Book Review: "The Passenger" by Lisa Lutz

"The Passenger" by Lisa Lutz has ended up being a totally different book than I expected. I thought it would be just one of those head long rushes of adrenaline as I franticly try to find the conclusion of the book. Instead I found that it was also an incredible look into just how difficult it would be to be a fugitive. I really had not given that conundrum much thought as I hadn't ever read a full book of "running". And yes, the main character runs from her past throughout this incredible mystery.

To me, this book is both a thriller and a psychological look at how you change when you run from your past. I loved it. I have a degree in Psychology but never thought of how one would change if put in our main character's position.

Tanya Dubois is already running from her past when we meet her. She confesses that she didn't, in fact, kill her husband but since his fall down the stairs looks suspicious, she feels compelled to run. What if the police look too closely at her "Tanya Dubois" identity? Thus starts Tanya's run from everything comfortable and safe. She gets a new identity from a shadowy character in her past, changes her hair color and length, trades in her husband's truck and runs. When she stops off in a bar after several hours of driving she meets Blue, an interesting yet hardened woman who pours Tanya a drink. Tanya inadvertently ties her future to Blue and thus begins the intrigue. Will Blue be the heroine in Tanya's life of the death of her?

This book was so unexpectedly awesome. There wasn't one single place where I thought, "I so totally wouldn't do that!". In fact, sometimes I couldn't believe that I couldn't see any way out of her situation except the terrible choice she made. These character decisions that authors make are usually where a book falls short for me. I don't like thinking how inept or stupid a character is. With Lisa Lutz' character Tanya, I was so pleasantly surprised that I never once felt ripped off and this was the kind of book that would be easy for an author to cheat or choose wrongly for her characters. I thought Ms. Lutz writing was excellent, I really came to respect and like her "Tanya" character. It was incredibly intriguing to see the subtle changes Tanya's choices made in her psychologically. This is definitely another five star book. It was a quick read and well worth the time.

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