The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train  by Paula Hawkins

Rachel Watson likes to pretend; pretend that she's not a raging alcoholic, that she wasn't fired from a dead-end job, that her husband still loves her when in reality he's now blissfully married and content with someone new. It's easy to pretend, especially when alcohol obliterates the pain.

Rachel continues her daily commute to a non-existent job, determined to hide the truth of her circumstances from her roommate. As the train rumbles towards London each day, she is observant of her mundane surroundings, basking in the simple pleasure of imagining what goes on behind closed doors. There's one couple in particular that catches her eye every day in the neighborhood where she used to live. She calls them "Jess and Jason". They seem to be so blatantly happy, living the life that once was hers. They must be ideal, perfect partners.

Then Rachel witnesses what she believes is an act of infidelity on the part of one of the two strangers she's been watching religiously. The news that follows this incident is troubling. "Jess" (who is actually Megan Hipwell) is missing. Rachel thinks she has valuable information for the authorities about her disappearance, which is now casting suspicion on Megan's husband, Scott. If only she could be sure of what she saw. Her memory is clouded from another drunken stupor.  Reality and fantasy collide, resulting in a series of twisted and complex events that are no longer pretend. Rachel is living a lie, so who will believe her?

Hawkins artfully meshes the past and present lives of truly distinctive characters.  You'll hear from three narrators who tell a shocking, compelling story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The references to Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful  movie  Rear Window and Gillian Flynn's disturbing Gone Girl certainly are with merit. It's no surprise that this novel has already been optioned to become a film. Books clubs may want to add this one to their growing list for 2015.

This is an outstanding psychological thriller with a dramatic conclusion.