The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia @jessiegarcia_author @macmillan.audio @macmillanaudio.bsky.social #TheBusinessTrip

the setup…
Jasmine is a woman in a dead end job living with an abusive boyfriend in Madison, Wisconsin and is now fleeing the relationship. She’s decided to escape to Denver and start a new life. Stephanie Monroe is a divorced, successful newsroom director on her way to a business conference in San Diego with a layover in Denver. They are seat mates on the plane and strike up a brief conversation. A few days later, both women are texting their friends and colleagues about the same man, Trent McCarthy…and then they both vanish!

the heart of the story…
There are two distinct halves to this story, beginning with Jasmine’s point of view and we are mesmerized by her stealthy getaway from boyfriend Glenn. We experience her sense of relief and you can’t help but root for her. Next we get Stephanie’s point of view as she prepares to leave for the conference, learning a lot about this woman who has a great career and supportive friends. I was seduced into a narrative leading up to the suspicious events surrounding these two women’s disappearances. Then it pivots to events and points of view after that flight and the tone and substance turns everything I thought I knew on its head!

the narration…
This is a multicast narration, meaning there are performers for every point of view in the story. I love this format, especially when character distinction is so important Ana’s it is here. All delivered exceptional performances, inhabiting their characters perfectly. Treat yourself to the audio experience.

the bottom line…
There are multi layered stories and then there’s this! I smugly thought I knew where this was going, who were the heroes and who were the villains…until I didn’t. There were several jaw-dropping moments but the ultimate occurs near the end. Just don’t get wedded to any early theories. Tough to believe this clever tale is the author’s first and I’m now an instant fan.

Book Info

• Release Date: January 14, 2025
• Narrators: Andrew Eiden, Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, Fred Berman, Gail Shalan, Hillary Huber, Jennifer Pickens, John Pirhalla, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Kirby Heyborne and Tim Campbell
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 7 minutes
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio

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(Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)