THE SURVIVOR by Andrew Reid

5 stars

This suspenseful tense thriller has your holding your breath for the intense dramatic action most of which takes place in a hijacked New York City’s subway. Ben Cross, a recent college grad, has just come in for his first day at work after a week of training only to be summarily fired and walked out of the building by security. As he dejectedly makes his way onto his usual subway ride home, he receives an ominous text: DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR PHONE. DO NOT GET OFF THE TRAIN. I KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

The anonymous texter sends first sends Ben a picture of a murdered man with his throat slit. He’s told not to let a woman get off the train. Thinking it’s a bluff, Ben does nothing only to see the woman killed when a bomb she’s holding explodes. Ben struggles then to follow their orders to prevent any more deaths, as he wrestles internally with both his secret hidden past as well as how the murderer could know him. Turns out there’s a grim and horrific backstory to Ben’s childhood that only slowly gets revealed.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security has taken control of the situation, trying to stop further murders and take down Ben who they mistakenly think must be the murderer. Homeland Security’s being headed up by an ambitious, ruthless man who only cares about coming out of the situation looking like a hero, even if it means that all the innocents on the train die. There’s also a younger, more reasoned second in command who has ambitions of his own and bristles at how the head of the op mistreats the men under him.

Simultaneously, a NYPD detective Kelly Hendricks has been transferred to the transit police as punishment for public lashing out at an event at a superior who got unexpectedly and inappropriately handsy with her. Kelly’s the first one on subway scene when the bomb explodes killing the woman and resentfully risks her life going on Homeland Security’s orders to act as a medic approaching the train. She manages to board the train and talk with Ben, who she intuitively comes to believe is innocent. She steps up as a heroine to try to figure out what’s really going on.

Together Kelly and Ben race the clock to stop Ben’s assignation and the killing of the dozens of innocents on the train. Between the heart-breaking backstory of Ben’s life and heart-racing action of the hijacked train, this thriller stays edge of your seat until the very end.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.