This story had me engaged from the start.
There was a mix of characters and I was guessing right the way through.
I liked that we were told some of the character background stories and that we were told what happened to all the characters.. The plot moved along at a good pace and kept me interested until the end.

I was intrigued by how this would play out after reading the blurb, so I just had to read it.

A group of random people are on the night tube train when it suddenly stops. A murdered train driver, the wires have been cut, and there is no way to call for help.

This is a character led read. I liked how it shared the backstory of each of them and how loosely they were connected to each other. I had absolutely no idea who the murderer was until the reveal.

The Bakerloo line London underground train does leave platform 2 towards Baker Street around midnight but then there is a power cut which stops this tube train in it’s tracks. This is just the beginning of the terror that unfolds.

This thriller centres around 8 passengers in the one carriage of this tube train. The lead character is Jess and she is making it her own business to discover who maybe a “problem passenger” amongst them. Could the bad guy be Amelia, Chloe, Isa, Jenna, Liam, Saul, Scot or even Jess herself?

I enjoyed reading this character driven thriller. Stephanie builds all her characters up with attitude and hints of a dark side plus the possibility of them being economical with the truth. The feel is claustrophobic and Stephanie describes excellently the anxiety passengers feel when they do not know what is going on and when their tube will start moving again. How long should you wait before you begin to worry?

I liked how the feelings, worries and vast range of possibilities were explored. I think this would make a good television drama, not a series but an hour long special. The time frame of this novel is just the one night but enough to make an hour of television.

So, over the length of this novel the reader gets to know fully the character and back stories to each of these 8 passengers. This can be frustrating for readers who want some action, rather than read about the life stories of these strangers before the tube starts moving again. However, one of these people is a “problem passenger” and I did not guess the “awkward customer”.

The Train from Platform 2 is a debut novel and quite a good one at that. I think it is a GOOD 4 star read. What let this book down a little for me was Stephanie’s writing style, which is typical for how many women talk among themselves. I am not quoting from this book but it can be along the lines of … Time rolls on with no information coming forward, Amelia, Chloe, Isa, Jenna and Jess sat alongside each other when she asked about something.,, I and a lot of men will wonder who the devil is ”she” as there are 5 possible candidates. Having been married for 33 years, I understand this is how women talk among themselves but it will always leave men in the dark when trying to keep up with a story.

The Train From Platform 2 is a crime thriller that follows Jess and her fellow passengers on an ill fated tube ride. The former DI quickly takes charge, but when bodies start being uncovered, she quickly needs to work out who she can trust and solve the mystery of who the killer is.

This is a real “trust no one” book.
I loved the fact it was told from so multiple points of view and that we really did get to know all the passengers and their secrets. The characters were developed really well and the short chapters had me so engaged and turning those pages fast! This kept me on my toes and I didn’t know who it was until fairly near the end.

Really enjoyed it. A solid 4*

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for my advanced copy.

My favourite part about “The Train From Platform 2” was the beginning. Even though I knew the synopsis and knew the characters will be stuck on a train, it still intrigued me. Jess is our main character and as a former Detective Inspector, the one most capable of taking control of the situation. But aside from Jess, we meet the other characters from the carriage as well, all interesting and mysterious in their own way. Knowing that the murderer is among them, everyone is suspicious of each other, and everyone is hiding secrets. I could feel the tension in that carriage oozing through the pages.

Unfortunately, this is where the tension and thriller elements left the chat.

What followed was plenty of conversations between everyone that didn’t reveal anything new, and this theme followed to the very end. It’s quite disappointing in books like these, where you quickly realise that the people stuck at the murder scene don’t know each other, and the motive for murder is a hidden one. And you cannot get any hints because every single character is lying. It was hard for me as the reader, to try and predict anything. 

At the end, I thought maybe we will get more action when people split into groups and one group chose to leave the train and walk to the next platform, but I was wrong. Sure, something did happen, in a very unsurprising way, and the next thing we know is we have a culprit. And we find out that the reason “why” wasn’t even mentioned in the book (please let me know in case there is a hint I have missed). It’s a secret the character kept. On top of that, the circumstances of the murder were completely left to chance and almost all stars aligned that day for the murderer to get such an opportunity. I am sure the chances of this happening is less likely than winning the lottery. With chances that slim, this book was way too unbelievable for my taste. 

Apart from the murder issues, I have to admit that I really liked the characters.

