Actual Star Rating: 4.5

I absolutely, freaking ADORE Lisa Unger's novels. She has an uncanny knack for completely sucking me in from page one and never letting me go! This book was no exception and in my opinion, it is one of her most unique and well written books. This will definitely go down as a favorite thriller of 2020 for me, mostly because of the wild ride, unique characters and fresh twists/turns that kept me fully engaged.

I had the opportunity to listen to this one via Hoopla and the narrator was simply FANTASTIC. You could feel every frustration, every emotion and every feeling of each character and the production was fantastic. I do wish that they would have introduced a different narrator/voice for some of the characters to break it up a bit more and to help keep everything straight. There are a lot of names and histories that were confusing to me at times, but that didn't take away anything from the actual story.

Make sure you are paying attention closely throughout this because I definitely think I missed key parts because I zoned out or forgot to hit pause. The story, the plot and the characters all come together in the end, but you'll want to make sure you set aside a lot of dedicated time to focus on this masterpiece.

This was simply brilliant!

I have been a fan of Lisa Unger for years and was excited to see her new novel, Confessions on the 7:45, to show up in my email. The story synopsis made it sound intriguing, very psychological in nature, and tons of suspense. I wasn’t disappointed in any of those topics.

This story had a lot of suspense and a lot of “oh my gosh, what’s going to happen?” moments. I disliked many of the characters, but I feel like they were written to dislike to begin with, so I didn’t feel so bad.

My biggest issue with this novel was the beginning. There were a LOT of characters introduced in the first six or seven chapters and I was struggling to remember who was part of which part of the story. I also found the beginning to be a bit slow on the pickup. It wasn’t until about the 20% mark in the story that it started to really become interesting and pick up for me.

Otherwise, I was intrigued and found the story to have a lot of twists and turns, most of which I did not see coming or could not figure it out. The characters are interesting as you try and figure out why they do what they do and what part they may play in the story. Unger does a good job of twisting a catching tale to keep you guessing the whole time. I’ll definitely continue to enjoy her stories.

*** Blog Tour with author Q&A ***

Only one train ride – the 7:45 – features in this book, and only two confessions. Starting with that, Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger takes you on a ride through disappearances and murders and a family drama that ties it all together. In the middle of affairs, violence, and murder, the characters seem real. That keeps me turning the pages to find out what happens. No disclaimer but I love the ending!

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/10/confessions-on-745.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and the Fall 2020 mystery/thriller blog tour from Harlequin Trade Publishing.

This is my first book by Lisa Unger. I have heard good things but hadn't had a chance to partake in her writing until I received this novel to review.
 
Selena Murphy's life isn't as perfect as it seems. One night, while commuting home from her job in the city, the train stalls out on the tracks. The woman next to her starts a conversation, 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. Eager to reciprocate, Selena confines that her husband is sleeping with her nanny. The two both lament how problems can't just go away. Or can they? When Selena’s nanny disappears she learns that the woman on the train isn't all that she seems.
 
This thriller is engaging and keeps you guessing how all the pieces are connected. The writing isn't overly complex nor is it overly simple. It's has a nice pace keeping the reader interested. This makes the novel an enjoyably read without being bored,

I enjoyed the non-conventional story and how it played out. Unger has a great imagination weaves it creating a good suspense novel. The majority of the characters are shades of grey making for interesting characters. The reader finds themselves upset and then cheering for some of the characters. The author also digs into ethical ideas and the hazy area that real-life lies in.

While I enjoyed this novel, I'm not sure if I will seek out other novels by the author. Maybe I need one more book to truly appreciate her as more than a one good novel author.

Selena Murphy thought she had the perfect life - a husband, two sons and a successful career, but things aren’t always as they seem. One evening during her commute home on a train, the train stalls. With extra time on her hands, she confides in the stranger sitting next to her. Selena admits she suspects her husband of sleeping with their nanny. Once the train ride is over, the women goes their separate ways. Not long after, the nanny vanishes.

As the police investigate the nanny’s disappearance, Selena learns of shocking secrets that could turn her family upside down.

This is a captivating story that kept me engrossed to the end. I guessed a few things but I couldn’t quite figure out how it all fit together. This book is one big jigsaw puzzle and I enjoyed figuring out how the pieces were all connected.

I never read this author before, but I heard so many good things. Now I know why. This is a fast-paced classic mystery story filled with a wide array of characters. This suspenseful book kept me up late at night until I got all my answers.

