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The Girl on the Platform:
I am the girl on the platform.
When new mother Bridget catches her train home from London, she witnesses something a young girl is taken from the platform, right before her eyes. No one knows where I am.
But no one is reported missing and with Bridget the only witness, she is written off as an attention seeker. Nobody believes her – not even her own husband. Can you find me?
But Bridget knows what she saw, and becomes consumed with finding the little girl. Only she can save the child’s life… but could delving into the mystery cost Bridget her own?
When new mother Bridget catches her train home from London, she witnesses something a young girl is taken from the platform, right before her eyes. No one knows where I am.
But no one is reported missing and with Bridget the only witness, she is written off as an attention seeker. Nobody believes her – not even her own husband. Can you find me?
But Bridget knows what she saw, and becomes consumed with finding the little girl. Only she can save the child’s life… but could delving into the mystery cost Bridget her own?
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2021
84 people are currently reading
1118 people want to read
About the author
Bryony Pearce
26 books188 followersBryony Pearce (formerly McCarthy) lives with her husband and two children in a village on the edge of the Peak District. She completed an English Literature degree at Corpus Christi College Cambridge in 1998 and afterward worked in the business-to-business market research sector. She went freelance in 2004 so she could devote more time to writing. Bryony was a winner of the 2008 Undiscovered Voices competition with her MG novel Windrunner's Daughter. Her first YA novel, Angel's Fury, will be published on 4th July 2011 by Egmont.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
April 14, 2021
A LITTLE GIRL HAS BEEN ABDUCTED!!!
But no one believes Bridget Carlson - our totally unreliable narrator. Bridget is suffering from post-partum depression and is severely sleep deprived. She has recurring, vivid dreams of a little girl who is being kept in a room by a mean woman. Bridget starts to fixate on other unsolved abductions and slowly starts to form a conspiracy theory: there seems to be a pattern to all of these abductions. By the end of the second chapter, even I had my very serious doubts about Bridget's sanity.
But this is a thriller, so I try to remain open to the idea that there was in fact an abduction. Bridget's investigations into past abductions brings up a 20 year old cold case. Young Frances Dobson went missing at a train station while her mother was chatting with a friend.. People reported seeing a white van at the time. So, the question now is: did Bridget witness this abduction at an earlier point in her life, or is there something more sinister afoot?
I didn't find it hard to guess what really happened: plenty of clues left out in the open. (But no spoilers here.)
I found the summing up a bit hard to swallow. It took quite a few people, colluding for twenty years, to pull this one off. Didn't ring true for me, but this was a decent read, the writing was very good and there was certainly plenty of sustained suspense. I can see why other reviewers liked it, but so many things didn't click together for me. I'm rating this mystery/thriller a 3.3 out of 5.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
But no one believes Bridget Carlson - our totally unreliable narrator. Bridget is suffering from post-partum depression and is severely sleep deprived. She has recurring, vivid dreams of a little girl who is being kept in a room by a mean woman. Bridget starts to fixate on other unsolved abductions and slowly starts to form a conspiracy theory: there seems to be a pattern to all of these abductions. By the end of the second chapter, even I had my very serious doubts about Bridget's sanity.
But this is a thriller, so I try to remain open to the idea that there was in fact an abduction. Bridget's investigations into past abductions brings up a 20 year old cold case. Young Frances Dobson went missing at a train station while her mother was chatting with a friend.. People reported seeing a white van at the time. So, the question now is: did Bridget witness this abduction at an earlier point in her life, or is there something more sinister afoot?
I didn't find it hard to guess what really happened: plenty of clues left out in the open. (But no spoilers here.)
I found the summing up a bit hard to swallow. It took quite a few people, colluding for twenty years, to pull this one off. Didn't ring true for me, but this was a decent read, the writing was very good and there was certainly plenty of sustained suspense. I can see why other reviewers liked it, but so many things didn't click together for me. I'm rating this mystery/thriller a 3.3 out of 5.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2021
Talk about an ending you don’t see coming! Wow, this book was pretty dark, a lot more than I had expected. The audio was fantastic, always helps to have a great narrator. For the first part of this book I was pretty frustrated with the main characters but as the story progressed and the twists kept coming I couldn’t stop reading. You might think that you know what is going on here... but believe me, it is far worse than you think.
