The Other Passenger

Jamie and Clare are an average middle-aged couple. Clare works in property management and Jamie works in a coffee shop. They both enjoy a night in, a bottle of wine, and a stable partnership. But Clare wants more, so she befriends a new couple who are younger and more adventurous.

After a dinner party, Jamie and the other man Kit decide to purchase yearlong ferry tickets to commute to the city together and become fast friends.

When Kit doesn’t show up for the ferry, Jamie and their other friends become worried. Kit may have some problems with money and drugs, but no one expects him to go missing. Now police are questioning Jamie after hearing they had a fight right before Kit disappeared. But Jamie and Kit are close, and he wouldn’t hurt a fly, would he? Sure, Jamie recently lost his job due to anxiety about using public transportation. Sure, Jamie had a mental breakdown recently, but that doesn’t mean anything. He’s completely stable…right?

The Other Passenger is a twisted psychological thriller with an unreliable narrator. The story is written so well that the reader truly has no idea what could possibly happen next. The characters were each unique and individual, and it was easy to relate to them, especially Jamie. Though not necessarily likeable, the characters are interesting to read about and fun to imagine. The setting of the riverboat in London was unique and I enjoyed how the perspective swaps from when Jamie and Clare first meet the couple to the future when Kit has gone missing.

I felt like a detective gathering clues throughout the story. When the characters were surprised by something, I was as well. There was a well laid trail of breadcrumbs, but they didn’t all lead to the thing you thought. It was fun piecing together what may have happened, but I had no idea how the book would end. Candlish leaves no stone unturned and you have every answer you need by the last page.

The Other Passenger is a fun and salacious read, with high drama and intrigue, making it the ideal psychological thriller. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good surprise or anyone who likes to play armchair detective.

Thank you to Atria Books and Louise Candlish for my ARC of this book. Opinions are my own. The Other Passenger comes out on July 20, 2021