BookBrowse Reviews The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish

BookBrowse:

Louise Candlish's novel reads like wicked gossip at a cocktail party as Jamie Buckby discloses his bewildered account of the events preceding the disappearance of his friend.

"Like all commuter horror stories, mine begins in the mean light of early morning," confides Jamie Buckby in Louise Candlish's The Other Passenger. His commuting companion, Kit Roper, has disappeared and detectives have immediately begun to question Jamie regarding his relationship with Kit. Was Jamie the last to see Kit? How close were they? Did they have an altercation the last night they were together? What is Jamie's relationship with Kit's wife, Melia? Amidst the barrage of queries, Jamie attempts to unpack the events that have led him to become a suspect in Kit's disappearance — or worse, his murder.

Jamie's narration flashes back to the circumstances leading up to this point. In their late 40s, Jamie and his partner, Clare, are experiencing the pinch of middle age and lamenting their lost youth when Kit's partner, Melia, begins working at Clare's real estate firm. Clare invites Melia and Kit over for dinner. The two millennials mesmerize the older couple with their "submission of youth, fun, and freedom." At the same time, Melia and Kit, envious of the four-story Georgian townhouse that smacks of affluence, are seduced by the idea of living in grandeur. Giddy on possibility, the foursome begins to socialize, drinking to excess and dabbling in cocaine use. When Melia confesses her attraction to Jamie, he loses all inhibitions and begins an illicit affair with her. The couples' connection sours as Melia and Kit marry, much to Jamie's surprise, and Clare becomes disgruntled with their tendencies towards theatrics, entitlement and self-absorption. Yet Jamie cannot stop seeing Melia, and the stakes for his involvement with her continue to climb.

Jamie's first-person narrative adopts a confessional air as he whispers the backstory of the four characters in the reader's ear in between police interrogations. Although he is a significantly flawed character, and potentially an unreliable narrator, you may find yourself invested in his fate. Candlish uses the timeless theme of envy to spur the characters forward. Whether it be yearning for youth or an insatiable desire for wealth, the "temptation to compare up," as the author puts it in the preface of the work, will speak to most. And as with many narrative instances of envy as a driving force, at least some of the characters experience a comeuppance.

In keeping with her prior works, Candlish creates compelling, credible psychological profiles and personalities for each of her characters. Jamie's narration is clever, and his quips deepen his development. Melia says she is attracted to him because he is funny, and this rings true in terms of his self-deprecating remarks as well as his descriptions of people and events. Jamie's willingness to take ownership of his decisions is laudable — though those decisions are, at times, despicable — while Melia serves as an apt, if somewhat stereotypical, representation of millennial culture. Overall, the characters are believable and entertaining.

As the mystery of Kit's disappearance unfolds, Candlish delights in serving up a few red herrings, and occasionally lobbing a soft pitch in lieu of the expected curveball. The Other Passenger is the fast-paced mystery novel you'll want to slip in your backpack for a weekend of solitude. Chances are you'll read it before the weekend comes to a close, so bring your next pick along, too.

This review first ran in the August 18, 2021 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.

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