Frank Dubois is lying dead at the foot of the stairs, and his wife Tanya is weighing her options: should she call the police, get rid of the body, or run away? Since she has already been running from the law for the last decade, she decides to leave, assumes a new identity and drives South without looking back. As she travels across the US, she meets Blue, another woman trying to escape from her past. They decide to help each other to get new lives. However, nothing goes according to plan, especially as two thugs show up to kill Tanya. But what made her run in the first place? Will she be able to put the past behind her?
The Passenger is a fast-paced psychological thriller that deals with problems of identity and loneliness. On her road trip, Tanya assumes different names, and her values shift when the situation gets more desperate, bringing her to do things she would never have dreamed of doing before. In fact, it is really interesting to see how she tries to live off the grid, as this appears to be more and more difficult in our day and age. While the big reveal at the end was surprising, I felt there were some loose ends when the book concluded. In addition, I thought that Blue was an intriguing character, and I would have liked to know more about her. Perhaps a sequel could tell her story?
The Passenger was sent to me for free in exchange for an honest review.
About the author and her work: Lisa Lutz’s Website.
Fun facts about the author and the book:
- Lisa Lutz wrote the screenplay of “Plan B”, a mob comedy with Diane Keaton and Paul Sorvino. It never played in theaters and went straight to video.
- She worked a few years for a private investigator in San Francisco.
- When she started writing The Passenger, the author knew that the main character was running from her past, but she wasn’t clear yet on what had happened to make her run.
- Some places are completely made up in the book, while others are real.
If you liked this book you might also like:
