Member Reviews

Wow 😯 what a read ! I found it a little slow at the beginning but once it got going it was a real page turner. Lots of twists and turns along the way , I did guess the outcome quite early on but was interesting to see how the author brought it all together. Will definitely read more by this author.

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This was a brilliant psycho thriller! I had an idea what might be going on quite early into the story but I wasn’t 100% sure so I just had to keep reading until the end.

Bridget, a new mom, is on her way home from work, half asleep on the train when she witnesses a kidnapping. It seems she is the only one that saw it and not everyone believes her. Many think she was dreaming or hallucinating. Then strange things start happening when Bridget won’t leave this kidnapping alone.

The chapters switch between being about Bridget and then about a little kidnapped girl.

I really liked Bridget and her husband Tom, but sometimes found it hard to understand Bridget’s actions and way of handling things, but then again I have never suffered from postnatal depression so I wouldn’t know if it is possible for a mother to act or think the way Bridget did. I had a strong dislike for Bridget’s mother right from the start. She seemed so controlling an manipulative that I was really rooting for Bridget and Tom to move away to start a peaceful village life away from Bridget’s mother.

The characters were well rounded and the story telling was really good and exciting.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Good book easy to read great plot loved the characters felt I know them very good plot loved the depth I'm the plot keep me hooked read in day very good

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A truly gripping intense thriller that will keep you hooked to every page.

Bridget is traveling on the train, home from work, when she sees a child abduction take place at a station they pass. No-one else on the train saw the child or the abduction and no-one has reported a child missing. Bridget is sure of what she saw but everyone begins to doubt her. Did she imagine it ? Dream it ? Or as some are suggesting is it a way to draw attention to herself ?

Determined to find the truth on her own, Bridget starts to investigate past child abductions to try and find the girl. She finds a pattern to past abductions but will anyone believe her ? And will she ever find the truth about the little girl ?

This is a great thriller where you have no idea what to believe. I really liked Bridget but although I was hoping she would uncover the truth I was also having my doubts about her reliability. If you love thrillers that keep you on your toes, you will love this.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for a digital copy of this book.

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Bridget , the tired mom of an 8 month old, with post partum depression takes her seat on the train. She nods on and off with her head against the window and then she sees a child being abducted from the train platform. No one else see this and no one believes her since she has been having a difficult time. Since no one believes her, she does her own investigation.

This is a great read but it is pretty easy to see where the story is headed. That doesn't take away from the enjoyment of reading this book. The writing style makes it such a joy to spend time with. It was a quick read for me at less than a day.

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I have to admit I skim read this book for a good seventy five percent of it. I always find reading dream sequences and descriptions of dreams a complete turn off. I like reality more and no matter how awful and regular a dream is it’s still only a dream.

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A gripping captivating read from the first page, where Bridget spots a young girl being kidnapped from a train platform - but noone else sees it happening. Bridget ends up carrying out her own investigation - all against a background of her own post partum depression, so as readers we are left to ask whether what we are reading is actually happening, or more in Bridget's head

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WOW! This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. A storyline full of intrigue and mystery with a good mix of a psychological thriller made for a fabulous read. Some amazing twists and a fabulous main character who I so wanted to step in and help. I couldn’t put the book down ! This is one of the best physiological thrillers I have read in a long time.

I did figure things out but that did nothing to take away from the story. The author created an intense story with excellent character development which makes an all round exciting book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

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A gripping, dark psychological thriller Bridget witnesses a child being abducted from her train window but noone else sees. At times an emotional read, Bridget is suffering with post natal depression, the feelings of being an exhausted new mum very relatable. With noone believing her she starts her own investigation. I really didn't know who to trust, or what was going on. I had to keep turning the pages to find out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

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Exhausted new mother Bridget is on her way home from work late one night on the train when she sees something shocking; a little girl being grabbed off the platform of a station her train is speeding through and thrown into a white van. Nobody else sees it, though, and since Bridget is suffering from post-natal depression and on a strong medication with possible hallucinatory side effects, it soon becomes apparent that the police don’t quite believe her.

