Jo Furniss delivers a taut, emotionally charged thriller in Guilt Trip—a story that starts with a missing school bus and spirals into something far more sinister. What begins as every parent’s worst nightmare quickly becomes a layered exploration of secrets, suspicion, and the fragile bonds between family and community.

The setup is instantly gripping: Emily Smith is called to her daughter’s elite school, only to learn that Olivia and her swim teammates have vanished. No phones, no clues, and no idea where the minibus went. As panic sets in, Furniss masterfully shifts the focus—not just to the mystery of the disappearance, but to the unsettling possibility that the real danger might be closer than anyone suspects.

What makes this novel stand out is its dual tension: the race against time and the slow unravelling of trust. Furniss writes with precision and empathy, capturing the raw fear of a parent and the claustrophobic pressure of a community under scrutiny. The pacing is tight, the twists are smart, and the emotional stakes feel real.

If you enjoy thrillers that blend psychological depth with page-turning suspense, Guilt Trip is a compelling ride from start to finish. Perfect for fans of Belinda Bauer and T.M. Logan, it’s a story that lingers long after the final chapter.

With thanks to Jo Furniss, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC,

i love the way this book was laid out. it really added to my excitement and thrills. you get to see the sides of the story from both sides but in its own unique way. this also adds to the tension and ramps up more and more of the intensity.
there is also the layers of characters you are never quite sure of. i mean how would you react if a bus load of kids and yours being one of them dont arrive back from a swim meet? because each of these bunch seem to have secrets or things they are hiding. so does this link to what happened? and then slowly but surely it all unravels and i was here for every single second of it.
its fast paced and twisty in all the right places and it draws you right in until you cant help but read on. its hooked me in from the start but never let me go until the very last word read.
there is so much perfect layering to this book. what i really liked is that you have some shady characters who you could all equally suspect of stuff and some are definitely up to no good. but where does this connect to the missing bus if at all? i was constantly trying to play detective but of course Jo didn't let me gain a footing, and i loved it all the more for that.
a fab time was had with this book. the extra layers, the way it was told and in the pov added bonus points all the way for me.

Review:
Absolutely loved this thriller! I read it in less than 24 hours and hated having to put it down to do adult life! My plans for this evening were completely derailed as all I wanted to do was finish this book! I figured our a few twists but a couple did take me by surprise which is rare for me! I loved how despite there being many characters they all felt different and I didn't once confuse any of the children or their parents.
Totally recommend and am looking forward to reading more from this author

Synopsis:
5 teenagers at a posh private school go missing while on a school outing. These aren't just ordinary children though, and their parents could all be the reason why they are missing. Secrets are revealed as time ticks on and these children are still not home.

Told from 2 POV following both Emily whose daughter is missing and her daughter Olivia

Having enjoyed Jo Furniss's previous book, I was excited to dive into this one. Guilt Trip is an enjoyable, fast-paced thriller full of interesting characters and unsettling events.

The book follows teenage Olivia as events unfold in the past with the hijacking of the school minibus with the swimming team aboard, and her mother Emily in the present as the parents are informed their children are missing.

From the very beginning this book was intriguing. Not even a quarter of the way in, I had plenty of questions and even a budding theory. The teens and adults all have secrets and plenty of murky motivations.

I flew through this book and thoroughly enjoyed it, right until the satisfying conclusion.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

This was a heart-pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! If you like a tightly plotted, a clever story with razor sharp dialogue and a twist so chilling you’ll be reaching for a blanket to wrap yourself in, then this is a book for you!

It kept me gripped until the end with plenty of twists and turns along the way it’s a massive five star read for me!

I loved the author’s previous novel Dead Mile which was a gripping and original thriller. Guilt Trip is a more predictable thriller which focuses on a group of parents who wait for news at an elite school after the minibus carrying their teenagers goes missing. This was a mixed read for me; I enjoyed the sense of unease that builds as the reader is left wondering what has happened to the minibus but I found the pacing slow and I felt too much focus was on the parents and the secrets they were keeping. The parents are a largely unlikeable group and so this focus did not hold my interest.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Nobody can vanish into thin air. It appears to be the case in this book. There are plenty of twists and turns and a killer ending. No pun intended.