Bridget is a tired and stressed out first time mum. She has gone back to work while her husband stays home with their 8 month old daughter Grace. She is in medication for depression and anxiety and feels like she is letting her daughter down constantly. One night in the train coming home, she witnesses a girl being snatched from a platform. But nobody else on the train saw it and the police and her family don’t believe her. But she is certain of what she saw and is determined to find out.. to the point of obsession. But when she finds out the truth will she regret looking?
Thanks to Avon Books UK for my advanced audiobook to listen to.
Bridget is a tired and stressed out first time mum. She has gone back to work while her husband stays home with their 8 month old daughter Grace. She is in medication for depression and anxiety and feels like she is letting her daughter down constantly. One night in the train coming home, she witnesses a girl being snatched from a platform. But nobody else on the train saw it and the police and her family don’t believe her. But she is certain of what she saw and is determined to find out.. to the point of obsession. But when she finds out the truth will she regret looking?
Thanks to Avon Books UK for my advanced audiobook to listen to.
March 7, 2021
Bridget is hurrying home as she does every weeknight. Home, to her husband Tom and their 7 month old daughter Grace. They are living in a small apartment in the commuter belt, and it takes Bridget a couple of hours every day to go to work and back. She does this because she has a very interesting and well-paid job, whereas Tom doesn’t. So, they decided that he would take care of Grace while trying to write a book, and Bridget would go back to the office.
But life isn’t easy. Tom is a very caring father and he takes care of the household nicely, but Bridget is nothing but exhausted every day. She still carries extra weight after her pregnancy, her breasts hurt all the time because she is still nursing Grace, and work demands long hours. Above all, she is very unhappy with herself. She is taking an anti-depressant because early after the birth of Grace, she suffered from postnatal depression.
So we meet this woman who is doing her utmost to try and make something out of this life that should be such a happy one. Even Bridget’s mum comes around often to help, even though she is already taking care of Grace one day a week, and although she and Tom are not always seeing eye to eye. Bridget’s mum is of the type ‘mum knows best’ and she, together with her sister Gillian, do everything they can to ‘help’ Bridget and Tom. With mixed success, because she doesn’t listen to Bridget and Tom and feeds Grace sugary snacks all the time.
As Bridget is almost asleep on the train, she suddenly awakes to see they are passing a small station and then Bridget sees, in a flash, how two grown man take a little girl with them. She was sitting on a suitcase and bundled inside a white van. Bridget panics, calls the authorities and the next few hours are filled with trying to explain to the police what happened. She comes home in the middle of the night and finally falls asleep, but then the nightmares begin.
The start of a very, very intense story. I had to stop reading several times to think about what I’ve just read. During the entire book we see how Bridget is suffering, we hear about her nightmares, her past, her feelings for Tom, the big secret she is carrying with her since childhood… It all comes together and it is all very harrowing, to say the least. Bridget is determined to find out why she was the only person seeing the kidnapping and so she goes on a mission on her own, armed with her skills in finding patterns in statistics. In doing this, she has to lie. Lie to Tom, lie to her mother, and lie to herself – till eventually the truth comes out in a very unexpected way.
This book doesn’t let you go. It stays with you for a long time. I’m impressed, very much impressed, with the way Bryony Pearce brings her characters to life.
Thanks to Netgally for this review copy.
But life isn’t easy. Tom is a very caring father and he takes care of the household nicely, but Bridget is nothing but exhausted every day. She still carries extra weight after her pregnancy, her breasts hurt all the time because she is still nursing Grace, and work demands long hours. Above all, she is very unhappy with herself. She is taking an anti-depressant because early after the birth of Grace, she suffered from postnatal depression.
So we meet this woman who is doing her utmost to try and make something out of this life that should be such a happy one. Even Bridget’s mum comes around often to help, even though she is already taking care of Grace one day a week, and although she and Tom are not always seeing eye to eye. Bridget’s mum is of the type ‘mum knows best’ and she, together with her sister Gillian, do everything they can to ‘help’ Bridget and Tom. With mixed success, because she doesn’t listen to Bridget and Tom and feeds Grace sugary snacks all the time.
