Confessions on the 7:45: A Novel

by Lisa Unger

From master of suspense Lisa Unger comes a riveting thriller about a chance encounter that unravels a stunning web of lies.

Selena Murphy is commuting home on the train when she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat. The woman introduces herself as Martha and soon 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.

Then the nanny disappears.

As Selena is pulled into the mystery of what happened, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, she begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover…

• ISBN10: 0778310159
• ISBN13: 9780778310150
• Publish Date: 6 October 2020 (first published 1 September 2020)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Park Row Books
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Aidan Brack (Mysteries Ahoy)]

While this is not perhaps as twisty and surprising as some other psychological thrillers, it is an engaging read that did a decent job of keeping my attention for an afternoon for which I was grateful.

Read my full review at Mysteries Ahoy!

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Selena Murphy had the perfect marriage and a wonderful life, or so it may seem to her followers on Instagram. However, her followers didn’t know she suspected her husband had been cheating on her with the nanny. He has a history of cheating, so when she confirmed her suspicions it came as no surprise. Despite the lack of surprise, feelings of hurt and frustration surfaced as she recognised years of therapy had been no help. The frustration and hurt led to sharing her feelings with a stranger, she had a chance encounter with on a train on her way home from work. Besides, she wouldn’t be seeing this woman again, or so she thought.  The following day she finds herself caught up in a chain of events, which led to her second guessing her husband and questioning the role of the stranger in all of it.

This story had several POVs, which added to its intrigue. It kept me wondering about the connection between the characters. Then, as the story developed, I had quite a few light bulb moments. While it did not take me long to put the pieces together to get the full picture, there were several surprises along the way.

The characters intrigued me, especially the stranger from the train. She lacked empathy, but I admired her for her intelligence and her mastery of getting others to do what she wanted without them realizing what was happening.  Selena lived in denial and hid behind lies in the guise of saving her marriage, which would eventually blow up in her face.

From the moment I started this book, I knew I made the right choice in taking a chance on this author. I was hooked and a hard time putting this book down. Filled with secrets, lies, murder and deceit, Confessions on the 7:45 proved to be a captivating and twisted read and had me flipping the pages, eager to learn how it would all unfold.

Conclusion/Recommendation
I enjoyed Confessions on the 7:45 and would recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers.  I would definitely read more from Lisa Unger.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Confessions on the 7:45 in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Confessions on the 7:45 is the latest novel to come from the mind of Lisa Unger, a well-known and loved thriller and mystery writer. Obviously, when I heard about this newest book, I knew that I had to give it a go.

There is no doubt that in this world, everyone has a secret. Some of them are simple and almost sweet. Others are much darker, and more likely to cause pain. Whether or not they come out into the light.

By all appearances, Selena Murphy has the perfect life. A charismatic husband, two adorable kids, the ideal nanny, and a job that she loves. But that image is a lie – something that Selena is about to learn the hard way.

Some of the lies she knew, of course. She's not an idiot. But even she could never have anticipated the depth in which her life was about to change. And all because of the stranger she met on a train.

“The observer only sees, never interferes. Still, tonight she felt the tingle of bad possibilities. She waited in the cool night, patient and still.”

Warnings: Confessions on the 7:45 has some pretty dark material included. Sexual assault/rape (mentioned, not shown), domestic violence, stalking, and affairs all make an appearance in this book.

I've been looking forward to reading Confessions on the 7:45 from the moment I heard about it. Yet this is not a novel that disappointed. It was everything that I, and other fans, could have hoped for from Lisa Unger's latest novel.

There's a lot to love about this novel, mainly thanks to the sheer number of layers found within the mystery. It really takes quite a bit to reveal everything going on – and yet once done, suddenly it all seems to make complete sense.

Personally, I loved the comparisons between the imagine Selena's family maintained, and the reality hidden behind her cute Instagram photos. It's poignant, to be sure. It was also the perfect setting for everything else, in a surprising way.

I also adored the hat tip to Strangers on a Train, though naturally, this one came with plenty of unique twists to come up with something new and different. It made for a thrilling read (no pun intended), and one that I read in one sitting. I simply couldn't (and didn't want to) put it down.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks