solid debut! 👏🏼

thank you macmillan audio for the free copy! i highly recommend this on audio, the multicast narrators nailed it given that there were multiple POVs i was never confused.

and that ending?! 🫢 if you want a popcorn thriller, pick this one up.

Wow! I was not expecting that! I thought I had a good idea of where this book was headed; I had my theories and felt I was on the right track. But I was completely wrong! I found The Business Trip to be a shocking and well-thought-out thriller that kept me on my toes.

Have you ever wondered about the people you meet on planes? Do you talk to the person sitting next to you, or do you avoid conversation altogether? The Business Trip might have you reconsidering that the next time you sit next to a stranger on a flight.

In the story, Stephanie and Jasmine meet on a plane. Stephanie is a successful businesswoman and a news director on her way to a conference in San Diego. Jasmine is running from an abusive relationship and is relying on handouts from friends, even resorting to stealing.

Their friends start receiving identical text messages about the same man they both encountered and then both women mysteriously vanish. Twisted behaviors, wrongful accusations, and a web of lies will make you even more skeptical about interacting with strangers. Some people are being manipulated, while one person is a dangerous psychopath. I completely misjudged these unlikable characters.

I listened to the audio production, which may have helped my overall understanding and in keeping the characters' plot lines straight in my mind.

The Business Trip has a full AMAZING cast! I loved that all of the POVs had different narrators!
I'm extremely surprised that this is a debut novel by Jessie Garcia, It was so good!
I would love to see this turned into a movie or limited series, I would act surprised I swear!
I had a great time putting information together trying to figure out what was going on!

Publisher Summary
This program features multicast narration."A stunning and accomplished debut, with hugely relatable characters and an addictive storyline that kept me turning the pages well into the night. Bravo!"—BA Paris, New York Times bestselling author"Wow, The Business Trip was nonstop twists and turns. I loved the unusual way that the story was told, and I kept reading all day long because I couldn't wait to see how it ended!"—Freida McFadden, New York Times bestselling authorTHE BUSINESS TRIP is the gripping, binge-worthy debut from author Jessie Garcia.Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—the messages becoming stranger and more erratic.And then the two women vanish. The texts go silent, the red flags go up, and the panic sets in. When Stephanie and Jasmine are each declared missing and in danger, it begs the questions: Who is Trent McCarthy? What did he do to these women—or what did they do to him?Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, where nothing is as it seems, The Business Trip takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing who?

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillian Audio for the ALC of this book!

The Business Trip
By Jessie Garcia
Narrated by: Andrew Eiden, Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, Fred Berman, Gail Shalan, Hillary Huber, Jennifer Pickens, John Pirhalla,
Kimberly M. Wetherell, Kirby Heyborne, & Tim Campbell
Release date 01-14-25
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Categories Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

This was good, until... it wasn't? I don't know, I feel like it started out strong and there's no denying there are some pretty fun and unexpected twists, but overall I wasn't really invested in any of the characters, and it doesn't help that they're all rather unlikable. The narration was a full cast and well done. I think overall this was an entertaining popcorn thriller. A huge thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in return for my honest review.

The Business Trip is a psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seat from the very first page. Stephanie, on a business trip, and Jasmine, fleeing an abusive relationship, have no idea they are both being drawn into the dangerous web of the same man, Trent McCarthy. After they start sending identical, increasingly erratic texts about him to their friends, both women vanish without a trace. The mystery unravels layer by layer, with twists that make it nearly impossible to predict what will happen next. The alternating perspectives between Jasmine and Stephanie, combined with their friends’ viewpoints, provide a rich, dynamic narrative, making it clear that nothing in this story is as it seems.

The full-cast audiobook narration elevated the experience, immersing me deeper into the suspenseful atmosphere. The pacing was perfect, with each chapter leaving me wanting to know the truth behind Trent’s manipulation and the women's fates. The story read like a true-crime episode, filled with intrigue, suspense, and twists. If you enjoy thrillers that explore manipulation, deception, and the complexity of human relationships, The Business Trip is one worth checking out.

Special thanks to macmillan audio, st. martins press and netgalley for the ARC/ALC.

