By: Lisa Unger
ISBN: 0778310159
Publisher: Park Row Publication Date: 10/06/2020
Format: Hardcover My Rating: 5 Stars +++ Top Books of 2020 Q&A with Lisa Unger {A] taut, beautifully-written novel.” —Sarah Pekkanen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Anonymous Girl From master of suspense Lisa Unger comes a riveting thriller about a chance encounter that unravels a stunning web of lies and deceit. Be careful to whom you tell your darkest secrets… Selena Murphy is commuting home from her job in the city when the train stalls out on the tracks. She strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat, and their connection is fast and easy. The woman introduces herself as Martha and confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.
But days later, Selena’s nanny disappears.
Soon Selena finds her once-perfect life upended. As she is pulled into the mystery of the missing nanny, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, Selena begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover.
Expertly plotted and reminiscent of the timeless classic Strangers on a Train, Confessions on the 7:45 is a gripping thriller about the delicate facades we create around our lives.
About the Author
Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of eighteen novels, including CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 (Oct 2020). With millions of readers worldwide and books published in twenty-six languages, Lisa Unger is widely regarded as a master of suspense.
In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations, an honor held by only a few writers including Agatha Christie, and was shortlisted for the Hammett Prize and Macavity Awards. Her latest release, THE STRANGER INSIDE, was named a "Best Book" by People, Boston Globe, Kirkus and BookBub. And her Edgar-nominated short story THE SLEEP TIGHT MOTEL was a #1 bestselling single.
Unger's critically acclaimed books have been voted "Best of the Year" or top picks by the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, IndieBound and many others. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family. Read More
EXCEPTIONAL AUTHORS. STANDOUT BOOKS. ELEVATOR TALK.
Behind the Book & The Author
Q&A Elevator Ride with New York Times bestselling author
Lisa Unger
Praise
International Best Seller
COMING TO NETFLIX
"Intricate and nuanced - on par with the best top-flight psychological suspense."
—LA Times
“Another brilliantly crafted psychological thriller... Reminiscent of Strangers on a Train and The Grifters, Unger’s novel provides a master class in plotting.” —Booklist, starred review
“Diabolically clever... [An] exquisitely crafted psychological thriller... Unger just keeps getting better.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A chance meeting—or is it?—with a stranger on a train tilts Selena Murphy's tidy world upside-down in this taut, beautifully-written novel. What elevates Lisa Unger's psychological thriller to a new level are her shrewd insights into the dynamics of a seemingly ideal marriage." —Sarah Pekkanen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Between Us and An Anonymous Girl
"Lisa Unger expertly unravels the layers of mystery and deceit at the heart of this chilling thriller. What begins with a missing woman and a chance encounter twists with each new discovery, taking a sharp look at the people we think we know. A gripping, haunting story that kept me guessing until the very end." —Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Last House Guest
"Confessions on the 7:45 is a masterclass in storytelling. The pacing, the characters, and the story are all pitch-perfect. This is an unforgettable novel." –Samantha Downing, USA Today bestselling author of My Lovely Wife and He Started It.
“Confessions on the 7:45 is a stellar work of psychological suspense—rich, deep, and full of surprises. Lisa Unger grabs you, pulls you in, and keeps you guessing. Read it!” —Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award-winning author of The Dark Corners of the Night
"Unger takes you deep into the minds of psychopaths, and while you wouldn't want to live there, what wild, creepy places they are to visit. Unger is at the top of her game here." —Linwood Barclay, #1 Internationally bestselling author of Elevator Pitch
“I raced through Confessions on the 7:45, completely absorbed in the mystery and intrigue of the story as it kept me guessing. I found it compelling, dark, twisty and a definite must-read!” –Karen Hamilton, bestselling author of The Perfect Girlfriend and Truth Be Told, an Apple TV+ series
“Lisa Unger is amazing! If you have not found her books yet, now is the time. Each one gets better and better. She is particularly good at female dynamics and relationships, as well as writing a twisted thriller that pretty much could be happening to someone you know. Confessions on the 7:45 may be my favorite one yet!” —Laura Taylor, Oxford Exchange (Indie Next Pick)
"Full of twists, turns, and many POVs, this page turner is perfect for those who like Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins.” —LibraryReads Top Ten Pick
My Review
"An epic psychological thriller. Loved, loved this book. Lisa at the top of her game! Unputdownable! Her best yet."
CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 is a masterfully crafted, fast-paced, taut, psychological mind-bender that checks all the boxes. Trust NO one. Nothing or no one is as they appear. Movie-worthy!