As Bridget is almost asleep on the train, she suddenly awakes to see they are passing a small station and then Bridget sees, in a flash, how two grown man take a little girl with them. She was sitting on a suitcase and bundled inside a white van. Bridget panics, calls the authorities and the next few hours are filled with trying to explain to the police what happened. She comes home in the middle of the night and finally falls asleep, but then the nightmares begin.
The start of a very, very intense story. I had to stop reading several times to think about what I’ve just read. During the entire book we see how Bridget is suffering, we hear about her nightmares, her past, her feelings for Tom, the big secret she is carrying with her since childhood… It all comes together and it is all very harrowing, to say the least. Bridget is determined to find out why she was the only person seeing the kidnapping and so she goes on a mission on her own, armed with her skills in finding patterns in statistics. In doing this, she has to lie. Lie to Tom, lie to her mother, and lie to herself – till eventually the truth comes out in a very unexpected way.
This book doesn’t let you go. It stays with you for a long time. I’m impressed, very much impressed, with the way Bryony Pearce brings her characters to life.
Thanks to Netgally for this review copy.
February 12, 2023
Yes go for this one if you are frustrated with the average reads because this one will keep you busy and hanging ‼️
April 10, 2021
When new mother Bridget catches her train home from London, she witnesses something terrible: a young girl is taken from the platform, right before her eyes. But no one is reported missing and with Bridget the only witness, she's written off as an attention seeker. But Bridget knows what she saw and becomes consumed with finding the little girl.
This is a dark, chilling and very addictive read. The plotline has been cleverly crafted. Bridget knows what she saw, but no one believes her, not even her husband. Bridget is determined to find out the truth, no matter what the cost is. The pace is slow to begin with but it slowly builds to the end. We are drip fed little pieces of information which made me realise where the story was going relatively early. That didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. I will be looking out for more from the author in future.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AvonBooksUK and the author #BryonyPearce for my ARC of #TheGirlOnThePlatform in exchange for an honest review.
This is a dark, chilling and very addictive read. The plotline has been cleverly crafted. Bridget knows what she saw, but no one believes her, not even her husband. Bridget is determined to find out the truth, no matter what the cost is. The pace is slow to begin with but it slowly builds to the end. We are drip fed little pieces of information which made me realise where the story was going relatively early. That didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. I will be looking out for more from the author in future.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AvonBooksUK and the author #BryonyPearce for my ARC of #TheGirlOnThePlatform in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2021
I wish I could give this book many more stars as it was a fantastic read. I could have read it until the small hours just to find out what was going to happen. At times I got frustrated with the police for being so lame and not taking the main character seriously enough, and, although I had my suspicions as to whom was behind the kidnapping I didn’t really know until the final few chapters. Such a great read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
April 16, 2021
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.
April 9, 2021
A mix of crime and psychological thriller, The Girl On The Platform is one dark and twisty book. It's very much in the vein of Girl On The Train and Gone Girl - the characters are well fleshed out and it carries a creeping dark narrative that leaves you feeling unsettled yet desperate to know more. A totally absorbing read which will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
January 13, 2023
This was a haunting tale that really grabbed me. Although I had foreseen some parts of the plot development, Pearce maintained my interest through the twists and turns that still came throughout the story.
Bridget’s character was very powerful in the fact that I could vividly imagine her emotions and fears. For starters, witnessing a kidnapping whilst on the way home from a very long day at work is only the beginning. With police not quite taking her seriously and then no reports in the media of a missing child, those around her question whether Bridget actually saw anything. This is because she is so disorientated from excessive exhaustion; she has only recently returned to work after the birth of her daughter and experiences all that sleep deprivation that I’m sure many readers will remember.
This feeling of disorientation cleverly manipulates the reader and sometimes I felt as dizzy as Bridget. She is determined to not let this abduction be ignored but this sees more lies and deceit towards her husband. I gasped at the awkward situations that Bridget finds herself in because of her efforts to investigate the kidnapping herself, but also felt frustrated at how much of an impact this was having on her family. I could not help but sympathise with her husband, Tom, as I witnessed how much the young family were becoming fractured by Bridget’s obsession.
