Thursday, October 22, 2020

Book Review - Confessions on the 7:45; Lisa Unger

Blackstone Audio - 2020 

When I read that this book this might be similar to Strangers on a Train ,I really wanted to return to Lisa Unger, an author I enjoyed years earlier. For some reason I stopped reading her thrillers but decided it was time to remedy that.

The set up for this thriller one was good, Selena Murphy works in New York city and one day she misses her train home from work so she catches the 7:45 instead.  Sitting next to her is a woman who strikes up a conversation, the woman who says her name is Martha, tells Selena she has been having an affair with her boss. (LOL- who does this with a complete stranger? )  In turn, Selena feels comfortable enough to tell Martha that she suspects her husband Graham, is carrying on with the nanny, Geneva. (She's actually caught them on the nanny cam.) The two say goodbye and Martha tells Selena that perhaps the nanny will disappear.  A few days later Geneva is missing and her car is parked down the street from Selena and Graham's home. When Geneva's sister report's her missing, it isn't long before the police arrive at the Murphy residence with lots of questions.

This book starting out well and engages me but, it quickly became a struggle and did not work out well as an audio. There were far too many characters introduced into the mix, each have a separate story and some even have a story within a story. I struggled to keep it all straight.  To have made this audio book work, I  felt multiple narrators were needed to help distinguish all these individuals. To complicate matters even more, we learn that some characters have changed their names in order to keep up their cons.  I didn't care about any of the characters, even Selena after a while. Perhaps this might be easier in print? Vivienne Leheny narrated this one and she did a fine job but, additional narrators were needed.

Rating - 2.5/5

11 comments:

  1. That's a shame, it sounds like it did start out good.

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  2. Very glad you reviewed this book! I have the audio and am I'm so disappointed to hear that there were so many characters and on top of that some change their names. I think I'll pass on it. Great reivew!

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  3. I usually enjoy suspense on audio but I agree it does not work if there are too many (confusing) characters. I worked with Lisa Unger in NYC many years ago when she was a marketing or publicity assistant. I was certainly surprised when she became a published author!

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  4. Doesn't sound much like this one is worth the effort...and it's too close to the plot of Strangers on a Train to get me interested. Your points about the single-narrator approach are well taken; sometimes audiobooks only work with two or more narrators to help readers keep everything straight in their minds.

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  5. That's too bad this didn't work out but I can see the multiple POVs and stories would get a little convoluted.

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  6. You are our expert on thrillers, Diane.

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  7. It may have been easier in print--multiple characters and multiple stories wouldn't easily be translated to audio with one narrator.

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  8. I have sort of given up on thrillers a bit this year. I think I read too many and just need a bit of a break. Having said that, this was one I was looking forward to because I have enjoyed some of Lisa Unger's books. Will have to remember that when I get to it, to look for a print and not audio.

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  9. I've heard such good things about Lisa Unger that I am surprised this one isn't good. Just shows that you never know.

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  10. Maybe it will be better in print, but yes I agree I don’t think I’d be telling a stranger I’d been up to no good!

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