Don’t Talk to Strangers
Back in 2018, I was lucky enough to get an arc of Under My Skin by Lisa Unger while I said I would add this author to my normal rotation I sadly failed. This was in fact only my second book. I will say that everything so far that I have gotten my hands on has been a 5-star read and this is no disappointment. This psychological suspense will have you scratching your head from the first page to the last. Powerfully written, the story is told in rotating first-person accounts by chapters, not always in chronological order. Which for me added to the suspense


This tense drama surrounds Selena, a professional mother of two, and her chance encounter on a train with a strange woman, while coming home from work late at night. Within days, Selena's whole life will change forever in a series of unimaginable events that will shake her world and everything she thought she knew.

Masterfully designed, Lisa Unger's convoluted plotline weaves a suspenseful tale through a labyrinth of seemingly isolated events that converge upon Selena, threatening to tear her family apart and challenging her identity and safety. No one is safe. Nothing is for sure. No one is who you think they are until the very end. Set in primarily in the greater New York City area, the story follows three major characters, all women, each struggling to find happiness amid the unpredictable and corrupt people around them.

I liked how the author's storytelling energy forced me to keep reading into the unknown, while never getting all the answers and only raising more surprising questions. People are dying and disappearing under suspicious circumstances. Lines between victims and villains blur until all motives and facts get questioned. Lies, power struggles, and manipulations are everywhere. I did also get the audiobook while I followed along with my e-book and that did add to my reading experience. I did like the fact that the author was able to answer most my questions by the end of the story giving me a satisfying ending.
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Actually 3.5 rounded up. Too many characters introduced quickly at the beginning made it a bit difficult to figure out who was who. Ending a bit too hurried??? ( )

Befriending a stranger in an accompanying seat when their commuter train stalls, Selena confesses a personal grievance before her life is upended by her nanny's disappearance and growing fractures in her marriage.

This story was a bit complicated as it followed Selena’s life and what happens when her nanny goes missing. It also followed the life of the stranger that Selena met on the train and the things that led her to Selena, which at times was creepy. Lots of infidelity, lies and secrets kept me intrigued and guessing how it would work out. I did figure out part of the mystery but still thought this was a good psychological suspense read. ( )

Confessions on the 7:45
4 Stars

A chance encounter with a stranger on a train changes Selena Murphy's life forever. After the woman, Martha, confesses to an affair with her employer, Selena reciprocates and explains that she suspects her husband of sleeping with the nanny. The women part ways and Selena puts the episode behind her until the nanny disappears. As the police investigate, the façade of Selena's perfect life begins to crumble, and she is forced to confront the truth about her past and her future.

The narrative is presented from the perspectives of several different characters, but mainly those of Selena, Anne aka Martha, and Pearl - a teenager whose connection to the women on the train is slowly revealed as the story progresses. The twists revolving around her identity are particularly compelling.

In what appears to be a trend with domestic thrillers, none of the characters are particularly appealing. Selena is cold and self-absorbed, Anne is cunning and manipulative, and Pearl is strange and aloof. The male characters aren't much better. Graham, Selena's husband, is a liar and a cheat; Hugo, Anne's boss, is whiny and pathetic; and Charlie, Pearl's surrogate father, is more than a little creepy. Nevertheless, as the details of the various characters' lives are exposed, the desire to piece the connections together and uncover the truth keeps the pages turning.

Lisa Unger's writing is suspenseful overall, although there is some unnecessary repetition of internal motivations and angst that slows the pacing. That said, the eventual climax and resolution are exciting and satisfying.

All in all, a solid psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing. ( )

This book is the first I have read by this author and I have really enjoyed it. Maybe it hasn’t been as great as I thought it would be, but it has kept me interested until the very end. I recommend it.
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