Not only does this story explore the abduction that Bridget claims to have seen, but also other missing children. It does make for sobering reading, especially when you consider how Bridget’s character is portrayed. She is no stranger to taking medication to help with her moods and sleep; it would seem that Bridget has a history of requiring therapy and still needs support for her mental health. Therefore, when she restarts the therapy again, I felt a sigh of relief that Bridget was finally getting the help she needed – and potentially moving on from the incident on the train.
Bridget’s mother was a particularly chilling character and I could not understand how much she and Tom abide by her selfish demands. I was appalled by the behaviour that Bridget’s mother exhibits and was relieved when she was not involved in Bridget’s life. As the story develops, Bridget’s mother becomes more forceful and I really felt sorry for Grace, Bridget’s daughter, as she is more like a symbol of power than a little girl.
This was a great read because of the unexpected plot developments. Even though I had calculated some parts of the story, I was still shocked by further revelations. I thought Pearce’s writing style expertly reflected Bridget’s disorientation and how she struggles to function through lack of sleep. This confusion radiates throughout the novel as Bridget finds herself constantly questioning whether she is remembering events properly and if she is paranoid or not. As a result, this book became a true page-turner and I loved reaching its climatic conclusion.
With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Bridget’s character was very powerful in the fact that I could vividly imagine her emotions and fears. For starters, witnessing a kidnapping whilst on the way home from a very long day at work is only the beginning. With police not quite taking her seriously and then no reports in the media of a missing child, those around her question whether Bridget actually saw anything. This is because she is so disorientated from excessive exhaustion; she has only recently returned to work after the birth of her daughter and experiences all that sleep deprivation that I’m sure many readers will remember.
This feeling of disorientation cleverly manipulates the reader and sometimes I felt as dizzy as Bridget. She is determined to not let this abduction be ignored but this sees more lies and deceit towards her husband. I gasped at the awkward situations that Bridget finds herself in because of her efforts to investigate the kidnapping herself, but also felt frustrated at how much of an impact this was having on her family. I could not help but sympathise with her husband, Tom, as I witnessed how much the young family were becoming fractured by Bridget’s obsession.
Not only does this story explore the abduction that Bridget claims to have seen, but also other missing children. It does make for sobering reading, especially when you consider how Bridget’s character is portrayed. She is no stranger to taking medication to help with her moods and sleep; it would seem that Bridget has a history of requiring therapy and still needs support for her mental health. Therefore, when she restarts the therapy again, I felt a sigh of relief that Bridget was finally getting the help she needed – and potentially moving on from the incident on the train.
Bridget’s mother was a particularly chilling character and I could not understand how much she and Tom abide by her selfish demands. I was appalled by the behaviour that Bridget’s mother exhibits and was relieved when she was not involved in Bridget’s life. As the story develops, Bridget’s mother becomes more forceful and I really felt sorry for Grace, Bridget’s daughter, as she is more like a symbol of power than a little girl.
This was a great read because of the unexpected plot developments. Even though I had calculated some parts of the story, I was still shocked by further revelations. I thought Pearce’s writing style expertly reflected Bridget’s disorientation and how she struggles to function through lack of sleep. This confusion radiates throughout the novel as Bridget finds herself constantly questioning whether she is remembering events properly and if she is paranoid or not. As a result, this book became a true page-turner and I loved reaching its climatic conclusion.
With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2021
Story’s main character Bridget Carlson is a new mom of 7 month old Grace. Bridget has gone back to work as she and hubby Tom decided it was financially better if she went back to work and he would do child care. She is on the train on her way home from work, it is late and she is exhausted. She is resting her head on the window trying to sleep when they pass a small station and sees a little girl perhaps six years old, sitting on her luggage waiting for the train. The next thing Bridget sees two men grab her and practically throw her into a white van. Bridget panics and calls the authorities; they board the train and question everyone. But no one else saw what happened.
Bridget arrives home very late after the questioning and is still very upset. Tom tries to comfort her and tells her surely the girl’s mom will report her missing additional the station has CCTV.
