Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillian.audio for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Suspenseful Debut with Room to Grow

Jessie Garcia's debut novel, "The Business Trip," delivers a thrilling ride for suspense fans. The first half effectively establishes a sense of unease, leaving the reader questioning the unfolding events. The second half maintains this momentum, masterfully building anticipation with each twist and turn.

The multi-perspective narrative allows readers to connect with various characters, fostering empathy and understanding, even for some of the more morally ambiguous figures. This approach provides valuable insights into their motivations and adds layers of complexity to the plot.

The story follows Jasmine as she escapes an abusive relationship and embarks on a journey of self-discovery, intersecting with Stephanie's business trip. Their paths converge unexpectedly, while their loved ones race to unravel the mystery surrounding their disappearances. The suspense is expertly maintained, and the plot consistently surprises with unexpected twists and turns.

The audiobook boasts a stellar cast of ten narrators, each bringing a unique voice to their respective characters. This full-cast approach significantly enhances the listening experience, immersing the audience in the suspenseful atmosphere. It's an ideal choice for commutes or relaxing evenings.

While some aspects of the writing and dialogue could benefit from further refinement, "The Business Trip" offers a fast-paced and entertaining read. Overall, it's a promising debut that showcases Garcia's talent for crafting suspenseful narratives.

4 stars

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Hello wild ride. This was a gripping thriller that I didn’t want to put down. You follow Jasmine and Stephanie, both take a flight out of town. Jasmine to escape her controlling, abusive boyfriend and Stephanie for a work trip. It doesn’t take long for things to heat up and to have you start guessing what exactly happened. Even when you think you have it figured out, don’t be so sure.

Jessie Garcia’s debut novel is a triumph for thriller fans. I spent the first half of the book wondering what was happening and the second half wondering what would happen next.

The story is told from various perspectives so readers get to come along for the journey, developing empathy and rapport with the narrator. It’s even fun to hear the voice of some of the more self-assured nefarious characters!

You’ll join Jasmine as she’s sneaking out of her boyfriend’s house, escaping an abusive relationship, taking a plane to Denver, pretending to be on a business trip. Meanwhile Stephanie is taking the same plane on a business trip of her own. From there their lives entwine while their loved ones try to uncover the mystery with clues left behind. Readers will be in on it too but I could never guess what was going to happen next.

The audiobook features ten different narrators! What a treat for each chapter told from a different character’s perspective to be in a unique voice.

I gave it 4.5 stars because I found some of the writing and dialogue to be rudimentary but if you’re looking for a fast, easy, thrilling read, this is worth your time.

The beginning started strong for me. I received the audiobook from NetGalley prior to its release and was most excited because I love the company that narrated it. The story was a bit hard to follow as there were a lot of people involved. Overall I enjoyed the plot though! The writing style was enjoyable and entertaining.

Wonderful thriller debut!
I love thrillers like these, the kind that there truly is no "innocent" or "hero" just a bunch of flawed and unreliable people adding pieces of a puzzle. The more you wait around for answers, the more confused you get. But I have to say its those wonderful kinds of confused, you know as a reader you should be this way, it adds to this deep curiosity. I HAD to find out what was happening, so I kept reading and reading.

The narration is done very well too! All narrators were very skilled!

SPOILERS!!!!


This book just wasn’t for me. The premise sounded interesting—two women, Stephanie and Jasmine, don’t know each other but are linked by strange, erratic texts about the same man, Trent McCarthy, before they both disappear. It promised twists and layers, but honestly, I couldn’t connect with it at all.

The main character was completely unlikable—honestly, a psycho—and her decisions were baffling. Why go after some random person instead of her abuser? It made no sense to me and left the whole story feeling disconnected. Plus, the allusions to domestic violence didn’t add much depth; they felt more like a plot device than something meaningful.

And the ending? I was left thinking, what even was that? I know they were trying to provide closer but I just thought the whole deal was just a waste of time. Overall, I wasn’t a fan, and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re really into messy, chaotic thrillers.

Stephanie and Jasmine, seatmates on a flight, have nothing in common. Stephanie is on a business trip as a news director for a local television station whereas Jasmine had to paid cash from her waitressing tips for her ticket to flee an abusive relationship. The two women have entirely different backgrounds and likely wouldn’t have much to say to each other if they weren’t seated in the same row, yet both women go missing and their texts to family and friends are eerily similar. Both women claim some man named Trent hit on them and then suddenly became violent. Are the women in danger? Are they together? Who and where is Trent?

