#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERGOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER FOR MYSTERY/THRILLERAn addictive new novel of psychological suspense from the author of #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon The Girl on the Train and A Slow Fire Burning. “Hawkins is at the forefront of a group of female authors—think Gillian Flynn and Megan Abbott—who have reinvigorated the literary suspense novel by … Gillian Flynn and Megan Abbott—who have reinvigorated the literary suspense novel by tapping a rich vein of psychological menace and social unease… there’s a certain solace to a dark escape, in the promise of submerged truths coming to light.” —Vogue
A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.
Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.
With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.
Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath.
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I was expecting something a little more exciting than this, although it was a good book. The ending was somewhat anticlimactic after all of the build up.
Wonderful book
It was very confusing for the first third, so much so that I forgot which character did what and I finally quit.
Good summer read.
Starts out slow. Ends with suspense.
Paula’s books take a bit to follow, but are very good. You don’t see what’s coming next.
This book was a doozy — in a good way!
Jules has returned to her childhood home following the death of her sister, Nel. Her sister’s death seems pretty clear-cut: everyone thinks she jumped off a cliff and into the “Drowning Pool,” where a number of other women and girls have also committed suicide over the years. There are so many questions swirling around though. Did Nel kill herself? Did any of the women before her kill themselves? Is there a murderous monster lurking in the shadows of the small England town?
I enjoyed this book overall. The story is on the dark side, so I had to put the book down and take some breaks over the course reading it. It’s written in a unique fashion, with multiple POVs (something I personally enjoy when reading) and fairly short chapters. The author kept me playing a constant guessing game throughout the whole book. There are so many characters with different theories on what may or may not have happened, to Nel and throughout history. As I got to know the characters better, I came up with my own theories along the way. Many of the characters are miserable humans, which aided in my theories and also enhanced the already dark feel of the book. My favorite was Nikkie, who can speak to dead people (and therefore is labeled as the town crazy by everyone). She isn’t in the actual book too much but plays an integral role in the story.
Hawkins took me on an emotional roller coaster. I felt a whole array of feelings over the course of the story. And the end was a total shocker for me. Not a cliffhanger or anything, as this is a standalone novel, but holy cow, I was shocked and it came way out of left field. I was happy with how the book wrapped up for most of the characters though.
If you liked The Girl on the Train, you’ll most likely enjoy this book as well.
Four stars to this novel!
Could not stop thinking about the story events. Yeah
I liked the story but It was hard to follow with all the different characters appearing in random chapters. I finally got them straight by the 3rd segment.
Spellbinding! Sooooo good!
I tried hard to read this, but I just could not get into it. It seemed sad and depressing. Maybe it just wasn’ t for me.
I had a difficult time getting in to this book. There are a lot of characters to keep track of all of whom are very flawed and twisted. Though I can’t say I really liked the book after I got into it I couldn’t stop reading it.
Not impressed.
I love a book with twists and turns.
Great read; hard to put down!!
I couldn’t stop reading. It was a great read.
Paula Hawkins continues to write in a hard to follow style. Confusing characters populate a confusing story. Forced myself to finish.
Great ending!
Pretty good read. Quite contrived especially the ending.
I have always liked this authors boos. Unexpected. Keep you guessing