The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

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💼 Book Review: The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

Twists, doppelgängers, and justice served (mostly)

4.5 out of 5 stars – I gasped, I rolled my eyes (lovingly), and I devoured it in one sitting.
This isn’t literary fiction. It’s a wild, dramatic, twisty thriller—and I was here for every ridiculous second of it.

⚠️ Trigger & Content Warnings

Heads up before diving in! This book includes depictions of:

  • Death & murder

  • Rape

  • Child abuse

  • Physical and emotional abuse

  • Sexual harassment

  • Gender discrimination

  • Bullying

  • Substance use

  • Strong language

Definitely not a light read in terms of subject matter, but told with a fast pace and over-the-top thriller flair.

✈️ Overview: Doppelgängers, Deadlines, and Disaster

The Business Trip is the debut novel from journalist and news director Jessie Garcia. The story kicks off with two women—Stephanie (burnt-out news director) and Jasmine (abuse survivor trying to escape her monstrous boyfriend)—meeting briefly on a flight. They look uncannily alike.

Then… both women disappear.

Cue: suspicious texts, multiple mistaken identities, and a high-stakes web of lies stretching from San Diego to Atlanta to Mexico.

⚠️ Spoiler Alert!

If you haven’t read this twisty thriller yet, consider this your official spoiler warning. What follows is a full plot breakdown, including the wild ending that made me say, “okay fine, this was genius.”

🧩 Full Plot Summary: It’s Giving Face Off, but Make It Feminist Noir

Jasmine is running from her abusive boyfriend, Glenn, while Stephanie is escaping her stressful job to attend a conference. They meet on a plane. They look identical. A random passenger even points it out.

After the flight, Jasmine disappears—and so does Stephanie. Their friends get cryptic texts: “Met a guy. His name is Trent. I’m going to Atlanta.” Both women text this. Suspicious much?

Stephanie’s neighbor, Robert, and friend Lucy are alarmed. Jasmine’s friend Anna is panicking too, especially as Glenn grows violent and sends threats. Enter Raven, a mysterious ally helping “clean up” Glenn. 👀

Soon, both Jasmine and Stephanie are reported missing. Police suspect Trent McCarthy, a cocky news director who texted Stephanie after their brief conference flirtation. He's arrested when Stephanie’s phone and bloody underwear show up at his apartment, along with a pile of planted evidence.

AND THEN WE FLASH BACK…

Turns out Jasmine is a full-blown con artist-murderer. Driven by trauma and jealousy, she kills Diana—an actress hired by Stephanie to attend the conference in her place. Jasmine thought she was killing Stephanie… but nope. TWIST!

She steals Stephanie’s identity, seduces Trent to frame him, and dumps Diana’s body. She uses AI to mimic Stephanie’s voice, plants evidence, and skips town to Mexico.

BUT WAIT—THERE’S MORE.

Lucy and Robert start digging. A woman named Dorothy remembers that “Stephanie” at the conference didn’t seem like herself. The puzzle pieces click. Stephanie is alive. She’s been watching this whole identity-theft unravel from a safe distance.

Meanwhile, Jasmine’s buddy Raven gets arrested for passport fraud and rats Jasmine out. Jasmine is captured mid-escape and learns the truth: she murdered the wrong woman.

In the epilogue, Trent—somehow free again—asks Stephanie to help him write a true crime book about their ordeal. Stephanie shuts him down cold:

“Bastards never win.”

Iconic. 👏

💬 Final Thoughts: Wild, Ridiculous, and So Much Fun

This book starts as a twisty, grounded mystery and evolves into a full-blown popcorn thriller with identity theft, murder, and multiple fake-outs. Is it realistic? NO. Is it dramatic and entertaining and satisfying in the end? ABSOLUTELY.

Highlights:

  • Stephanie’s final line = chef’s kiss 💋

  • The triple twist ending—did NOT see it coming

  • Loved seeing female characters ultimately take power

  • WISH Glenn got a more dramatic takedown (give me revenge, not just robbery!)

⭐ My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Half a star docked for going off-the-rails briefly, but regained its footing just in time.
Fast-paced, sharp, over-the-top, and totally bingeable.

🛒 Grab Your Copy

📘 Buy The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia on Amazon
Affiliate link – support your local twist enthusiast. 😉

🔁 Readalikes: If You Liked The Business Trip, Try:

  • The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine – Twisty rich-lady identity theft drama

  • Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough – Psychological thriller with a BIG final twist

  • The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian – International suspense with unreliable narrators

  • Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter – Gritty and layered sister mystery

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