However, No one is reported missing! Now police and everyone else including Bridget’s husband, her mother etc. doesn’t believe her, fears are that her exhaustion had her seeing things.
~ I believed her but soon saw that Bridget’s world was totally unraveling in a downward spin.
I read enough psychological thrillers so I know three things:
Be suspicious of everyone
Expect twists and twist and turns
And there will probably be a secret or two.
Yep all three points ran through my mind.
Why is Bridget’s Mom so controlling?
Why is Bridget under such heavy meds?
The Fluoxetine causes tiredness, confusion, abnormal dreams and nightmares.
Hmmm? Might Bridget’s mother have ‘Munchausen Syndrome’?
This was a quick read ~ story kept me turning pages. ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
A must read for any psychological thriller fan ~ you won’t be disappointed!
Want to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this early release granted to me for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 15, 2021
Bridget arrives home very late after the questioning and is still very upset. Tom tries to comfort her and tells her surely the girl’s mom will report her missing additional the station has CCTV.
However, No one is reported missing! Now police and everyone else including Bridget’s husband, her mother etc. doesn’t believe her, fears are that her exhaustion had her seeing things.
~ I believed her but soon saw that Bridget’s world was totally unraveling in a downward spin.
I read enough psychological thrillers so I know three things:
Be suspicious of everyone
Expect twists and twist and turns
And there will probably be a secret or two.
Yep all three points ran through my mind.
Why is Bridget’s Mom so controlling?
Why is Bridget under such heavy meds?
The Fluoxetine causes tiredness, confusion, abnormal dreams and nightmares.
Hmmm? Might Bridget’s mother have ‘Munchausen Syndrome’?
This was a quick read ~ story kept me turning pages. ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
A must read for any psychological thriller fan ~ you won’t be disappointed!
Want to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this early release granted to me for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 15, 2021
March 9, 2021
Warning - do not start this book if you do not have time to finish in a single sitting. Also, finishing it right before bed... maybe not the best idea either because WOW.
Serious 'Girl on the Train' and 'Gone Girl' vibes, but still uniquely captivating.
Bridget has a beautiful 9month old baby daughter, and a wonderfully supportive husband, but just because things seem perfect, doesn't mean that they are. Post Partum is very much real, and is very much a medical condition that needs to be attended to. So, Bridget does. She goes on meds and they help - they clear her mind and help calm her, going beyond what they were intended to do. They start to clear her mind of her past traumas that were repressed, erased.
She knows what she saw. She knows there was a girl on the platform wearing a school blazer sitting on an old-style suitcase. She knows she saw two men in dark clothing take the girl, who clearly did not want to go, and put her in a white van.
And she knows now that she has seen and reported the kidnapping, that she is being followed by an unmarked white van. But they already think she made it up, that it was a dream - so who would believe her if she said anything?
Unable to let it go, she goes and does what she does best - she looks at the data and what she uncovers is more than she bargained for (cannot wait for book2 - if there isn't already one in the works there should be!) but how much is she willing to risk to prove that she isn't crazy?
Serious 'Girl on the Train' and 'Gone Girl' vibes, but still uniquely captivating.
Bridget has a beautiful 9month old baby daughter, and a wonderfully supportive husband, but just because things seem perfect, doesn't mean that they are. Post Partum is very much real, and is very much a medical condition that needs to be attended to. So, Bridget does. She goes on meds and they help - they clear her mind and help calm her, going beyond what they were intended to do. They start to clear her mind of her past traumas that were repressed, erased.
She knows what she saw. She knows there was a girl on the platform wearing a school blazer sitting on an old-style suitcase. She knows she saw two men in dark clothing take the girl, who clearly did not want to go, and put her in a white van.
And she knows now that she has seen and reported the kidnapping, that she is being followed by an unmarked white van. But they already think she made it up, that it was a dream - so who would believe her if she said anything?
Unable to let it go, she goes and does what she does best - she looks at the data and what she uncovers is more than she bargained for (cannot wait for book2 - if there isn't already one in the works there should be!) but how much is she willing to risk to prove that she isn't crazy?