Which doesn’t explain the white van which starts following Bridget around. Or the incredible detail she can recall, right down to the logo of the rose on the little girl’s blazer pocket. A specialist in data analysis, Bridget starts doing what she does best; investigate the data. All the data on children who vanished without trace, over the last twenty years, with particular focus on those missing from railway stations. One case, twenty years old, strikes a strange chord, and when Bridget finds herself in the small Northern town a little girl called Frances vanished from, something starts stirring in her memory. Something impossible.

The twist here is actually telegraphed really early, even though it’s not explicitly spelled out, but the reader has to wait for Bridget to discover it and to uncover all the details about why. There are still some threads left open - why therapist Gillian was so loyal to Bridget’s mother didn’t really add up for me, and what about all that data Bridget analysed? Because she really did find a pattern, one which makes me wonder if there might be a second book here where Bridget helps the police find more missing children. I’d love to read it, if so. Bridget’s past would provide a major impetus for her to get involved in such cases and she has the skillset to do it.

It’s unusual to read a character with mental illness, depicted with clear and unflinching detail, as the heroine rather than the villain in a mystery thriller. PND is very real and can be crippling, and although it’s eventually revealed that Bridget’s issues are both deeper and at least partially induced by external forces, her struggles as a working mother to a young baby (with dietary issues, no less) and her desperate desire to do the right thing by her daughter are painful to read. This is gut-wrenching in parts, I think especially to anyone who has children and has felt that crippling fear they’re failing as a parent, and the contrast between that and the shocking emotional betrayals of the eventual villain are extreme.

I honestly couldn’t put this down once I’d got into it, which didn’t take long at all; I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. Five stars for a terrific read and I’ll definitely be looking for more books from this author.

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First let’s talk about Grace. What a “real” character she is. She just had a baby 7 months ago. She is suffering from postpartum. She is the breadwinner while her husband is a stay at home dad and her commute is killing her, she is tired, her mom is kind driving her nuts with all the ways Grace isn’t doing things right for the baby and, as a mom, I completely got it. Guilt for working and guilt if she didn’t work. Happy her hubby can stay home and also jealous.

Then she sees a young girl get kidnapped on a platform on the way home. But no one else saw it. Why not? Do the police even believe her? Can she trust her own tired brain?

And then the nightmares start. WOW! What a story is told through her nightmares and through her thoughts.

I wanted to read the book and then needed to stop at times to process what was going on with Grace.

This is a really good story. It keeps you wanting to read one more page and then another. There is so much going on and yet none of it is overwhelming. Really recommend anyone who enjoys suspenseful reads and wants to keep your mind guessing.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks to the publisher, Bryony Pearce and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book for my honest opinion.

In this story we meet Bridget, who I loved to read about, she is a mother to her daughter and married. She is on the train when she sees what appears to be a young girl being kidnapped. She alerts the relevant people but it seems like there is no evidence to suggest the kidnapping takes place. Bridget starts investigating the kidnapping and lots of questions are asked.

I found this book very intriguing but also quite upsetting to read at times. I read this book quicker than I what I thought as it pulled me in and kept me captivated until the end. I will be reading other books by Bryony Pearce as I loved her style of writing.

The many twists and turns in this novel really does make for a great read.

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It was a slow thriller with lots of domestic filler. It was predictable, but I liked the anticipation of wondering when the main character is going to find out. I thought there was too much of the baby’s day to day life for me. I liked how it was uncertain at times whether it was reality or a dream, Even though it was predictable, some elements of the ending were still surprising. It was overall enjoyable and I would give it 3.5 stars.

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I felt kinda meh about this one. Not really connected with the story, even though I did read the whole thing. I would read further books by the author. This one to me is bland.

