Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Park Row (2020), Edition: Original, 392 pages
Description
"Be careful to whom you tell your darkest secrets. Selena Murphy is commuting home from her job in the city when the train stalls out on the tracks. She strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat, and their connection is fast and easy. The woman introduces herself as Martha and 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. But days later, Selena's nanny disappears. Soon Selena finds her once-perfect life upended. As she is pulled into the mystery of the missing nanny, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, Selena begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she'll discover."--Publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Dreesie
Working mom Serena meets Martha during a train breakdown and confesses what she is going home to discuss with her husband. Later, Martha begins texting her. From different numbers so blocking doesn't work. Meanwhile, her unemployed husband is cheating with the nanny--who does not show up for work
I don't know why I keep reading listening to these popular thrillers. They aren't very thrilling and are largely similar. The most impressive thing about this one is all of the tiny tiny clues dropped throughout the book, that do all add up in the end. Alone, they really aren't even a clue. But when the backstory all comes together, those little hints were there. Other than that, this is just another not-quite-what-it-seems thriller.
Story was fine. Narration was fine.
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the next day. Soon the police are involved and both she and her husband are being questioned.I don't know why I keep reading listening to these popular thrillers. They aren't very thrilling and are largely similar. The most impressive thing about this one is all of the tiny tiny clues dropped throughout the book, that do all add up in the end. Alone, they really aren't even a clue. But when the backstory all comes together, those little hints were there. Other than that, this is just another not-quite-what-it-seems thriller.
Story was fine. Narration was fine.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Have you ever looked at a book and thought, 'Oh, I'll just take a quick peek at the first chapter'? And then that quick peek turns into the second and third chapter ..... and all of a sudden you're halfway through the book and can't put it down? Uh huh. You have been warned - if you start reading
I have always thought this premise was such a great starting point (including the classic film, Strangers on a Train) - there are so many places a story can go from there. Two women, Selena and Martha, are on a stalled train, a conversation starts - and 'confessions' are shared. "Don't you ever wish your problems would take care of themselves?" The trains moves on and so do the women, not expecting to ever see each other again. Until..."Maybe we should meet for a drink. I'm eager to continue our conversation. It's Martha, by the way. From the train."
Are you hooked yet? Confessions on the 7:45 is told from many points of view. Each of those characters is hiding something - secrets abound! Unger has outdone herself with the twists and turns in this book. There's more than one gotcha in this tale. I was caught off guard as the seemingly disparate threads start to weave together. You won't be able to predict what's next.
I really can't say more without creating spoilers. And I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed Confessions on the 7:45. While that initial premise is not new, Unger's take on the tale is unique and makes for addictive reading. Absolutely recommended.
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Lisa Unger's latest book, Confessions on the 7:45, you're not going to be able to stop.I have always thought this premise was such a great starting point (including the classic film, Strangers on a Train) - there are so many places a story can go from there. Two women, Selena and Martha, are on a stalled train, a conversation starts - and 'confessions' are shared. "Don't you ever wish your problems would take care of themselves?" The trains moves on and so do the women, not expecting to ever see each other again. Until..."Maybe we should meet for a drink. I'm eager to continue our conversation. It's Martha, by the way. From the train."
Are you hooked yet? Confessions on the 7:45 is told from many points of view. Each of those characters is hiding something - secrets abound! Unger has outdone herself with the twists and turns in this book. There's more than one gotcha in this tale. I was caught off guard as the seemingly disparate threads start to weave together. You won't be able to predict what's next.
I really can't say more without creating spoilers. And I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed Confessions on the 7:45. While that initial premise is not new, Unger's take on the tale is unique and makes for addictive reading. Absolutely recommended.
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LibraryThing member LibraryCin
3.75 stars
Selena and Martha meet on the train. Selena has just discovered/confirmed her husband is cheating with the nanny. She and Martha each confess things to the other, and Martha makes an odd comment. As Selena tries to sort out what to do about her husband and the nanny, she gets a text from
The start was similar to “Strangers on a Train”. It was a bit slow-going, as I guess many of these kinds of psychological thrillers are. We follow a few different characters’ perspectives, and we back up in time to hear how we got to this point, particularly in Martha’s life. I feel like my just under 4 stars could be due to the slow-moving, but considering there are other slow-moving thrillers out there that I’ve rated 4 stars, maybe I’ve just been reading too many of them? Of course, a couple of the twists brought my rating up just a touch.
