This one has been on best-seller lists for a while now and people have raved about it. I’m always behind on my TBR stacks so when it comes to bestsellers, I make a mental note but rarely seek them out.

A writer friend and I were recently discussing books and she recommended this one, so I reserved it at the library. Our discussion centered on how to make a basically unlikeable protagonist into a sympathetic character, someone the reader will root for. LoraLee mentioned THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN.

It’s told through the points of view of three women. We meet two of them through the point of view of the main protagonist, so we feel like we know them a little before we’re inside their heads. This worked really well for me. I liked the reminder that what we observe from the outside and what we think we know about someone, can all be false.

It’s part suspense, part murder mystery, part noir. There’s an alcoholic, blackouts, vomit, murder, blood, lies, and deception.

The other factor LoraLee and I discussed was books that keep you guessing. Books that the author has done an outstanding job giving clues but still the reader (or viewer–remember The Sixth Sense?) ends up surprised.

I had an inkling of the solution of this one, but I wasn’t certain at all until about the time the protagonist realized the truth.

It’s tough to review something like this book without giving away too much, so I’ve stayed vague.

I will say I liked this one a lot and I highly recommend it!