What a tense, twisty ride this was—The Other Passenger grabs you with its moody, rain-soaked setting and doesn’t let go until the final page. From the moment the two characters meet on that desolate road, you can feel the undercurrent of something not quite right. There’s a constant unease, a quiet unraveling, and it’s completely addictive.

JE Rowney masterfully builds the tension without ever needing to shout. The dialogue is sharp, the pacing tight, and every moment between the characters is layered with unspoken questions. Who are they really? What are they hiding? What happened on that road—and what’s still to come?

What I really loved was how the story slowly peels back layers of truth—not just about the murder or the body on the road, but about the characters themselves. They're both running, both broken in ways that aren’t obvious at first. And just when you think you've figured it out… Rowney throws in another twist that makes you question everything again.

The atmosphere is perfectly done—rain, isolation, tension so thick you can feel it in the silence between them. It's intimate, unsettling, and absolutely riveting.

This is the kind of thriller you’ll want to read in one sitting, just to see how far down the rabbit hole it goes. And trust me, the end is worth it.

Unfortunately this was not for me in every way I didnt like or care for any of it and barely made it through without DNF

The plot of this book immediately caught my attention—it seemed to have all the ingredients for a perfect thriller. And while the story was good, starting with just the right mix of mystery and suspense to keep me hooked, I felt it slowed down at times, and the characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked. That said, I know some readers who would absolutely love it, and I’ll be recommending it to them. For me, it was an enjoyable read, though not the kind of thriller that left me truly exhilarated.

The Other Passenger by JE Rowney is a thrilling, fast-paced psychological drama that grips readers from the start and doesn’t let go. The story unfolds on a rainy night, where two strangers—each running from their past—find themselves unexpectedly bound together by the circumstances of the road. As the tension rises with the discovery of a body nearby, the journey becomes a ticking clock toward revelation.

Rowney excels in building an atmosphere of suspense, creating a claustrophobic feeling that mirrors the growing unease between the two characters. Both are hiding secrets, and the tension between them makes for a riveting read. As the layers of mystery are peeled back, the truth takes unexpected and twisted turns, making the final revelations all the more impactful.

With sharp, well-drawn characters and a plot full of unexpected twists, The Other Passenger is a captivating psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge until the last page. Fans of dark, twisty thrillers will find this book impossible to put down.

The Other Passenger by JE Rowney is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. On a rainy night, two strangers—a man and a woman—find themselves thrown together by circumstance, both on the run from their pasts. As they travel down a darkened road, a radio broadcast about a murder sets off a tense unraveling of secrets. Rowney expertly weaves suspense, deception, and twists that keep the reader guessing until the very end. With its sharp pacing and unexpected revelations, this book is a must-read for fans of dark, twisty thrillers.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I was unable to connect with the characters, and the story left much to be desired. Although it will not stop me from reading more from this author, I am not able to recommend this book to others.

I was really intrigued by this story and I really enjoyed it! I wasn't sure what was coming and I was really shocked by how it played out. The story was well written and flowed nicely.

This book had me guessing from beginning to end. The twists were expertly crafted, and the suspense never let up. The ending was absolutely brilliant and totally unexpected.

This was an enjoyable book. It was a fast-paced quick read. i found the alternating POV to be confusing at times, but I did enjoy the flashbacks.

A kind of interesting shorter story…a couple of twists and an ending that leaves questions.. plus not knowing the whole truth. Lots of accidents.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I found the beginning slow and it didn’t pick up much either. I couldn’t get behind the characters at all so sadly this book didn’t work.

I was very disappointed in this book and I had such high hopes going into it. I had heard so much hype about this thriller on Booktok that I was excited to get an ARC copy and start reading it. Well I was not impressed with this story at all, there was so much left unsaid/undone. The start had such hope as you have two people that are running from their own demons as they have done something in their past. But then the book falls flat. It read very slowly and I kept waiting for more to happen but you just get the start of something suspenseful that never actually plays out all the way.

I do thank NetGalley and the author for an ARC in return for an honest review, but this one just wasn't for me.

This was a thriller with an unexpected twist, but for the most part I found it to be slow. I also didn’t feel invested in the characters, neither David or Emma. This could be a much better book if the characters were fleshed out more, and there was more “show” rather than “tell” in the writing.

Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I usually love the books that JE Rowney writes but this was such a flop.

I didn't care for either of the main characters and I felt like the book could of been half the size and still be the same.
It did feel quite tense and creepy throughout which is the only thing this book got right IMO.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC.

The Other Passenger was quite the rollercoaster and took me through several different emotions while reading. I was absolutely hooked for the most part though. We bounce between the POV of David, a scorned businessman who was driving in a bad storm…and Emma a young woman who was walking on the road in this storm.

We don’t exit the vehicle except through flash backs and memories via the two main characters, but it totally works. The suspense and tension were palpable and thoroughly enjoyable.

I also felt like the “twist” or surprise was actually shocking. I didn’t see where the ending was headed at all. Highly recommend.

The best way I can describe it is that everything and nothing happened at the same time. The summary made it seem like it would be so good, and full of turns and dark secrets, but it fell short for me.

What a terrific concept! A stormy night, an angst-ridden driver, and a mystery hitchhiker - both of whom are keeping dark secrets. With alternating POV between a downtrodden middle-aged father and a hitch-hiking teenage girl, both pushed to breaking point, this book kept me guessing throughout as the dynamics between the two constantly change - until one twist in particular took my breath away - I did NOT see it coming! A gripping noir.

I love the cover of The Other Passenger, it immediately drew me in. I would have picked it up at the bookstore by the cover alone. I did have a hard time getting through this book, I felt like the pacing was slow and character development was lacking. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

This was an interesting read, although I feel it’s more of a slow burn. It fell flat for me in the end.

Well that was a fast read, a great read from start to end, story had me gripped from the first page to the very last