The Girl on the Train

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The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins

Riverhead Books: 2015, 325 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

Rachel, a recently divorced and depressed woman, takes a commuter train each work day and observes her old street from the window.  One day she notices something odd and subsequently involves herself in a mystery.  This book definitely seems to be written for Gone Girl fans as it has some similarities.  However, the character development is a bit shallow and I found it hard to follow at first because the chapters switch from different characters in first person.  That being said, it did keep me interested and I read it in one day.  I found the ending predictable but not disappointing.  

The Girl on the Train

Cover retrieved from Goodreads

The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins

Riverhead Books: 2015, 336 pages

Reviewed by Tori Lyons

Touted as "the next Gone Girl," The Girl on the Train is a psychological thriller set in the suburbs of London.  Rachel is an alcoholic who lost both her job and her marriage.  She rides the train into London every morning so her roommate won't find out that Rachel lost her job.  From the train, she becomes obsessed with a couple who she often sees sitting on their deck, drinking their morning coffee, inventing personalities and even names for this idyllic couple.  When the wife goes missing, Rachel becomes way too involved in the investigation into her disappearance, putting herself in danger.  This book alternates chapters from the points of view of three women: Rachel; Anna, Rachel's ex-husband's new wife; and Megan, the woman who goes missing.  It had enough twists to keep me riveted and I would highly recommend it to fans of crime novels/thrillers.

Blood Orchid

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Blood Orchids (Lei Crime #1)

Toby Neal

Self-Published sold by Amazon Digital Services: 2011, 314 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Blood Orchids is the first of Toby Neal's series that focus on Hawaiian policeman Lei Texeira.  Lei had a very troubled past but is trying to move forward, even if she still has some spells that she'd rather keep on the down low.  On patrol, she and her partner find two murdered teenage girls and she wants in on the investigation, even if she hasn't been promoted to a detective just yet.  Adding to the stress is that fact that she is being stalked.  But working with the lead detective has been pleasant, even with all the chaos around her.  Readers should be aware that certain scenes can be triggers; there is sexual assault (adult and child) and some violence.

And Then There Were None

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And Then There Were None

(Also published as Ten Little Indians)

Agatha Christie

Bantam Books: 1983, 194 pages

(Originally published by Collins Crime Club: 1939, 272 pages)

Reviewed by Jessie Park

And Then There Were None is Agatha Christie's best-selling novel and also one of the best-selling books of all time, and for a good reason.  This mystery will leave you guessing until the very end.  A group of ten seemingly random people from all backgrounds are invited to spend time on Indian Island in England, all under different pretexts.  The real reason for their visit is to fulfill someone's sick sense of justice.  All of the people are charged with killings from their past but were never convicted or had to undergo any legal proceedings.  Stuck on the island with no way to leave, one by one the guests are killed off and the group realizes that the killer is one of them.  But who among them is the twisted killer?  Can they trust anyone?  Or even themselves?    

The Girl on the Train

Cover retrieved from Goodreads

The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins

Riverhead Books: 2015, 336 pages

Reviewed by Ellen Dickman

Many people compared this book to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  I found the character development of the three female characters to be very engaging.  My sister said that when she was reading this book she felt "sick."  Indeed, the characters are flawed.  However, this is why the book was enjoyable because one could relate to the characters.  The fragile mind of Rachel was particularly compelling and so was the author's examination of how one can easily confuse reality and fantasy.