THE BUSINESS TRIP

4 stars out of 5

Tell you what - this is one of the most "Aw, c'mon, you've got to be kidding me" tales I've read in a long time. But I didn't mind at all - the twists and turns made it a romp and really hard to put it down. Trying to review it, I quickly realized, is a challenge, though - way too much chance of spoiling it for others.

The two main characters are Stephanie, a TV news director, and Jasmine, a have-nothing 44-year-old who's in an abusive marriage. Both are looking for a break; Stephanie from the daily grind and hoping to reconnect with her grown son, and Jasmine for the obvious reason. Over time, Jasmine has surreptitiously squirreled away tips from the bar where she works so she can make a getaway when the time is right - and she's finally reached it. Stephanie's breaking point comes with what she hopes will be the last demand that she drop everything - this time to head for San Diego for a news director convention she really doesn't want, or need, to attend.

On the plane, Jasmine and Stephanie coincidentally sit next to each other (yeah, right). And that's when things start to get interesting, as it isn't long after that when the two women are reported missing. Say what?

The calls of foul play come from various sources, although one of them is not Jasmine's ne'er-to-well husband Glenn, whose track record makes him reluctant to notify the authorities. Not so her friend Anna, who's been helping Jasmine make plans. On Stephanie's end, her ever-so-gay next-door neighbor Robert, who's been watching her cat, becomes suspicious early on, as do a couple of co-workers at the station who begin to notice irrational behavior.

Readers, however, are clued in to what's happening by way of chapters that shift in perspective among several of these characters including, of course, Stephanie and Jasmine. Now I do have to admit it's unlikely I'd ever want to hoist a beer with either of them, nor did I much care what fate (or make that ultra-careful planning) had in store for them personally. The process of finding out, though, was rather fun, and the author did a great job with the plot development and "reveals" along the way.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable read, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the nod to download a pre-release copy. This is a debut novel, and I'll certainly be on the lookout for more from this talented author.

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia (St. Martin's Press, January 2024); 352 pp.