The Passenger

By Lisa Lutz

Tanya DuBois doesn’t exist. At least not after an accident leaves her husband dead and makes her Suspect No. 1. She has one choice: Run. Tanya isn’t real, and neither is Amelia Keen, Debra Maze, or any of her other aliases. She is “Amelia” when she meets Blue, another woman with a life she’d rather not discuss, and thinks she’s found her kindred spirit. But their pasts and futures clash as the body count rises around them...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Titan Books
• Release date: Mar 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781785651748

Lisa Lutz

Lisa Lutz is the New York Times bestselling, Alex Award–winning author of the Spellman Files series, as well as the novels The Accomplice, Heads You Lose (with David Hayward), How to Start a Fire, The Passenger, and The Swallows. She has also written for film and TV, including HBO’s The Deuce. She lives in upstate New York.

Reviews for The Passenger

[lmjenkins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a thrill of a read as the main character takes on different personas along the way. One can't help but wonder who she will be at the end of the story when her true self is revealed. I predict a bestseller.

[cubsfan3410 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher.

This a story of a con artist who goes on the run with her newly found sidekick. I love Ms. Lutz's style of writing and the storytelling is excellent. It really sucked me in.

[veeshee-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this novel. The plot was intriguing and I was constantly guessing what the big secret was. Every character that was introduced was important and distinct, which made the story more interesting. Every time you thought that something couldn't get darker and more devious, it did. And that is exactly what a thriller is supposed to do. I read this novel in one sitting because I just had to know what would happen in the end. If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller to get sucked into, I would definitely recommend this one!

[tiffy_reads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great story. Must say Blue is crazy and Dominic is sweet.

[dazedbybooks · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Passenger was a little "out there" from the beginning. Although I could relate to the main character, wanting to just start over anytime she felt like it, changing everything about herself, becoming a new and different person. I feel as though the book missed the mark on the thriller/suspense side of things, and was left somewhat disappointed with the characters and abnormality of human behavior that was present. The end of the book did hold my attention though with a twist that was unexpected.

[uagyrl · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Passenger was a little "out there" from the beginning. Although I could relate to the main character, wanting to just start over anytime she felt like it, changing everything about herself, becoming a new and different person. I feel as though the book missed the mark on the thriller/suspense side of things, and was left somewhat disappointed with the characters and abnormality of human behavior that was present. The end of the book did hold my attention though with a twist that was unexpected.

[tiffanyak_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one took me a good while to get into, especially reading it in audiobook form, but once I did, the story became very compelling. This is definitely an author that I would read again, and a narrative of life on the run that actually proved to be deeply engaging in audio form.

[iambookish-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm a big fan of Lutz and her Spellman series, so I was quite looking forward to this stand alone book. But almost immediately I knew that this book was not very good. The story itself wasn't very interesting or intriguing and the pacing of the plot was laboriously written.
At one point I felt like the writing was tightening up a bit and it kept me reading on, but by the time I finished this stinker I wanted to throw my reading device across the floor and stomp on it.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jo has been on the run for years ... but it takes most of the novel before the reader finally gets the whole story. Jo is a sympathetic narrator, but you wonder just what she has done to keep getting into such sticky situations. There is definitely a lot of suspense but I really liked the ending.

