Helpful Score: 3
Wow! One of the best suspense thrillers I've read in a long time; couldn't put it down! Looking forward to reading more from this author. Thanks for your art, Ms. Lutz!
Helpful Score: 1
I was impressed with this book. I have read Lisa's Spellman File books which were hilarious. This is quite a change in genre for her. This twisty book kept me guessing the entire time & I liked the whole changing identity to escape the crime. Can you find a friend that would kill for you? A little abused woman vs society take in some areas.
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent twisty tale of a woman on the run, whose past is even more complicated and dangerous than her future.
Lutz sets up her heroine as an unreliable narrator almost from the get-go, when Tanya Dubois finds her husband dead at the foot of the stairs in their family home and, instead of calling the cops, proceeds to empty his wallet and as much of their bank account as she can access, and hitting the road.
As Tanya travels across the country, changing identities as needed, her backstory unravels with tantalizing hints of dark and dangerous deeds.
Lutz fudges Washington state geography a bit, which I suppose is forgivable in a work of fiction, but is nonetheless a bit disorienting to any reader who knows just how far Moses Lake is from Everett. Less forgivable is a scene that takes place in the front seat of a Lincoln Towncar, which strikes one as physically impossible. (No, it's not a sex act. Let's just say even Jackie Chan couldn't pull it off.)
Minor complaints aside, this is a great sit-up-late-to-finish-it tale.
Lutz sets up her heroine as an unreliable narrator almost from the get-go, when Tanya Dubois finds her husband dead at the foot of the stairs in their family home and, instead of calling the cops, proceeds to empty his wallet and as much of their bank account as she can access, and hitting the road.
As Tanya travels across the country, changing identities as needed, her backstory unravels with tantalizing hints of dark and dangerous deeds.
Lutz fudges Washington state geography a bit, which I suppose is forgivable in a work of fiction, but is nonetheless a bit disorienting to any reader who knows just how far Moses Lake is from Everett. Less forgivable is a scene that takes place in the front seat of a Lincoln Towncar, which strikes one as physically impossible. (No, it's not a sex act. Let's just say even Jackie Chan couldn't pull it off.)
Minor complaints aside, this is a great sit-up-late-to-finish-it tale.
I was the passenger in this story about the protagonist who changed her name as often as one changes clothes! I don't know how she kept track of all the identities she had but it was quite an enjoyable ride.
This poor girl was on the run for years for something she did not do, and I was overjoyed when she finally decided to go home. The ending was just the way I wanted it to be!
This poor girl was on the run for years for something she did not do, and I was overjoyed when she finally decided to go home. The ending was just the way I wanted it to be!
I bought this book because I loved the author's Spellman series. This book has a completely different tone. It tells the tale of a woman on the run, and what she has to do to survive. We don't learn the full story of her past until the end of the book. This book kept me excited about what would come next.
The only disappointment was that I kept expecting the heroine and Blue to sleep together.
I found myself cheering for the main character, hoping that she would somehow be able to find peace. That makes it a very worthwhile read.
The only disappointment was that I kept expecting the heroine and Blue to sleep together.
I found myself cheering for the main character, hoping that she would somehow be able to find peace. That makes it a very worthwhile read.
This is the story of a woman who creates and sheds new identities as she crisscrosses the country to escape her past. From heart-stopping escapes and devious deceptions, we are left to wonderâ¦can she possibly outrun her past? One thing for sure; the ride will leave you breathless. This is a psychological suspense that will keep you turning the pages until you find out the answers. This is my first Lisa Lutz book but won't be my last. Highly enjoyable book. Recommended.
This is an interesting read about a young woman whose life is turned upside down because of an accident in which two people were killed. Her mother's car, which someone else was driving, rammed into another vehicle which plunged into a lake drowning the occupants. She is blamed because the brothers in her mother's car say she was driving. As the community, her friends and her mother turn against her she is forced to go on the run. Her life spirals many ways as she takes on identity after identity to keep ahead of authorities.
The essence is that, first, she is a woman, and second, the brothers are the sons of a very wealthy and powerful member of the community. No one believes her. Her experiences are interesting and often hard to believe but somehow she survives until she tires of running and decides to return home and face whatever will happen to her. Well written and plotted mystery.
The essence is that, first, she is a woman, and second, the brothers are the sons of a very wealthy and powerful member of the community. No one believes her. Her experiences are interesting and often hard to believe but somehow she survives until she tires of running and decides to return home and face whatever will happen to her. Well written and plotted mystery.
This reads like an eight-part Thomas Perry novel (because the protagonist changes identities eight times and Perry is known for novels in which someone is trying to escape their past). There are some laugh-out-loud lines amidst the suspense. An enjoyable read.
I was impressed with this book. I have read Lisa's Spellman File books which were hilarious. This is quite a change in genre for her. This twisty book kept me guessing the entire time & I liked the whole changing identity to escape the crime. Can you find a friend that would kill for you? A little abused woman vs society take in some areas.
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.
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.
Implausibility piling upon implausibility -- and, as far as I can see, to very little purpose.
