The Train from Platform 2

by Stephanie Steel

You’re trapped underground. There’s no way out. And there’s a killer on the loose…

When former Detective Inspector Jess boards the London Underground, it should be just a few short stops home. But as the tube barrels towards Baker Street, it’s brought to an abrupt stop, and they’re plunged into the darkness.

And then she hears the screeching.

Jess pushes through into the driver’s cabin. There, she finds his lifeless body, and stab wounds in his neck, still bleeding. But if nobody could get into the cabin from the outside, and nobody else could get into Jess’s carriage, the realization strikes there's a murderer among the passengers.

With no escape from the train, and in the pitch black, Jess is thrust into a deadly game. Every commuter becomes a potential threat, and time is ticking on relentlessly. In a race against the unknown murderer, Jess must unravel the sinister truth before the killer strikes again…

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 30, 2025

About the author

Stephanie Steele lives in Manchester, where she was born and raised. After spending her twenties down in London and some time in Sydney, Australia, she moved back home, where she's been settled ever since with her partner and dog, Butter. When not writing she works for a food consultancy, putting her years as a chef to good use, and in her spare time can usually be found reading, hassling the dog, and watching Law & Order and reality TV.


Alternate name: Stephanie Sowden

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m sort of done with locked room mysteries but this is a good one.

There are only a few passengers in this tube carriage on the Bakerloo line - there’s ex DI Jess Hirsch, Saul, Amelia, Jenna, Isa, Chloe, her boyfriend Liam and Scott, the scowling silent lager drinker. It’s late, past midnight and they’re trapped with emergency lighting only, no air con and the driver is dead but currently only Jess knows that. Well, apart from the killer obviously. Which one of them is it? Why and how? Why have the authorities not got to them??

The setting for this novel is excellent as it gives so much scope for this type of mystery. You don’t know what’s going on above ground and that adds to the acute sense of claustrophobia. The tension and suspense jumps off the pages.

The characterisation is good, each has a back story. All are hiding something so working out who’s the biggest liar amongst them is intriguing. They all have issues one way or another.

It builds well with the tension and desperation mounting and a good conclusion.

Kindle Unlimited

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seemed to have promise and it started off well but, then it sort of drifts and the story gets stale as it's the same characters stuck on a tube train for hours and all they do is talk and snipe at each other. There is tension but, this didn't thrill me at all. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously you can’t go wrong with a book set in a tube where it stops mid tunnel and strangers are then ‘locked in together’ whilst murder happens as the lights go out….anyone ever been on a tube will immediately feel the panic and tension of that and imagine ways they would be getting out

8 strangers, all with secrets, ideals, passions and things to hide ……one of the them is an ex detective

It’s reading at it’s best to meet them and then see them meet each other and be a part of this whodunit as the lights flicker on and iff again, it’s getting hotter and staler, rats are abundant and someone is trying to kill folk

This is a crime debut and a fine one

Immerse yourself in that tube with those 8 and see if you can guess the guilty one

I didn’t

Brilliant Read

[Tiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ones who call this fast-paced are probably the same people who clutch the grab handle in the car whenever the driver goes over 50 km/h. About as thrilling as a bowl of cereal.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author for me, and I must say, I do love books set around trains. This one takes place on the London Underground. While traveling home late one night, Jess, a former Police Detective Inspector, finds her tube train comes to an abrupt stop between stations when the power cuts out. With only a handful of passengers left on the train, they are plunged into darkness until the emergency lighting kicks in. When Jess goes to speak with the driver to find out what's happening, she discovers he's been brutally murdered.

This was an incredibly enjoyable, albeit nerve-wracking, read! With only a few characters, it's easy to keep track of everyone, but you need to stay sharp to figure out who might be lying and who the murderer could be. I really liked Jess's character. Although she's no longer on the police force, she still exudes an air of authority. In a similar situation, I would definitely want someone like her to take charge. The other characters all seem to have secrets, and as the story unfolds, you get to learn more about each of them.

I really enjoyed the premise of a tube train halting in a tunnel, even though it made me feel slightly claustrophobic! The tension and suspense throughout the book kept me on the edge of my seat. The idea of being stranded in the dark with no air or light seemed like the least of their worries when there's clearly a killer among them. The "whodunnit" plot was executed very well, and I had no clue who the murderer was until the reveal—I suspected every character at some point!

