The Business Trip is an absolutely jaw-dropping thriller that I stayed up late to finish, with shocking twists and turns that I did not see coming. This one gets five stars just for sheer make-the-world-go-away entertainment value!

Stephanie and Jasmine are strangers seated by each other on the same flight to Denver. Jasmine is escaping an abusive boyfriend, and Stephanie is on her way to a conference. After the flight, both text friends almost identical messages of meeting the same man, and then the two women vanish.

This story was told from the POV of several different characters, which I wasn't sure I liked at first but ended up really working to develop all the details. The directions this went in were just insane and unexpected; just when you think you have the ending figured out, no you don't! It was all so over-the-top and I just devoured it.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC!

I'm a fairly prolific thriller reader, and it's rare that I get completely surprised by a twist, but Jessie Garcia's The Business Trip has a reveal at the end that got me. It's an OMG kind of moment, and the ride to get there is incredibly entertaining. None of the characters are particularly likable, with the exception of Robert the cat sitter, but that was part of the fun. The Business Trip is a strong debut, and it's easy to see that Jessie Garcia is an author to watch.

The Business Trip is the gripping, page-turning debut from author Jessie Garcia.
This book was high on my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint!
I was immediately pulled into the story! It was fast-paced and intriguing. Definitely kept me hooked and wanting more.
The characters are well-developed and realistic.
The writing is fast-paced and engaging, with vivid descriptions and dialogue that will immerse you in the story.
An entertaining, impressive, twisty debut. Such a great suspenseful story.
I will definitely e keeping my eyes open for Garcia’s upcoming titles.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an Advanced Reader Copy

The Business Trip is Jessie Garcia’s debut novel. The novel is a thriller based on a chance meeting between two women sitting next to each other on a plane. One woman is fleeing an abusive relationship, while the other woman is a news director on her way to yet another professional conference. After the flight, the two women begin sending texts to friends about a mysterious man named Trent McCarthy that they met and are now going to visit in Atlanta. Then both women vanish. Who is Trent McCarthy, and who are these women?

The first half of the book focuses on piecing together what happened to Stephanie, the news director, as the texts are inconsistent with her personality and don’t even sound like her. The next 40% of the book focuses on Jessica, the abused woman, and this portion of the book really drags and is more tell than show. The last 10% of the book is the final gobsmacking twist that is entertaining yet implausible. Certainly not something the reader could have predicted based on what had gone on before. However, I rate this book as a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for the shock value alone.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

Sometimes I really struggle with multiple viewpoints in thrillers, especially as their POVs overlap in the narrative, and The Business Trip was no exception, but it was not nearly as bad as it's been for me with other books.

Stephanie and Jasmine are two women from drastically different walks of life whose lives end up having more in common than they don't. The twists and turns this story went on were so interesting, but sometimes the switching of POVs made the narrative slow to a halt and I found myself paying attention to details that didn't really matter (which, arguably, means they weren't necessary) but I think Garcia told this story in a way that works best for the characters, and I'm not sure how to rephrase that without making it spoiler-y, so I apologize if that was confusing.

Overall, I found this to be gripping but I felt like the slow moments really slowed the narrative at times. However, the parts that were gripping were very engaging and I stuck with it more than I didn't. A very solid debut!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

4 ⭐️s

Stephanie and Jasmine share a brief encounter on a flight to San Diego. The two women have nothing in common, but before long both have vanished after sending eerily similiar text messages about a man named Trent, alarming their friends at home. I absolutely loved this thriller with its unique, fast paced structure. It switches frequently between characters so you absolutely have to read the name at the top of each chapter, but it's absolutely worth keeping track of who is talking. I couldn't put it down and definitely didn't guess at what had happened to the two women.

What did I just read? It’s hard to throw in twists these days that avid readers don’t see coming but Garcia did an amazing job. I started this one this afternoon and did not get anything done because I got so invested in this page turner. 5 stars! This is going to be one of the best of 2025.

This book gave me so much anxiety for at least the first half, if not 3/4. But it was well placed suspense and lots of it that caused my anxiety! That suspense kept me reading. I had to know what happened to these characters!

Told through multiple POVs this was like a whodunnit on steroids. And just when you think you solved one thing, another twist arose.

The very end did a whole lot of explaining at once, maybe too much. But, you don't have to worry about unanswered questions.

Very enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more from this author.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4⭐️.

As always, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a read!!

Jasmine is desperate to get out of an abusive relationship, and finally has the means to make it happen. While she was getting away, she met Stephanie, who could almost be her doppelgänger they looked so much alike. Jasmine puts on a great front and had planned well to get away and not let her ex find her. But as she’s sitting on the plane with Stephanie, she’s getting ideas on how to make her getaway easier. And then both women vanish.

Pros
Engaging storyline with lots of twists and turns
Different perspectives
Suspenseful

Cons
Repetitiveness
Complex list of characters makes it challenging to keep track
The ending is not at all what I expected for a book like this.