Selena and Martha meet on the train. Selena has just discovered/confirmed her husband is cheating with the nanny. She and Martha each confess things to the other, and Martha makes an odd comment. As Selena tries to sort out what to do about her husband and the nanny, she gets a text from
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Martha, “Martha. From the train”. Selena never gave Martha her number... The start was similar to “Strangers on a Train”. It was a bit slow-going, as I guess many of these kinds of psychological thrillers are. We follow a few different characters’ perspectives, and we back up in time to hear how we got to this point, particularly in Martha’s life. I feel like my just under 4 stars could be due to the slow-moving, but considering there are other slow-moving thrillers out there that I’ve rated 4 stars, maybe I’ve just been reading too many of them? Of course, a couple of the twists brought my rating up just a touch.
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LibraryThing member Virginia51
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
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member fredreeca
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member bookchickdi
Sometimes you just need a good, twisty psychological thriller to sink your teeth into. Lisa Unger's new novel, Confessions on the 7:45, fits that bill.
Selena is running late at work. She likes to be on the early train home so that she can have dinner with her husband and two young sons, but tonight
She gets on the train and finds a seat next a young woman Martha, who befriends Selena and makes a confession - she is having an affair with her boss, who is married to the CEO of the company. After a few drinks, Selena confesses her tale of the nanny and her husband. Martha wistfully wonders what if they could solve each other's problems? Selena finds that disturbing, but she'll never see Martha again, even though Martha pushes Selena to exchange phone numbers.
When Selena returns home, she confronts her husband who swears it was just the one time, and he is sorry, but Selena knows better. She is devastated because she really liked Geneva, she was wonderful with the boys and kept the house organized.
Before Selena had a chance to fire Geneva, she disappears the night Selena confronts her husband. The police show up after Geneva's sister calls them, and Geneva doesn't show up for work the next day. Selena doesn't tell the police that her husband was having an affair with Geneva, and the tension ratchets up as the lies continue.
There is another story we get entangled with- a young woman named Pearl lives with her mother, a woman who owns a failing bookstore and has relationships with many men. Who is Pearl and how does she figure into the main story?
Unger has a lot of balls to juggle to keep the story moving and connected, and she does it expertly. With a nod to the classic Hitchcock movie, Strangers on a Train, we wonder what happened to Geneva and does Martha have anything to do with it? Mystery/thriller fans who like to put their deductive skills to the test will enjoy trying to untangle all the knots of this intriguing story.
Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Fall Mystery Reads Tour.
Selena is running late at work. She likes to be on the early train home so that she can have dinner with her husband and two young sons, but tonight
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she called home to say she would be on a later train. A sinking feeling made Selena put a camera in her children's playroom where she caught her nanny Geneva and husband having sex while the boys were in the other room watching television. And this was the second time she caught them.She gets on the train and finds a seat next a young woman Martha, who befriends Selena and makes a confession - she is having an affair with her boss, who is married to the CEO of the company. After a few drinks, Selena confesses her tale of the nanny and her husband. Martha wistfully wonders what if they could solve each other's problems? Selena finds that disturbing, but she'll never see Martha again, even though Martha pushes Selena to exchange phone numbers.
When Selena returns home, she confronts her husband who swears it was just the one time, and he is sorry, but Selena knows better. She is devastated because she really liked Geneva, she was wonderful with the boys and kept the house organized.
Before Selena had a chance to fire Geneva, she disappears the night Selena confronts her husband. The police show up after Geneva's sister calls them, and Geneva doesn't show up for work the next day. Selena doesn't tell the police that her husband was having an affair with Geneva, and the tension ratchets up as the lies continue.
There is another story we get entangled with- a young woman named Pearl lives with her mother, a woman who owns a failing bookstore and has relationships with many men. Who is Pearl and how does she figure into the main story?
