The Girl on the Train

2017 Longlist

You don’t know her. But she knows you. Rear Window meets Gone Girl, in this exceptional and startling psychological thriller.

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…

(from publisher)

About the Author

Paula Hawkins worked as a journalist for fifteen years before turning her hand to fiction. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989 and has lived there ever since. The Girl on the Train is her first thriller. It has been published in over forty languages and has been a No.1 bestseller around the world. The film adaptation is due for release in 2016.

Librarians’ Comments

A fascinating story and strong plot right to the very end. A good representative of the thriller genre.

A psychological thriller that chronicles the lives of three women interlinked by fantasy and tragedy. Rachel an alcoholic, prone to blackouts, takes the same commuter train every morning pretending to go to the job she lost. Anna is the perfect second wife to Rachel’s ex-husband and Megan the glamorous wife who goes missing. The writer’s style of using inconsequential details to suddenly evoke a gamut of emotions in unravelling the mystery will forever change the way you look at other people’s lives.