I didn't think this book was for me at first, but I'm delighted to say that the second half kept me engaged and entertained, and I really enjoyed this audiobook. The content was thought-provoking and led me to question the extent of my knowledge about those around me. There is a group of characters in this audio that took a while to become familiar with, but once I had done so, I found it impossible to pause. The narration is effective and the plot twists are skilfully executed.

For those interested in narratives that explore themes of friendship, deceit, and betrayal, "The Woman in Carriage 3" is a highly recommended tale. For any fan of this genre, this is a necessary read/listen.

It started off as a slow burn and and took me a little while to get into as it just wasn’t gripping me. But once I got to know the characters more the pace picked up and it started to grab my attention. It was an interesting, mysterious read that played out well. The characters were likeable enough but I must admit to begin with I really couldn’t take to Hattie but my opinion did change as the listen went on. I loved Julian and Lewis and was really suspicious of others. It’s a well written storyline that has well developed characters. The narration was engaging and holds your interest. Would recommend…

While traveling on the 18:53 train, Hattie meets a bunch of people who end up being friends over whatsapp - they connect with each other and save seats on the train for one another.
Hattie is desperately looking for a permanent job after her placement agency ends her contract. As she is gearing up for interviews she ends up being close to one of them from the group - least does she know there's one more person who is trying to be her friend.

As time moves on, unfortunately one of them ends up dead - in the train!! As the paramedics carry the body out of the train suspicion grows on everyone present but no one knows who is the wolf is sheep's clothing who ended up in that group.

Once I started this book, I just had to finish it - this was totally intriguing, I really can't think anything that I didn't like about this book and I am so glad I got approved by Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and Alison James for this audiobook ARC in exchange for honest review.

The story starts in a train when the passengers who had been travelling together on the same train introduces each other. Hattie is the main character around whom the story revolves. She meets Carmen, Casper, Julien, Louis, and Bridget. But when a murder occurs, it is sure that one of them is behind it.

The story showed suspense and I was thrilled to read this book. There were majorly two plot twists. The first one was such a revelation that I was amazed to read it. But the second one was something that I was already able to guess.

The audiobook was good to hear and the voice of Hattie was so nice to hear. The first half of the book went on a slow pace, showing relationships and friendship of characters. All of the action and suspenseful elements take place in second half.

This book frustrated me a little, the premise is good, the story is pretty well done, but some parts are just left a little lacking and you are left thinking, really? Would that really happen?, and that just let it down, but overall a decent read.


Hattie’s life is a bit of a mess, work wise she is temping in a job she has no passion for, she is having countless blind dates which often turn into drunken one night stands and alcohol seems to be her go. Even having a bottle of wine in her bed?!?


Hattie is on the way home on the 18.53 to Summerlands from Waterloo, she is a mess, tired, hungover and still in the clothes from the day before after another date come one night stand. However, the train is stopped on route as a passenger is ill and her fellow passengers around her strike up conversation ending in drinks and them all swapping numbers and forming a train WhatsApp group.

Hattie is smitten with Casper Merryweather from this moment, the blonde Jude Law lookalike who works in an arts auction house. It doesn’t take long for the two to end up in bed together. Soon after this, Casper confesses that he is married, but unhappy and wants to leave his wife. The pace of the relationship goes into overdrive with Casper cooking up a plan for him and Hattie to move to Mexico after an expensive piece of art is auctioned at his work, as he is due a big commission.

I won’t go on further on the plot as it will be too easy to spoil it.

A good story, just not executed to its potential maybe some lazy coincidences and the twists weren’t overly hard to see coming. As for Hattie, well she was just annoying and a bit of a spoilt big kid.

I give this 3.5/5 rounded up to a 4.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I'm sure I will be an outlier overall with this one, but honestly, I didn't like the book. I didn't really feel that the actual book matched the description, and wasn't what I signed up for. There didn't seem to be a lot different in this book from others of the same sort - unlovable main character seems to be permanently drunk or hungover, makes the same endless series of poor choices that ends up putting her in harms way. The other characters in the book seemed a little more filled out, but it really wasn't enough to save the overall book. Even though the narration was well done, this was a horror to get through - not the story was horror, just the endless repetition of the same tropes and the fact that the book just kept going on. You know those books you love so much you never want to end? For me, this one was the polar opposite.

Sorry, but I Really have to rate this 1 star for 'did not like it' I can't think of anyone I would recommend this one to.

3.5 stars

this was a quick and fun read. it’s not necessarily a book that i think will stay with me for a very long time and it was definitely predictable at times, but it was entertaining nonetheless. i really enjoyed the setting of the commuter train and that the first part of the book almost felt like the beginning of a romance novel, before switching to a mystery plot.
really liked the narrator too!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for the read/review of #TheWomanInCarriage3 by #AlisonJames. This was a good book, although at times it felt slow going. I would like to try another book by this author.

Woman in cabin 3 was amazing! I couldn’t put it down. I listened to the book and found my self driving closer to the speed limit rather than speeding just so it took my longer to get home and I had more time to listen to the book. I loved the twist at the end with Hattie and Lewis and Casper and Bridgette, did not see that twist coming . Highly recommend

Hattie is 30 years old, single, and living with her parents. She has hit a rough patch and has taken to drinking to get through it. She makes friends with fellow train commuters on the 18.53 train she rides home from work every day. Then, one of them dies. How did he die and who killed him?

