Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar. Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…
The Gillian Flynn comparisons are utterly accurate. This was a premise to which I couldn’t say no. From the window of her train, troubled, alcoholic commuter Rachel Watson watches the world –including a couple who are frequently out on their terrace at the very point her train stops every day. She names them Jason and Jess and decides their lives are the perfect happy-ever-after that hers has never been. But then Jess, whose name is really Megan, goes missing; and Rachel’s memory of the night Megan disappeared is a yawning black hole. Did she…
ALCOHOLIC AMNESIA THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is a dark, haunting and depressing psychological thriller, but it’s incredibly effective thanks to the writing skills of author Paula Hawkins. Rachel is a divorced woman who would do anything for a drink, and like a lot of folks consumed by a love affair with the bottle, one might call her a victim of circumstances. Her husband Tom had an affair that resulted in a pregnancy. He divorced Rachel, married the “other woman” and now all three (husband, wife and child) are…
Best Hitchcock style mystery of voyeuristic observation since Rear Window. Rachel is a woman who considers herself worthless. She feels that women are only valued for two things: their looks and their role as a mother. She is barren and rather plain looking. Unbeknownst to her landlady she has lost her job but continues to ride the commuter train twice a day. Unfortunately she must pass the home of her ex-husband Tom and his new wife Anna. They’ve recently had a child which is something Rachel was unable to produce when she was married to him. He’s moved his new…