An interesting thriller with lots of twists and turns that all begin on a business trip. At first, the multiple POVs threw me for a loop and I felt some where a bit unnecessary, BUT they did somewhat come together later on in the book and I was able to make more sense of it. Also… my god the men in this book were horrific people. But that seems to be the point and it just goes to show you never know how manipulative and awful people can be.

An issue I also had in this book was the disbelief of how things happen, and how realistic this could actually be. I like when thrillers/mysteries are more on the realistic side and are something I think can actually happen. Especially one that is so modern and includes references to StitchFix and TikTok. Overall I liked this read enough and did finish it quickly.

I really enjoyed this book!

I often have a pretty good idea where I think a book is going to go, but this book definitely set me in a different direction. And it had me questioning who I really wanted to succeed and who I wanted to fail in this book. Sometimes you don't know who the real villain is at the end of the day, and I think this book did a great job of making me think about things in a little bit of a different way.

I also really lobed the narration throughout this book. And that for me is definite added bonus. It makes the book that much more interesting and dynamic. So I want to recommend this book for all those who enjoy a great story with a good mystery and interesting plot development.

4.5 Stars
This was a surprisingly impressive debut with so many great twists (I did not see that last reveal coming at all!!) and I really enjoyed how the author connected everything together in the end. The pacing was great, there is a lot happening/to follow but I liked the multiple POVs and how they all added to the story and the audiobook narrators did a really great job at giving the characters life. I will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author in the future as I found this to be such a clever, well thought out debut!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

✨𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ✨

The Business Trip
Jessie Garcia
Release Date: January 14, 2025

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillain.audio for the #gifted audiobook.

Jasmine and Stephanie board a plane at the same time. Both have completely different pasts and are holding on to a few secrets. Somehow they both go missing… All evidence is pointing towards one man being responsible.

This debut thriller hooked me from the very beginning. It was filled with twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. While I did think that some aspects of this story might have been a little less believable than I would have liked. I still enjoyed the way the story unfolded. There were multiple point of views so the story had to be pieced together slowly.

The audiobook was performed by a full cast. It was so well done that I flew through this audio in a day!

This was easily a 4.5-star read for me! The story was fast-paced and packed with excitement, keeping me hooked from the very beginning. The characters were incredibly likable and brought so much depth to the plot—they felt real, relatable, and added an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

The twist at the end was absolutely brilliant, catching me off guard in the best way possible. It wrapped up the story in a satisfying yet unexpected manner. If you're looking for a thrilling and engaging read, The Business Trip is definitely one to add to your list!

This is a smart, sly thriller that will keep readers satisfied and surprised with every twist. Narration changes constantly but never feels gimmicky or confusing. Instead it lets us see a scene from only one characters perspective. As the story builds, the reader gets to pull the slivers together to the ending

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Jessie Garcia!!! I received this as an audiobook arc & was hooked right from the start. I liked how the major plot was built up and then finally how it was revealed. I had theories as to what was going on, but wasn’t expecting what actually happened. The different perspectives made this a page turner needing to know what happened next. Great book!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early release audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Two women, Stephanie and Jasmine, come from two very different backgrounds. They sit next to each other on a plane. A few days later they are both missing and strange texts are being sent. Plenty of twists and turns. Trent was so awful.

Enjoyed the ensemble cast of narrators.

First off, I'd like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this advanced reader of The Business Trip. I'll be honest, this book was a challenge for me to make it through this book. As far as the narration and the logistics of an audiobook, this book was fine, but I definitely struggled with the plot and the characters.

The first section of this book worked well for me. It kept the plot in mystery and had the reader guessing as to what was going on. The view points were that of supporting characters who were also in the dark as to what was going on and it played well into the mystery. When it came to the main characters though, there weren't many likable or relatable traits to them. The book was divided into sections and those sections were highly focused on each of these characters, so to be put into long portions of the book that focused on each individual unlikable character, made the book almost unbearable to finish.

There were a couple twists that worked well for the plot, but overall they couldn't save the experience this book provided.

Jessie Garcia’s debut adult thriller novel THE BUSINESS TRIP brings a lot of heart-pounding suspense with a good amount of believability until the very end. Justine is fleeing a violent partner, and Stephanie is on her way to a work conference for news directors. They get on the same flight, and then they can’t be found after except for clues that lead them to the same man. Were they both victims at the hand of a serial killer?