The Business Trip starts off slow, but like all thrillers the second half of the story picks up the pace. There are several points of view in this telling, and I found most of the characters hard to connect to and rather unlikeable truth be told. The kicker for me is the ending—though surprising, it was a little too far-fetched for me. Overall, this popcorn thriller is an easy and quick read if thrillers are your genre of choice, but too much is explained as it happens taking away from the suspense while reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Helen Phifer for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Business Trip is out January 14th. All opinions are my own.

3.5⭐️ Two women who meet on a plane - one headed out on a business trip and one escaping her past - both vanish within days of their flight together.

This book had me in its grips until the last 10%, when the over-the-top ending lost me a bit. It’s very twisty and fun, and the multiple POVs kept me on my toes. The epitome of the popcorn thriller, this is a great read for a rainy/snowy day.

🎧 Narrated by a large ensemble cast, I think audio is the way to go with this one.

Read if you like:
▪️domestic suspense
▪️popcorn thrillers
▪️fun twists and turns
▪️multiple povs

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

solid debut! 👏🏼

thank you macmillan audio for the free copy! i highly recommend this on audio, the multicast narrators nailed it given that there were multiple POVs i was never confused.

and that ending?! 🫢 if you want a popcorn thriller, pick this one up.

Wow! I was not expecting that! I thought I had a good idea of where this book was headed; I had my theories and felt I was on the right track. But I was completely wrong! I found The Business Trip to be a shocking and well-thought-out thriller that kept me on my toes.

Have you ever wondered about the people you meet on planes? Do you talk to the person sitting next to you, or do you avoid conversation altogether? The Business Trip might have you reconsidering that the next time you sit next to a stranger on a flight.

In the story, Stephanie and Jasmine meet on a plane. Stephanie is a successful businesswoman and a news director on her way to a conference in San Diego. Jasmine is running from an abusive relationship and is relying on handouts from friends, even resorting to stealing.

Their friends start receiving identical text messages about the same man they both encountered and then both women mysteriously vanish. Twisted behaviors, wrongful accusations, and a web of lies will make you even more skeptical about interacting with strangers. Some people are being manipulated, while one person is a dangerous psychopath. I completely misjudged these unlikable characters.

I listened to the audio production, which may have helped my overall understanding and in keeping the characters' plot lines straight in my mind.

The Business Trip has a full AMAZING cast! I loved that all of the POVs had different narrators!
I'm extremely surprised that this is a debut novel by Jessie Garcia, It was so good!
I would love to see this turned into a movie or limited series, I would act surprised I swear!
I had a great time putting information together trying to figure out what was going on!

Publisher Summary
This program features multicast narration."A stunning and accomplished debut, with hugely relatable characters and an addictive storyline that kept me turning the pages well into the night. Bravo!"—BA Paris, New York Times bestselling author"Wow, The Business Trip was nonstop twists and turns. I loved the unusual way that the story was told, and I kept reading all day long because I couldn't wait to see how it ended!"—Freida McFadden, New York Times bestselling authorTHE BUSINESS TRIP is the gripping, binge-worthy debut from author Jessie Garcia.Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—the messages becoming stranger and more erratic.And then the two women vanish. The texts go silent, the red flags go up, and the panic sets in. When Stephanie and Jasmine are each declared missing and in danger, it begs the questions: Who is Trent McCarthy? What did he do to these women—or what did they do to him?Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, where nothing is as it seems, The Business Trip takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing who?

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillian Audio for the ALC of this book!

The Business Trip
By Jessie Garcia
Narrated by: Andrew Eiden, Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, Fred Berman, Gail Shalan, Hillary Huber, Jennifer Pickens, John Pirhalla,
Kimberly M. Wetherell, Kirby Heyborne, & Tim Campbell
Release date 01-14-25
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Categories Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

This was good, until... it wasn't? I don't know, I feel like it started out strong and there's no denying there are some pretty fun and unexpected twists, but overall I wasn't really invested in any of the characters, and it doesn't help that they're all rather unlikable. The narration was a full cast and well done. I think overall this was an entertaining popcorn thriller. A huge thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in return for my honest review.