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this book, it is also moving day, and one of the busiest days of the quarter at work. Is it time for a drink yet?? So. How are you at talking to strangers when you travel? I despise it, and can guarantee I am in full RBF mode and that still does not stop some folks from trying. I am polite but I am here to get from A to B and read a book along the way, not have a conversation the whole time. But alas, let’s dive into this book as our gal Selena was here for the convos and says way too much to a complete stranger.

Selena is on a late night train going home, and sits next to someone, Martha, and they begin to talk. Then Martha says she is sleeping with her boss and is afraid she can’t get out of it. Whaaat? Well, Selena says hold my beer, and confesses she thinks her husband is cheating on her with their nanny. Excuse me? They talk a little more about this and then next thing you know it’s time to get off the train, they part ways, and that is that. Right? Riiiight. Selena spends the next few days dealing with her situation and what she’s going to do about it, but before she can make a decision, the nanny disappears. Oofta. And then out of the blue she gets a text from an unknown number asking if they can continue talking.

“It’s Martha, by the way, from the train.”

There are a lot of characters to keep up with in this story, and between this and the many twists I was a little skeptical on where this was headed, but by the end I was on board and really liked how it all wrapped up. And the premise is just such a darn good one, I mean really.

I also listened to this via audio, and the narrator was great. A huge thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the e-galley to review, and for having me as part of the blog tour.

CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 offers everything you could ever want in a top-notch suspenseful domestic read. It tells a story about a couple’s problems with infidelity. It is another suburbia family with the perfect Instagram lifestyle. Everything is not as as it seems in the squares posted each day, however.
We have a wife struggling with a cheating husband, and the perfect nanny who does not miss a beat and mom feels guilty about her lack of full-time parenting. Instagram does not share a husband who is practically useless. In real life, some men create damage women starting from childhood. Sometimes, it is a cycle being passed from one generation to the next.
In Confessions, you will read how Selena childhood impacts her adult life. You will read along as she naturally progresses from denial to self-awareness. The story digs deeper into the mysterious disappearance of the nanny, Geneva. It is a first-rate plot with perfect twists. And what I like the most, its not told from an “unreliable narrative”. There are multiple POVs including her 7-year-old son and mother. With so many, I had to take notes and create a family tree as I was reading. As a reader, it helps me tremendously to follow the plot.
The characters were not terribly shocking. It was more of being awestruck in how they are interconnected. Reading suspense thrillers and domestic thrillers is new to me. So, each time I read a new one I am always excited to read how the story unfolds to the last page. I am also happy when they are not cookie cutter to books made into movies.
This is my first Unger book, and it was amazing!!! It wasn’t diluted with a lot of descriptive and embellished words. Sometimes I cringed when a story is told as a narrative without a healthy dose of dialogue. I call it “page filler” and I do not like it. This is not that type of book. Each conversation left you on edge. Even her son’s POV made you straighten and take notice – and he is 7 years old.
I was happy to read another thriller about a “missing person” and not suspect each character. Instead, as a reader you try to piece together all the intricate details unfolding and how it relates to the nanny’s disappearance. The non-linear storytelling sparkles. All in all, the ending was packed with tension and made for an incredibly satisfying conclusion. If you are one of the few who have not read it, do not wait. It is fantastic!!!!

This was a twisty, suspenseful domestic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. When I started reading this one, it seemed like there were two different stories, maybe even three. I was not sure how these characters fit together, but once Lisa Unger shared those couple of tidbits to allow me to figure it out, I raced through the rest of it.

We know from the synopsis that there are two women who meet on a train, the 7:45, and share secrets. It is easy to tell strangers things that you don't want to tell your friends. Selena has a troubled marriage and shares that her husband is having an affair with the Nanny. Martha tells Selena that hse is having an affair with her boss, a married man. What happens next is the thing of nightmares. The story is told from their Points of View. There are many characters in the story, and some of them change names, which adds another twist. The final twist is that the nanny disappears. 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. What really happened to her. I do not want to spoil this one for anyone, so all I will say is you need to read this one to find out more about these characters and their situations. As I have come to expect from Lisa Unger, this was a well plotted story, with great characters and twists. A psychological, domestic thriller that you will not want to put down.

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.

I’m always so happy to take part in a Harlequin tour, especially for mysteries and thriller, as they always have wonderful books for me to discover and enjoy!

Today I’m dishing about Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger. Suspenseful, thrilling, keeps you guessing — all things that apply to this book!

This was an awesome read! Lisa Unger is truly a master of mystery and suspense, so no surprise that I enjoyed it! I have to say, though, that it did not remind me of Strangers on a Train – it is unique in its own right.