This was a great Audiobook! I read 185 books last year and 70% were audiobooks, so i have a good feel for good narration (and definitely recognize the "not-good" variety!)
The story was solid, several good twists and a great epilogue ending. There were alot of characters to keep up with, which got a little confusing, however it all came together in the end. I think i would like it less in another format. Audio was perfect here. Had a good pace and the narrator had good character voice differentiators.
I would rate the narration a solid 4.5 stars. The Story a 3.75 stars - so an overall 4 star read!

This is a fast-paced thriller with many twists until the very end. I enjoyed the audio version and the multiple narrators.

I was very excited for this book. The narration was so very off for me, I barely made it through. It was so dull and monotone. Maybe I will try reading a physical copy in the future. But what I did get out of the plot seemed very far fetched. Otherwise I couldn't focus enough because the narration was so bad.

🎧4.25⭐️

I had the audiobook read by a full cast of this debut thriller. The narration production works well with each pov having their own narrator.

Stephanie and Jasmine are on the same plane trip. Stephanie is attending a business trip and Jasmine running from an abusive relationship. It gets good and twisty.

There is repetition as the events are first presented by one perspective then explanations are revealed by another, it works well. There’s a little bit too much over explanation in places of simple things, occasionally I felt that the creation of tension felt a little forced at times. It’s pacy, kept my interest well, but there was one twist that pushed me too far but as a whole it was very entertaining.

This is an impressive debut. It’s twisty,pacy, easy entertaining listening which isn’t too dark. I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next book as overall I really enjoyed this thriller especially in the audiobook format.

This was a twisty read. Every chapter was a new perspective—I read it in digital and audio, and found that the audio did a much better job allowing me to keep everyone straight, since there were SO many characters in part one.

I never knew which perspective to believe, which character knew the truth (or was telling the truth), and was surprised by the twists right up until the final chapter.

The full audio cast made this a phenomenal listen, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a twisty read with sinister undertones.

Just when you think you have it all figured out.......try again!

I listened to the audio version of this book and what a treat it was. Each character was portrayed by a different actor which helped bring them to life in a unique way. As a listener I could feel each personality shine through which made me much more invested in the story. From the characters you rooted for to the ones you couldn't help but despise. I must say.... everyone needs a friend like Robert in his/her life. The actor portraying him had me in stitches a few times.

Without giving too much of the plot away, The Business Trip is about two women who meet on a plane. They are each traveling for different reasons. One is running away from an abusive relationship. The other is being forced to go on yet another business trip. They are each in contact with people from back home and are each communicating to those contacts about a man they have met while on their trip. The same man. Suddenly, they both stop responding to messages and their trails go cold.

I tend to enjoy books with plot twists that blow your mind but that are still feasible. While I found the plot twists in this book to be a bit unbelievable and farfetched at times, I do have to admit when all was said and done, I enjoyed the book as well as the ending. It was something different from my typical read and I was able to get on board. Not because I bought the reality of it, but because I enjoyed the creativity of it. It was also extra fun because normally I listen to any audio books on my own, but this time I started playing it out loud and my husband started to get invested in it and listened with me, so we got to laugh together and experience the wild ride together.

Ultimately, I thought the book was different and enjoyable and would listen to it again to try to pick up on pieces I may have missed in the first go around. The expected release date is January 14, 2025. If you have the chance, this book is worth the listen!

I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audio book and the opportunity to listen to and review it.

Oh my stars ! I love a good mystery thriller as much as the next guy, but THIS by far was an incredible ride. Told in multiple perspectives, The Business Trip is a roller coaster ride of emotions. I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this before. The plot is fresh & original, and it will keep you guessing all the way through.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

An excellent debut novel! Easy, quick read to finish in one sitting. Two women vanish after being in a plane together with a mysterious, strange man.

They had both texted the same message to a friend, even though they didn’t know each other. A story full of manipulation and twists and turns.

The two women couldn’t be more opposite- one has it all, the other is fleeing an abusive relationship hoping for a fresh start. Trent is the man they both met and what seems to be an open and shut case, is much more manipulation than that.

It got a little hard to follow with all of the perspectives from the boyfriend, neighbor, friend, co-workers. I also feel the con job was explained in too great of detail and I missed the buildup from the first half of the book when it was so much focus on one of the characters for so long.

This book kept me curious, and the audiobook was great with dual narration that gave each character a unique voice ! Would read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 1/14/25.

