Jasmine and Stephanie are both boarding the same flight from Madison to Denver, but for very different reasons. Stephanie is headed to a conference for news directors in San Diego. Jasmine is trying to escape an abusive partner.

But a few days following the flight, friends of both women begin receiving separate but similar text messages about a man named Trent McCarthy. Both of the women say that they have followed him to Atlanta for love. But Stephanie's friends begin to find her messages suspicious, and soon it seems that something terrible may have happened on this trip.

Told through multiple perspectives and a non-linear format, I was really hooked by the first half of the novel. Part One introduces the reader to Jasmine and Stephanie as the central characters of the story. But then in Part Two, the perspective is told entirely from the people in their lives who are starting to realize that the women might be missing. I really loved how the mystery and suspense started to slowly build and unfurl in this section and felt that the full cast narration was used to great effect here. Part Three shocked me when I realized we were then going to hear events from Trent's perspective.

However, after the answers started to emerge in Part Four, they felt completely underwhelming. If the book had followed a more conventional narrative format rather than the non-linear approach, I likely would not have finished reading the book — the inventive structure is the real star of the novel. The plot itself hinges on under-developed characters and bizarre choices.

I can see why some readers felt the later twists stretched plausibility. While the resolution and character motivations didn’t land for me, I have to applaud the author’s creativity and the gripping suspense of Part Two. The audiobook production was stellar, as full-cast narrations are always a plus for me, and the initial setup of the mystery was genuinely intriguing.

Overall, while the payoff left something to be desired, the journey was still a compelling one. This is a qualified recommendation from me.

The Business Trip, written by Jessie Garcia and read by a cast of narrators, is a fictional mystery that I really enjoyed! This book is told from the point of view of multiple characters, including Stephanie, Jasmine, Trent, and other narrators.
Stephanie and Trent are both on a business trip, while Jasmine is on her own trip. Stephanie and Trent are both in leadership positions at news stations, and are attending a conference. Jasmine runs into Stephanie while leaving an unwanted situation, but what might have just been a quick meeting could maybe turn into more.
I loved this book! I really enjoyed the different characters, as well as the plot twists. This was one of those books where I thought I had it all figured out, until the last few chapters when the author took me for another wild ride! Also loved that this book has been recommended by Freida McFadden, I found this book very similar to hers, and think that fans of McFadden will enjoy this book as well!
Thank you to NetGalley, and to the author, narrator, and publisher of this book for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jasmine is on the run from a bad relationship and Stephanie is on a business trip when their paths fatefully cross on a flight to Denver. Not long after they land, both women send cryptic texts to friends about a man they’ve met… and then they both disappear.

What follows is a crazy twisty wild ride perfect for fans of Freida McFadden! This is a such a fast-paced, unpredictable story, my mouth was constantly dropping open in shock! It was a really entertaining read, and there is no way to predict the curveballs that keep coming at you. I binged this popcorn thriller in a single afternoon and loved it all the way up until it went off the rails. While I definitely expect to have to suspend disbelief when I read a thriller, the conclusion was over-the-top unbelievable.

The audiobook has a great ensemble cast that voices the various POVs, which made for a very enjoyable and addictive listening experience.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.

With a whiplash plot and an abundance of twists, I tore through THE BUSINESS TRIP in a day. I like my popcorn thrillers to keep me guessing without going off the rails, and debut author Jessie Garcia succeeded on both counts. Told from a multitude of viewpoints, the story follows two women who meet on a plane and are each later declared missing. This book lended itself well to a full cast audio narration to make each viewpoint distinct. The less you know about this book the better, but rest assured you’re in for a wild ride.

Read this if you:
•have ever thought someone else had the perfect life
•can tolerate unlikeable characters
•binge Freida McFadden

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: January 14, 2025

Many thanks to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An all-star cast + a twisty, turny tale = All the Stars!

So that I don't give away any spoilers, I will leave you with five travel tips I learned from this thrilling travel story:
🌟Don't pay cash for your plane ticket and also claim you are going on a business trip

🌟Have a catsitter with flexibility. You never know when you will be back.

🌟Don't leave your purse/wallet at your seat while using the plane restroom.

🌟Make sure you dead bolt or throw the extra lock on your hotel room door -- especially while sleeping.

🌟Be sure to get plenty of rest. Getting away with murder is really hard work.

