Mark's Review of The Girl on the Train

There are lots of novels about the girl. I wondered what all the fuss was about with this one - 20 weeks in the top 10 best sellers list, 13 million worldwide book sales and now a film version being released in October starring Emily Blunt. I am encouraged to read widely in the Book Club I am part of - so I read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. The format is unusual in that it is written in the third person narrative through the eyes of 3 women Rachel, Megan and Anna. This means the reader does have to concentrate and remember the eyes through which we are looking at the troubling unfolding events. It is challenging keeping up with the complex plot - the twists and turns, who is having an affair with who and of course, who killed who. As a study of a life cascading into chaos in Rachel's alcoholism and depression, the book is compelling and revealing. As a psychological thriller, well, it is another OK thriller. I am half expecting someone to write The Girl on the sofa Watching Telly. Now there's a thought...