I

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Holy crap... what did I just read?? Wow, that was quite the whirlwind of a story.
First, my main reason for only three stars is because this one was WAY too long in my opinion. While I liked the overall plot, it really dragged in the middle and I had a hard time being invested enough to keep reading.
Also, I would say get ready for a TON of really unlikable characters as you dive into this one. Without giving away any spoilers, part of the reason I had such a hard time with this one in the middle was because of the narrator towards the middle of the book. She becomes extremely entitled and really kind of just an awful person and I found myself not really caring about her or her story line.
There were also a few "side bar" stories that did kind of end up being relevant at the end of the book, but also I don't think the side plots were necessary or that they enhanced the book at all.
Overall, it's a little outside of the realm of realistic, but the ending was pretty decent. Kind of a middle-of-the-road thriller. Would've given four stars if it had been less boring and if I had liked Jasmine as a person more.

Please note: this review is now posted on my GoodReads account

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was CRAZY with a Capital C! This was another novel that I was approved to read in the Summer of 2024, even though the book is not set to be published until January 2025. Despite that I had months before the pub date to read this book, I ended up reading the first couple of pages and had to read more. This seems to be a recurring pattern for books due to be published in 2025, so BookTok and Bookstagram, trust me you are going to have some addicting reads you will need to get your hands on in 2025!

With that being said, I feel that this is a good book to go into blind. While I could tell you somewhat about the plot, I think you will be happier knowing little about this book. With that being said, be prepared to stay up all night reading, and when you think you have figured out the twist, I can almost guarantee you will be wrong! (I was stunned)

This is a fabulous debut novel by Jessie Garcia and I can almost guarantee that she will be an author to watch in 2025! I hope she writes many more books as addictive as this one!

I also had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook which was Narrated by a full cast including Andrew Eiden; Dylan Fitzpatrick; Fred Berman; Gail Shalan; Hillary Huber; Jennifer Pickens; John Pirhalla; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Kirby Heyborne; Tim Campbell. This was a stellar cast of narrators and everyone was perfect!


—


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

********


If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Buckle Up! Get ready for a wild roller coaster ride! THE BUSINESS TRIP is a highly entertaining, impressive, twisty debut by Jessie Garcia (TV News director)—an author to watch!

When two women's (strangers) lives collide on an airplane (connecting flight) and later go missing—there is an ongoing mystery as to how the two women and one man, who seems to be the common link between them, connect in this riveting domestic page-turner.

Audiobook...

The audiobook is a must-listen performed by a stellar full-cast of 10 favorites— Andrew Eiden, Dylan Fitzpatrick, Fred Berman, Gail Shalan, Hillary Huber, Jennifer Pickens, John Pirhalla, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Kirby Heyborne, and Tim Campbell— making the characters come alive for an engaging, lively listening experience with distinct voices for the characters. I highly recommend the audio.

About...

Jasmine, a young woman from a poor background, thought she found a way out with Glen, but he turned out to be a dead-end-controlling, abusive loser living in a trailer park. He has been a constant threat in her life, making her feel trapped and helpless.

She finally finds a way out with the help of her friend Anna and fearlessly decides to take a flight to Denver for a new start, hoping Glen does not track her down and kill her. She is more resourceful than she may know.

Stephanie is a news director, highly successful, who is recently divorced and estranged from her son and is a workaholic. She is best friends with her gay neighbor, Robert who keeps her cat while traveling. She is on a business trip- a conference for work in San Diego.

The two women randomly connect on a plane, and impulsive and desperate decisions are made that will forever change the trajectory of their lives.

Mysteriously, Robert receives a text from Stephanie saying she is extending her trip to spend time with a new guy, Trent, whom she met. This is not the norm.

At the same time, Anna, Jasmine's high school friend, receives the same message about a guy named Trent in Atlanta. Who is Trent, and what is his connection to Stephanie and Jasmine?

Then, the two women go missing, and Trent is charged. Is there something more sinister involved? Where is Stephanie and Jasmine?

My thoughts...

Garcia's storytelling keeps you on the edge of your seat in THE BUSINESS TRIP. With clever suspense-building and jaw-dropping twists, she weaves an intricate web of deceit, secrets, manipulation, revenge, and lies mixed with dark humor. The unpredictable, witty game of cat and mouse will keep you guessing. Despite everything, you may find yourself possibly sympathizing with Jasmine (possibly).

Multi-layered, told from POVs: Jasmine, Stephanie, Anna, Glenn, Robert, Bruce, Dave, Lucy, Trent and Bill in four parts. (perfect with the audio version). We follow the story from airports, planes, hotels, and bars in Wisconsin, Atlanta, Georgia, California, and Mexico. The story reminds me of the TV/Book series Good Behavior by Blake Crouch. (which I loved).

