I think some of my students will enjoy this twisty thriller, full of surprises. Two women meet on a plane, one desperate to change her life, as she runs from an abusive man and a family that has been cruel and unloving. We root for her, until we become not so sure.

This is overall a light, somewhat fast paced thriller. A bit confusing in the beginning, when the story switches to friends and coworkers and a bit convoluted at times. Lots of twists but sometimes character development and believability suffers from the attempt to have so many twists It was a fun ride, but not one to be taken seriously. 3.5

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was unputdownable, finish in 2 sittings because its just that good. WOW! Just when I thought the story over, there is another plot twist. The author is amazing at building the suspense throughout the chapters. The many, many points of view leaves you trying to figure out whats going on.

Jasmine is determined to leave her abusive husband, no matter the cost. First she is painted as a victim and after you read what she's done, you're left wondering who to root for. I love how the story came together so unexpectedly. This is one author to watch.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Jessi Garcia for the wonderful ARC.

Didn't really enjoy this one. Other than past family history there wasn't a lot of development as to why Jasmine did what she did and I didn't like the ending. The part where Trent came to visit Stephanie was not tied in well.

I honestly got hooked right from the start, but it didn’t KEEP my attention. It started off strong and I thought I’d really enjoy, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s definitely a me thing though!

This book was truly awful. Poor writing and a plot that was so convoluted it had me saying "come on!" out loud multiple times. I did get an eARC, so not sure if the typos and grammatical errors will be fixed once the book is properly published, but I hope it is.
The characterizations are poor with flimsy motives that don't make sense.

This is a compelling psychological thriller that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go. The story centers around two women, Stephanie and Jasmine, whose lives intersect in a terrifying and mysterious way. Despite their vastly different circumstances—Stephanie on a routine business trip and Jasmine fleeing from an abusive partner—their paths converge when they both send increasingly disturbing messages about the same man, Trent McCarthy, before disappearing without a trace.

Garcia masterfully crafts an atmosphere of suspense and dread, with each chapter peeling back another layer of the story, only to reveal more questions. The dual narrative perspective keeps readers on edge as they try to piece together the truth. Who is Trent McCarthy? What really happened to these women? The tension builds as the red flags pile up, and the realization that nothing is as it seems begins to sink in.

Just when you think you have it all figured out, Garcia throws in another twist that makes you question everything you’ve read so far. The characters are complex and well-developed, with Trent McCarthy standing out as a particularly chilling figure. His enigmatic presence looms large over the narrative, driving the mystery forward and keeping the reader guessing about his true nature.

The novel’s exploration of manipulation, power dynamics, and the fine line between victim and perpetrator adds a deeper psychological layer to the story. Garcia delves into the minds of her characters, particularly Stephanie and Jasmine, to explore how fear and desperation can lead people to make unexpected and dangerous choices.

This is a page-turner in the truest sense, with its tightly woven plot and relentless pace. It’s a book that will keep you up at night, not just because you can’t put it down, but because its haunting twists and turns linger long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book, with my honest review below.

What. A. Ride. I did not expect The Business Trip to go the way it did, but it was amazing! I definitely went in expecting a thriller in which our FMCs switch identities only for it to come and bite them in the bum, or for a nefarious bad guy network to have abducted them. What I got was an extremely satisfying and unexpected twist that deepened the hook this story already had on me.

Alternating points of view between even minor characters, nothing got overly complicated or hard to follow because of this but rather made the curveball really great. My favorite point of view (but not character) was Trent, as he had been the common heart of the mystery before his pint of view and he was as written, the absolute worst. That said I devoured this one because every character written well and the course of events were so smoothly revealed.

If you enjoy thrillers I highly recommend you read this one, I can easily see it being amongst the most well regarded.

Bizarre…yes! Unputdownable…YES! This book is full of exciting twists and turns and can easily be devoured in one sitting. I highly recommend.

Fleeing from her abusive ex, Jasmine encounters Stephanie on a flight to Denver. They discuss their backgrounds during the flight, Stephanie is a news director at the local station and Jasmine works as a cocktail waitress. Told from multiple viewpoints, the story looks for information about the two women after both seemingly vanish, sending the same cryptic text messages to friends and coworkers.

This one was a quick and easy read and it pulled me in immediately. It was a taut thriller that kept me guessing as it examined fascinating characters and thoroughly dissected the days before and after the two women took off from Wisconsin. A definite recommend from me.