Unger has a lot of balls to juggle to keep the story moving and connected, and she does it expertly. With a nod to the classic Hitchcock movie, Strangers on a Train, we wonder what happened to Geneva and does Martha have anything to do with it? Mystery/thriller fans who like to put their deductive skills to the test will enjoy trying to untangle all the knots of this intriguing story.
Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Fall Mystery Reads Tour.
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
Strangers telling each other their deepest secrets starts the ball rolling as we find many characters with secrets, characters who tell lies, characters who are manipulative, and characters who aren’t who they seem.
Martha and Selena meet by chance on the train coming home, and they exchange
Martha is having an affair with her boss.
Selena saw in the nanny camera that her husband was having an affair with the nanny.
Martha replied by saying that maybe the nanny will disappear, and then the nanny does disappear.
Selena doesn't reply but regrets telling her secret.
What do all of these characters have to do with each other and with the events that have been happening?
There are quite a few characters to keep straight and characters that cross paths, but how do they all fit in and connect?
CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 is truly addictive. It is one surprise after another.
You won’t want to put it down because of the writing and the cunning, who-do-you-believe characters and the who-could-think-of these things that are happening.
Make sure this book makes it into your TBR for this fall. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Martha and Selena meet by chance on the train coming home, and they exchange
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secrets.Martha is having an affair with her boss.
Selena saw in the nanny camera that her husband was having an affair with the nanny.
Martha replied by saying that maybe the nanny will disappear, and then the nanny does disappear.
Selena doesn't reply but regrets telling her secret.
What do all of these characters have to do with each other and with the events that have been happening?
There are quite a few characters to keep straight and characters that cross paths, but how do they all fit in and connect?
CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 is truly addictive. It is one surprise after another.
You won’t want to put it down because of the writing and the cunning, who-do-you-believe characters and the who-could-think-of these things that are happening.
Make sure this book makes it into your TBR for this fall. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member clamato
I hade never read any of Lisa Unger's book till this one. I am really impressed and will definitely check out her other ones. This story was both creepy and exciting and kept me guessing. A lot of ah ha, okay that's the connection. It was clever and interesting and scary in parts but overall a very
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gripping read! Show Less
LibraryThing member pgchuis
This was intriguing in places, but I was skimming by the end.
LibraryThing member write-review
Well Done Psychological Suspense
If there is a lesson here it has to be: be careful not to pour out your heart to a stranger on a train. Or maybe it is: go ahead, because events that strike you as bad at first might well prove to be good in the end. Most mystery and suspense readers will find
Selena is a successful businesswoman, a good mom, and apparently happy in her second marriage. That is until she discovers that her unemployed husband has been having an affair with the young nanny, Geneva. She has proof. Graham, readers learn, has transgressed in the past. Though she really likes Geneva, who is good with her two young sons, she grows suspicious to the point where she hides a video camera in the laundry room. Sure enough, she records Graham and Geneva having sex, records them at it twice. Angry and in a funk over it, she meets a young, very attractive woman on the evening train the night she’s seething. She feels drawn to the young woman and reveals just a bit too much, thinking, as anyone would, she’s talking to a stranger. Little does she realize that the conversation will upend her life with the result, after much turmoil, turning out to be good and launching her into another career.
Martha is the name of the young woman, but she is anything but a stranger. She’s a grifter, a master of the short and long con. As readers discover, she has a long history of conning people, and she learned her craft from a master, a man she calls Pop. In alternating chapters and flashbacks, Unger slowly, tantalizingly, and quite skillfully reveals how this relationship came about. At first, you might wonder what the variously named charactered have to do with Martha and Selena, until Unger brings it all together in a satisfying ending. The confessions of the title implies that Martha and Selena harbor secrets, as do most people, but this pair, and those close to them, have whoppers.
All in all, readers of the genre, as well as others who seek a bit of escapism, will enjoy their time with Confessions on the 7:45. That is, except maybe for men who insist on engaging in bad behavior and think they are getting away with something. Women know, gentlemen.