THE BUSINESS TRIP has set the bar high for a debut, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Recs...

THE BUSINESS TRIP is for fans of fun and twisty domestic thrillers and those who enjoy works by Hank Phillippi Ryan, Emma Rosenblum, Freida McFadden, Kaira Rouda, Victoria Helen Stone, Kimberly Belle, and Jenova Rose.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and #MacAudio2024 for an ALC and ARC via NetGalley and Google Play in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 14, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
Jan 2025 Must-Read Books
Jan Newsletter

This is still a hard book to give a synopsis. I’m not even going to try. I will say the writing was simple and not that compelling but the story was what kept me going. I didn’t love the book but I also didn’t hate the book. I found it to be unbelievable for most of the story and inconsistent but I still wanted to know how it ended. It’s a bit frustrating in that way.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for a honest opinion. 3 ⭐️

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for my eARC of The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

3.5
This was a fast-paced thriller told from multiple POVs where we're trying to find out a man named Trent is and what he did with two girls -- Stephanie and Jasmine.

This was a great debut novel. It had me guessing in a lot of spots and a lot of twists and turns. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and thought for the most part it was done very well -- some of the characters I wasn't sure why we were introduced to them specifically.

There were a few plot twists that I saw coming, and some things that happened seemed a bit convenient, which is why it didn't get a higher rating from me, but I enjoyed the writing and the way the story ended up unfolding. I look forward to seeing what else Garcia comes out with.

I recommend this one and will be looking out for more of Garcia's books.
Thanks, St. Martin's Press!

wow. i fully enjoyed this book. i didn’t know where it was heading and i found myself thinking about it a lot when i wasn’t reading it. i thought all of the plot twists were wrapped up early on, but boy was i wrong! already recommending it to others and will continue to do so! can’t wait to see what jessie does next!

This was a great book to kick off my 2025 reading! Very fast paced with a unique premise and interesting characters. Stephanie meets Jasmine on a flight. Jealousy spawns Jasmine to follow Stephanie and commit heinous crimes. I don’t want to give much away so I’ll just say read it and you won’t be disappointed!

Holy cow! This is a debut author? Bravo!!

I really wish I could reveal spoilers, because I feel like I need to talk about parts of this book in more detail. But let's just start with the idea of meeting your seatmate on a plane. When you think about it, you're on a plane for maybe 2 hours, or more. You're a captive audience and hopefully you've brought a book or are watching a movie on your device or the seat back. But you and your seatmate click. You find yourself revealing so much about yourself, because hey, you are never going to see this person again, right?

But then these two women go missing and the only thing they have in common is that they both texted friends that they had met a guy, Trent McCarthy. Presumably Stephanie has extended her trip to get to know Trent but her texts to her friends and co-workers just aren't making sense. And since Jasmine let her one friend know she was fleeing her husband and would be in touch, no one except her abusive husband is missing her. I was scratching my head trying to figure out what was going on. And then the twist happened. And just when you think everything is tied up in a neat bundle...another twist!

I am a big fan of debut authors and I highly recommend this well done, fast paced book by Jessie Garcia!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advance reader's copy.

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia
Format: ebook/audio hybrid (thank you for the advanced reader copies @netgalley)
Pub Date: 1/14/25
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book had me hooked from the jump and I was expecting a fast pace popcorn thriller! You do, in some ways, get that. But the back half of this book sort of really went off the rails for me.

I think this book had a very fun premise and definitely had me intrigued from the jump. I really enjoyed both female main characters’ POV and there are things that had me wondering what the heck was going on from like 5% in. It certainly had me flying through and turning pages!

First half has these super fast chapters (like 3-5s each) from so many different POVs. It took a second to get used to, but I wasn’t against it. But then you get into the second half and we’re switching to these like 30 page chapters that kind of threw a wrench in the pacing.

I also just think the end of this book is bananas and also a little bit confusing. I found myself texting @marishareadsalot like help did I miss something? (I did not). A lot of the characters whose POV we get in the beginning never end up tied in at the end either which left it kind of unfinished feeling.

All in all this is not a bad book and I think the narrators did a good job, but it would not be a top recommended thriller for me!

Two women. Two different lives. One trip that changes everything.

Stephanie seems to have it all. A great job, a kind neighbor, a sweet cat, and happiness. When she sets off for the news conference, it seems she doesn't have a care in the world. Jasmine lives in an abusive home. With no money, no family, and nowhere to go her life is misery.

Chance puts them on the same plane, and one takes fate into their own hands. What starts innocent, turns into a twisty path of who done it as both women disappear after sending similar messages about who they're with and where they are.

I was constantly searching for the next piece of the mystery and who had done it and yet the ending still had me shook. What a great thriller!

I did an immersive read as I was also given an audio arc of this book. I really liked this book. it was really good. I rated this a 5 stars.