I received this free advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Published: January 14, 2025
Pages: 352

This is a debut novel from new author, Jessie Garcia to this reader. From time to time, I tap into my inner self and test the waters on a psychological/mystery thriller when the description captures my attention. Well, “The Business Trip” did what it was supposed to do…that is capture my whole being with the suspense and intrigue laid out on the pages of this well-written and wonderful story.

The author did not hold back anything as some stories do and jumped right into the meat of the story. The novel encapsulates you into the lives of two women and their journeys, unrelated but somehow, they converge into a chilling and masterful bit of suspense. There are twists and turns that keep you guessing and wanting to know what is coming next. I love that the pace of the story never dragged and keeping you guessing at every turn. Oh, this story felt so real to my bones and the plot really keeps you on edge. Fast-paced drama that keeps you turning the pages until the unexpected conclusion. Rarely do I give thrillers 5-stars, however this is one of those moments and highly recommend the read.

This was nonstop action with a twist I didn't see coming. I really enjoyed this story and I was kept guessing the whole time. While I found the ending maybe a BIT too much, I still thought it was a great fun and would definitely read this author again. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the most bizarre and entertaining stories I have read. It has so many twists and turns that it is impossible to keep up.

This book was absolutely ridiculous, but I flew through it and finished in a few hours so 3 stars!

The first half of the book was interesting, fast paced and got you hooked quickly. You have Jasmine and Stephanie who meet on a plane and then the story goes from there. But there were so many chapters from characters POVs that you just didn’t care about or want to read. And the men especially all read like caricatures. They were all over the top stereotypes of the most awful men you could think of. Except her neighbor who was another stereotype: musical loving, cat dad, gay best friend. Their thoughts and dialogue was so cringey.

The second half of the book is where you lost me. The plot holes were Grand Canyon sized and you REALLY needed to suspend belief here, because it was just so over the top. And not one of these characters were likeable. Not one! So by the time you get to the end and the police show up and give you a power point presentation of how they caught this person, your eyes have just rolled so far back in your head. But you made it. And it was a wild ride.

Read this if you need a quick short book and want to just read for vibes. Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid book by a first-time author. Fans of thriller should enjoy it. It's well written and the author nailed each of the character's personalities. It was a quick and entertaining read. Parts of it were predicted. I rate it 3.5 boxes of hair dye.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC early.The Business Trip was nonstop twists and turns.
I kept reading all day long because I couldn't wait to see how it ended.

On the run from her abusive boyfriend, Jasmine is looking for a fresh start. Stephanie is heading to a business trip. Jasmine and Stephanie could not have less in common. When the two meet on the plane, it sets in to motion a twisty psychological thriller that had me questioning if I was rooting for the right person. I loved the unconventional way the story is told. The chapters are told from the multiple points of view from friends, co-workers, and one very unlikeable Trent McCarthy. This story has plenty of twists and I could not have figured out where this one was going. Jessie Garcia is a debut author and I am impressed with how well they executed the story with its addictive storyline. The pacing kept me turning pages with its alternating points of view and short chapters. A lot of things had to go just right (or wrong, depending on your point of view) for the story to play out the way it did. I had no problem just going with it and enjoying the ride.

You never know who you are sitting next to on a plane.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

I will definitely find myself contemplating the individual seated next to me on my next flight, particularly if she bears a resemblance to me. This book was an exhilarating journey filled with numerous plot twists! The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, making it even more engaging. I finished it in just one day! Be sure to add it to your TBR list!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review!

This one started out slow for me and I had a hard time following all the characters but it then hit the mark and was super fast paced and twisty! Readers who like Freida McFadden will be sure to like this one!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a stellar debut by Jessie Garcia - I have a feeling she’s going to be in the thriller genre for a while if she keeps writing like this one!

I was legitimately SCARED reading the first 5-6 chapters — I was probably nearly sweating and worrying way more than I should have been. It was fun to read and intriguing right from the get go. Once I started reading I had a very hard time putting it down.

This is the story of two women, and an unforeseen path their lives end up on. It’s hard to say much without giving anything away so I will just leave it there.

The story has several unexpected turns and I didn’t see the ending coming at all. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars and not 5, is to be honest I kind of wished for another ending. The last twist in the book was unexpected but also less exciting than all the others - I was a bit annoyed actually (haha!). I wanted it to end differently but that could just be me.

Overall, a great thriller and a fun book to read. I definitely recommend it!