[darcia_10 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I found it a challenge to put a star rating on this one, because my thoughts, like much of the book's content, are all over the place. A basic summation: I liked the first third, got bored with the second third, and found the ending too convenient with loose threads sticking out all over the place.The story's premise is intriguing. This hooked me in and kept me reading. I wanted to understand Tanya. I felt she had secrets to offer me, a deeper, more complex character to unveil. Then she goes on the run, and we have a lot of driving, train rides, random stops, random people, all while not ever really knowing this character. I don't mean her true identity, but who she is as a person. For the most part, I found this giant chunk of the book only mildly interesting, with snippets that offered the promise of something more, before drifting off once again into the routine of cross country travel and quest for yet another identity. Finally, the latter part of the book picks up speed once again, but left gaping holes in plausibility. When a character's actions don't feel believable, and when major plot issues are both wrapped up too neatly and left dangling unanswered, I lose whatever positive thoughts I had at the start. And that, sadly, is what happened here. My three major issues: Blue is an important character that is left undeveloped, used mostly for convenience with no defined purpose. Domenic's character did not feel genuine to me at all. He is a cop who behaves so irrationally that I was left questioning everything having to do with him. And, finally, we are handed an ending that is far too neat and tidy. One issue is conveniently managed and swept away all too easily. Another gets a passing mention and simply disappears. And a third, which occurs while she's on the run, is completely forgotten. The ease in which all Tanya's problems disappear made me think all the running was a total waste of time.In the end, even the main character, that I'd wanted to root for, left me shrugging my shoulders. I spent a lot of time with her, much with her alone, yet I never totally connected with whoever she was supposed to be. I get that this was likely intentional on the author's part, that the woman who was, for a while, Tanya, went through so many identity changes that she lost herself along the way. And while the idea of that holds merit, the actual execution falls flat.*I received an ebook copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

[seasonsoflove_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. This did not effect my opinion of the book or my review itself.I have been a fan of Lisa Lutz ever since her first Spellman Files book. When I heard she was coming out with a psychological thriller, one of my all-time favorite genres, I could not have been more excited. The Passenger did not disappoint.When readers first meet their narrator, her name is Tanya Dubois, and her husband is lying dead at the foot of the stairs. Tanya chooses to change her identity and run, for reasons that gradually become clearer. Along the way, she meets Blue, who seems to be a kindred spirit, albeit one with her own deep dark secrets.But the past is near impossible to leave behind, and Tanya struggles to know who to trust and where to turn. No matter where she runs, no matter who she becomes, something from her past refuses to let her go.One of the best things about this book is how Lutz builds up suspense. The book is so tense, and so full of twists and turns, that reading it the time flies by. You simply cannot put it down. You have to know what "Tanya"'s secret is, and what will happen next. Lutz is an expert at dropping tantalizing hints and clues, just enough to keep a reader's rapt attention without giving too much away. There was one section of the book that actually made me gasp out loud, which to me is the mark of an especially good thriller.I really hope that this isn't Lutz's last psychological thriller. She is an exceptionally talented writer, and her foray into this new genre has produced a great read.

[bookdivasreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You have a secret past life that you are trying to hide and forget. Your current husband suffers a tragic accident in your home and dies. What do you do? Well, if you're Tanya Dubois, you run and obtain a new identity (or more). And that's just what happens in the latest thriller from Lisa Lutz, The Passenger.Sadly, it isn't possible to run away from your problems. Tanya-turned-Amelia-turned-Debra finds that out the hard way. She's currently a "person of interest" in her late husband's death in one state. She runs south, assuming another identity, and encounters a mysterious female bartender, Blue, and gets involved in the deaths of several others. These actions result in her leaving the south with yet another identity and heading to the Northern Midwest. Along the way she encounters a kindly local sheriff in an almost-one-night-stand before arriving at her destination, a small rural town private school. Has her luck changed? Unfortunately not as she runs into someone from her current identity's past. Just when she thinks it can't get any worse, she receives information that her original secret past life is being investigated. Can she keep running from her secrets? Will she survive long enough to find out if all of her secrets will be revealed and the truth finally discovered?I actually read The Passenger almost a week ago, but had a difficult time writing my thoughts about this book without revealing too much, so my apologies in advance for this somewhat cursory review. I found The Passenger to be a fast-paced and engrossing read that provided thrills and chills with every twist and turn in the story. Although I couldn't exactly sympathize with Tanya, I did find her and Blue to be complex and highly interesting characters. Tanya's backstory is gradually revealed throughout the contemporary story and it is just as much of a multilayered mystery as her current dilemma. This story is filled with complicated scenarios, bad guys, really bad guys, and not-so-bad guys. If you enjoy reading stories with a strong protagonist and tons of drama, thrills, and more then you'll definitely want to add The Passenger to your TBR list. Did I enjoy reading The Passenger? Yes! I look forward to reading more from Ms. Lutz in the future.I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought that this book was just okay. I have been a fan of Lisa Lutz for a long time and have a great fondness for her Spellman Files series. I knew going into this book that this was going to be a completely different kind of story and I was really looking forward to seeing what she would do with it. There were things that I did like about this story but other elements were not quite as enjoyable.The book opens with the death of Tanya's husband. Tanya immediately leaves town and starts working on assuming a new identity. Tanya tells us that she didn't hurt her husband, Frank, but we have no idea why she feels like she needs to leave town. I was really curious about her motivation to run. That wasn't a small decision and she knew exactly what to do so it was very obvious that Tanya had disappeared before. Tanya changes her name several times in the story but for the purpose of the review, I am just going to stick with Tanya.Tanya meets Blue in a bar when Blue figures out that she isn't exactly who she says she is. They find themselves in a serious situation soon after they meet and they form an interesting friendship. Both Blue and Tanya are on the run and are both hiding who they truly are from the world. Blue's character was one that I didn't quite trust. Blue just seemed to have a more criminal mind than Tanya did.I did want to keep reading so that I could learn why Tanya felt she had to run in the first place. If she didn't hurt her husband, it didn't make sense unless she had something else from her past. The emails that were sprinkled in the book between chapters quickly hinted that there was something from her past that we hadn't discovered yet. I also really liked the humor that was sprinkled throughout the book. This isn't a funny story but Lisa Lutz's sense of humor is still very evident in the writing.I was really disappointed by the ending of this book. Seriously disappointed. I read all of those pages eagerly awaiting a big reveal that caused Tanya to be on the run and it just didn't do a lot for me. The big twist that was supposed to shock me at the end just added another layer of disappointment.I am not really sure that I would recommend this book. I do think that a lot of readers will really enjoy this book a lot more than I did. I did like the book and I do consider 3 stars to be a good rating. It just wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. I do plan to continue reading Lisa Lutz's work in the future and commend her for writing a different kind of story.I received an advance reader edition of this book from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley and Edelweiss.

[carolfoisset · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having read all the Spellman books I was interested in reading a different genre by Lutz. Quick read, one that you want to finish to see what happens, much like Gone Girl although not quite as well written. Did enjoy the story and the theme of how things can snowball out of control when you make certain decisions. Great if you want a fast paced quick read.

[angiestahl-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm being very hard on books these days. I wanted to like this one, but it was not meant to be. I like twisty and escapism, so I'm not opposed to suspending belief. But in a book that's going for psychological suspense or drama, there's got to be some sort of rational (or rationally irrational) driver of character motives. Not here. Every single character central to the story is a headscratcher and every plot point is a huge, 'huh?!?' After awhile, the bad choice deck was so stacked, that I wanted to fold my cards and quit. I read to the end, but same difference.

[hemlokgang · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Ugh! Dull. Didn't finish.

[annabastos-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The review is based on the ARC received thanks to Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing it.


Actual grade is 3.5.

This is a book hard to summarize because I don't know how to call the main character. I will go for Tanya, which is the first name I identified her with.

Tanya is not a lucky woman. Living an unfulfilled marriage simply because she needed that safety nest, she has to flee carrying little when she finds her husband dead after falling the stairs. She knows that even if she is not caught for that, her past would still get her if she stays. However, getting a new identity isn't easy, and there are still people after her. While she does everything to survive in freedom, we gradually learn why she couldn't stay.

This wasn't a book I enjoyed because I wanted to know what would be of Tanya but the more I found out of her past the found I couldn't put it down until I knew it all. To a point I wanted to skip the present-times parts right to the big revelations.

The author knew how to tease us. In the end of most of the chapters, we read exchanges of emails between two characters with unfamiliar names, naming unfamiliar people, through words filled with resentment. In the actual story, those people will pop out in a memory from Tanya and just get you itching to discover more.

However, Tanya's escape scenes were also good. Most of the time I would question if she really need to be so extreme. Even after finishing this, I still wonder. A lot of the book wasn't necessary, in my opinion. That doesn't mean it wasn't good. Wow, was that powerful! I confess it was exciting to see Tanya's development, accepting her choices or not.

