⭐⭐⭐
The Other Passenger by J.E. Rowney is a thriller with some unexpected twists. I was missing suspense and in some way the purpose of the book. Somehow it felt flat and even though it was a good twist I didn't catch the message. I was missing character development to understand them and their actions. I would say it was chaos in the storm!

David and Emma meet up in the storm. It's shady and dangerous but it's not clear who must be alert! The author tries to create suspense but somehow as a reader, I didn't feel it. It was confusing to connect with the backup stories. And I understand they are not related but Emma's story felt flat at the beginning!

Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this copy!

I enjoyed this book.. I love psychological thriller books and this book had my attention from the first few Pages.. I like how David and Emma are forced together by the rain, knowing that they are trying to get away from something they have done..I like how the story unfolds, as we get to know what they are doing on that Dark Road at Night.. the story is well written, but sometimes a little slow… So I gave it 3.5 stars😊thanks to netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review..

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

The book is a fast-paced and engaging thriller that alternates between two points of view. One is a man consumed by his life's disappointments, while the other is a young woman struggling to cope with the loss of her sister. Both characters are trying to escape the consequences of their actions, and the story unfolds slowly as it moves between the past and present. The novel culminates in a satisfying conclusion with plenty of tension to keep the reader entertained.

I found the plot pretty predictable for this one but still enjoyed flipping though to find I was was going down the right rabbit hole. I also love a dual perspective and an unreliable narrative which this book boasted. Labeling this as a psychological thriller is a bit far, there’s little of a psychological nature and mostly just mystery and uncertainty. Overall, it was a “fun” and engaging read.

This was so slow, and I didn't like a single character--not in a good way. This could have been condensed by half and would have been way better. It was full of redundancies and unnecessary tangents.

A slow burner of a story with a couple of interesting but not terribly likeable characters who keep you guessing until then end. David’s predicament and reactions make you wonder what ordinary people are capable of when pushed and this is an interesting ang,e to the way the story progresses. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me after such an extensive build up.

Thank you Netgalley for this book!
Brief thoughts - The story is decent, with an eerie, rainy night journey setting and It has a pretty good twist, although some of which I did anticipate.

Detailed review :
What I liked -
--- The story overall is pretty good.
--- isn't confusing even if it is told across multiple time frames, alternating between David and Emma's last few hours and the present situation.
--- Maintains a suspense filled atmosphere throughout the book, that keeps us hooked to it, till the end.
--- Characters are realistically described.

Now, coming to what I didn't like (in my opinion) --- the story started off great, but I felt that there were few instances where beating around bush went on, which could have have been avoided. For example, David's feelings for his family are explained in multiple places throughout the book, which is I felt was unnecessary.
---The repeated use of words in few places, quoting from the book, "He wanted the recognition now, now, now."
--- Sentences left in mid air. Although this might have been used for a realistic conversation approach, I personally didn't like it while reading them in multiple places.
-- a bit of a rushed ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Other Passenger by JE Rowney due to be published May 31, 2024.
A man and a woman are both running and forced together by the rain. When David picks up Emma on the side of the road neither one knows what secrets each of them holds. When they hear on the radio a body has been found on the road, they are both curious as to what the other’s real story might be. Are they both innocent or both dangerous?
The Other Passenger was a great read. It alternated from boy Emma’s and David’s backstories that caught you up on why they were in the car together and how they came to be where they were on that night. The story just sort of went along, and I wondered where it might be going. Oh. My. Gosh. The ending! It did not go at all where I thought it would. It was truly a shock just like a good thriller should be. This is one you will not want to miss!
#NetGalley #JERowney #BooksGoSocial #TheOtherPassenger

Having read books by J E Rowney before I had high expectations and this book certainly does not disappoint.

I loved this was totally enthralled from th first to the last page. Thank you for the opportunity to review. Solid 4 stars

This book is an interesting journey that has many far reaching meanings. It is told in multiple timelines with two persons. We finall learn a little more as the story emerges! While there were hints of certain twists sprinkled about, and there were many, I believe they are glaringly intentional. The author leaves us with a lot to think about, and I’ll have to take a deep breath before I start another book! I really enjoyed it!

This book was a decent quick thriller that kept me engaged until the ending.
The story has two perspectives, one, a girl who has lost her sister and seems to be having a hard time dealing with it. The other is a middle aged man who is wrapped up in the disappointments of his life. Neither character was inherently likeable, but they were written in a way in which you wanted to know their story and what comes next, especially when the man picks up a hitchhiker from an isolated road after he attends a very disappointing event.
Overall I really enjoyed the book and was set on giving it a 4-5 star rating up until the ending. I didn’t love the way the story wrapped up. That said, it did keep me entertained and I didn’t want to put it down.