This starts with an implausibility: a woman is is so anxious to avoid interacting with the authorities, when her husband tumbles down the stairs and dies, that she contrives to make the death look suspicious, and herself like a murder suspect; she goes on the lam, acquiring and losing false identities as she goes. Having said that, I thought at first that the implausibility of the opening chapter was just intriguing enough -- why would she do that? -- to keep me reading. I was wrong.
It goes downhill very fast after that -- the protagonist's meandering from bar to diner to used car lot are as boring as they sound. Flashbacks, in the form of "mysterious" emails to someone from her past, who was involved in some unpleasantness back in her hometown, are so so pointless and repetitive that I quickly started skipping them altogether. There are a few bursts of, shall we say, decisive action, as if Lutz realizes that she'd better try to keep the reader's attention, but they make no sense at all. Not physically, not psychologically ... not practically.
For example, the protagonist -- whose work experience to date consists of bar-tending, uninspired housecleaning, and messing up a perfectly straightforward accidental death -- uses fake documents she had acquired to become a primary school teacher, at a private school in a small town in Wyoming that is so desperate to hire anyone that the headmaster ignores little things like no references and sketchy to non-existent documentation. Someone, like her publisher, really should have told Lutz that, in this day and age, no one gets through the door of a school, and anywhere near the children, without thorough police checks. I suspect that's true, even for the dodgiest of small faith-based schools in the tiniest, most remote of small-towns.
It was at that point that "intriguing" segued over into "very annoying," and I decided that I had no further time for an author who doesn't respect the intelligence of her readers ....
This starts with an implausibility: a woman is is so anxious to avoid interacting with the authorities, when her husband tumbles down the stairs and dies, that she contrives to make the death look suspicious, and herself like a murder suspect; she goes on the lam, acquiring and losing false identities as she goes. Having said that, I thought at first that the implausibility of the opening chapter was just intriguing enough -- why would she do that? -- to keep me reading. I was wrong.
It goes downhill very fast after that -- the protagonist's meandering from bar to diner to used car lot are as boring as they sound. Flashbacks, in the form of "mysterious" emails to someone from her past, who was involved in some unpleasantness back in her hometown, are so so pointless and repetitive that I quickly started skipping them altogether. There are a few bursts of, shall we say, decisive action, as if Lutz realizes that she'd better try to keep the reader's attention, but they make no sense at all. Not physically, not psychologically ... not practically.
For example, the protagonist -- whose work experience to date consists of bar-tending, uninspired housecleaning, and messing up a perfectly straightforward accidental death -- uses fake documents she had acquired to become a primary school teacher, at a private school in a small town in Wyoming that is so desperate to hire anyone that the headmaster ignores little things like no references and sketchy to non-existent documentation. Someone, like her publisher, really should have told Lutz that, in this day and age, no one gets through the door of a school, and anywhere near the children, without thorough police checks. I suspect that's true, even for the dodgiest of small faith-based schools in the tiniest, most remote of small-towns.
It was at that point that "intriguing" segued over into "very annoying," and I decided that I had no further time for an author who doesn't respect the intelligence of her readers ....
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was reviewed by others as a fast-paced thriller and it didn't disappoint. I did find myself skimming a few spots as the main character, whose name changes are confusing enough to put some readers off, would drag on and on about her predicament. I get it, you have a hard life! But, something keep me reading to see how this sad woman would regain everything she had lost. The mystery at the end was quite fulfilling. Great twist. I honestly didn't see it coming. Also, now I really want to go on a road trip! Still beats me how in this day and age with the cameras everywhere and supposed 'monitoring' by the government how you can be hidden in plain sight. Hmmm.
Free galley given through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Free galley given through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This book is a sit back and thoroughly enjoy kind of read. I save five stars for life changing books, not downgrading enjoyment level. Story has just enough mystery, thriller, romance... Main character is on the run, throughout the story we have no idea who can be trusted. She continues to change names and towns. The ride was so much fun that the mystery reveal was just icing. I loved the novelty, which is rare considering how many books I go through. Book received in contest with expectation of fair/unbiased review
This is a compelling read. You get hints at the past but are kept guessing until the end. It's a crazy ride at times but it dragged for me at times, as well. The ending was well worth it, though!
A page turner for sure. Good and bad intertwined. Sad and shocking when push comes to shove what a person will do. Many examples of the fact that everyone has there own level of tolerance and decisions as to when enough is enough.
As a lover of thrillers, this book drew me in from the beginning. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was I found it so improbable that someone could have lived off the grid for ten years in this day and time. The main character was pretty unlikeable and I can't say I had a whole lot of sympathy for her. The story had a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader reading very late into the night to find what caused the original bolt from home.
Wow! One of the best suspense thrillers I've read in a long time; couldn't put it down! Looking forward to reading more from this author. Thanks for your art, Ms. Lutz!
I loved the fast action in this story.
Held my interest, but not really a page turner like I expected from the hype. I would say it was a fun, vacation read if you're looking to pass the time at the beach; however, it is not nearly as good as The Spellmans.
