“Intricate and nuanced—on par with the best top-flight psychological suspense.” —L.A. TimesINTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERFrom 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 … 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…
Looking for more gripping suspense? Check out Last Girl Ghosted, also from New York Times bestselling thriller writer Lisa Unger.
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Yessss this book is one of my fav mystery reads this year.
I got hooked from the prologue, and since then it’s like roller coaster, many surprises and twists and my heart breaks with the victims, I feel what they’re feeling, the frustrations, the struggles, the pain, the sadness, but don’t get me wrong even though they are victims but they’re so strong and resilient, in the end they’re the one who’s in control. This book also has many point of views, but that what makes me love it more, it makes me understand better why they did what they did.
Great mystery and amazing strong characters, yes definitely a MUST-READ book.
Totally recommended this book for mystery thriller readers, highly recommended!!!
Two women meet on a train. When the train stalls on the tracks, Selena and Martha begin a conversation. Martha confesses to having an affair with a married man and, in turn, Selena tells her about watching her husband and the nanny having a fling while she watches them on the nanny cam that they know nothing about. Once the train moves again and reaches its destination, the two women part, not knowing that will meet again.
Not coincidentally, it’s just days later that Selena’s nanny disappears.
Did someone ‘fix’ her problem … like Martha from the train? Did Selena’s husband have something to do with her disappearance? No body has been found, no ransom note … she’s just gone.
Selena finds herself in the middle of a conundrum and the deeper she digs for answers, the more questions she has. And she’s not near prepared for what she will eventually discover.
I have read many of this author’s books … and she has yet to disappoint me. Each new book seems better than the last and I always look forward to what she’ll have for the reader next.
The plot is intricate and complex. The characters are deftly drawn, solid within the varied twists and turns that seem to never stop. The suspense begins on the very first page and holds steady until the unexpected, surprising conclusion. It’s an increasingly fast-paced suspense starting on the very first page and holding steady to the unexpected, surprising conclusion.
Many thanks to the author / Harlequin – Park Row / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller/ crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
I had a little trouble getting into this book but when I was about a quarter through I really was glad I stuck with it. The story is kind of sad when you look at what these women think about love but as you learn more about the characters you can see why they act the way they do. I loved learning all the layers that are in this story. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Selena has just caught her husband having an affair with the nanny. She watched it all on the nanny cam and she has no idea how to handle it. Selena is so torn. She has two young boys and she is terrified to rip their lives apart. She ends up spilling her problems to a stranger on the train on her commute home. Then the stranger texts her…how did she get her number. And then the nanny disappears! And Selena’s life completely falls apart.
I am going to have be really careful or I will give something away. Let’s just say…no one is who they seem to be. This story begins one way and ends in a complete tail spin. You talk about wicked and twisted! This novel takes you on a ride you will not soon forget. I have not read a Lisa Unger book in quite sometime. Boy! Have I missed out!
You do not want to miss this one! Grab it today! It is a must read!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger is honestly one of the best books I have ever read.
This is a TWISTY read that I could not put down. The plot is precise and intricate with multiple characters. The story is told alternating between the past and the present.
Two women meet on a train and share secrets. The story alternates between the perspective of Selena and Martha.
This thriller has a story within a story! Not everything is as it seems and twist after twist is thrown at you. The characters are complex, complicated and so well fleshed out that they will leave you speechless.
The story is EVERYTHING you want in a thriller. You will be thrown off your reading chair in disbelief after reading this one!
Go out and get this book now!!!!
It’s been a wee while since I have read a mystery novel and recently a friend of mine was talking about getting back into crime and I knew I had a tour date coming up for this book, so decided while giving my partner scratches as he wasn’t feeling too well, to read Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger. It’s also been a long time since I have read one of Lisa’s novels, I hopped on Goodreads and seems it was 2013 when I last read a handful of her books, mainly pre-blogging dates as there aren’t any reviews added. This book follows three women mainly all are going through something and connected. Our main female Selena has just discovered her husband Graeme is cheating on her with their nanny Geneva. On this day, in particular, she catches the late train and meets a lady called Martha whom we later discover as Anne/Pearl among other names. Martha and Selena share their stories and confide in one another as who better to confess to than strangers on a train. However, after her confession, Selena is about to discover that all isn’t well in her family circle when strange things start occurring starting with the disappearance of their nanny Geneva. As the story goes along, we read from multiple points of view and uncover a deadly tangle of lies and secrets that surround not only Selena but Martha and that they will be connected in ways neither thought was possible. I have to admit, I did enjoy this novel but in parts found it to be quite busy with the various tangents and different characters that were introduced to keep the story bouncing along. If you are in the mood for a new “strangers on the train” type mystery, then check out Lisa Unger’s new novel “Confessions on the 7:45
This was a twisted book all around. I thought it started a bit slow and couldn’t help but think I had read something similar. It kept my attention and kept me guessing to the very end. I enjoyed the book. Definitely recommend
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
Wow, this book kept me on my toes. There were so many twists and turns that I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride. It was an excellent ride though. I’m still a little dizzy from the ending.