I thought this novel had a nice balance of action and getting into the head of the “bad guy.” As a reader, I don’t always see that a complete confession happens, so I did like that we got a rationale and play-by-play. It did get a little implausible at the very end (at about 90%), which is a lot longer than I usually go before rolling my eyes at a popcorn thriller. I was hopeful to get through the whole novel without an eyeroll, and, while that didn’t happen, I did get through the vast majority of the novel before it occurred.

There are ten audiobook narrators for this novel, one for each perspective. However, each perspective doesn’t have the same amount of “air time,” so to speak. Don’t feel pressured to be able to identify each of their voices. I thought all the narrators did a great job. I’d recommend taking in this novel on audio.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE BUSINESS TRIP publishes January 14, 2025.

This was a very dark and twisty story. I enjoyed it. The plot was easy to follow until all of the twists were throw in there. I really liked this one.

Wow...
In this story, we meet Stephanie and Jasmine, two women who are going on a "business trip" for different reasons. As a new director, Stephanie lives a more comfortable life, while Jasmine is a waitress. These two women meet on the plane by pure coincidence, and their lives change in unimaginable ways. I was so sure I knew who the "bad guy" was, and then I came to find out I was wrong. I don't want to spoil it, but I was surprised. I had a slight feeling there was something off about this character as the story evolved. Trent's character was so obnoxious I could not stand him. However, his character added much to the story and made the twists more surprising.

The narrators did an amazing job bringing this story to life.

Thanks to SMP and Net Galley for the e-arc!! Also, to Macmillian Audio for the ALC!!

Thank you to Netglley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Stephanie and Jasmine are strangers who happen to cross paths when they end up on the same flight. Each travelling for very different reasons, One on a business trip and one running from a violent message. Days later their friends each receive a text message saying that each woman has met a guy named Trent and they will be extending their time away. Then both woman vanish. At first I thought I had this one all figured out and was looking forward to how this would play out then the author took it in a whole new direction and I was reading into the late hours of the night. I just needed to know how this one would end. Enjoy!!!

I truly enjoyed this book! Jasmine and Stephanie absolutely BLEW my mind! I would read this over and over!! The audio is FANTASTIC!!

I absolutely loved this book, it was really good from the beginning. Keep me engaged and intrigued at the same time. I enjoyed having all the character POVs, really keep it interesting and I didn’t see the Plot twist coming at the end at all. If you are looking for a really fast-past, suspenseful and psychological thriller, this is the One for 2025! Well Done Jessie Garcia!

Uniquely structured narrative that can be read in one sitting!

My Goodreads friends convinced me to grab the audiobook, even though I already had the physical ARC of The Business Trip. Glad I did, as I raced through this fast-paced thriller!

What really happened on the business trip? Stephanie and Jasmine sit next to each other on a plane. One is fleeing an abusive relationship and the other is on her way to a conference. After texting that they met a man named Trent McCarthy, both women turn up missing. Told in four parts through a plethora of narrators, this cat and mouse game will keep you questioning who is telling the truth. Who is playing who?

This is a great debut novel by Jessie Garcia and I see promise for her in this genre. However, this book is a popcorn thriller containing several over the top and unbelievable twists. The way the author has structured the narrative is what sets it apart from other similar themed books. It also allows for a good amount of repetition, as characters relate their versions of the same story. While I enjoyed listening to the plot, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if I was reading the print version, so thank you to my Goodreads friends for convincing me to try it!

3.5/5 stars rounded down

Expected publication date: 1/14/25

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of The Business Trip in exchange for an honest review.

Just so good! The audiobook really helped me dive into the story. Every twist totally caught me by surprise and multiple times I had to go back to reread parts. Great book! Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I was really enjoying this.....until the end.
I absolutely did not see any of that coming. ,
3.5 stars.
The narrators were great.

Quite gripping and intricately compsed! I'm a sucker for books set on airplanes/in airports, but beyond that I had no preconceptions about this book. I expected a sort of Strangers on a Train theme from the description, but what I got was way better.

Go in blind for this one, because even mentioning why I liked it so much would be a spoiler. The ending is a bit far-fetched, but if you're willing to suspend belief and enjoy the ride it's well worth it.

The audiobook is especially good due to the full-cast narration. I love when producers put in this extra effort to really bring the story to life.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else Garcia puts out!

This audiobook was so good! It enhanced the reading experience. I listened along to the book and loved it!