She didn’t mean what she said about reconnecting when he’s out. Jesus, he’ll be in his mid-sixties by then, a broken man. A poor man. It was just a momentary craving to have an impact, to kick up a bit of lust and trouble, to remind him he once worshipped her. She was his Cleopatra, unfurling before his eyes.
Except the bastard rejected her. What was his problem, holding a grudge like that? She giggles at her own audacity – she is not entirely without self-awareness – and the man on the phone who’s about to get divorced glances over his shoulder to locate the source of merriment. Leaning forward, she has a clearer view of him between the headrests. He’s in his mid-to late-forties. Stylishly dressed, an expensive tan, obviously has money. He’s nice to his mother.
‘No, I’m feeling good. Really, it’s the right thing. Great, I’ll call you again at the weekend. Bye, Mum.’
Off the phone, seeing her clearly now, he colours very faintly.
She rises from her seat, a hand passing across her face in mock horror. ‘Oh, God, I hope you didn’t think I was laughing at you?’
He grins. ‘Of course not.’
‘It was just a private joke, I was laughing to myself.’ She groans. ‘Okay, so now you think I’m a crazy person.’
‘I don’t think that at all,’ he says, his grin stretching. As she stands in front of him in the aisle, she can tell he is doing his best not to lower his gaze, give her a proper up-and-down appraisal the way older men always want to but know is not acceptable, not any more. Time’s well and truly up, they know that. But they can still dream.
She perches on the edge of the aisle seat just across from him and smiles. A sweet, sinless smile, especially for him.
The next bit comes quite naturally. No need to prepare.
Acknowledgements
My grateful thanks to the S&S (UK) dream team of Suzanne Baboneau (our first book together and what a joy!), Ian Chapman, Sara-Jade Virtue, Hayley McMullan, Jess Barratt, Polly Osborn, Gill Richardson, Dom Brendon, Maddie Allan, Rich Vlietstra, Joe Roche, Louise Davies, Alice Rodgers, Clare Hey, Pip Watkins and Susan Opie. And, of course, to the brilliant Jo Dickinson for early helmsmanship – we miss you!
And a huge thank you to Berkley/Penguin Random House, in particular the genius trio of Danielle Perez, Loren Jaggers and Fareeda Bullert, and also to Ivan Held, Craig Burke, Jeanne-Marie Hudson, Claire Zion, and Jenn Snyder. It was such a treat to come to NYC and finally meet (most of) you during the writing of this book!
Thank you to my agent Sheila Crowley, aka the best in the business, and to the multitalented and tireless Curtis Brown team: Sabhbh Curran, Emily Harris, Katie McGowan, Callum Mollison, Luke Speed, Anna Weguelin, and Alice Lutyens. And, in NYC, the legendary Deborah Schneider (there’s been a lot of email with this one, thank you so much!).
Heartfelt thanks to the booksellers, journalists and bloggers who continue to support and promote my work so generously and to the many fellow authors and publishing folk who have taken the time to read this book ahead of publication. I know how hard it is to rise to the top of that TBR pile!
There are no experts to thank this time – my characters’ crimes are strictly amateur – but I must acknowledge the influence of noir movies like Double Indemnity and the greatness of Barbara Stanwyck. Also, the book was written to a soundtrack of the Kinks and Lana Del Rey (particularly her 2019 cover of Sublime’s ‘Doin’ Time’, a song that features in the story).
I raise a glass, as ever, to my friends (including Mats ’n’ Jo) and family, especially Nips and Greta.
Finally, thank you to every reader who has chosen The Other Passenger for a temporary companion. I so hope you enjoy taking this trip with Jamie and Kit and that you will keep any commuter adventures of your own crime-free.
Also by Louise Candlish
Those People
Our House
The Swimming Pool
The Sudden Departure of the Frasers
The Disappearance of Emily Marr
The Island Hideaway
The Day You Saved My life
Other People’s Secrets
Before We Say Goodbye
I’ll Be There For You
The Second Husband
Since I Don’t Have You
The Double Life of Anna Day
More from the Author
Those People
Our House
Questions for Discussion
1 From the moment Clare and Jamie first invite Melia and Kit to dinner, there is a sense of two generations colliding. What were your expectations of the alliances and divisions to come?
2 Commuters are familiar figures in psychological thrillers, but a river bus commute is unusual: how did the Thames river setting create an uneasy mood in the book?
3 How well does Jamie handle his police interview? Did you trust him as a narrator of the two couples’ history?
4 The tyranny of debt and the evils of avarice are key themes in the book. Is Kit and Melia’s generation right to feel the frustration and anger it often does?
5 Jamie suffers from claustrophobia, a condition that has had an impact on his career. What other factors have led him to be so acutely aware of his own ageing?
6 The author is known for her award-winning real estate thriller, Our House, and the housing crisis plays its part in The Other Passenger too. How does Clare’s role as an estate agent and as the owner of a beautiful home set her apart from the other characters?
7 The narrative structure allows for some shocking revelations: which took you most by surprise?
8 The author has said that the story, though contemporary, was partly inspired by noir movies like Double Indemnity (1944). Did you notice the influence? Were any other inspirations evident?
LOUISE
CANDLISH
our
house
Winner of Crime & Thriller Book of the Year 2019
at the British Book Awards
On a bright morning in the London suburbs,
a family moves into the house they’ve
just bought on Trinity Avenue.
Nothing strange about that. Except it’s your house.
And you didn’t sell it.
When Fi Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving
into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She
and her husband Bram have owned their home on Trinity
Avenue for years and have no intention of selling. How can
this other family possibly think the house is theirs? And
why has Bram disappeared when she needs him most?
‘Terrifically twisty . . . hooks from the first page’
Sunday Times
AVAILABLE NOW IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK
LOUISE
CANDLISH
those
people
Meet the neighbours you’ll love to hate.
Until Darren and Jodie move in, Lowland Way is a suburban
paradise. Beautiful homes. Friendly neighbours. Kids playing
out in the street. But Darren and Jodie don’t follow the rules
and soon disputes over loud music and parking rights escalate
to threats of violence.
Then, early one Saturday, a horrific crime shocks the street.
As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and
everyone’s story is the same: they did it.
But there’s a problem. The police don’t agree. And the door
they’re knocking on next is yours.
‘Scarily plausible’
Observer
AVAILABLE NOW IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK
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First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2020
Copyright © Louise Candlish, 2020
The right of Louise Candlish to be identified as author of
this work has been asserted in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
Simon & Schuster UK Ltd
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London WC1X 8HB
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-4711-8344-7
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4711-8345-4
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4711-8346-1
Audio ISBN: 978-1-4711-8453-6
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either
a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Typeset in the UK by M Rules
Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
The Other Passenger Page 30