Each chapter is told from different characters but was very easy to keep straight. I enjoyed the different points of view. Without giving anything away, the different points of view allow you to feel compassion for characters you might not normally feel compassion towards.
This was my first Lisa Unger book and it won’t be my last.
If you like thrillers, suspense, domestic thrillers then this is the book for you. Once you start you will be hard-pressed to stop until you turn the last page.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Harlequin, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Lisa Unger has given us a well-written dark thriller with vibes of the Hitchcock film Strangers on a Train (1951), but so much better. Selena has missed her usual train home to the suburbs due to a meeting that ran long. She takes the next available train, the 7:45 commuter, and it comes to a screeching halt on the tracks due to an obstruction. Selena has no desire to rush home on this night because she has discovered her husband is sleeping with the Nanny. The unknown woman in the seat beside Selena stays on the train, too. They, of course, begin to chat. The woman, Martha, engages Selena by wondering why problems can’t just solve themselves and then discloses a dark secret. Selena divulges her secret about her husband and the nanny – and immediately wishes she hadn’t. Selena doesn’t think much about that discussion until the Nanny goes missing a few days later.
This book will have you turning the pages as fast as you can read them and staying up way too late to read one more page or one more chapter in order to get to the end and find out what’s really been going on.
If you like your thrillers to be well written with multifaceted characters and a complex storyline with surprising twists and turns along the way, then this is definitely the book for you. It should be at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Harper and Edelweiss for an eARC.
Lisa Unger’s Confessions on the 7:45 is one of the most intricately plotted books I’ve read. I advise readers to have a tablet at hand to keep track of the characters and their connections, it makes it so much easier to enjoy the cleverness of this enthralling read!
Selena Murphy is at the end of her rope. Her husband Graham has lost his job and Selena has grudgingly gone back to work after being a stay-at-home mom since the birth of their second child. It’s not that she doesn’t like her job, she does, but she’d rather be home with her sons, Stephen and Oliver. Not to mention that Graham insists that looking for a job is a full-time job so Selena had to hire a nanny to take care of the boys, Graham doesn’t seem to be putting much effort into finding a new job, and, oh yes, Selena has caught him (via nanny-cam) twice having sex with the nanny! Set adrift by the discovery, Selena is trying to decide how to confront Graham, and what to do about her crumbling marriage.
As she rides the 7:45 train home, the train stalls on the tracks. Selena and Martha, the woman sharing her seat, begin to converse to pass the time. Developing an instant connection (assisted by the circumstances and some little bottles of vodka Martha has in her purse), the two exchange confessions about their lives; Martha that she’s having an affair with her boss and she wants to end it; Selena that she “thinks” her husband is cheating on her with the nanny. Martha comments “Don’t you ever just wish your problems would take care of themselves?” When the train arrives at Selena’s destination, the women part ways and Selena thinks that is the end of a nice encounter with a stranger. She couldn’t be more mistaken!
Within days, Selena’s nanny disappears, and the investigation which follows only deepens the cracks in Selena and Graham’s marriage. Then she starts getting texts ending with “It’s Martha, by the way. From the train.” Selena blocks the caller and immediately gets another text with the same message from another number. Her life as she has known it is over.
This is an engrossing read filled with secrets, lies, deceptions, and plenty of twists, some quite shocking. Due to the intricate plot, it’s not a book to begin if you are operating in a pick it up, put it down, pick it up, put it down mode, but this book is so well done that you’ll want to to keep turning the pages until the end. I highly recommend it!
My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Park Row for allowing me to read an ARC of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated are my own.
4.5 stars.
It was hard to tell who was crazier, who had more secrets and who was conning who.
Be careful who you confess to as Selena will soon tell you after meeting a stranger on the 7:45 train. She tells Martha she thinks her is husband is having an affair with the Nanny.
Martha had her own confessions.
Salina deboards the train with an uneasy feeling ; what did Martha really want?
She could not be more wrong
The game of cat mouse has begun.
You will find it hard to put the book down as you furiously try and figure out who is who and who is doing what to who or are they?
It was a twisted but great story of revenge and secrets.
Put this like any Lisa Unger book to the top of your pile !
Set mostly in a neighborhood within commuting distance of NYC, this story alternates points of view among several characters, but every switch moves the story forward and that part is easy to follow. I did have difficulty understanding that some of the sections are set in the past, as it wasn’t clear from the beginning of any of those sections. I loved seeing the strong women and the unexpected twists in the narrative. Recommended.