Last year one of my favorite early reads was First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston --her first thriller. This year one of my favorites for January will have to be this debut thriller by Jessie Garcia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audio copy and to St. Martins Press for a DRC in return for an honest review.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Jessie Garcia for the opportunity to listen to this wonderfully produced audiobook. The narration was flawless, the plot had wild twists and turns, and the characters were interesting (though not very likable - intentionally I suspect). This was a wild trip (pun definitely intended) across state, country, and personality border lines! What an absolute ride this was. Looking for a thriller that keeps you on your toes, but won’t keep give you nightmares… this is the book for you.

What a wild trip! Jasmine is an abused woman, and Stephanie is a business woman. Both wind up on the same flight. That’s the last anyone sees of them, but friends and acquaintances receive strange texts from them both referencing the same man, Trent.

Starting off with the POV of Jasmine and Stephanie, once they board the plane, POV switches to those that know them. Each chapter is a different person and perspective, sometimes of the same events, which I found fascinating!

It’s a full cast audiobook and ALL the narrators did an amazing job! I particularly enjoyed Trent narrated by Tim Campbell, who was smarmy and oozed narcissism with his tone and inflections. His performance was so well done, I wanted to slap him upside his head! I think we’ve ALL known some version of a Trent. Jasmine narrated by Jennifer Pickens was a pleasure to listen to with a voice like honey and who was emotive in just the right places. Then of course there was Hillary Huber (a favorite of mine) as Stephanie with her velvety voice. I highly recommend the audio for an wildly entertaining time!

This is a twisty one, though if you’re a seasoned thriller reader you may see them coming. You also have to suspend disbelief, which is fine with me because I love over the top! The ending was a little TOO implausible for me and I wish it had taken a different direction but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the craziness. All in all THE BUSINESS TRIP is a fabulously juicy little drama/thriller perfect for fans of Freida McFadden!
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Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC. All opinions are mine.
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Potential spoiler content warnings below.





































⚠️Content Warnings: language, murder, Mention of: domestic abuse, rape, child abuse

There are entirely too many damn people in this book. I needed a flow chart. Robert seems real obsessed with Steph to say he's not screwing her. Why is Trent so blatantly horrible? Most people have some redeeming values. He had none. The writing at that point just became unbearable.

Some books are interchangeable and can be enjoyed just as well in print as they are in audio format. However, some are better experienced through reading, while others shine when listened to. For this particular book, I highly recommend the audio version. Why, you may ask? The reason is that there are ten different points of view (POVs), each narrated by a separate voice actor. Some of these narrations are shorter than others, but having ten distinct voices enriches the storytelling and adds nuance to each chapter. If I had to mentally navigate these ten various perspectives in print, I would likely get lost.

The story also jumps around a bit, especially when transitioning between different parts labeled "Part 1," "Part 2," etc. This means you'll first get the perspective of one group, then go back to learn about another group. I’ve seen this narrative style quite a bit, as it allows readers to piece together clues from the varying characters’ perspectives.

At the core of the story are two women: Jasmine, a waitress escaping a domestic abuse situation, and Stephanie, a newsroom producer heading to a conference. Both women text their friends about meeting a man named Trent McCarthy, after which they mysteriously disappear. The concept is intriguing—though I wouldn’t say it's unique—but it certainly captures one's interest.

The twists and reveals throughout the book are enjoyable, but the foreshadowing is so pronounced that it leaves little room for surprise. Despite this, I found the tale engaging overall. The distinct narrators lend a more cinematic feel to the story, making it a fun mystery/thriller experience.

Jessie Garcia’s The Business Trip takes us through two women’s lives as they are found dead in a famous newscaster’s backyard. While their family and friends are trying to figure out what happened, we go back to the days and week before the trip to find out what did happen.

Jasmine, fed up with her abusive and controlling boyfriend, has been siphoning off money for quite some time. She manages to escape before he can stop her, but she knows that once he catches on, he’ll be furious. And she was right. However, she’s too far away for him to do anything about it.

Our other primary protagonist is Stephanie, a news director from a modest news outlet. Divorced with a son in college, she’s always the one scheduled for business trips. She’s over it and not dispensable. Now, if she could just convince her bosses of that. Well, worrying about that will be the least of her concerns, as she’s soon to find out.

Stephanie misses companionship in life but has a dependable friend in her neighbor, Robert. Robert is just one of the various minor protagonists who’ll appear in this thrilling story.

Sitting side-by-side on the same flight as Stephanie, Jasmine wishes they could be friends. More than that, wants to be her. So, she quickly forms a plan and begins a series of events that will certainly cost at least one of them their lives.