If there is a lesson here it has to be: be careful not to pour out your heart to a stranger on a train. Or maybe it is: go ahead, because events that strike you as bad at first might well prove to be good in the end. Most mystery and suspense readers will find
Show More
Confessions on the 7:45 a rewarding romp.Selena is a successful businesswoman, a good mom, and apparently happy in her second marriage. That is until she discovers that her unemployed husband has been having an affair with the young nanny, Geneva. She has proof. Graham, readers learn, has transgressed in the past. Though she really likes Geneva, who is good with her two young sons, she grows suspicious to the point where she hides a video camera in the laundry room. Sure enough, she records Graham and Geneva having sex, records them at it twice. Angry and in a funk over it, she meets a young, very attractive woman on the evening train the night she’s seething. She feels drawn to the young woman and reveals just a bit too much, thinking, as anyone would, she’s talking to a stranger. Little does she realize that the conversation will upend her life with the result, after much turmoil, turning out to be good and launching her into another career.
Martha is the name of the young woman, but she is anything but a stranger. She’s a grifter, a master of the short and long con. As readers discover, she has a long history of conning people, and she learned her craft from a master, a man she calls Pop. In alternating chapters and flashbacks, Unger slowly, tantalizingly, and quite skillfully reveals how this relationship came about. At first, you might wonder what the variously named charactered have to do with Martha and Selena, until Unger brings it all together in a satisfying ending. The confessions of the title implies that Martha and Selena harbor secrets, as do most people, but this pair, and those close to them, have whoppers.
All in all, readers of the genre, as well as others who seek a bit of escapism, will enjoy their time with Confessions on the 7:45. That is, except maybe for men who insist on engaging in bad behavior and think they are getting away with something. Women know, gentlemen.
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LibraryThing member write-review
Well Done Psychological Suspense
If there is a lesson here it has to be: be careful not to pour out your heart to a stranger on a train. Or maybe it is: go ahead, because events that strike you as bad at first might well prove to be good in the end. Most mystery and suspense readers will find
Selena is a successful businesswoman, a good mom, and apparently happy in her second marriage. That is until she discovers that her unemployed husband has been having an affair with the young nanny, Geneva. She has proof. Graham, readers learn, has transgressed in the past. Though she really likes Geneva, who is good with her two young sons, she grows suspicious to the point where she hides a video camera in the laundry room. Sure enough, she records Graham and Geneva having sex, records them at it twice. Angry and in a funk over it, she meets a young, very attractive woman on the evening train the night she’s seething. She feels drawn to the young woman and reveals just a bit too much, thinking, as anyone would, she’s talking to a stranger. Little does she realize that the conversation will upend her life with the result, after much turmoil, turning out to be good and launching her into another career.
Martha is the name of the young woman, but she is anything but a stranger. She’s a grifter, a master of the short and long con. As readers discover, she has a long history of conning people, and she learned her craft from a master, a man she calls Pop. In alternating chapters and flashbacks, Unger slowly, tantalizingly, and quite skillfully reveals how this relationship came about. At first, you might wonder what the variously named charactered have to do with Martha and Selena, until Unger brings it all together in a satisfying ending. The confessions of the title implies that Martha and Selena harbor secrets, as do most people, but this pair, and those close to them, have whoppers.
All in all, readers of the genre, as well as others who seek a bit of escapism, will enjoy their time with Confessions on the 7:45. That is, except maybe for men who insist on engaging in bad behavior and think they are getting away with something. Women know, gentlemen.
If there is a lesson here it has to be: be careful not to pour out your heart to a stranger on a train. Or maybe it is: go ahead, because events that strike you as bad at first might well prove to be good in the end. Most mystery and suspense readers will find
Show More
Confessions on the 7:45 a rewarding romp.Selena is a successful businesswoman, a good mom, and apparently happy in her second marriage. That is until she discovers that her unemployed husband has been having an affair with the young nanny, Geneva. She has proof. Graham, readers learn, has transgressed in the past. Though she really likes Geneva, who is good with her two young sons, she grows suspicious to the point where she hides a video camera in the laundry room. Sure enough, she records Graham and Geneva having sex, records them at it twice. Angry and in a funk over it, she meets a young, very attractive woman on the evening train the night she’s seething. She feels drawn to the young woman and reveals just a bit too much, thinking, as anyone would, she’s talking to a stranger. Little does she realize that the conversation will upend her life with the result, after much turmoil, turning out to be good and launching her into another career.