Pub Day is 10-06-20 so get ready!!

Thank you for making me part of the tour and for my kindle copy.

I relish the release days for a new Lisa Unger novel! There aren't enough steadily great thriller authors, while there are a ton, I need consistency for my hard earned dollars and time. Unger has yet to disappoint my needy mind seeking devious people and reckless actions. Really, it is such a guilty pleasure! Confessions on the 7:45 was even more of a treat than I expected! Unger gives us a taunt psychological suspense that is a weaving twisted mess of secrets, lies, and mysteries to untangle. It is everything I love about these books! Unger excelled in weaving together characters and a plot, both so twisted it was obsessive!

This story is not one to miss! I really felt as though the story had a plausible feel to it. I think that could be the reason it felt eerie to me... the thoughts that it could be. The chance meeting of a stranger. The conversation that just seems to flow effortlessly. Unger pulled out all the stops for this story. She played it like an expert at her craft, knowing just when and how to pull the story off. It has to be Unger's best novel yet... or at least the best novel I have read from Miss Unger! I'll be eagerly awaiting her next! I wouldn't mind seeing her go a bit darker.

I received an ARC of this book, from Harlequin Trade Publishing, with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

Confessions on the 7:45 is reminiscent of Strangers on a Train, but don’t worry – this is no copycat story. The book follows various point of views, and slowly but surely, they start to connect and make sense. One of the most prominent POV’s is Selena, who meets a stranger named Martha on the train home from work one night. She discloses a secret, after Martha reveals one of her own, and from then on, Selena’s life begins to unravel.

Her nanny goes missing; she’s being questioned by the police, as is her husband. Selena wants to pretend that she has a picture perfect life, but it’s not true, and cracks are forming everywhere.

At first, I thought the various POV’s were going to be confusing, but it didn’t take long to get adjusted. Plus, once things started to come together more, it all made sense, and you realize that the POV’s are all needed. I guessed some of the connections and secrets as I read, but I didn’t figure out the entire mystery and I love that. It’s fun to guess correctly here and there, but a good mystery keeps you reading and wondering and still surprises you.

This is the first book I’ve read by Lisa Unger, but I definitely need to dig into her backlist. I love a well-done mystery, and this was definitely one!

<b><i>"Sometimes a stranger was the safest place in your life."</i></b>

And sometimes there is danger lurking in the unknown.

When working mom Selena confides her suspicions with a stranger on the train she feels a momentary release from the burden of her secret. Oddly, she feels a connection to this woman even though she she doesn't quite understand why. Her brief meeting leaves her feeling uneasy especially after the woman starts texting her. But Selena has bigger problems to deal with. Her nanny has gone missing and the police are asking questions. Questions that if answered truthfully could put her and her husband in hot water.

The twists in <b>Confessions on the 7:45</b> come early and hit hard. For a moment you are both intrigued and unsettled. You may not yet have a clue as to where the novel is headed, but you are certainly anxious to find out. Loosely based on Highsmith's Strangers on a Train, Confessions reminds us how much of our lives are on display for the world to see and how this technology may be used against us.

In <b>Confessions on the 7:45</b> Unger delves into those liminal spaces where things are neither black or white. People are not all good or all bad.

The found family trope takes on new meaning when you have a psychopath at its center. For each character Unger shows how they were shaped by their childhood experiences. Family secrets are not just burdens for those who hold them; their price can be meted out upon the heads of those kept in the dark.

Adding to this mystery are the layers of metaphor Lisa Unger weaves into her writing. People are like pine seedlings on a forest floor. They appear to be refuse, litter to be consumed by fire. But instead that pressure and heat is the spark they need to blossom and flourish and start on their path in life. This sentiment is repeated with the myth of the phoenix rising out of the ashes to fly unburdened into the sky.

<b>Confessions on the 7:45</b> is my third Lisa Unger book. I find her work to be intelligently written with much thought given to the development of her characters. Readers are pulled in to the stories because her characters are relatable. They can be you or me or someone we know. Their past lives are given enough attention that you understand what makes them tick.

The plot is full of twists and turns and plenty of salacious details. I was riveted to my seat all day long.

<b>Highly recommended for thriller and mystery fans.</b>

An interesting premise that gets a little lost in execution.

