NO PASSENGERS Book Review

No Passengers (prequel to Foreign Muse) by Elainie La Force, eBook, 77 pages

Synopsis from GoodReads: Twenty hours to disappear. One mistake could be fatal. Anastasia Pestova is a quiet teller at the Bank of Moscow, in a city that doesn't notice if she breathes. But when millions of rubles vanish through her terminal, she is suddenly the centre of a money laundering conspiracy. A frantic tip-off offers a harrowing lifeline. But to take it, Anastasia must shed her identity and slip through a dragnet of watchful eyes.

With authorities watching the gates and her passport flagged at every checkpoint, she has less than twenty hours to do the impossible. One mistake, and it will be her last. And even if she succeeds, her ordeal is only beginning.

Note to Readers: No Passengers is the prequel to the upcoming thriller Foreign Muse, introducing Anastasia Pestova before her life changes forever. It is an 18,000-word escape on-the-run thriller, designed to be devoured in one sitting.

BOOK REVIEW: I did something this time that I don't do very often. I read the author's note at the end. The author wrote this novella in the midst of writing her novel (coming soon) because she felt like she needed to know more about her character and her background and how she got to where she is in her book. I absolutely love that. I also love that she says that she didn't know what the characters were going to do so at a particular scene she was just as shocked as we were to read what Anna planned to do. This little novella is the perfect little morsel to get you hooked to read her novel and I honestly cannot wait for it to come out!

I love that this is a true novella. Personally I think if you're going to be called a novella it should be under 110 pages total, be quick and easy to digest, and really be utilized more for prequels! Don't get me wrong...I love a prequel that is a novel but sometimes you just need a little insight into the character and this does it beautifully. You get the down and dirty (literally) about Anna and her situation. You see how she can be resourceful and brave.

This is a 5 star novella! I don't know when her novel is coming out but her debut novella was perfect in my opinion. As I said, it is short and sweet and to the point. We learn about the character and her struggles. The author does an amazing job with her scenes, even being short, and the quick cast of characters we meet are wonderful. It does make me wonder who we will get introduced to in her debut novel and who may appear from this novella. This novella is only available as an eBook and is currently in the KU member library.

5/5 Stars

2026 Reading Challenge: 9/55 complete