Martha is the name of the young woman, but she is anything but a stranger. She’s a grifter, a master of the short and long con. As readers discover, she has a long history of conning people, and she learned her craft from a master, a man she calls Pop. In alternating chapters and flashbacks, Unger slowly, tantalizingly, and quite skillfully reveals how this relationship came about. At first, you might wonder what the variously named charactered have to do with Martha and Selena, until Unger brings it all together in a satisfying ending. The confessions of the title implies that Martha and Selena harbor secrets, as do most people, but this pair, and those close to them, have whoppers.
All in all, readers of the genre, as well as others who seek a bit of escapism, will enjoy their time with Confessions on the 7:45. That is, except maybe for men who insist on engaging in bad behavior and think they are getting away with something. Women know, gentlemen.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DidIReallyReadThat
This book was a little to farfetched for my liking.
LibraryThing member rmarcin
Just when you think you have everything figured out, Lisa Unger surprises you over and over again. This novel is a con game with a mix of Strangers on the Train thrown in.
Selena is in love with her husband, Graham, and is happy with her nanny, Geneva, for her two sons. But, when she catches them
When Geneva disappears, Selena wonders what her husband is capable of doing.
Anna is having an affair with her married boss, but his wife gives Anna an ultimatum.
This novel has many women wronged by men, women conning men to get revenge, and the timelines don't have dates, so there is some confusion and intentional misdirection by the author. I finally had an aha moment about 45% through the novel, and things started to make sense. But, there were still some surprises to come.
Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Opinions are my own and freely given.
Selena is in love with her husband, Graham, and is happy with her nanny, Geneva, for her two sons. But, when she catches them
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together, and when a stranger on the 7:45 train (Martha) tells her a big secret, Selena shares her secret to Martha. When Geneva disappears, Selena wonders what her husband is capable of doing.
Anna is having an affair with her married boss, but his wife gives Anna an ultimatum.
This novel has many women wronged by men, women conning men to get revenge, and the timelines don't have dates, so there is some confusion and intentional misdirection by the author. I finally had an aha moment about 45% through the novel, and things started to make sense. But, there were still some surprises to come.
Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Opinions are my own and freely given.
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LibraryThing member Jynell
This one fell short for me. I read 60% of it, but felt bored and couldn't bring myself to finish it.
LibraryThing member burritapal
This book is about the man that you marry, who you don't realize is a monster, who will destroy yours and your childrens' lives.
They're good at playing imposters while they're courting you, but just watch and see what happens after you're married.
The protagonist, Selena, has every freaking
" 'I'm sure it will just be a couple of days,' said Selena. There was a weight on her shoulders that she couldn't shift off, a deep fatigue tugging at her brain.
'As long as you need us,' she said. 'We're here.'
Inside, they got the boys settled in the room that was just for them, another one adjoined by a Jack-and-Jill bath for their two cousins, Lily and Jasper. Paolo [Selena's stepfather] said that he'd tend to the kids, and Selena and her mother went to the kitchen, where Selena told her everything. The cheating, Geneva [nanny that the husband is fucking]not showing up for work. Not the girl on the train."
Pearl, the half sister of Selena, though we don't know this yet, is taken care of by Charlie, her mom's ex-boyfriend, when they find her mother killed. She's another character who seems to have every privilege, at least after her mother dies:
"Charlie said he had a place in a town called Pecos, outside of Santa Fe, and that's where they headed. When they arrived, she barely noticed the town before they'd passed through it completely. It consisted of a general store and a bar, a gas station turned art gallery, a diner, a consignment store. It took them less than 5 minutes to pass through it in its entirety.
They wound along clay roads, past houses that were hidden in the trees, wind chimes on porches, bird song, until finally they arrived. A small Adobe structure waited, surrounded by trees, mountains, and sky. The other properties they'd passed were miles back."
I know this area, having lived in New Mexico for years. It's heaven.
After meeting the woman on the train, and confessing that she thinks her nanny is fucking her husband, Selena finally overcomes her reluctance, and contacts Martha, nee Annie, nee Pearl, and meets up with her at a bar in Manhattan, around midnight. She's in the mode of hating to see any couple right now. (FYI that's my permanent mode.):
"a couple nestled at the table behind Martha -- young and in love. Just wait, thought Selena, surprised at her own bitterness...."