Confessing your secrets to a total stranger feels easy. You can spill your heart to your seat mate on the train because they don’t know you and you’ll never see them again. Or at least that’s what Selena Murphy believes. After missing her usual train home one night she strikes up a conversation with the woman beside her on a later train. The woman, Martha, confesses that she’s having an affair with her boss. Selena opens up about the affair she suspects (and knows) her husband is having with their nanny. It feels like idle chatter, a way to let off steam, until Selena’s nanny goes missing. And she starts getting text messages from Martha.

This is an interesting premise that gets a little lost in the execution. There are a few too many narrators and some plot threads are left strangely unresolved. Regular suspense readers will likely guess many of the plot twists well in advance of the reveals. Still, fans of the genre or those looking for a book with a lot of twists and turns should find something to enjoy here.

I really enjoyed this intricately plotted thriller! The author's main characters were rich and complex. The story is relatable because it starts with an encounter on a train. The twists in this novel left me breathless. I will definitely read more books by this intriguing author.

I'll be honest, I almost DNF'd this book. I found the first quarter very confusing and it had way too many perspectives. But as I got further along, the reasons for those perspectives became clearer and made sense. So I was glad I ultimately decided to trust the author. One perspective, however, I think could have been taken out (the son's) and nothing would have changed in the overall story.

This is a bit of a convoluted plot, and to talk about it would give way some key points. I was expecting a type of Strangers on a Train story. It ended up being a lot more complex than that. I did call a couple of the twists, but was still surprised in the end. Overall, this was a well written mystery with a satisfying ending. I highly recommend it.

Selena is married to Graham and mother to Stephen and Oliver. Due to a meeting that ran over, she has just missed her usual train home. So, she stops in her office and will get the 7:45 train home. Checking her computer and the home cameras, she sees Graham and her nanny, Geneva, having sex.

Anne and her boss, Hugh, have sex often. His wife heads the company but he enjoys being with Anne. He tells her that he wants to divorce his wife and marry her.

When Selena catches the 7:45, she sits next to a woman who starts chatting with her. Sharing some little vodka bottles, they open up and say some things that should have remained secret.

Thus begins an intricately twisted tale that brings all of these characters together in a deadly dance. How will it end?

This book is surprising, violent, gritty, and scary. But it is also compelling and readers will want to finish reading it to see how it all comes together. Once again, I am absolutely gobsmacked at the imaginations of authors. Lisa Unger has again hit it out of the park with this one. Whew! What a ride.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest 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 realising 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.

What if all your problems could just disappear? That's the question the mysterious Martha poses to Selena as they ride the train home together after a particularly difficult day. Selena doesn't really know Martha and in the way that people do, Selena shares a secret with Martha that will haunt her later on.

This is the type of book that is difficult to review without spilling the secrets. But I will say that the book does a great job of making you think things are going one way, and then they are really going somewhere else if that makes any sense to you.

The story is told from multiple points of view and that adds to drama and tension of the book. It will keep you guessing until the end, even after the various reveals of who people really are and the games they are playing with other people's lives. It is a slower read because of the need to keep track of the characters and their aliases.

I did enjoy this book from a suspense standpoint. I usually can start putting the pieces together but Confessions did a great job of keeping me guessing. While I thought the pace for reading was a bit slow, it was a book that kept me wondering until the final pages, so that was good.

Overall, an artfully crafted suspense thriller. This is my first book from this author and I'll be looking out for more.

An ARC was provided by the publisher. This is my honest review.

Confessions on the 7:45 would make a great movie! While ostensibly a remake of Strangers on a Train, it is so much more.

Selena has had a bad few months. Her husband, Charlie, lost his job—and doesn’t seem to be searching too hard for another one. In fact, at this very minute, he is rutting with their nanny, Geneva, in the boy’s playroom. Selena had seen it once before soon after moving the nanny cam. Now, they will have to get another nanny. And Geneva was so good with the boys.

Anne is in an affair with her married boss. Unfortunately, the company’s owner is her boss’ wife. This doesn’t sound like it will end well.

When Selena meets a stranger in a train, her confession sounds suspiciously like Anne. When Selena describes her own problems, the two agree that they wished their problems would just go away. A few days later, Geneva disappears. Was it the mysterious woman on the train? Or Selena’s husband? And what does the stranger, now calling herself Martha, want in exchange from Selena?

Such a fun, and insightful book! The characters are all well-rounded and have their own, sometimes conflicting, motives. Almost all of them get their chance to narrate a chapter or two. The most interesting is Oliver, Selena and Charlie’s six-year-old son, who knows more than he wants to about his family and Geneva’s last day. But who will listen to such a young boy? Confessions on the 7:45 is highly recommended to thriller readers! 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Park Row, Harlequin Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.