The storyline was well-thought-out with a good pace, and it will certainly keep you guessing until the end. Highly recommended!

[Raymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid thriller. It was fast paced which it needed to be as 90% of the book takes place in a single train car.

Jess is coming home from a girls night out when the train stops and the lights go out. That is not the only problem. Someone on the train with them is a murderer.

This was fast paced and I did not guess the killer or the motive through out the entire book. The author made it seem like every person had a motive to keep you guessing. I really enjoyed this book and want to keep going.

Genre: Thriller
APK: Ebook
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

Thank you Avon Books for providing me a free copy of The Train from Platform 2 for an honest review

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a locked room mystery, but the room in this instance is the end carriage of a tube train that is stuck underground in one of the tunnels.

I have mixed feelings - I liked the idea of it: a group of strangers on a train, knowing that one of them has committed murder, but not knowing who it is, or how or why. But I had a *lot* of unanswered questions. The story requires you to just commit to the situation, and suspend disbelief in quite a bit way. The two questions that just kept spinning in my head were:

* How does Jess (and the murderer) get into the driver's cabin - I'm fairly sure they are locked?

* The book mentions that the next carriage along is empty, but what about the rest of the train? If I was on a tube that had screamed to a halt with no sign of anyone coming, I wouldn't have walked through to other carriages to see if anyone knew what was going on. It was the last tube home, so there really must have been other people on board. What are they doing for all those hours?

I felt the book had good pacing to begin with, slowing in the middle before ramping up again towards the end. I didn't guess what had happened (and I'm not entirely sure I bought into murder number 1), but I still found it a very readable story, and I wanted to know what was going on with all these people.

Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

Just the palate cleanser I needed. Genuinely enjoyed and read very quickly. Some issues with some of the character work but overall it worked well and was a fun read

[Kayl_may · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy listen on audio. Classic locked room style mystery but this takes place on a London train with an ex-cooper on board. Easy to follow and was kept engaged throughout.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

2025 52 Book Challenge - March Mini Challenge - 2) The Last Book You Acquired But Haven’t Read

I was really excited to read this book because the premise sounded really interesting, and to begin with, it was, but then the plot sort of plateaued and the characters just kept arguing with each other and the book stalled out. Honestly, the middle 200 pages could have been cut out, and you probably wouldn't be missing much.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I love anything to do with the London Underground this debut thriller by Stephanie Steel looked like it was right up my street.
It starts with a late night underground train stopping betweem stations & the discovery that the driver has been stabbed to death. The characetrs are quite welll drawn & despite the enclosed setting the author manages to create some tension. However, it then just plods along & the promising start is a distant memory. I gave up on it about half way through. I hope other readers enoyed it more than I did.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Will · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wish I’d left this book on the platform. Dire.

[Papergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am grateful to Stephanie Steel, Avon Books UK, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this title. Read on readers for my review.

Stephanie Steel was not messing about when she launched into this novel. The book starts on the train platform awaiting the last train home. As the cover and the blurb will have you believe, after a few stops (a mere few pages in), we have a halted train, an eclectic group of strangers in a carriage, and we are plunged into pitched darkness. As time elapses but movement remains stifled, DI Jess goes in search for answers only to find a dead driver. With no one between the driver and her carriage, the killer must be amongst them. But who took advantage of the darkness and snuck two carriages down, and back, without being seen? In this who-dunnit mystery, it’s every man (and woman) for themselves as they try to deduce who amongst them is the danger before they fall prey to a grizzly end.

I am not usually one to pick a cozy mystery set in a confined space but knowing there was a main cast of six and that they are all together had me intrigued. How on earth is Steel going to neatly sew up this plot? And what breadcrumbs is she going to throw me to follow?

I got into this book from the start. Living in London and knowing exactly where they are and being able to envision the platform, the carriage, down to those seats that are placed way too close for a rush hour commute, as well as being able to see each and every one of the motley crew in my mind’s eye helped. I was immediately sucked into the book and living the nightmare with the characters and as such, I just wanted to keep the pages turning and get the hell off that train before I was sliced and diced, left to take my final breath of polluted air (that leaves you with a sooty nose) on a stinking tube train.

