Title:	The girl on the Train
	Author:	Paula Hawkins
	Published:	2015, Riverhead Books
	No. of Pages:	323
	Cover Price:	$26.95 Hardcover, $6.99 Kindle

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The Girl on the Train is the first thriller novel for former Journalist Paula Hawkins. Well-written, and chilling, this novel is told through the eyes of Rachael, Megan, and Anna.

Rachael is devastated after being dumped by her husband, Tom, but knows it's all her fault because during her marriage, she evolved into a violent, abusive alcoholic. Single and renting a room from a friend, she rides the same train to and from town every day. Each day, the train stops at signal for a few moments, and it allows her to watch a couple on their deck. She feels like she knows this couple after a while, and even names them. One day she sees something that isn't right, and then the woman ends up missing. As Rachael tries to help, and talks to the police, it seems she messes things up even more, especially since the couple lives only four houses up from her former home where Anna, Tom's new wife, now lives with him. Rachael oversteps her bounds, which puts her and the others in eminent danger. Rachael was drunk on the night that Megan disappeared, and has a complete blackout of all memory, except for a few repressed images that she tries to bring out so she can piece together what actually happened. It may very well be that she is responsible for the disappearance and probable death of Megan. Tom is being harassed by late-night phone calls and Anna is furious because Rachael won't leave them alone.

From the start of the novel, the reader will be on edge, trying to put together pieces of the story to explain Rachael's inappropriate behaviors having to do with her ex-husband, his new wife, and the neighbors. There are twists and turns throughout, and an underlying suspense that is palpable. Hawkins is able to present her characters in such a way that they seem real. As Rachael continues to drink, pass out, and have blackouts, readers will feel the frustration of someone who has no control over a loved one they care about.

Hawkins certainly has a talent for storytelling; the story takes place near London, and the reader definitely gets a feel for the English culture, and also what people are capable of doing to fulfill selfish desires. The end is a surprise, of course, as it should be in any good thriller, and once finished, readers will have no doubt as to why the book is a #1 New York Times Bestseller. This book is recommended; it is unique, fascinating, and definitely an edge-of-the-seat read.

This book was purchased with personal funds and no promotion of the book was solicited by the author or publisher.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
The Girl on the Train, Hardcover
The Girl on the Train, Kindle