I have loved other books by JE Rowney and I was really excited for this one. I did find it hard to follow at points, not my favourite by JE Rowney but i still enjoyed it at parts.

I was not really engaged with either character. Of course, the reader knows that each of them is running from something and murder is suspected, but who and why is dragged out.
Thanks for the opportunity.

It was pretty good. I would like to see more suspense. I would recommend to my friends. If you like authors like Rosie Walker you will like this one

The Other Passenger is a thriller that will leave you wanting more. A rainy night and dangerous roads, a killer on the road. Two strangers meet, both running from something but forced together because of bad weather and chance.

I really did not know where this story was going, and I have to say I was shockingly surprised by how it turned out! I quite enjoyed, not only the two different POV but how it also went back and forward in time. And slowly made you realise what had happened to bring both characters together. This was a very interesting book, and I really enjoyed it!
Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the arc!

Man, this was depressing!
Quite good, though.

1. Characters
The main characters (David and Emma) are very good.
One represents the self loathing, bitterness and frustration of a man too devoted to his work, unappreciated after years of work, unable to spend time with his family.
While the other perfectly encapsulates the utter sadness and devastation of losing a loved one.

That being said, the side characters could have been more fleshed out.

2. Story
Interesting premise. Executed quite well.
The reveal at the end was, although quite clear, was still very good and gives a different meaning to the title of the book.

Dialogue, while strained at times, was good.

I liked the structure of the story with the back and forth in every chapter of 'Now' and 'David/Emma x hours earlier'. It's a good storytelling device that I would like to see more of in thrillers.

One problem that I have with this is too much information being given away sometimes in David chapters that it takes away the whole aspect of mystery while you are left ruminating with David or Emma on their bleak and depressing lives.

3. Conclusion
It's a well written bleak thriller with some flaws.

Paranoia.
Jealousy.
Betrayal.
Murder.
Secrets.
Anger.

Quote: "He wished he had planned ahead but tonight was a night he hadn't expected."

In The Other Passenger by JE Rowney, we follow the journey of David and Emma. Their story is told between "now" and the hours leading up to "now." The journey starts off with a murder. However, we do not know who, what, or why.

In the "now" David is driving down a dark an isolated road in the rain. David has just experienced an unfortunate event at his work's awards ceremony. The ceremony in which David attended alone per usual. His wife Amanda just could not be bothered to support her husband, who was supposed to receive a prestigious award. David and Amanda used to be happy. That happiness has become more of just a game of cat and mouse. There had been a time when David was not a failure.

Quote: "Perhaps she had been lucky, but the night wasn't over yet. There was a storm to get through first."

Emma has had a really tough year. She is quite troubled, to say the least. She has migraines all the time, and her life is falling apart. She still talks to her sister, Angelina, who never responds because Angeliana really isn't there anymore. Emma sets off to search for answers as to why that is.

David and Emma are complete strangers from totally different generations. However, they are both running from something.

Along the road, David picks up a young female hitchhiker. She appears to be around the same age as his nineteen-year-old daughter, Charlotte. The girl is very focused on her phone but eventually her and David begin to talk. David is asking the typical "get to know you" questions when an alert comes across the radio. "The discovery of a women's body in a shallow grave..."

Will David and Emma get away from what they are running from? Do they have secrets they hope will never see the light of day?

Quote: "Sometimes it's better to be two strangers in the night sharing a ride."

The Other Passenger by JE Rowney is a quick read. The pace is well written. It will keep you engaged. I do feel like the ending was abrupt and could have been a little more detailed. All in all, I would recommend this book to my fellow thriller lovers.

This book has minimal foul language, which I really appreciate.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Other Passenger.

A rainy night. A killer on the road., Two unlikely worlds collide. On the run from their pasts, a man and a woman are forced together by the weather and by necessity. When a radio news broadcast reports that a body has been found further back along the road on which they are travelling, tensions rise and it’s only so long before the truth must come out. But the truth is never quite what you imagine!
This book I would call a short story, it had some suspense, action, murder, mystery, and a few twists and turns! It was a decent read but not really for me! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I really enjoyed this book, David and Emma are running from something, but we aren't told what, through flashbacks we get glimpses of what lead to where they are now. Along the way the author leaves hints, could it be this, could it be that.

The characters are well written, and believable, and they plot moves on at a decent pace, I liked the back and forth as it gave hints as to why they might be in the situation they are in, without giving away too much.

I liked this one! A little confusing with back and forth, and the times being different, but in the end it was a good book!