2/5 Stars

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On her way home from work, Bridgit sees a young girl being dragged from a train platform and believes she has been kidnapped. The police investigate and have their doubts. Brigit’s wellbeing is then brought further into question as she fixates on other child-kidnappings and is being stalked by a man in a white van. Another mystery suspense story with a flawed female protagonist that seems the basis of so much domestic noir these days. Bryony Pearce has written a nicely tense, nuanced saga with plenty of twists and turns - a three-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

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Bridget, a wife and mother suffering from postnatal depression, witnesses a little girl being kidnapped while riding the train home. But, no one else on the train sees it. She tells the police, but she doesn't think they believe her. She starts her own search for the missing girl which leads her into her own downward spiral.

This book was riveting! The story captured me from the start and kept a tight hold on me until the very end. I felt like I was spiraling right along with Bridget. This one kept me up late into the night to read "just one more chapter." And it was all I could think about until I could pick it up again to continue reading. All the characters were relatable. I could feel, Bridget's frustration with the police and her family's disregard to the urgency of finding this missing girl. Which created an urgency in me to finish this book. Some mystery/thrillers fall flat in the middle or the end, but this one held a steady pace until it skyrocketed. You won't see the twists coming. If you love psychological thrillers than this one is a must read!

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I will start by saying that I figured out fairly early on what was going to happen, however despite my suspicions being correct it didn’t spoil it for me.

I found the whole story to be dark and intense. Bridget is on anti-depressants and many times throughout I was questioning whether the things that were happening to her were actually true or just a figment of her imagination. I felt so confused with some events but I think this really helped get into the mind of Bridget because if I was confused then I could only imagine just how Bridget felt.

The first part of the book follows Bridget as she takes it upon herself to figure out who kidnapped this girl which at times were a little slow but added to the intensity of it all. No one believes her and it was frustrating at times to see her be put down by her husband and her own mother.

As mentioned, I had already figured out the ending, but the final third of the book when everything begins to come together were still my absolute favourite parts despite knowing what was coming. They were sinister and gave me a ‘Misery’ vibe. Everything suddenly felt very claustrophobic and it felt like I was reading a scene from a horror film – very intense indeed, that’s all I’m saying!

Overall I think this is a brilliant thriller and if you’re new to the genre then I would definitely recommend giving this a read.

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OMG i loved this book. The story had me gripped from the very beginning and I raced to the ending. Although I figured out quite early in the story an element of what was happening the ending still blows you away.
Bridget is a new mum who has returned to work from her maternity leave. She's working long hours. Her Husband Tom is now staying home to care for baby Grace who she hardly see's. To top it all she's recovering from post natal depression and on medication.
On a journey home one night she witnesses a girl being snatched from a station. However, no one else on the train saw anything. No one believes her and the police dismiss her as a time waster. However, somewhere out there a family is missing their daughter.
Bridget goes about finding the truth leading to dangerous consequences. By finding out who this girl is will she put herself and her daughter at risk.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC

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This was a deep read. A very relatable read. A. very heart felt read. I was spinning from page one. A woman that is a mother... a true mother at that has a heart for her children and others that may seem lost or hurt. Bridget is suffering from the effects of postpartum depression. She witnesses a kidnapping from a moving commuter train, but no one believes her. This just made the ride even harder to read as I could feel her anxiety.

This was a really good read but if it is too close to home delay it until you are healed.

Thank you NetGalley as well as the author Bryony Pearce and the publisher.

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I read The Girl on the Platform by Bryony Pearce in one sitting on a rainy afternoon. I am rating this 3.5 stars (marking as 4).. There was good potential for this to be 5 stars as the idea was great. This psychological thriller had a great beginning and an intense well-done ending. In my opinion, the middle of the book needs lots of work. There was too much repetition for me:the meds, sickness…....A good editor would help. I did figure out the big twist almost at the beginning. I think Pearce has a lot of potential. My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

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