I loved the description of the various characters on the train. There is the lonely student that has been abandoned by friends, the loved-up couple, the drunkard illegally sipping at his can of lager, the sensible professional, all characters that are not out of place at this time of night. This gave the book a real sense of authenticity and created such a positive relationship between the reader and the narrator. As the story progresses, the book diverts a little from the story to focus on each of the characters in turn by giving them their own mini segment within a chapter. It was a wonderful way to weave in more backstory for each of the suspects and learn a little about who they are and what made them tick. It was also a terrific way to, again, strengthen the relationship between the reader and the narrator because it becomes apparent the narrator is reporting the mystery in real time and so we are all learning what happened at the same time.

For a book that spent most of its time held captive on a train, submerged in darkness, it was a really interesting read. Aside from the couple, everyone is a stranger to the next person but when the lights go out and the knives are out, I loved witnessing the forming of bonds as they all started to align themselves with certain characters based on where they are sitting and who they have felt most comfortable talking to during the experience. It’s giving Cluedo/murder mystery hotel vibes.

All in all, I recommend this book to adults who enjoy thrillers and mysteries. The book will have you second guessing who the killer is as and when new information is revealed shedding a new light on something you thought you already had sussed out. The pace ebbs and flows in terms of the action but there is not a dull moment in the book and Steel makes fabulous use of time and space to create a novel of perfect length. I cannot wait to read what she delivers up next, but for now, this is a book to add to the top of your TBR list. I am not sure about your powers of deduction, but I felt like a lost Hansel or Gretal reading this book, i.e., someone or something came along and gobbled up the breadcrumbs destroying my trail. I was satisfied that the book did not end with my predictions and gave me an ‘aha’ moment. I did kick myself for not getting it though because the evidence is all there for you to analyze.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read finds people from all walks of life and ages involved in a murder mystery when as passengers on a late night train a massive event happens. The power goes out and in that immediate instant the driver is killed.

Ex DI Jessica Hirsch announces herself as someone still on the force and begins her investigation. However it doesn't take long before her authority is questioned leaving her a little on the left foot considering she hasn't shown any identification, rather just used her mannerisms to get the message across and to continue questioning everyone. The killing of the driver at the time everything came to a standstill is perplexing as nobody had left the carriage nor entered the driver's cabin. Anxiety begins to grow, stuck on the train with only emergency lighting and the light from individual phone torches, no water and no way to communicate with the outside world, the atmosphere becomes tense.

Along with Jessica, everyone in the carriage has their reasons for catching this last train of the day, all revealing their own particular anxieties. However, it's Amelia who has a real axe to grind and one who has taken this opportunity to be on the same train as social media success, Jenna but for which are not revealed until right at the end.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former Detective Inspector Jess has an unexpected journey when she boards the underground. The train suddenly stops and her and the fellow passengers are plunged into darkness. On investigating what happened she comes across a lifeless body. It seems they are trapped and there is a murderer on board. Will she find out the truth before it’s too late?

This was an intriguing setting to base a locked room mystery on. I think the author did a great job creating a dark, claustrophobic, eerie atmosphere, as I really felt the darkness of the train, the nightmare situation the passengers found themselves in and the rats!

The story spans over the space of one night and is told in multiple voices of the passengers, although Jess is the focal character. I enjoyed discovering each character and kept changing my mind who was responsible. I liked Jess as a main character and would like to see her come back in a series. Although the pacing sometimes slows, this is still a solid, easy to read debut, with a unique slant on the locked room mystery. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former DI, Jess is on her way home from a night out in London. It's late, she's tired and all she wants to do is get home to her husband and her girls. But when the lights go out and the train stops, she knows something isn't right. And when she finds the driver dead, she realises that she's trapped on a dark train with seven other people, and one of them is a killer.

This was absolutely brilliant thriller that makes you feel claustrophobic the minute the train stops until the very end. Throw in a dead body and a bunch of shady characters, you've got yourself an excellent locked door mystery. As someone who lives in London and often uses the underground, this has definitely made me a little more nervous for the next time. I flew through this one in just over three hours because I couldn't put it down.
Definitely put this one on your tbr.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly this wasn't the book for me. The synopsis made the book sound exciting but I just found it so drawn out and it failed to capture my attention, so I found myself more skim reading instead. The characters seemed good but it was more the flow of the book, the going back and forth that seemed to be why I just couldn't find myself getting hooked.