This was the very definition of a page turner. What started out as a missing bus of wealthy schoolchildren descended into a twisty, multi-layered story.

Definitely worth reading

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily
Another excellent fun filled read from Jo Furniss. An addictive one sit read that is full of great characters and a rapid pace. The short chapters add to the suspense and while the twists won't blow you away the story does unfold nicely. You may have to suspend a certain amount of belief at the end but it all adds to the excitement. Very well written as the chapters go back and forth between the parents and children which makes for a gripping read. Another solid read from this talented and original author

Sharp writing and short chapters gives us a parents nightmare that you will not put down until you finish.

I really enjoyed the plot, but I feel the writer gave us extra tension with reveals not in typical places and characters that had some darkness present.

A real joy.

A brilliantly tense read when what seems to be a school bus hijacking develops into something more. This grows into such a gripping read as more secrets and hidden pasts are revealed. Brilliant!

This was a proper binge read. Guilt Trip kicks off with every parent’s worst fear – a school minibus full of teenagers vanishes – and it just snowballs from there. The tension hits early, and the emotional pressure never really lets up.

I really liked how it moved between the parents and the kids. It added loads of depth and gave you different angles on the same events. Everyone’s got something to hide, and I kept changing my mind about who I trusted. No one came out of it looking completely innocent, and that made it feel more real.

The pacing was spot on. Short chapters, well-timed reveals, and a constant sense of unease that kept me turning the pages. That said, the twists didn’t totally blow me away. Some felt a bit predictable, and others I saw coming quite early, but I still really enjoyed watching it all unfold.

The characters felt messy in a believable way, and the themes around parenting, privilege, and self-preservation really landed - it definitely asks the questions on how far you’d go to protect your kids, and yourself,

It’s a smart, emotionally tense thriller – definitely one I’d recommend. Not quite five stars for me, but a solid four.

it is uncommon to read a book with an unusual plot and this one follows a group of private school kids who on their way to a swimming competition go missing.

Although a little far fetched at times I really enjoyed this book and I did get absorbed with the happenings and the people involved.

it is well told and is quite a thrilling read. I couldn't guess what would happen next and for me this was a one sit read.

A thriller about a group of private school students whose minibus carrying them back to college goes missing following a swimming competition. The switching of points of view slowed the narrative, most of the characters were disliked but it was a decent read.

Exactly how can a whole minibus full of kids on a school swimming trip just vanish into thin air??

Worse, the school has a no phones policy, so none of the kids had their phone, making tracing them extremely difficult

Where have they all gone?

Excellent

I could NOT put this book down! From the get-go red flags pop as the story flips between mother and daughter narrators, and the story unspools amd gathers pace. I absolutely loved the feisty mums and sassy teen kids. Guilt Trip is a masterpiece in thrills and chills with twists around every corner that you just don't see coming. Superb!

Left me with a lot of questions like why did the mother not just move away to avoid the OCG?! But that aside, it's an okay thriller - not massively thrilling, per se, but an interesting plot that examines the dark side of society and what people will do for money while protecting their pride. Plot twists were quite predictable, some of the side plots were just a bit unnecessary but the characters were certainly interesting and well rounded.

I really really enjoyed this that much I stayed up till 2am on a school night. I love a book you can pick up and just fall straight into I was gripped from the first chapter
I loved the characters, the story line, the secrets the lies I love how it was all wrapped up nicely at the end
A fab read

First, thank you Netgalley and Bonnier Books for this ARC!

Again we have multiple POVs while following the story of a minibus carrying a group of school children that suddenly goes missing, one of them being the daughter of Emily.

It was an intense read with a lot of twists along the way that has just the right pace to keep you in it's grip. Very much recommended.

Another brilliantly written novel by Jo Furniss. I’ve been waiting for her next book since reading the fantastic ‘Dead Mile’!
When a minibus carrying a group of pupils from a private school goes missing, their parents and the police are called and the hunt begins…
Told from alternating perspectives of the pupils and the parents, this high speed storyline is full of surprises and keeps you gripped until the very end.
Can’t wait for the next book by Jo Furniss!