Each with a unique story that makes you suspicious of them, and each with their own beliefs, experiences, and secrets - purposely made so that opinions clash in that carriage. They are all hiding something and looking out for themselves. The book touched on a lot of important topics and how people have unconscious biases. I just wish there was a bit more to the plot, as the book started off so well.

Overall, I’d still recommend it if you like locked-room mysteries and good characters. But it sounds very believable when you’re reading it. I enjoyed that we were finding out clues at the same time that Amanda was. Some of the reveals were a bit predictable. With the ending, I wasn’t surprised by how it ended, and it was slightly deflating. But the aftermath made up for it, so it was quite satisfying after all. I would definitely recommend this book to any murder mystery fan.

Ex-Detective Inspector Jess is on her way home from a night out with a former colleague & boards the train home on the London Underground. It's getting late but there are several people in the carriage so it seems safe enough, but when the train comes to an abrupt stop & the lights go out, it may not be safe after all. Especially when Jess finds the driver dead in his cabin, stabbed through the neck & all communication in the cabin cut off. Only someone in the carriage could have gained access in the dark, Jess is stranded without a means of getting help & with a murderer.

This is a solid thriller for the most part. It flagged a little in the middle but it had a strong ending & a likeable main character in ex-police detective Jess. Although the narrative is mainly from Jess's point of view, the reader does hear from almost all the other passengers over the course of narrative, so unlike Jess, we get to know some of what they are holding back. A few aspects are questionable (I thought the driver doors were locked for safety, & it took a while for anyone to question whether Jess was really a police detective or not) but overall I enjoyed it.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Avon Books UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Review of The Train from Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Train from Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. As soon as Jess boards the London Underground, the tension is palpable. When the train comes to a sudden halt, and the lights go out, I could feel the panic of the passengers along with her. It felt like I was right there, trapped underground with a killer on the loose.

What I really loved about this book was how intense the atmosphere was. The confined space, the darkness, and the uncertainty made the story even more gripping. Jess, as a former detective, was the perfect character to lead us through the mystery, and I found myself completely invested in her determination to uncover the truth. The constant twists kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had figured things out, another shocking turn took me by surprise.

The pacing was relentless, and I couldn’t put the book down. Every chapter kept me hooked, and the stakes felt incredibly high. I found myself eagerly turning the pages, desperate to know what would happen next.

If you’re a fan of fast-paced thrillers with plenty of twists, The Train from Platform 2 is a must-read. It was an addictive, heart-pounding experience that I couldn't get enough of. Highly recommended!

This was an engaging story. There were quite a mix of characters and it had me guessing until the end. There were certain characters I could rule out but not all. I did like that the reader was told some of their background stories and what I did enjoy was that I was told what happened to all the characters after the event. The story moved along at a good pace and kept me interested until the end. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The précis promised an interesting read, but unfortunately I found this a dull, uninspiring novel. A group of strangers trapped on a London Underground tube train without power and the driver has been murdered. Whilst the reader learns of the backgrounds of the individuals, we remain stuck in a dark tunnel for the duration of the tale, with a retired Met detective inspector, Jess, assuming control of a volatile situation. Someone is guilty of crimes, but who? Held in suspense and guessing right to the end, I had to be patient to find the answers.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fast-paced and intense thriller - loved the subway setting! I blew through this in less than a day and the ending blew my mind!
Thank you to the author/publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The newest book by one of my favorite authors, @stephsowden publishes this Friday! It is being published under the name Stephanie Steel. The Train from Platform 2 is a page turning locked door murder mystery. A group of people find themselves stuck on a train on the London Underground. The main character, Jess is a former DI and the story is told from her POV, as well as the others stuck with her. The story is twisty and I did not guess the murderer.

I would love to see Stephanie and @avonbooks bring DI Jess back for another investigation!

I highly recommend this book and Stephanie’s other two books if you have not read them yet!

This was a great read, kept me interested all the way through. There were many new situations developing throughout and therefore these kept your interest.