This book is labeled as a psychological thriller and compared to “Gone Girl” and “Behind Closed Doors.” I absolutely disagree with this. This is a mystery, but there weren’t shocking twists and turns as expected from a psychological thriller. While I enjoyed the story and the narration was good, due to the lack of surprising twists, I rate it 3/5 stars.

I didn’t love this book — although, it had all the elements of some of my favorite thrillers. I think the main character’s self-sabotaging attitude through me off. I wanted to get into the mystery and thrills but was annoyed with how she was handling her life and letting others take advantage of her. I ended up not being able to finish the story due to the awful situations the main character was put in. Maybe someday when I’m in a better head space I will go back and figure out the ending. For me, the mystery wasn’t worth reading about another person’s awful situation.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio, NetGalley and Alison James for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was uncertain about how much I would enjoy this book, originally getting into it, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. You either love or hate all the characters, there is no in between. And that was one of my favorite parts. The narration was quite enjoyable as well.

I was hoping for a little more from this book. It was a decent read but sadly, too predictable. The narration was okay, I was happy to listen on and I was entertained but I do think if I was reading this one, I might have been a little bored. Hattie, our main character, was a bit too unbelievable in some of her life choices, not seeming to have much common sense when it came to certain things and this annoyed me. This is my first book by this author. I would still be interested in reading what she comes out with next.

I gave this book three stars. The beginning part was pretty predictable and I guessed most of the characters motivations and true identities way before they were revealed. The end of the book in Mexico was satisfying and I did like the conclusion and the way that everything panned out.

I also did not feel the title of the book fit the story. The Woman in Carriage 3 makes it seem like the whole book would be based on a train but it really wasn't.. The end of the book had a preview of another book by Alison James and I am intrigued to listed to that as well so I would try this author again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for an advance listening copy of the Woman in Carriage 3.

Ever wonder what it's like to commute in London? Well, if you like drama and WhatsApp groups, this is the perfect quintessentially British read for you!

I actually listened to this audiobook during my daily commute, and it had me obsessed from the very first chapter. It's a tad predictable but definitely doesn't disappoint, wrapping everything up with a tidy little bow. Intrigue around every corner, I screamed for hungover Hattie to notice all of the obvious red flags. Alas, she didn't hear me, but that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun anyway. A satisfying distraction from the grind, I couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fun read. The plot was predictable, but Hattie is an unreliable narrator at times. This was an entertaining and quick read.

This book started out a bit slow but I was curious to see where it was going. About half way through it really started to pick up and ended up being a pretty good read. There were no jaw dropping twists but the story was engaging enough to keep me going. Overall interesting story but not what I would call a thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

This book was slightly predictable and I struggled with the narrators a bit. The ending felt rushed and I was left with some unanswered questions. Overall I give it 3 out of 5 stars because while I struggled a bit, I never wanted to give up on it.

Hattie travels on the 18:53 commuter train almost every day after work, along with many other regular commuters. Hattie sits in the same carriage every day, and sees the same people. Like on most commuter trains, no one really talks to each other... until one day when an accident occurs and the train is delayed. On that day, Hattie and a group of carriage 3 regulars end up grouping together discussing the tragedy and the delay. They form friendships and connections with each other, and become a friend group - one with a group chat and everything.

Hattie soon realizes that everyone in the friend group has potentially dangerous secrets, and trusting some of them may be a grave mistake...

My Thoughts:

I liked the writing style of this book, and the characters were well formed, especially considering how many characters there were - Alison James spent a good bit of time fleshing them out. Unfortunately, the mystery of this didn't work for me. I didn't know all the details, but I could easily figure out the bigger twists.

I didn't love Hattie, she could have been a really good character that I felt sorry for, but she ended up just being too gullible and too drunk all the time. It was honestly unbelievable at times, there were so many things she just didn't worry about -or seem to notice. This became incredibly frustrating as the book went on.

The audio version was good, the narrator did a good job with the characters! Jan Cramer was enjoyable to listen to.

Overall, I have to give the book 2 stars. The writing was good, but the story itself was too predictable and Hattie got really annoying to listen to. I did enjoy the points of view of other characters, and I wish we had heard more from them. I will pick up other books by Alison James though, she writes well and I hope to see more of that!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Firstly, I have to say that I am around two-thirds of the way through. I was going to NF, but decided to stick it out, mainly because I rather like the narrator.

I'm glad I did but I have to say that oh my soul. I'm sure I have never encountered a more silly, ineffectual and wishy-washy character than Hattie. Drunk more often than not, she's in and out of bed with practically every man she meets. Then, to top if off, she swallows Casper's story - ludicrous at best - hook, line and sinker. She really isn't a likeable character in any way for me.

However, there are a few others I do rather like. Neil's partner-in-crime is quite wonderful, as is Lewis. Let's see how it all pans out, it's early days yet. And who knows, Hattie may redeem herself, although it's doubtful.

3 average stars for now. Love the narrator though! A whole star for her.