Confessions on the 7:45 Summary - eNotes.com

Introduction

Lisa Unger's 2020Confessions on the 7:45 is a psychological thriller that, like her other novels, is bursting with twists and turns that showcase her mastery of suspense. The story centers on two women, Selena and Martha, whose peculiar lives intertwine after a chance meeting on a train.

Unger divides the narrative into two parts: The first introduces the characters and sets the rising action, while the second delves into the revelation of secrets and lies, leading the characters to confront the consequences of their actions. As a contemporary work, the novel deeply resonates with today's readers, exploring trust—particularly in the digital age—as well as morality, deception, and betrayal.

Plot Summary

Selena Murphy, a working mom of two boys, Oliver and Stephen, is stuck on a delayed train. She chats with Martha, a fellow passenger, about her life. Selena reveals that her husband, Graham, who lost his job for harassing a coworker, has been cheating on her with their nanny, Geneva. Martha tells Selena she is having an affair with her boss and advises solving their issues by wishing them away. Selena then chooses to talk to her husband about his infidelity.

The story switches gears, turning to the past to introduce Pearl, a clever young girl with a complicated relationship with her mother, Stella. A stripper-turned-bookseller. Stella struggles to find a decent partner until she meets Charlie—a kind, supportive man who genuinely cares for Pearl.

After Stella dies, Charlie and Pearl run away together. Charlie, who learned everything from his con artist dad, teaches Pearl his tricks, and they become partners in crime. Later, the pair approach Pearl's biological father, Doug. However, Doug rejects his estranged daughter, offering her money to leave him alone.

The story switches gears again, shifting forward a few years to introduce Anne, a young woman tired of juggling fake identities and scams. After tricking her former boss, Hugh, Anne sets her sights on Ben, a pediatrician she met online—though the scamming ensures her survival, she does consider pausing her scheme.

Moving away from Anne's life, the story returns to Selena, who struggles to stay calm despite feeling conflicted about her husband. Her mental state only worsens when detectives appear at her doorstep, saying Geneva is missing. 

Overwhelmed, Selena turns to Will, her ex-boyfriend, for help with the police. She mentions receiving odd texts from Martha, but Will advises ignoring her. Selena disregards this and meets Martha at a wine bar in Manhattan, hoping to stop the texts and put their odd, unexpected relationship to rest.

Soon, the police discover a woman's body, which worries Selena. She confides in Detective Crowe about her husband's violent history and exposes Graham's affair with Geneva.

Meanwhile, retired investigator Hunter Ross is investigating cold cases of murdered women, including those of Stella, Pearl Behr, Maggie, and Grace Stevenson. He spots patterns, focusing on a mysterious man named Charles Finch, who preyed on vulnerable women and their daughters.

Again, the story shifts to the past, introducing yet another newly traumatized character: Gracie. To Pearl's chagrin, Pop (Charlie) brings home Gracie, a fragile young girl who, like Pearl, lost her mother to murder. Although Pearl resists the new addition, Pop insists, plying Pearl's grief against her. 

Unexpectedly, Bridget, a victim of one of Pop and Pearl's many scams, arrives and kills Pop. Gracie retaliates by killing Bridget. Pearl decides to cover up the incident, helping to hide the bodies. She steps into a mentor and "sister" role for Gracie and begins calling her "Gennie"—a nickname for Geneva.

Back in the present, Oliver shows his grandma, Cora, a video of Geneva...

encountering a mysterious woman before she disappeared. The video stuns Cora, recognizing the mysterious woman as Pearl—the secret daughter that her husband, Doug, hid for many years. They then show the video to Selena, who recognizes Pearl as Martha from her train ride. Thus, Selena discovers that Pearl, Anne, and Martha are all the same person—and her half-sister—leading her to confront the woman.

She goes home to get a gun, but before she can, Will calls. He explains that the body the police found was not Geneva but Jacqueline Carson, Graham's harassed coworker. Will warns Selena to leave, saying the police have noticed Graham is missing. Selena realizes her gun is gone and encounters Graham in the kitchen. They argue, and he tries to strangle her. Before he can, Martha appears and knocks Graham out. Selena questions why Martha targeted her, and she admits feeling excluded from Doug's family and resenting them. 

Soon, Martha reveals that Geneva is alive—she has just hidden the younger woman away in a cellar. Geneva explains that she feels sorry for everything and tells Martha that she wants to move on. Martha suggests splitting their money and getting new identities, to which Geneva hesitates but eventually agrees. Martha plans to leave the country, now bearing the name Emily Pearl Miller. Before she does, she calls Hunter Ross to share her past and allay his lingering curiosity about the cases.

The book concludes as Selena begins rebuilding her life after the chaos caused by Graham and Martha. Now, she is writing a book about her experiences. Yet, despite her newfound peace, Selena finds herself occasionally unsettled, as Martha sometimes still sends her puzzling messages, signing off with her usual phrase, "It's Martha, by the way. From the train."