I don't think I did enjoy Tanya herself. I did pity her for the big big big problem in the book, which through her in the mess. And yet, I didn't feel connected to a point that I wanted her life to go back to normal. I didn't like any of the book characters, except for some that were in it very little, like young Andrew. Some could have been likable if they were so suspicious, like Blue, or so patently guilty of something (even if we didn't know what exactly), like Ryan. The characters still were just a fraction, for the thriller kept me going to the end.

Perhaps, not the best story but a great storytelling.

[neftzger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you're looking for a fast-paced adventure that's not too "heady" but still heavily weighted in mystery and suspense, this may be just the book you want to put on your TBR list. Bits and pieces of the main character's past are slowly revealed as she switches identities to avoid being caught (or killed). Some people will do anything to bury a secret, including committing murder. The question posed to the reader is whether or not the main character is one of those people, one of their victim, or both.Note: I was given a free ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[bookofsecrets · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

THE PASSENGER is a suspenseful tale about a woman (possibly) named Tanya, who's on the run for, well, lots of reasons. She may have killed her husband, though she promises that she didn't. But, there's a something else before that (a mystery), and plenty of somethings after that keep her running.Part mystery and adventure, this book was dark & twisted, but also fun. Tanya's life on the run living off the grid was a wild ride. My only complaint is that I felt like a few loose ends were left open, though I enjoyed the ending. After reading this book, I will definitely keep a closer eye on my purse! Sticky fingers are out there.I listened to the audio of this book, narrated by Madeleine Maby. She did a great job with Tanya's voice and with the secondary characters. This is one that I couldn't wait to get back to listening to.Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[silversreviews · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Had Tanya killed her husband or did she just happen upon him and panic about what to do?After she found her husband dead at the bottom of the stairs, Tanya took off and met a bad-news bartender named Blue. After she met Blue, Tanya could be found running from city to city, scanning the obituaries, visiting funeral homes, and stealing wallets and credit cards to get herself a new identity.THE PASSENGER will keep you turning the pages as fast as Tanya moved from place to place and changed her identity...and that is quickly. You will be guessing her story until the last page.I truly enjoyed THE PASSENGER. Tanya wasn't really likable just because and Blue was a bit scary. Both were very resourceful and crafty.THE PASSENGER was clever and a book that will make you wonder what Tanya's real story is and how she does escape every situation. Her escapades will have you on the edge of your seat.Every time you turned the page a new twist and surprise was there to greet you. As every review has said: "It was a "wild" ride" and a ride that I really enjoyed.This is my first book by Ms. Lutz, but she definitely packs a book with intrigue, a terrific storyline, and interesting characters.Mystery lovers and lovers of psychological thrillers won't want to miss reading THE PASSENGER. The book had me glued to the pages and had me wanting to know what Tanya would do next. 5/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.

[grumpydan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The main character goes on the run after her husband falls down a flight a stairs and dies. She is afraid the authorities will think she did it and find out who she really is. Seems she ran away from something terrible and took on another's identity. As the story progresses, we learn a little about this woman, and how she changes identities so quickly and why. At first, I thought it ridiculous, but then I was drawn in by her emails to someone named Ryan and her quest to find some peace and some sort of life. I was wanted to know why she couldn't go back home and when she finally does, wow! That's all I can say. I didn't see that coming. The book was fast paced, thrilling, suspenseful and emotional.

[rglossne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So much fun, that the pages just kept turning. When we meet our heroine, she is looking at the dead body of her husband at the bottom of the stairs. Quickly deciding to go on the run, she acquires and sheds identities, encounters danger, changes hair color I don't know how many times, and meets plenty of shady characters. No one is who they seem to be in this thriller/mystery., and that's just fine.