Well written, intriguing and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

I generally like 'locked room' type murders and this one seemed promising as it involved a tube train losing power and stuck in a tunnel. Our heroine is Jess, a former DI taking leave on health and stress grounds and starting to enjoy being a housewife and mother, to a degree. She's returning on a very late night train with about seven other passengers in the front coach. Power lost, lights out, meagre emergency lightning. She heads into the driver's compartment (not possible as that is always kept locked in real life) and finds the driver, stabbed. She takes charge and tries to interrogate the other passengers. Each, of course, lies and has something to hide. They are a strange mix too - a teenage canoodling couple, rather sweet, a semi-drunk and somewhat angry young man, a student returning from a women power demonstration, an American influencer, a widower who is something to do with power and security, a woman who is worrying about getting home to do her IVF tests/medications. They each tell various tales as Jess tries to sort out what happened. She's attacked when the emergency lights go out and their phones have mostly now got flat batteries, some insist on walking along the lines to the nearest station. Really bad move for one of them. It should all have been nail biting and intense but I found it dragged I'm afraid. I couldn't really relate to any of the characters, Jess was bossy at one level and tried to take charge but then started worrying about her children. Tension does start to increase later on but mainly because people are turning openly nasty through being cooped up in one carriage. Odd that they seem to have been the only passengers on the train. Still, it's not a bad read, it just didn't grab me especially strongly. 3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Former Detective Inspector Jess hops on the London underground after a night out with friends. It is only a few stops, and there aren't a lot of people on there, this late at night. Then all of a sudden it comes to an abrupt stop, and they are plunged into total darkness. Jess makes her way to the front, to check with the driver and see what is going on. She finds' his lifeless body, and stab wounds in his neck, still bleeding. Jess knows two things: 1. one of the passengers is a murderer 2. they stuck in the dark with a murderer and there is no way to escape.

I normally love locked-in mysteries, but this one just didn't do it for me. It was a slow burn for the entire book, and the pace was just too slow for this type of book. The longer it drifted along, the less suspense I felt. Truly, by the time the murderer was revealed and I finished the book, I just felt relief. I can not in good conscience recommend this one.

I flew through this, it was such an easy read and yet the characters had enough depth to feel real and believable. The author did a great job in keeping the story flowing and the suspense building without it getting over the top and silly. I really enjoyed the reveal of the murderer and how it concluded. Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.


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The Train From Platform 2 is a thriller that is predominantly set inside a broken down London Underground train. We meet former Detective Inspector Jess and a number of other passengers who board the train that evening; when the tube comes to an abrupt stop and is plunged into darkness, Jess takes charge and quickly discovers that the driver has been killed. She is determined to discover which of her fellow passengers is responsible and begins trying to get the to bottom of it before anyone else gets hurt
 
I loved the premise of this book, finding the setting claustrophobic and creepy, but something just didn’t click for me. It was fairly fast paced and was a quick read with a few twists along the way. I found Jess to be quite irritating in how she tried to take the lead and question the passengers, which is maybe why I didn’t love it. None of the passengers were particularly likeable in fact!
 
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

When Jess, a former Detective Inspector, boards a London Underground train, she is not expecting it to be such an eventful journey. As the train nears Baker Street, there is a power cut, stopping the train and leaving her and the rest of the passengers in darkness. Then comes the screaming. Entering the driver’s cabin, she finds a dead man, still bleeding. The realisation dawns – one of the people in her carriage is a murderer and they are all trapped together underground. Can Jess find the killer before there are more deaths?

The Train From Platform 2 is a great take on a locked room mystery. By setting the story on a tube train, we are immediately immersed into the claustrophobic atmosphere where the passengers onboard are trapped with nowhere to go, knowing that one of them is a murderer and that the weapon used must still be somewhere in the carriage.

I liked Jess, who despite her no longer being a detective, feels compelled to undertake an investigation due to the uncertainty as to when they will actually get off the train. The rest of the characters are a shady lot, each of them trying to keep something hidden – but which of them is hiding the fact that thy are a killer?

This was a gripping read, holding my attention right until the end. Highly recommended!

I was looking forward to this book, I do like a “timed” book, but this didn’t really hit the mark it left some unanswered questions and there was a lot of bickering between each other which was off putting

When a train is left stranded, plunged into darkness on the underground between stations late at night that is bad enough, but when the driver has been brutally murdered it is quickly realised the murderer is one of the few people on board. Jess, a former police Detective Inspector, is one of the passengers and she takes it upon herself to secure the scene and begin interviewing the rest of the passengers, pretending she is still a police officer. A good idea for a story but unfortunately for me the it dragged for quite large bits of the book, at times becoming a little unbelievable.. With few suspects and several red herrings the murderer was finally uncovered in a bit of an unbelievable twist at the end. Readable but not a gripper for me.

Okay, this was fun.

It was pretty clear who did what from the beginning, though the why of everything was a surprise to me.

The story is incredibly tense. The author really puts you in that train car - it's claustrophobic and some of these people were kind of nuts. I would not have wanted to be on that train.

Definitely a nail biter of a story!