The Business Trip is a psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seat from the very first page. Stephanie, on a business trip, and Jasmine, fleeing an abusive relationship, have no idea they are both being drawn into the dangerous web of the same man, Trent McCarthy. After they start sending identical, increasingly erratic texts about him to their friends, both women vanish without a trace. The mystery unravels layer by layer, with twists that make it nearly impossible to predict what will happen next. The alternating perspectives between Jasmine and Stephanie, combined with their friends’ viewpoints, provide a rich, dynamic narrative, making it clear that nothing in this story is as it seems.

The full-cast audiobook narration elevated the experience, immersing me deeper into the suspenseful atmosphere. The pacing was perfect, with each chapter leaving me wanting to know the truth behind Trent’s manipulation and the women's fates. The story read like a true-crime episode, filled with intrigue, suspense, and twists. If you enjoy thrillers that explore manipulation, deception, and the complexity of human relationships, The Business Trip is one worth checking out.

Special thanks to macmillan audio, st. martins press and netgalley for the ARC/ALC.

This was a great Audiobook! I read 185 books last year and 70% were audiobooks, so i have a good feel for good narration (and definitely recognize the "not-good" variety!)
The story was solid, several good twists and a great epilogue ending. There were alot of characters to keep up with, which got a little confusing, however it all came together in the end. I think i would like it less in another format. Audio was perfect here. Had a good pace and the narrator had good character voice differentiators.
I would rate the narration a solid 4.5 stars. The Story a 3.75 stars - so an overall 4 star read!

This is a fast-paced thriller with many twists until the very end. I enjoyed the audio version and the multiple narrators.

I was very excited for this book. The narration was so very off for me, I barely made it through. It was so dull and monotone. Maybe I will try reading a physical copy in the future. But what I did get out of the plot seemed very far fetched. Otherwise I couldn't focus enough because the narration was so bad.

🎧4.25⭐️

I had the audiobook read by a full cast of this debut thriller. The narration production works well with each pov having their own narrator.

Stephanie and Jasmine are on the same plane trip. Stephanie is attending a business trip and Jasmine running from an abusive relationship. It gets good and twisty.

There is repetition as the events are first presented by one perspective then explanations are revealed by another, it works well. There’s a little bit too much over explanation in places of simple things, occasionally I felt that the creation of tension felt a little forced at times. It’s pacy, kept my interest well, but there was one twist that pushed me too far but as a whole it was very entertaining.

This is an impressive debut. It’s twisty,pacy, easy entertaining listening which isn’t too dark. I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next book as overall I really enjoyed this thriller especially in the audiobook format.

This was a twisty read. Every chapter was a new perspective—I read it in digital and audio, and found that the audio did a much better job allowing me to keep everyone straight, since there were SO many characters in part one.

I never knew which perspective to believe, which character knew the truth (or was telling the truth), and was surprised by the twists right up until the final chapter.

The full audio cast made this a phenomenal listen, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a twisty read with sinister undertones.

Just when you think you have it all figured out.......try again!

I listened to the audio version of this book and what a treat it was. Each character was portrayed by a different actor which helped bring them to life in a unique way. As a listener I could feel each personality shine through which made me much more invested in the story. From the characters you rooted for to the ones you couldn't help but despise. I must say.... everyone needs a friend like Robert in his/her life. The actor portraying him had me in stitches a few times.

Without giving too much of the plot away, The Business Trip is about two women who meet on a plane. They are each traveling for different reasons. One is running away from an abusive relationship. The other is being forced to go on yet another business trip. They are each in contact with people from back home and are each communicating to those contacts about a man they have met while on their trip. The same man. Suddenly, they both stop responding to messages and their trails go cold.

I tend to enjoy books with plot twists that blow your mind but that are still feasible. While I found the plot twists in this book to be a bit unbelievable and farfetched at times, I do have to admit when all was said and done, I enjoyed the book as well as the ending. It was something different from my typical read and I was able to get on board. Not because I bought the reality of it, but because I enjoyed the creativity of it. It was also extra fun because normally I listen to any audio books on my own, but this time I started playing it out loud and my husband started to get invested in it and listened with me, so we got to laugh together and experience the wild ride together.

Ultimately, I thought the book was different and enjoyable and would listen to it again to try to pick up on pieces I may have missed in the first go around. The expected release date is January 14, 2025. If you have the chance, this book is worth the listen!

I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audio book and the opportunity to listen to and review it.

Oh my stars ! I love a good mystery thriller as much as the next guy, but THIS by far was an incredible ride. Told in multiple perspectives, The Business Trip is a roller coaster ride of emotions. I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this before. The plot is fresh & original, and it will keep you guessing all the way through.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.