[maneekuhi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A young woman on the run. Her husband is dead, but she didn't do it. Not clear why she's running. Who is Ryan and why does she keep texting him? So early on I had two problems with this book - lots of unanswered questions (I know, I know - it's supposed to be a hook to keep me going, but it didn't work)and problem # 2 is I don't particularly like her. So after a number of identity changes and relocations, I put the book down for a few days and read something else.Weeks later, I picked it up again, and found that the second half was a bit more intriguing. (Tanya, Debra, Sophia, Angela, Lola, whatever her real name is)manages to survive, using skills of hardened criminals. An OK read, a bit over-rated. It's a bit noir-ish, not my usual cup of tea. I don't recommend it, and I probably won't read another Lutz. However, It's clear that there are a lot of readers out there who are a lot more enthusiastic about "The Passenger" so you might want to check out other reviews.....

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick mini review since I'm on vacation. I loved this fast- paced thriller. A page-turner and a quick read kept me glued to the pages. I just thought the wrap-up was less than shocking but I certainly enjoyed the ride!

[eyes92c · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

... journey to nowhereI actually found myself not as invested in this story as I had hoped. Obviously others were absolutely delighted by it. Such a personal thing, what appeals, but I am a little over Thelma and/or Louise type stories. Blue is a character that I don't like and don't trust. But then Jo (the identity the mysterious Ryan communicates with) really has no choice. There is a heap of layers within layers hidden here but the sameness of the various small towns that Jo sheltered in leached a dreariness into the very soul of the story.Events certainly moved quickly and the situations Jo found herself in were unimaginable.I sort of had things figured out by the time we were a chapter into the last identity's story. The multiplicity of identities is gruelling. I was exhausted and so was the central character. Just for the record, I liked Domonic--a lot. He pushed the stars to 3.A NetGalley ARC

[jenn88-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tanya Dubois finds her husband's dead body at the bottom of the stairs and flees. She cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair, demands a new name from a shady person over the phone and leaves her life behind.. for the second time. She meets Blue along the way, a bartender she happens to have a thing or two in common with. Blue offers her a place to stay and a new life. Amelia-now-Debra-now-somebody else changes names, appearances and places like crazy, but can she run forever?

Despite some things being far-fetched, it's still five stars. It was a compelling read that made me stay up until early morning because I had to know what was going to happen next.

[readinggrrl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't put this book down. I've never read this author before so I don't know what her other books are like but this one was great. Fast paced, fun with great characters and a great story line. I'd love to see more of Blue, she is an intriguing character that makes me want more.

[myownwoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Queen of all-things mysterious and quirky drops the cute and enters into her own in the rough-and-tumble thriller The Passenger. Leaving behind her delightful Spellman series heroine for a more mature, more serious, main character, a woman of many names, really known by no one except a homicidal bartender named Blue. And a sexypants detective named Dominic. To avoid apprehension and unwanted questioning, Tonya flees the state after her husband takes a header down the stairs. No spoilers here, folks, but this isn't her first rodeo - meaning that it's clear dear old "Tonya" is something of an old hat in changing things up and leaving things behind. It's a road trip across America - with our ever-adapting heroine in charge of the wheel. Call "shot gun" and get in the passenger seat with this one. It's a bumpy ride, but it'll be over in the blink of an eye with this thrilling release from one of this reader's favorite writers.I was provided this copy by the publisher to review via NetGalley. Thanks n'at.

[kdabra4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book blurb promises a wild ride that will leave you breathless. While I disagree with the intensity of that statement, I still liked the book. This is my first time reading Lisa Lutz. She does a pretty respectable job here setting up the mystery of why this woman who keeps changing identities is on the run; but to be honest, the ending was anticlimactic. I was not left breathless. Not even a little bit. Now if the main character had been Blue, we may have gotten the psychological thriller we were promised. Unpredictable and more than a little off, she was.I would recommend The Passenger to my friends, but no seat belts required.

[janarose1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After finding her husband dead at the bottom of the stairs, Tanya grabs her stuff and flees. She takes on a new alias, dies her hair and moves from place to place. All the while, her past unfolds, explaining why she fled and what she is fleeing.Overall, this was a pretty intriguing concept. Tanya had an interesting voice, and was a neat character. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but otherwise, it was a good read.