By: Jessie Garcia
Narrators: Andrew Eiden, Dylan Fitzpatrick, Fred Berman, Gail Shalan, Hillary Huber, Jennifer Pickens, John Pirhalla, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Kirby Heyborne, Tim Campbell
Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 9781250364418
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 01/14/2025
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
"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 author
THE BUSINESS TRIP is the gripping, page-turning 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?
Praise
"A thriller that will keep you guessing with unexpected plot twists."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS
"Two ordinary women. Two very different lives. No overlap and nothing in common until a chance meeting on a westbound plane triggers a stunning, edge-of-your seat suspense that had me sick with apprehension as the pages turned."
— TESS GERRITSEN
"Wow, The Business Trip had 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
"Jessie Garcia’s THE BUSINESS TRIP is a fast paced psychological thriller that lands you in a story that isn’t what it seems. Tightly paced with pages that practically turn themselves, you will race to find answers…and I promise you, they’re not what you think they are."
— JULIE CLARK, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight
“I loved THE BUSINESS TRIP by Jessie Garcia, a hold your breath thriller that ramped up the tension at every turn. Every time I thought I had it all worked out, Garcia pulled the rug right out from underneath me. The cleverly executed twists and turns had me reeling and made me glad I’m not about to take a business trip anytime soon...First-class thriller writing - I couldn’t put it down.”
—SARAH PEARSE, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium
"Wickedly entertaining and impossible to predict, The Business Trip is a stunning debut by a writer to watch!"
—Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author of Home is Where the Bodies Are and The Perfect Marriage
“Wickedly clever. The twists come fast and furious in this taut thriller that’ll spin you up, down and around while ensuring you enjoy the ride. I loved it!"
— LISA GARDNER
"What a rollercoaster of a book! I raced through it in two days and thought it was brilliant. I started it last night and had trouble putting it down to eventually get some sleep. I couldn’t wait to pick it up again this morning; I absolutely needed to know how it would all end. So very clever! This is a stunning and accomplished debut, with hugely relatable characters and an addictive storyline that kept me turning the pages well into the night. Bravo!"
— B.A. PARIS
"Readers will relish following Jasmine and Stephanie as they take the roads less traveled in this absorbing, tightly plotted debut."
—First Clue
My Review
Buckle Up! Get ready for a wild roller coaster ride! THE BUSINESS TRIP is a highly entertaining, impressive, twisty debut by Jessie Garcia (TV News director)—an author to watch!
When two women's (strangers) lives collide on an airplane (connecting flight) and later go missing—there is an ongoing mystery as to how the two women and one man, who seems to be the common link between them, connect in this riveting domestic page-turner.
Audiobook...
The audiobook is a must-listen performed by a stellar full-cast of 10 favorites— Andrew Eiden, Dylan Fitzpatrick, Fred Berman, Gail Shalan, Hillary Huber, Jennifer Pickens, John Pirhalla, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Kirby Heyborne, and Tim Campbell— making the characters come alive for an engaging, lively listening experience with distinct voices for the characters. I highly recommend the audio.
About...
Jasmine, a young woman from a poor background, thought she found a way out with Glen, but he turned out to be a dead-end-controlling, abusive loser living in a trailer park. He has been a constant threat in her life, making her feel trapped and helpless.
She finally finds a way out with the help of her friend Anna and fearlessly decides to take a flight to Denver for a new start, hoping Glen does not track her down and kill her. She is more resourceful than she may know.
Stephanie is a news director, highly successful, who is recently divorced and estranged from her son and is a workaholic. She is best friends with her gay neighbor, Robert who keeps her cat while traveling. She is on a business trip- a conference for work in San Diego.
The two women randomly connect on a plane, and impulsive and desperate decisions are made that will forever change the trajectory of their lives.
Mysteriously, Robert receives a text from Stephanie saying she is extending her trip to spend time with a new guy, Trent, whom she met. This is not the norm.
At the same time, Anna, Jasmine's high school friend, receives the same message about a guy named Trent in Atlanta. Who is Trent, and what is his connection to Stephanie and Jasmine?
Then, the two women go missing, and Trent is charged. Is there something more sinister involved? Where is Stephanie and Jasmine?
My thoughts...
Garcia's storytelling keeps you on the edge of your seat in THE BUSINESS TRIP. With clever suspense-building and jaw-dropping twists, she weaves an intricate web of deceit, secrets, manipulation, revenge, and lies mixed with dark humor. The unpredictable, witty game of cat and mouse will keep you guessing. Despite everything, you may find yourself possibly sympathizing with Jasmine (possibly).
Multi-layered, told from POVs: Jasmine, Stephanie, Anna, Glenn, Robert, Bruce, Dave, Lucy, Trent and Bill in four parts. (perfect with the audio version). We follow the story from airports, planes, hotels, and bars in Wisconsin, Atlanta, Georgia, California, and Mexico. The story reminds me of the TV/Book series Good Behavior by Blake Crouch. (which I loved).
THE BUSINESS TRIP has set the bar high for a debut, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Recs...
THE BUSINESS TRIP is for fans of fun and twisty domestic thrillers and those who enjoy works by Hank Phillippi Ryan, Emma Rosenblum, Freida McFadden, Kimberly Belle, Kaira Rouda, Victoria Helen Stone, and Jenova Rose.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and #MacAudio2024 for an ALC and ARC via NetGalley and Google Play in exchange for an honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 14, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
About the Author
Jessie grew up in Madison, WI making up stories in her head and interviewing everyone around her, including the cat! She gravitated towards television journalism and became Wisconsin's first female sports anchor and the Green Bay Packers sideline reporter as well as a hostess of NFL coach's shows. Jessie then got into TV news management and oversees a newsroom of journalists. She has also taught journalism at four universities, made a documentary about a little known piece of track and field history and written multiple non-fiction books. This is her debut thriller. She has two adult sons and lives with her husband, an amazing cat who just appeared in the front bushes one day and a dog who won their hearts at the Humane Society. Read More
