Cover Image: The Girl on the Platform

The Girl on the Platform

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Member Reviews

I found this to be a really good read and turned out different than what I had expected. Although, I did start to guess the outcome near the end of the story.

The story centers around Bridget Carlson, a new mom who has just returned to work and is on the train to work. She is having trouble adjusting to being away from her infant daughter, who is left in the capable hands of the father to look after. Bridget notes what she thinks is a kidnapping taking place. No one else except Bridget has witnessed it. She reports it to the police who after investigating can find no other witnesses and no leads.

Bridget becomes obsessed over trying to help find the missing child put her job and her marriage in jeopardy. One of the police officers discovers that she is on antidepressants and feels she dreamt the whole thing up. Her husband, Tom, feels that she is neglecting him and their daughter. Bridget's mother is a force to be reckoned with, Alison, who heaps guilt onto Bridget in an attempt to get compliance.

I felt bad for Bridget suffering from postpartum depression and missing her daughter but needing to work. During the story is the unfolding of the thoughts of a small child suffering and missing her mother, she is kept locked up and mistreated until she complies. Despite Bridget's constant appeal to the police and their lack of evidence, the background thoughts of the little girl keep the reader wondering who she is and what exactly happened. I immediately disliked the mother, who at the beginning of the story came across as caring and upset that she wasn't told the truth, but as the story went on it was obvious that the mother was too enmeshed in her daughter's life and Bridget was kept inline by her mother's guilt-tripping. The ending proved why the mother had such a tight hold on Bridget.

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Avon Books UK and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

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I liked the synopsis of this book and I was not disappointed. It was a book I did not want to put down and read it within 24 hours. It completely pulled me in.

Bridget witnesses the abduction of a young girl from a train platform but it appears nobody else seen it happen. Did it happen or was it her imagination? She endeavours, against all odds, to search for the child.

This was dark, distressing and intriguing but absolutely brilliant. Highly recommend.

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I’m struggling to write a review for this novel because I don’t know what to say. It’s a solid read; that’s it.

I’m not going to lie; I hate the crazy mother who no one believes narrative. These types of stories just irk my soul. As a result, I didn’t love this book. The first half followed that narrative closely while the second half— which I happened to enjoy— strayed from the path a bit. There was a huge twist later in the book; I found it predictable but still enjoyable. I loved the twist and what resulted because of it. I considered upping my rating solely because of the twist.

The characters were all pretty solid. No significant complaints, although I do think they acted unreasonably at times. The characters’ actions did not feel very realistic; this is not a huge issue but is sometimes annoying.

All things considered, it’s a good book. I would recommend the Girl on the Platform, but it’s not high on my list of recommendations.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I could not put it down once I got started! I would definitely recommend this book! I was surprised at some of the twists and some I figured out!

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Very angsty read. I had a depression after my second child, i understand the heroine. And this case with child being kidnapped, awful. And nobody saw it, nobody are interested in find the truth... Very angsty.
This story has a lot of different twists.
Highly recommend it.

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The Girl on the Platfrom
By Bryon Peace
Publishing Day 15 April 2021
This book left me speechless I loved it. I felt sorry for Bridget know one would believe her she was struggling with her own mental health issues as well. A brilliant thriller every one will love it. Kept me on my toes while reading it. Bridget was trying to look after her own daughter Grace as well and keep her marriage going with Tom even know she was a witness on the train know One would believe her story not even the police so I felt sorry for her. It’s fast paced read there so many plots in this story you love a brilliant thriller.

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Amazing read. Throughly enjoyed this book. It gave me all the “Gone Girl” vibes and kept me on my toes.

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This book was fast paced and flew by. The characters were unreliable and it was hard to figure out who was the one to believe. The book got tense and kept me thinking the whole time. Once the author left enough clues I was able to figure out what was going on. The story got messy fast and it was hard to predict how it was going to end. I liked the ending and enjoyed the book overall!

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A good gripping twist of a read about a woman who believes she witnesses a kidnapping....twists and turns, slightly unbelievable but a good read nonetheless!

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Warning - do not start this book if you do not have time to finish in a single sitting. Also, finishing it right before bed... maybe not the best idea either because WOW.
Serious 'Girl on the Train' and 'Gone Girl' vibes, but still uniquely captivating.