December 25, 2020
New mother, Bridget, has returned to work after having her baby but she is exhausted. One day on the way home from work on the train she dozes off and wakes to see a disturbing sight, a little girl being snatched by two men from a train platform she is passing. She immediately alerts the police, but with no other witnesses and no reports of a missing girl, they are left baffled by the report and unable to investigate. As the story goes on, Bridget becomes obsessed with the 'case' and sets out to investigate herself. Only what she finds is far more disturbing and will change the life of her and her family forever. This one did take some time to get into and was more of a slow moving mystery initially. Though towards the end I could not finish it soon enough and just had to know was headed.
May 15, 2021
This book was fast paced and flew by. The characters were unreliable and it was hard to figure out who was the one to believe. The book got tense and kept me thinking the whole time. Once the author left enough clues I was able to figure out what was going on. The story got messy fast and it was hard to predict how it was going to end. I liked the ending and enjoyed the book overall!
January 15, 2025
5 ⭐️ = Very Good.
Audio.
This was intriguing from the off. There was a constant feeling of impending doom and of things not being as they seem.
Post-natal depression was the main theme running through this book, with a potential child abduction theme running alongside.
Initially, it was a slow and steady burn but it picked up pace towards the end…and what a fabulous end it was too. Left me open mouthed!!
Audio.
This was intriguing from the off. There was a constant feeling of impending doom and of things not being as they seem.
Post-natal depression was the main theme running through this book, with a potential child abduction theme running alongside.
Initially, it was a slow and steady burn but it picked up pace towards the end…and what a fabulous end it was too. Left me open mouthed!!
March 29, 2021
This was an audiobook and I loved the Nneka Okoye who narrated it. Disappearances, lies and mental illness are interwoven all throughout this mystery/thriller. A young mother sees something terrible happen and no one believes her.
This felt like someone’s worse nightmare and it had me on the edge of my seat. This novel felt a little bit like Gillian Flynn. Creepy, sometimes scary situations that quickly became more out of control. I highly recommend this if you love a good thriller.
Thank you HarperCollins UK Audio via Netgalley. I’ve voluntarily given my review.
This felt like someone’s worse nightmare and it had me on the edge of my seat. This novel felt a little bit like Gillian Flynn. Creepy, sometimes scary situations that quickly became more out of control. I highly recommend this if you love a good thriller.
Thank you HarperCollins UK Audio via Netgalley. I’ve voluntarily given my review.
April 16, 2021
My rating: 3.5 stars
On her way home from work, Bridget sees a little girl being kidnapped from an isolated railway platform. As Bridget herself is in a passing train, she rallies around to see if anyone else has witnessed the crime. When no one steps up, Bridget decides to take things in her own hands and find that missing girl. The problem? Bridget is a new mom, and struggling with post-partum depression. As there are no other clues that confirm the kidnapping, Bridget finds herself questioning her own sanity. And yet, she continues to be obsessed with the girl for some unknown reason, to the point of lying to and ignoring her own family. To what extent are her suspicions rooted in reality? Will her delicate family situation be able to survive her fanatical quest into the truth?
The story starts off spectacularly. While it is easy to dismiss the book as yet another book related to a train, the way Bridget’s emotions and insecurities are portrayed really take the story to a whole new level. However, after a point, the pace becomes too slow, though the action does consistently moving forward. What saves the book from the lagging middle section is the dramatic turnaround at the end. While I did see it coming in advance, I didn’t guess the complete extent of the twist. So that was a wonderful surprise.
The overall book is quite dark and twisted. Author Bryony Pearce does her best to make sure that your attention doesn’t get diverted, and to a great extent, she is successful. What I feel didn’t work for me is that I was expecting a thriller but found more of a psychological drama. Only towards the end does the book seem like a thriller again. If this were marketed as a drama, I would have read it with different expectations.
That said, the author nails Bridget’s character perfectly. Her PTSD, her emotional highs and lows, all are written in a way that leaves you feeling for her character. The personal note by the author at the end of the book reveals her personal experience with PTSD. And that explains why she was able to write about it without glamorizing or exaggerating it.