The protagonist, Selena, is one of those people who tell lies on social media, so everybody thinks their lives are perfect. This is one reason I left Facebook, because people don't tell the truth.
"Her headlights split the night, the world black around the unfurling ribbon of road. As her speed slowed, so did the racing of her heart, the adrenaline pulse. In the quiet, she wondered how much of her marriage - of any marriage - was built on a foundation of pretty stories, a narrative that you stitched together based on delusion and hope and wishful thinking.
little lies like the curated, filtered posts on social media that make your life together look so wonderful, just after you've had a big fight, the months of marriage counseling not doing much good. Fake orgasms - guilty. Sometimes, really, she just wanted to get it over with. After Parenthood, sleep was the new sex.
Little things like telling him she liked his cooking. She didn't.
It's just nice that he cooks at all, said Beth, when Selena dared to complain.
God, women's standards were so fucking low. But Selena bought in, always praised Graham's efforts in the kitchen. Because, yeah, it was better than nothing. In her lifetime, she never saw her father prepare a single meal, run the dishwasher, sweep a floor."
Oh, I almost forgot another privilege to Selena has: She has an ex-boyfriend, Will, a lawyer, waiting endlessly for her to realize she loves him, and ready to step in as her lawyer at the drop of a pin. When she goes to spend the night at his house, when she's fighting with Graham, he's the perfect gentleman and gives her his bed, in his great house. Can we stop with the privilege already?
I have to be honest: I didn't have sympathy for this character. Even though her husband was violent with her, and cheated on her. Same here. her life was so privileged, she had the best job, her boss is her best friend, she can just work at home if situations change, at the drop of a hat. She has a mother who enables her.
They're good at playing imposters while they're courting you, but just watch and see what happens after you're married.
The protagonist, Selena, has every freaking
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privilege in the world. Listen to this: She has a mother who will take her boys at the drop of a hat, into her house, where they have their own room. And she will just take care of them for as long as Selena needs. And besides that, Selena has her own room, too, in her mother's house:" 'I'm sure it will just be a couple of days,' said Selena. There was a weight on her shoulders that she couldn't shift off, a deep fatigue tugging at her brain.
'As long as you need us,' she said. 'We're here.'
Inside, they got the boys settled in the room that was just for them, another one adjoined by a Jack-and-Jill bath for their two cousins, Lily and Jasper. Paolo [Selena's stepfather] said that he'd tend to the kids, and Selena and her mother went to the kitchen, where Selena told her everything. The cheating, Geneva [nanny that the husband is fucking]not showing up for work. Not the girl on the train."
Pearl, the half sister of Selena, though we don't know this yet, is taken care of by Charlie, her mom's ex-boyfriend, when they find her mother killed. She's another character who seems to have every privilege, at least after her mother dies:
"Charlie said he had a place in a town called Pecos, outside of Santa Fe, and that's where they headed. When they arrived, she barely noticed the town before they'd passed through it completely. It consisted of a general store and a bar, a gas station turned art gallery, a diner, a consignment store. It took them less than 5 minutes to pass through it in its entirety.
They wound along clay roads, past houses that were hidden in the trees, wind chimes on porches, bird song, until finally they arrived. A small Adobe structure waited, surrounded by trees, mountains, and sky. The other properties they'd passed were miles back."
I know this area, having lived in New Mexico for years. It's heaven.
After meeting the woman on the train, and confessing that she thinks her nanny is fucking her husband, Selena finally overcomes her reluctance, and contacts Martha, nee Annie, nee Pearl, and meets up with her at a bar in Manhattan, around midnight. She's in the mode of hating to see any couple right now. (FYI that's my permanent mode.):
"a couple nestled at the table behind Martha -- young and in love. Just wait, thought Selena, surprised at her own bitterness...."
The protagonist, Selena, is one of those people who tell lies on social media, so everybody thinks their lives are perfect. This is one reason I left Facebook, because people don't tell the truth.