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Bridget Carlson is rushing home as she does every weeknight, to her husband Tom and their 7-month-old daughter Grace. They live in a small flat and it takes Bridget a couple of hours every day to go to work and back. She has a well-paid job as a Senior Manager at a London research agency, and Tom works from home as he takes care of Grace whilst writing a book. Tom is a very caring father but Bridget is exhausted every day as her work demands long hours. Bridget is unhappy and is taking an anti-depressant as she suffered from postnatal depression. Her mum helps out and takes care of Grace one day a week though she and Tom don't always get on. Bridget's sister Gillian, also offers assistance. Half asleep on the train, Bridget awakens to see a child being taken from a station platform. Panicked, she calls the police to explain what happened but they don't believe her and neither does Tom.

The Girl on the Platform is an intense and riveting story. As the reader is party to Bridget's suffering her nightmares, her past, and her feelings all manifest including a massive secret. As the twists kept bombarding me, everything eventually came together in this harrowing tale. A nuanced sophisticated and fascinating mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Avon Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

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A brilliant debut thriller.
When Bridget see’s a young girl being abducted from the platform.
No one believes her and no young girl has been reported missing.
So Bridget decides to find this girl but will doing this cost her her own family.
This book was brilliant will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Thanks NetGalley

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What an amazing book I just finished. I might fall short of words in order to express my feelings for this book. At times, I had to spot myself from reading it because I could not believe what I was reading. I highly recommend this to other readers. The story remained in my mind for like end number of times.

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Bridget and her husband Tom live in a small apartment with their 8 month old daughter Grace.
Although on medication for post natal depression its decided Bridget will return to work and Tom stay home to care for Grace.
She works long hours and has a lengthy commute home from London.
One evening as the train is passing through a station Bridget sees a young girl being kidnapped from the platform.
Can she really be the only one to see?
Of course she informs the police but as no one has reported their child as missing no one believes her.
She just can`t let this go, she has to find the missing girl.
Her obsession puts her marriage her daughter even her own life at risk.
A brilliant plot, great characters so many twists and turns.
The tension build up to the shocking ending, absolutely loved this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for the chance to read this.

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I had no idea what to expect and this was my first book by this author. I really got involved in the story and the ending was brilliant. As someone who, I now realise was suffering from post natal depression, this was really well thought out and explained. I do love how she put the economic consequences of decisions and that was very helpful.

I will investigate more by this author - and please do yourself a favour and read this.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

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Bridget collapses into her seat on her train home at the end of a long work day. She leans against the window, dozing on and off, until a sight shocks her awake. Two man are dragging a little girl into a white van. She has just witnessed a kidnapping. As the train speeds on, she asks other train riders if they saw the little girl. They didn’t. She reports it to the police but no child has been reported missing. Where is the little girl? Why is Bridget the only one who cares?

This psychological thriller will keep you up until you read the whole story.

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Postpartum depression was being exploited by a kidnapper of young children, but nobody to include Bridgets husband would believe that she seen a child being abducted from a train station platform while she was on the train.
She was exhausted and on depression medication, but she knows what she saw.

This is a book that is more driven to the mystery side rather than suspense until the end, but you have it figured out,so it’s not really suspenseful. For me the author lost me in several chapters that didn’t seem to work diligently with the storyline. I had to keep putting down the book and coming back to it because it was a sharp consistent flow. I think the storyline was interesting and I loved Bridgets character, but the overall other ones just needed some work to make me want to read it.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

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This was such a compelling read - I could feel Bridget's tensions and fears and felt anxious while I was reading it. I had my suspicions as to where the plot was leading quite early in the story but it did not lessen the tension or spoil the plot in any way.
Having finished the book and found that the author has experienced mental health problems and postnatal depression explained why the story was so very convincing.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Bryony Pearce/Avon Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it as it kept me guessing until the end, Perfect for fans of the girl on the train.

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The Girl on the Platform is quite a hard book for me to review. On the one hand I guessed fairly early on where the book was headed. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

It was compulsively readable, and I found myself reading it any moment I could snatch.

Bridget is an exhausted new mum travelling home on her daily commute when she sees a young girl kidnapped from a station platform.

None of the other passengers see anything and the police are dubious at best.

Bridget can’t let it go though and as her search becomes increasingly obsessive even the reader begins to doubt if she actually saw anything.

“My eyes blur.

A white van is parked by the platform, no markings, the paintwork a flag against the darkness from a weathered concrete post, a single light glows, illuminating a little girl. She sits on a case outside the shuttered coffee booth, kicking her heels against the leather. She can’t be more than six. Where’s her mum?...

I blink. And then men are there, two of them. They lift the squirming girl to her feet, haul her towards the van.”

The tension builds and builds throughout the book and I almost wanted to skip ahead because the waiting for the ending was unbearable.

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