With an intricate, twisted and unique plot, Lisa Unger’s CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 is a masterfully woven web of lies, where nobody is quite who they seem, and everyone has something to hide. Make sure you clear your schedule when you pick this one up, and set your alarm if you’re on a train because this book is so engrossing, you’ll be sure to miss your stop.”
My Review of
CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45
By Lisa Unger
Published by Park Row, an Imprint of HarperCollins
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This book was a train ride that took you everywhere and covered so many stops. The intensity of the story builds as the complexity interweaves many stories into one common denominator; in which everything plays out to reveal all the questions and build-up you’ve been anticipating. A real page turner with not one moment where you are left bored or unentertained. You will lose sleep aboard this stop on the 7:45.
This story is told in multiple POV’s and it begins when Selena Murphy, married to Graham and mother to two boys, meets a woman aboard a train one evening after work. She ends up confiding things about her marriage that she just recently has learned herself with a stranger named Martha. This is very unlike Selena and immediately regrets it; especially when some details can come back to haunt her when her Nanny who was having an affair with her husband, disappears; leaving police questioning her husband and setting loose all control of her life.
You will find out some secrets and pasts of others that will intertwine with Selena’s own family. At what cost will a person pay to keep the past hidden or how far will they run to escape the realities of the truth?
Lisa Unger always writes masterful, gripping, compelling thrillers. CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 is another hit with such a unique premise, very sympathetic characters, and a plot crackling with tension and emotion. Unger expertly unravels the mystery clue after clue, through multiple spellbinding POVs, culminating in a stellar ending. Captivating and intriguing, this suspense is one I couldn’t put down.
I don’t know what or who is more twisted, this novel or the characters in it !! This is definitely one of those thrillers that is best read when you have a long chunk of time to settle into it. I personally found at least the first third of the book to be quite confusing. Without giving anything away I will just say that there are multiple characters, multiple identities of these characters and we are moving from past to present. Picking it up and putting it down definitely won’t work for this one!!!
You know from the blurb that there are two women who meet on a train, the 7:47, and divulge secrets to each other. The novel is told from each of their points of view.
Selena has a troubled marriage. She is now the sole support for the family and she is angered with her husband, Graham’s, lack of job hunting. She loves her job but misses being at home with her boys, Oliver and Stephen. When she catches Graham cheating again, visibly seeing him on a nanny cam, that’s the last straw.
What ensues is really a story within a story. We will learn about how Selena and Martha, the woman she meets on the train, are connected and what will come of their meeting and shared secrets..
The nanny, Geneva, goes missing shortly after the encounter on the train. Does this have something to do with Martha? Is Graham or someone else in her life manipulating her and her choices? Selena’s ex, Will, seems the only one she can trust, or is he hiding secrets too? Oh boy, so many questions, so much going on.
As this mystery plays out we will learn more about Martha, who she really is, how and why she is determined to be a part of Selena’s life. Geneva is the really hard one to figure out. Selena had not checked her references before hiring her, big mistake!!!!!!!!!!
There is little I can say without spoilers except that I really enjoyed this thriller. It can really be called a psychological thriller because it includes several chilling characters with psychopathic tendencies. Don’t trust anyone!! This is a puzzle of a thriller that I think lovers of the genre will devour.
The novel is set to publish on October 6, 2020
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley
Lisa Unger mixes Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train” with her own brand of twisted murder mystery to create a fascinating look at what happens when your problems suddenly disappear in a way that makes more problems for you. Selena is a hard-working wife and mother who leaves work late one evening, then the train stalls on the track and she starts to converse with her seat mate Martha. Martha, strangely enough, confesses that she is having an affair with her boss. Not to be outdone, Selena confesses to Martha that her nanny Geneva is having an affair with her own husband Graham. Honestly, Graham was probably my least favorite character, but I am certain that was by design by the author. He was weak-willed and lazy but seemed to have some kind of special charm that attracted women. Anyway, once Selena meets and talks to Martha, the action really begins and the plot twists and turns in so many ways that it was hard to keep follow at first. There are three POV’s and the identity of two of the women was hard for me to discern at first, as was whether the time frame was in the present or the past. Once I discerned who was who and when things were happening, I was a much happier reader! This book was filled with intrigue, murder, infidelity and deception (which kind of goes along with infedelity, doesn’t it). And as if there were not enough going on in this complex story, add blackmail to the mix. None of the narrators is totally trustworthy and that contributed to the magnetic pull for me as a real mystery buff. Fans of Unger and those who really enjoy a good mystery will not want to miss this one!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”