The Passenger

Lisa Lutz

Mar 2016 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

“A dead-serious thriller (with a funny bone)” (The New York Times Book Review), from the author of the New York Times bestselling Spellman Files series, comes the story of a woman who creates and sheds new identities as she crisscrosses the country to escape her past.

Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband’s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It’s not the first time.

She meets Blue, a female bartender who recognizes the hunted look in a fugitive’s eyes and offers her a place to stay. With dwindling choices, Tanya-now-Amelia accepts. An uneasy―and dangerous―alliance is born.

It’s almost impossible to live off the grid in the twenty-first century, but Amelia-now-Debra and Blue have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation, to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret. From heart-stopping escapes and devious deceptions, we are left to wonder…can she possibly outrun her past?

The Passenger’s white-knuckled plot and unforeseeable twists make one thing for certain: the ride will leave you breathless. “When the answers finally come, they are juicy, complex, and unexpected. The satisfying conclusion will leave readers rethinking everything and immediately turning back to the first page to start again. Psychological suspense lovers will tear through this thriller” (Library Journal, starred review).

Ratings and reviews

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz is a suspense novel. Tanya came downstairs after her shower and found her husband, Frank dead. She contemplated about burying the body, but there is no way she can do it herself (very practical). So she gathers up some cash and takes off (do you think she has something to hide). She changes vehicles, changes her hair color, and then gets a new identity. She ends up in Austin, Texas and meets Blue (for her eyes) at May’s Well (a bar). Blue recognizes Tanya (now Amelia) as someone on the run. When two goons try to take off with Tanya/Amelia (starts to get confusing after a while as she keeps changing identities), Blue helps out. After several unsuccessful attempts to get a new identity, Blue has an idea. Both women end up with new identities and a chance to start over. But the past always manages to catch up with you. Eventually, you have to face it (you cannot run forever). The Passenger is listed as fast paced, but I did not find it very speedy (I have two week old kittens that move faster). To me it was a long drawn out book where I kept waiting for my questions to be answered (and after a while I did not care). The Passenger is Tanya’s story of her running, hiding, and finding new identities. The Passenger is just the telling of a story and teller decided to draw it out. The Passenger gets better towards the end (if you make it that far). I give The Passenger 2 out of 5 stars. The basic concept of the book was good, but I did not like the final product (if you need something to help you sleep, then you have found the right book). The Passenger contains extreme violence and foul language (and large quantities of alcohol). I received a complimentary copy of The Passenger in exchange for an honest review of the book.

During my holiday travels I passed the time with this book. It's been the first book in years that was able to hold my attention. I really enjoyed it. The ending could have been a little better but overall I really enjoyed it.

This story is wild. I read it in 6 hours. Couldn't put it down. It's a must read for fans of thrillers and who-done-its. I was a big fan of the Gillian Flynn books. I stumbled across the title in a "you may also like" category, downloaded the sample and never put down.

About the author

Lisa Lutz is the New York Times bestselling, Alex Award–winning author of the Spellman Files series, as well as the novels The Accomplice, Heads You Lose (with David Hayward), How to Start a Fire, The Passenger, and The Swallows. She has also written for film and TV, including HBO’s The Deuce. She lives in upstate New York.