A strange text thread soon begins. Jasmine is sending texts. Stephanie is sending texts. For everyone on the other side of those numerous texts, everything seems to be fine, if not a little bit odd for each of them. Meanwhile, Jasmine appears to be handling her plan expertly.

There’s a buried introduction to multiple protagonists in this thrilling story. Their roles might be small, but their relevance becomes clearer and clearer. It takes a lot of back-and-forth, but one thing is for sure: something is off. Way off. However, putting a finger on it proves to be an elusive task.

This remarkable debut novel reminds me of a jigsaw puzzle. At first, the pieces may seem disjointed and the design difficult to comprehend, but they all come together marvelously. The Business Trip is a brilliant story that captivated me from the very beginning, even if I had to suspend my disbelief occasionally. Listening to the audiobook made the compelling read even more enjoyable. The ensemble of narrators is sure to delight any fan of psychological thrillers.

Many thanks to St Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This book was a trip!! I thought it was fun and it had me guessing the whole time. It’s a little far fetched, but isn’t that what makes books fun?! The main character, Jasmine, was not likable, but that made the twists all the more enjoyable. I really liked the narrators and liked that there was a full cast. Overall, a fun, quick, suspenseful listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of The Business Trip in exchange for an honest review. There was a fair amount of repetition after the 50% mark, which is why I gave it fewer stars. I also felt disconnected from the characters, and not liking them made it harder to enjoy certain parts. This was a fun debut thriller, and I look forward to others from the author in the future.

Phew this was a wild ride!

I loved how this story was laid out! We meet Jasmine and Stephanie right away and then are left to wonder what happened to them and why they are missing! I loved that even as the reader we were left guessing until the second half. Now you do have to suspend some belief on this one but overall it was just a fun popcorn thriller. I will definitely read more by Jessie Garcia! Such a great book to start the year with.

The audiobook was fantastic! I loved the narrators. They really brought the story to life.

The Business Trip was quite a thrill ride and audio was the perfect format for it. Told from several perspectives, it was really smart for the producers to use all of the different voices. The surprises kept coming and I could not have guessed the conclusion. It did get a bit repetitive and a couple of the characters were comically awful, it still provided a very entertaining read.

Clever and twisty and ridiculously good! Stephanie and Jasmine end up on the same plane. Stephanie for a work conference and Jasmine is trying to escape an abusive relationship. After the plane ride, both women start texting friends about meeting and falling for the same man. The texts get more erratic and then go silent. Both women seemed to have disappeared.
This is told in multiple POVs. It's suspenseful and will definitely keep you guessing until the very end.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital audio e=arc.*

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Business Trip is a twisty mystery about two women that could not be more different yet are connected in mysterious ways.

This is a must on the audio format. I loved the full cast and it kept me entertained throughout. I couldn’t figure out where this story was going and I really enjoyed it.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a great twisty thriller. We have 2 main FMC, Jasmine and Stephanie who are connected by being on the same plane and both of them vanish. The story is told in multiple POV which added an interesting perspective. I love you really didn't know what was going on.

There is a cast of narrators (Andrew Eiden; Dylan Fitzpatrick; Fred Berman; Gail Shalan; Hillary Huber; Jennifer Pickens; John Pirhalla; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Kirby Heyborne; Tim Campbell) and made for a full immersive experience.

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of this book.

I loved The Business Trip so much. The plot was incredible and gripping, and the characters were very relatable. The narrator was great.

Two women, Stephanie and Jasmine, have practically nothing in common, except they’re both on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is leaving an abusive partner to start a new life. But something isn’t right. After they text their friends increasingly strange messages after several days about a mysterious man, red flags emerge. Worried, their friends desperately try to piece things together.

I loved the premise of this book. I expected lots of twists and turns and I was certainly not let down. I was kept guessing for a long time and each reveal felt like a gut punch. That being said, I felt that it sometimes took too long to get to these punches. There were times when the pacing felt very slow, and other times, especially toward the end, when the pacing felt too quick and overwhelming. The end in general disappointed me a bit. Without any spoilers, there were reveals and moments that felt a bit too unbelievable and far-fetched. I know that fiction isn’t supposed to be 100% realistic, but it did take me out of the story. There were also times when I felt that I was being told what happened rather than being shown. I found myself not getting as invested in the characters and story as I might have otherwise been with more description. Overall, this was a worthwhile read that I did genuinely enjoy, but certainly not flawless.

P.S. The audiobook version has a fantastic ensemble of different narrators that help make the book feel more movie-like. I would highly recommend listening to this one!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.