Every once in a while a novel comes along that is so entertaining that you hope that every crime fiction lover on the planet will read it. "The Passenger" by Lisa Lutz is that sort of book. Her story is filled with tricky twists that are elegantly paced. I'm in this happy quandary when it comes to talking about this one. I do want you to read it for yourself.
I hate it when reviewers give away the good stuff. Publishers want reviewers to cover their books so they send along press kits that are usually just a big old steaming stack of spoilers. Enough already! Don't ruin it for the rest of us. I toss the press kits in the trash, unread. I skim the blurbs for the names of the blurbers and nothing else. OK, here's Lee Child, again, and my favorite serial blurber, Gary Shteyngart. Am I supposed to be impressed? These guys put out blurbs almost as quickly as James Patterson puts out books. By the way, they didn't blurb "The Passenger." But Tim Johnston did!
I won't ruin it for you. "The Passenger" is the story of a woman who is trying to hide. We don't know why. People are looking for her. We don't know why. She's borrowing identities and living on the extreme margins of existence. It is all spectacular fun. Don't miss this one. Lisa Lutz is a fabulously gifted writer. And she gives a great interview. Maybe I can talk to her again when they release the paperback? A guy can dream, can't he??