Who is the stranger on the train?
Meet Selena and husband, Graham, and their two boys, Stephen and Oliver. Selena is the breadwinner in the family. While working late one evening, she misses her regular subway ride home. There are two hours between and winds up taking the 7:45.
Selena's husband lost his job. He does not seem to be actively looking for one. All he does is hang out around the Nanny. She has just discovered her husband is cheating with the Nanny. Not the first time she has caught him cheating. He swore it would never happen again, like in Vegas.
What disturbs her is she likes the Nanny, and the kids love her; however, doing it in the kids' playroom? Gross. Thankfully Selena had caught a look and had moved the nanny camera just in time to capture it.
Geneva, the Nanny, is not beautiful or striking and by the video, not really into the affair. She must decide what to do about this. She looks to be going through the motions.
On the way home on the 7:45 subway ride, she sits next to a striking, almost familiar looking and stylish woman. She says her name is Martha, and they strike up a conversation. Before the subway stops, Selena has just confessed her husband is having an affair with the Nanny.
Selena should know better. Her father was a cheater. Her mother, Cora, put up with it for many years before she finally said ENOUGH.
"Sometimes a stranger was the safest place in your life."
The stranger (Martha) confesses she is sleeping with her boss.
Martha says, "Maybe she'll disappear, and you can pretend it never happened."
At the end of the stop, Selena was worried she just spilled her darkest secret to a stranger. Surely, she would never see her again.
However, the stranger texts her to meet again. Who is this woman and what does she want?
Soon, the Nanny disappears. There is an investigation. Geneva did not show up for work, and her sister has reported her missing.
Selena is a good mother, and she wants the best for her family. Like her mother, she will try to keep it together. Until her mom had enough and started her own healthy life with someone new.
Once a full-blown investigation is underway for the Nanny, she must confront her cheating hubby. Did he have something to do with her disappearance?
Unger cleverly takes us into a deceptive world of Anne, Pearl, Gracie, Maggie, Jacqueline, and Stella. Some of these women have skills. Some were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They seem to respect a man named Pop. We do not know who "POP" is until later in the book. (SO GOOD!)
We then meet a man named Charlie. Charlie seems like a good soul. Pearl's mom, Stella, owned a bookstore and went through a ton of men. She did not have much time for Pearl. Pearl was fifteen. Charlie seems to care about Pearl and speaks her language. He is the responsible one.
However, later Stella moves on to a different man, but Pearl feels drawn to Charlie, like a father figure. He seems wise and interesting.
They each could tell their lies and keep their little secrets. Infidelity. Secrets. Sins of omission. But worst of all, the lies they tell themselves.
"Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead."
—Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richards Almanac
Martha continues to text Selena. How does she know her number? What if she was somehow involved in the disappearance of the Nanny? Or does she truly know her husband?
Selena has nowhere to turn and ultimately turns to Will, her ex. The lawyer who was safe and secure. She left him for Graham (the risk-taker). Now she begins to wonder why she chose the cheater, which could be a murderer? She wants to believe he is innocent. He is the father of her sons.
Selena begins to wonder if she orchestrated the situation by the encounter on the train. The stranger. What is the motive?
Alternating between POV (past and present) from Selena, Geneva, Pearl, Anne, Hunter, Oliver, and Cora, we meet some very intelligent con-artists. A predator, patient, and careful.
Some ordinary people conned—a con, a grifter, a killer. There are big SECRETS and lies!
As a reader, you will be dying to find out the identity of Pop. It is mind-blowing! Who is the murderer, the captor, the con-artist?
The sins of the father come back to haunt.
"No justice in the system for a con. When the tables turned, when the mark got wise, when the bill for your deeds came due, there was no one to call. There was an order to the universe, and you could only run your scam for so long."
Pop's advice was: "Never leave them with nothing to lose." However, pop did not take his own advice.
Unger keeps you glued to the pages as you try and figure out how all these characters will connect! A delicious, dangerous cat-and-mouse game with more twists than you can imagine! Hang in there. It worth the wait and then some.
Like social media with its curated, filtered posts, everything looks perfect on the outside; however, it is anything but. The grass is not always greener but full of **it. There are tons of masks and facades. You will need to determine which character is behind the mask.
Get onboard the runaway train, decimating everything in its path! Sometimes the monsters are the ones right in front of us. In the end, often, the truth will set you free.
Diabolically clever! Top books of 2020. You are going to devour it. Lisa is at the top of her game, saying a lot, since I am a huge fan of "The Hollows!"
A special thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. Also purchased the hardcover copy.