A chance meeting on a plane leads to some interesting situations. I did have to overlook a few things that just aren't likely but otherwise I enjoyed the ride. I definitely didn't see the ending coming.

This is a great book, full of surprises and twists. Two women meet on the same flight, traveling for very different reasons. Just as you think you know the characters and your empathy and loathing is in place, something happens to turn the narrative on its head! The full cast of narrators is wonderful - if you like audiobooks, you might want to listen to this one!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

4.5⭐️
This was a “what the heck is happening?!?!” type of book! I listened to this on audio, and flew through it in less than a day. Just when I thought the ending was going to go one way, I was completely shocked. This book releases on 1/13, and if you’re a thriller lover I recommend it, especially on audio!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ARC📖

I wanted to read this after seeing Freida McFadden’s cover quote, numerous rave reviews and finding out there are multiple narrators on the audiobook…

Stephanie and Jasmine, two strangers on a plane. Stephanie is a TV News exec heading to a conference while Jasmine is running away from an abusive relationship. I won’t say much more for fear of spoilers, just that before long their friends and colleagues start to suspect the worst.

I loved the setup and structure, chapters from multiple character’s perspectives, each with their own distinct narrator. It flits about in time and between characters, setting up many angles and dropping clues and details at a rapid fire rate.

I was reminded of some of last year’s big hits, Woman On The Ledge and First Lie Wins, reconstructing the narrative structure.

One of the characters was a little close to parody, which is fine, then things get darker and a little more serious. There are plenty of twists and some moral gray areas, the feel is somewhere between Freida McFadden and Peter Swanson. Personally, I thought there was a twist too far, I was expecting the twist, but not the explanation.

The multi-narrator audiobook production is superb, a great listen.

Overall an exceptional audiobook presentation of a very good book, and an excellent debut.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio

BOOK REVIEW 📖

Thank you #partners @macmillan.audio & @stmartinspress for my #gifted copies. #macaudio2025

The Business Trip
Jessie Garcia
Available January 14th

The Business Trip follows two women who meet on a plane. Stephanie is on a business trip, while Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. Days later, both send uncharacteristic text messages to friends about a man named Trent McCarthy. Nobody's heard from the women since.

The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, with layers upon layers of deception. It's fast paced and completely unpredictable. While the writing is a bit on the simplistic side, the twists and turns made for a worthwhile read. Readers of Freida McFadden will gobble this one up!

🎧 With a fabulous full cast narration, the audiobook is definitely the way to go here! 5 star audiobook performance!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

When I first started the novel I was a bit concerned with all of the narrators but honestly I think it made the novel that much better. It was extremely easy to follow because most characters had multiple chapters in a row instead a lot of switching back and forth between. I couldn't stop listening! I thought this was great audiobook and look forward to more twists and turns because this one was full of them. Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time!

Stephanie and Jasmine are completely opposite but on the same plane. Jasmine is fleeing and abusive relationship and Stephanie is on a business trip. A few days after arriving they are sending similar messages about the same man that is becoming violent. Both women go missing and what did Trent McCarthy do to them?

Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, where nothing is as it seems, The Business Trip takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing who?

The Business Trip is a fast paced, addictive, head spinning thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. At first I was a little scared with all the character POV’s but in the end the author truly made it work. It added to the book and to the reading experience. This book was a non-stop adrenaline rush of wanting to know what is happening, what will happen and who did what. You will want to suspend disbelief a little but ultimately this was a great popcorn thriller.

The plot is intricately constructed leaving little crumbs here and there, but without revealing too much. I had thoughts, well Garcia threw them all out the window, she absolutely slapped me in the face with shocking twists and turns I never would have imagined. I have to commend the author on the cleverness of the plot. The suspense was constantly building, the pressure and the climax kept bubbling until it exploded. It was very juicy, crazy, unhinged and just so much fun!

Overall, this was a great popcorn thriller that kept my heart pounding from start to finish. The pacing for me was perfect, keeping me hooked and engaged. The shocking twists were just 👌 (maybe far fetched) but I loved them!

🎧 The narration is done by a full cast as there are a lot of POV’s in the story. It is truly a great listening experience. They all have a distinct voice and I didn't have a hard time distinguishing them. They all kept the suspense high, built it and made me not want to stop listening. Great audio production!

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio, @stmartinspress & @jessiegarcia for my gifted ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.