I heard the audio version of this book and narrator Nneka Okoye does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. Right from portraying the emotions to providing distinct voices to the characters, she is fantastic. I shall look forward to more of her narrations.
I will still recommend this book, in spite of my slight dissatisfaction. Just make sure you read it as a psychological drama.
Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio, for the Advanced Audio Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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May 16, 2022
Bridget is an exhausted first time mum to baby Grace. As the main breadwinner, she’s gone back to work leaving husband Tom at home with Grace. One night, on the train home, she witnesses a shocking event - a little girl is snatched from a train platform. Bridget can’t believe what she has seen, particularly as no other passengers witnessed it.
As time goes on it becomes apparent that no one believes Bridget, but she can’t let it lie. As she treads a fine line between obsession and exhaustion it becomes evident that getting to the bottom of this mystery is going to cost Bridget dearly. But just how far is she prepared to go?
Well! This was a proper twisting, turning, dark and delicious shocker of a book. Now I’ve come to the end of it I’m left reeling from the way the story has spun me around, I had NO idea that was going to happen!
An exceptionally clever book, it will have you wanting to give Bridget a shake at times for being so passive, but as the story progresses, all becomes clear. Without giving the plot away I’ll just say that some of the characters in here are wonderfully chilling and really make the story what it is. I honestly couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, especially towards the end when the plot really ramps up.
I also really appreciated the author’s honesty in the acknowledgements. It’s been a long time since I gave birth to my twins but I’ll never forget the exhaustion it brought me and it’s described so accurately within this book that I found myself nodding and wincing. That, coupled with PND must be a living hell - right at the moment when you’re meant to be basking in the euphoria of new parenthood you can barely put a foot in front of the other. It can’t have been easy so thank you for sharing.
Captivating and very creepy, I won’t forget about the Girl on the Platform in a hurry.
As time goes on it becomes apparent that no one believes Bridget, but she can’t let it lie. As she treads a fine line between obsession and exhaustion it becomes evident that getting to the bottom of this mystery is going to cost Bridget dearly. But just how far is she prepared to go?
Well! This was a proper twisting, turning, dark and delicious shocker of a book. Now I’ve come to the end of it I’m left reeling from the way the story has spun me around, I had NO idea that was going to happen!
An exceptionally clever book, it will have you wanting to give Bridget a shake at times for being so passive, but as the story progresses, all becomes clear. Without giving the plot away I’ll just say that some of the characters in here are wonderfully chilling and really make the story what it is. I honestly couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, especially towards the end when the plot really ramps up.
I also really appreciated the author’s honesty in the acknowledgements. It’s been a long time since I gave birth to my twins but I’ll never forget the exhaustion it brought me and it’s described so accurately within this book that I found myself nodding and wincing. That, coupled with PND must be a living hell - right at the moment when you’re meant to be basking in the euphoria of new parenthood you can barely put a foot in front of the other. It can’t have been easy so thank you for sharing.
Captivating and very creepy, I won’t forget about the Girl on the Platform in a hurry.
January 13, 2021
This was a great thriller with twists and turns throughout. It centers on Bridget, a tired and overworked mom of an 8-month old, who sees a girl being snatched from a train platform on her commute home from work. No one else on the train sees this, and everyone in her life thinks she just dreamed it- after all, she has had postnatal depression and is not a reliable witness. Bridget, frustrated, takes matters into her own hands and does her own investigation, which uncovers a lot more than she bargained for.
The characters were well-drawn in this story- I felt Bridget's frustration when no one would listen to her and empathized with her for the most part. There were a few times where she left her daughter in another room while she did other things, which struck me as odd when she spent so much time talking about how much more time she wanted to spend with her. She also let people treat her badly and I wanted to tell her to stand up for herself!
When the truth comes out, it's really well done and surprising. I had an inkling of where the book was going but hadn't quite figured it at until confronted with it. All of the loose ends were tied up nicely and my lingering questions were answered. While the book was a bit of a slow burn during the first half, the pace picked up quickly over the 2nd half, and I couldn't stop reading until I knew what happened. There were some pretty dark things uncovered, which added to my overall enjoyment (as that's why I read these types of books!).