[Sarah Winney · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the off I was invested in this ‘who did it’ storyline with several possibilities but I felt that the storyline was drawn out and I started to lose interest. From midway in the story I felt it wasn’t quite as fast paced reaching its conclusion but that said I did enjoy the book giving it 3*

[Esther Turnbull · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious, long winded

[Kerryrosalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average thriller 🤷🏼‍♀️ whole thing takes place on a Tube and is very far fetched but it was an easy listen!

[Daniel Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this entirely on a plane trip from Singapore to Tokyo after buying the book at Changi Airport. Schlocky airport thrillers are eternal! Enjoyed its dopiness.

[Juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened on Borrowbox, was worried I’d not listened well enough but it was nicely explained at the end. I enjoyed this one.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the minute I saw this book I literally delved straight in. I knew it was right up my street and my god this book did not disappoint.
It is absolutely frightening and I found my heart was pounding so many times and I absolutely dreaded what was going to happen next. It definitely keeps you gripped and the suspense is insane. You just dont know if they are all going to escape the underground alive or not.
This book is outstanding and I have recommended it to so many people already.

[Emily Healey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a thriller girl at heart. When I say this book hasn’t left my mind I mean it. Even when I woke up at 3am 🤪

This story follows Jess a ex police DI and a group of other people who are on a train home from London. Who don’t know each other. The power goes out and the train comes to a stop. Once the train lights come back on the driver is discovered dead but who did it? (I won’t share anymore as don’t want to be a spoiler!)

This was a fast paced book, with multiple characters pov which kept me so engaged. I couldn’t put it down. I just had to know what would happen next. I love how the group of characters were all relatable and it felt like such a real situation!

Definitely go add this to your TBR!!

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unputdownable suspense novel and my most quickly finished book so far! Brownie points for connecting the dots so perfectly without leaving any room for confusion. Also, the epilogue was one of the most beautifully written epilogues I have read so far and the ending served a cherry on the cake. However, those expecting lots of twists will be disappointed, but I can promise that that one major revelation is enough to catch you off guard. Overall, this is not a "thriller" per se but give it a try if you are looking for a casual read with that final climax that allows you to get astonished.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

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.

[RachelReads9 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t my cup of tea unfortunately. The entire story takes place over one night where Jess an ex detective is stuck on an underground train with a handful of other strangers. I think I’ve decided I dislike books that are only set over one short period of time as I just couldn’t get into it.

A black out occurs whilst on the tube and Jess goes into the drivers cab afterwards to find out what is happening and finds him dead. The rest of the book is a who done it where she uses her ex detective skills to interview the seven strangers on the tube as one of them must have done it. My first thought was surely the drivers cab is secure from a member of public just wandering in. My second thought was that the black out wasn’t very long, how would someone figure out how to open the door in the dark, find the driver in the dark and murder them, find the electrical cables and cut them, and then get back into the carriage all before the emergency lights kicked in. It took me ages to even realise that that was what Jess had assumed had happened as I was working on the fact that there must have been another person in the cab with the driver who then escaped in the black out.

Not withstanding that major plot hole the entire story felt drawn out and I just wasn’t engaged. I didn’t gel with Jess and it felt like there wasn’t enough about her back story. There are a couple of flashbacks to her time in the police but they weren’t enough. One was to a case she was involved in which I assumed would have some relevance to the current mystery but turned out to have no relevance at all. Then the story jumps to the point of view of the other passengers every now and then but not enough so they all just felt a bit flat.

Took me 5 days to get through this, usually read a book within 2 days so this is a lot, as I just didn’t get into it. The ending was strange, I was glad it was all wrapped up finally and whilst the motive was fairly reasonable the actual murder plot was just way too ridiculous.

Sadly this just wasn’t my book, I wanted to like it as I love a thriller and especially one set on a train, but this felt more like a classic murder mystery that could have been written for an escape room. If you like a murder mystery / who done it, then this may be for you but unfortunately I didn’t enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.