action was either on the train on in a railway station. It’s worth a read, on a long train journey maybe!

Took me a while to get around to reading this book but I am glad I did. I enjoyed that it was written from different points of view . The characters were not particularly likable (especially the daughter) but the story itself was captivating and held my interest until the surprise ending. If this is your genre don't overlook this book, it is definitely worth a read.

I really enjoyed this book, although I did find much of it to be really predictable. I liked that there was more to Amanda and that she was not as cookie cutter as I believed her to be at first. I did struggle a bit with her relationship with her daughter. It just felt extremely flat and overall really just not plausible. Louise just doesn't seem that an actual character with any depth, or real motives other than what she wanted to do in the near future. I really liked the overall pacing of the book and felt that this was a pretty good, quick read. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Amanda is a single mom, who works hard to provide for herself and her daughter Louise. One day while on her usual commute home on the train, a stranger confronts her and tells her she must give him her safe code before they reach her destination, or she will not see her daughter again. Although she is frantic, that safe doesn’t just contain her life savings, but it also holds a secret she can’t afford to let out. The question is will she choose to keep her secret hidden away or will she choose her daughter.

This book was fairly faced paced and intriguing, although I feel like it could have been a little shorter. The twists and turns helped to keep me engaged and overall I would recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley + Inkubator Books for the ARC.

Can this book not end? I loved every bit of it from the characters (including the antagonist!) to the twists and turns of the story. Highly recommend who enjoys a good thriller!

I read The Passenger in one sitting when I was sick and had to rest and it really managed to suck me into its world of secrets and twists and help me forget about being stuck in bed. It is an exceptionally exciting, fast-paced thriller that has you hooked from page one. Amanda’s story is super relatable as she moves through her daily grind, dreaming of something more. It’s easy to relate to and admire her inner strength of character and to feel for her when she’s faced with a stranger who has the power to completely unravel her life. The contrast between the almost mindless routine and the heart-stopping excitement in store for Amanda on that train ride is portrayed very vividly.

One of the most fascinating things is, of course, the fact that the stranger on the train only thinks he knows everything about his chosen victim, thinks he has her figured out. But our heroine taps into a well of human resilience and resourcefulness and refuses to be a victim, fighting back with all she’s got. And through gradually learning her backstory, we find out that she has quite a lot indeed, not just in the financial sense.

One aspect I would have loved to see more of is the relationship between Louise and Amanda, and especially their interaction after Amanda got off the train and went home. However, I understand that it’s tricky when you have two characters that are physically not together for a big chunk of the novel and all the events take place in a few hours of one day. This is why the flashbacks are particularly valuable and put in all the right places.

Another clever bit about this novel is the attention to details that make sense later on and are easily missed the first time around, but crucial for the way the plot goes. All in all, a highly enjoyable and unputdownable thriller that really takes you for a ride!

A quick enjoyable read, made a change from my usual romcom style books. I enjoyed it however, I’ll admit i was expecting a bit more depth.

Tense chilling thriller.A woman on a train her usual route home each day .A man a stranger approaches her and says if you don’t give me the code to the safe in your closet you will never see your daughter again.This scene drew me in to the tense story told through three points of view. A true page turner.#netgalley #thepassenger

Amanda, a single mother, has some dark secrets that she tries to keep far from her daughter. We have hostage situation, lots of money, secrets, murder and murder again. But, in the end this book was not such as a thriller that I tough it will be.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.

3.7, rounded. Not terribly deep or introspective, but a fantastic way to wile away a rainy afternoon. I deducted half a star because the daughter was unbearable.

A solid offering in the crowded thriller genre. A recommended purchase for collections where similar titles are popular.

I settled into my regular reading seat set as Amanda settled into hers on the train on the way home from London to Brighton. Amanda is daydreaming of her new life as a full time writer, backed up with her recent savings, when a stranger sits opposite her. And off we go on a wild ride where the stranger wants Amanda’s savings locked in a safe in her Brighton flat. Amanda’s daughter Louise is at home during this train journey and her line changes too. Can the mother and daughter outwit this conman or will they lose even more then their money. Thoroughly enjoyable read, as the story expands with unexpected revelations, motives and secrets.