The woman in carriage 3 is not a bright woman. In fact, she is a stupid woman. One really wonders if it might be better for the species should she simply not survive her ordeal.

The book is entertaining, if only because the reader is completely stunned by the stupidity of our aforementioned main character. I found myself reading simply to see when one of the tremendous red flags would finally hit her over the head, stunning her into something resembling common sense.

3 stars for entertainment value, but it's a generous 3.

A great read
had me turning the pages to see where it was going
Plenty of twist and turns
Will have you hooked
Thanks NetGalley

A really good read. Takes a little while to get going but then it's gripping and at times, shocking. Read it in one evening as I couldn't put it down.

Thank you Bookoutre and Netgalley and sorry for the delay in reading!
I was hooked from the start, then it slowed a bit and then I was hooked again.
An enjoyable murder mystery which I thought was going to be a bit like Girl on the Train.
I enjoyed the dual timelines and think other books will follow - let's wait and see.
I would give a 4 but for me where it slowed a bit let it down so have had to do a 3 instead of a 3.5!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"The Woman in Carriage 3" by Alison James is a riveting psychological thriller that transports readers into the seemingly mundane routine of a daily commute that turns sinister. The story unfolds through the eyes of Hattie, a regular passenger on the 18:53 train, who finds herself embroiled in a web of deceit and danger following the sudden death of a fellow commuter.

James masterfully crafts a narrative that is both intimate and expansive, delving deep into the psyche of her protagonist while painting a vivid picture of the ensemble of characters that populate carriage 3. Each individual is rendered with precision, their secrets and lies interwoven into a tapestry of suspense that propels the plot forward.

The novel's strength lies in its ability to maintain a relentless pace, with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. The author's use of detail is meticulous, creating a palpable tension that mirrors the claustrophobia of the train's carriage. As the story progresses, the line between friend and foe blurs, leaving Hattie—and the reader—to question who can be trusted.

Recommended for any fan of psychological thrillers.

What a unique and suspenseful read! I loveddd this book. Girl on the train vibes but a totally different story. 5 stars!

2 stars

I thought the book was ok, it started off strong, but I felt that the story started to get stilted and slow half way through.

The publicity blurb was misleading and sold a different story.

It was difficult to like the characters which made it more difficult to feel anything for them.

I didn’t know what to expect with this one at first it was giving off The Girl on the Train vibes, as it starred to evolve it got a lot more gripping and I enjoyed trying to guess the twists, some seemed a little predictable but others where a complete surprise.
Overall I really enjoyed this and it’s definitely an author I will look out for in future.

If you were gripped by The Girl on the Train, then you are going to be glued to the pages of the latest unputdownable thriller by Alison James, The Woman in Carriage 3.

Hattie’s weekday routine never varies. She makes it by the skin of her teeth to the station where she gets the 18:53 train every day. She gets into Carriage 3 and sits in the same seat surrounded by the same people day in, day out. The journey is always uneventful and nothing out of the ordinary ever happens – until one evening when a passenger drops dead and shockwaves ripple all through the carriage. The lights go off and everyone is trapped in darkness until further notice. What on earth is going on? Was this death a tragic accident? Or something far sinister?

With everyone trapped in one carriage, this group of disparate people who don’t usual speak to one another find themselves opening up to each other. Hattie hopes that they do not take too close a look at her and her dishevelled hair and smell the alcohol on her breath – especially as she has done things in her past she is not proud of and has secrets she would go to great lengths to keep hidden. Can Hattie trust her fellow passengers? Are they as nice as they seem? Or might one of them be responsible for the death in Carriage 3?

Alison James has written an intelligent, unpredictable and nail-biting thriller where she blends the closed-room mystery – that has long been a staple of crime fiction – with chilling domestic noir that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. .

Tense, taut and terrifying, Alison James’ The Woman in Carriage 3 is a cleverly written and deftly constructed thriller that will have you thinking twice about your next train journey.

Thanks to netgalley for providing an advanced copy for the purpose of review.

This was a tense psychological thriller that had me guessing throughout. The story kept me hooked.

This was a great book but I did feel like it was predictable. It was definately more of a character driven book rather than the action. It was just a bit too slow for my liking.

The book started off slowly but certainly picked up pace! Each character was developed beautifully with just the right amount of mystery to keep you guessing. There were many twists and turns, some of which I guessed but overall a great read.

After a broken relationship Hattie is back living at home with her parents. She drinks too much as has a lot of disastrous blind dates. She has a temporary job and has to commute to London daily and has a regular train she uses. She sees familiar faces every day on the train and as it comes to a stop when one of them becomes ill they all start talking. They share drinks and form a What’s App group. One of them in particular attracts Hattie, it is the charming Casper. When they realise that their fellow passenger had died and it was found that his drink had been spiked, suspicions fall on that group. Hattie soon embarks on an affair with Casper but he reveals that he is married and she soon discovers that he has secrets as have most of the group, I really enjoyed this book. It was gripping and tense with lots of twists and turns. A fantastic summer read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book,

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

An exceptional novel. Completely addictive and engaging as I followed Hattie and the other passengers to see where this train ended! #TheWomaninCarriage3 is an enthralling #psychologicalthriller! I’m an instant fan of Alison James!

Thank you, Alison James, Bookouture & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Alison James’s novel The Woman in Carriage 3 is a character driven mystery.
Most of the story took part on a commuter train, the plot was established around the lives of the passengers and their interactions with each other. The commuters developed a friendship and WhatsApp group I did not find any of the characters to be that interesting or that likable. This book did not wow me, nor did it surprise me. This is an easy, predicable read; James has a good writing style she helps her readers visualize what is going on where we are and who is who…

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Took me a while to get into the book and I would say it’s definitely a slow burner but stick with it. It’s brilliant. So the main character is a bit of a twit but it’s a great book.

I love nothing more than close proximity thrillers but the main character Hattie was so unlikable!! The pacing just didn’t keep me interested and the twist felt lacklustre.

Please see my post for review.

Blog tour - http://ramblingmads.uk/2023/05/23/blog-tour-the-woman-in-carriage-3-alison-james/

I absolutely enjoyed this book. Thrilling. Tense. A thoroughly gripping read that I could not put down. Do read this one.