"Her headlights split the night, the world black around the unfurling ribbon of road. As her speed slowed, so did the racing of her heart, the adrenaline pulse. In the quiet, she wondered how much of her marriage - of any marriage - was built on a foundation of pretty stories, a narrative that you stitched together based on delusion and hope and wishful thinking.
little lies like the curated, filtered posts on social media that make your life together look so wonderful, just after you've had a big fight, the months of marriage counseling not doing much good. Fake orgasms - guilty. Sometimes, really, she just wanted to get it over with. After Parenthood, sleep was the new sex.
Little things like telling him she liked his cooking. She didn't.
It's just nice that he cooks at all, said Beth, when Selena dared to complain.
God, women's standards were so fucking low. But Selena bought in, always praised Graham's efforts in the kitchen. Because, yeah, it was better than nothing. In her lifetime, she never saw her father prepare a single meal, run the dishwasher, sweep a floor."
Oh, I almost forgot another privilege to Selena has: She has an ex-boyfriend, Will, a lawyer, waiting endlessly for her to realize she loves him, and ready to step in as her lawyer at the drop of a pin. When she goes to spend the night at his house, when she's fighting with Graham, he's the perfect gentleman and gives her his bed, in his great house. Can we stop with the privilege already?
I have to be honest: I didn't have sympathy for this character. Even though her husband was violent with her, and cheated on her. Same here. her life was so privileged, she had the best job, her boss is her best friend, she can just work at home if situations change, at the drop of a hat. She has a mother who enables her.
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LibraryThing member Lauren2013
Confessions on the 7:45
4 Stars
A chance encounter with a stranger on a train changes Selena Murphy's life forever. After the woman, Martha, confesses to an affair with her employer, Selena reciprocates and explains that she suspects her husband of sleeping with the nanny. The women part ways and
The narrative is presented from the perspectives of several different characters, but mainly those of Selena, Anne aka Martha, and Pearl - a teenager whose connection to the women on the train is slowly revealed as the story progresses. The twists revolving around her identity are particularly compelling.
In what appears to be a trend with domestic thrillers, none of the characters are particularly appealing. Selena is cold and self-absorbed, Anne is cunning and manipulative, and Pearl is strange and aloof. The male characters aren't much better. Graham, Selena's husband, is a liar and a cheat; Hugo, Anne's boss, is whiny and pathetic; and Charlie, Pearl's surrogate father, is more than a little creepy. Nevertheless, as the details of the various characters' lives are exposed, the desire to piece the connections together and uncover the truth keeps the pages turning.
Lisa Unger's writing is suspenseful overall, although there is some unnecessary repetition of internal motivations and angst that slows the pacing. That said, the eventual climax and resolution are exciting and satisfying.
All in all, a solid psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing.
4 Stars
A chance encounter with a stranger on a train changes Selena Murphy's life forever. After the woman, Martha, confesses to an affair with her employer, Selena reciprocates and explains that she suspects her husband of sleeping with the nanny. The women part ways and
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Selena puts the episode behind her until the nanny disappears. As the police investigate, the façade of Selena's perfect life begins to crumble, and she is forced to confront the truth about her past and her future. The narrative is presented from the perspectives of several different characters, but mainly those of Selena, Anne aka Martha, and Pearl - a teenager whose connection to the women on the train is slowly revealed as the story progresses. The twists revolving around her identity are particularly compelling.
In what appears to be a trend with domestic thrillers, none of the characters are particularly appealing. Selena is cold and self-absorbed, Anne is cunning and manipulative, and Pearl is strange and aloof. The male characters aren't much better. Graham, Selena's husband, is a liar and a cheat; Hugo, Anne's boss, is whiny and pathetic; and Charlie, Pearl's surrogate father, is more than a little creepy. Nevertheless, as the details of the various characters' lives are exposed, the desire to piece the connections together and uncover the truth keeps the pages turning.
Lisa Unger's writing is suspenseful overall, although there is some unnecessary repetition of internal motivations and angst that slows the pacing. That said, the eventual climax and resolution are exciting and satisfying.
All in all, a solid psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing.
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Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Mystery — 2021)
International Thriller Writers Award (Nominee — 2021)
Language
Original publication date
2020