Overall, this is a well-paced thriller with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading into the night if you are anything like me. I would recommend! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The characters were well-drawn in this story- I felt Bridget's frustration when no one would listen to her and empathized with her for the most part. There were a few times where she left her daughter in another room while she did other things, which struck me as odd when she spent so much time talking about how much more time she wanted to spend with her. She also let people treat her badly and I wanted to tell her to stand up for herself!
When the truth comes out, it's really well done and surprising. I had an inkling of where the book was going but hadn't quite figured it at until confronted with it. All of the loose ends were tied up nicely and my lingering questions were answered. While the book was a bit of a slow burn during the first half, the pace picked up quickly over the 2nd half, and I couldn't stop reading until I knew what happened. There were some pretty dark things uncovered, which added to my overall enjoyment (as that's why I read these types of books!).
Overall, this is a well-paced thriller with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading into the night if you are anything like me. I would recommend! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2021
When new mother Bridget catches her train home from London, she witnesses something terrible: a young girl is taken from the platform, right before her eyes. But no one is reported missing and with Bridget the only witness, she is written off as an attention seeker. Nobody believes her – not even her own husband.
But Bridget knows what she saw, and becomes consumed with finding the little girl. Only she can save the child’s life… but could delving into the mystery cost Bridget her own?
This book has an tense and suspense filled storyline which catches your interest immediately at the start. But, somewhere in the middle it slightly slows down a bit.
The main character Bridget, is an exhausted new mother. You do feel sorry for her, but at times you will end up finding her frustrating. Her obsession with what she saw makes you doubt her a bit.
However, the ending is definitely impressive! Overall, an interesting read.
Thank You NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!
But Bridget knows what she saw, and becomes consumed with finding the little girl. Only she can save the child’s life… but could delving into the mystery cost Bridget her own?
This book has an tense and suspense filled storyline which catches your interest immediately at the start. But, somewhere in the middle it slightly slows down a bit.
The main character Bridget, is an exhausted new mother. You do feel sorry for her, but at times you will end up finding her frustrating. Her obsession with what she saw makes you doubt her a bit.
However, the ending is definitely impressive! Overall, an interesting read.
Thank You NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!
April 12, 2021
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
There's not much to say about this thriller besides it was really obvious what was going on from the first couple of chapters, and I didn't like the character of Bridget. I guess with the ending you can get why she acts the way she does, but it was hard to take since it seemed most of the time she was crying and shaking and obsessing over missing children. There were way too many twists (that made zero sense by the way) for me to even find this book believable. I think at one point I realized that this would have been right up my alley years ago if it appeared on a random Sunday Night Made for TV movie. Thankfully my tastes have evolved.
"The Girl on the Platform" follows Bridget who is drowsing a bit on a train when she wakes up and suddenly sees a girl on a platform she's passing being taken by two men and dragged off into a van. Bridget manages to call the police and the train is held for a couple of hours while the police try to figure out what stop Bridget saw the abduction. Unfortunately the police don't find anything, and Bridget returns home and barely manages to hold it together. Readers then find out that Bridget is back at work and her husband, Tom, is staying at home writing a screenplay (I think, honestly I kept forgetting what he was supposedly doing) while also caring for their 8 month old daughter, Grace. We find out that Bridget is dealing with post-partum depression and feels resentful of not being there for her daughter like Tom is. The book though jumps back and forth between Bridget investigating the disappearance of the girl that was taken (after the police push back on her account) while also dealing with her troubled personal life with her husband and mother.
Bridget was just a lot to deal with while reading. Since she's the main character and the one we follow, I just find myself getting tired of her "investigation" and lying to her husband about what she was up to. I just never really got a handle on her as a character, not even when I got to the end of the book.
Bridget's husband was a saint. Honestly. Because when you read the whole book and get to the ending one wonders why he's with her. I saw no real reason why anyone would want to date or marry Bridget. Her mother was a lot and way too into her life and though we hear tales on how fun she used to be and how she was always racing to do things, it just felt like a whole other character we were never formally introduced to.
The flow of the book is really slow.
The ending was when things really came apart for me. I saw the twists coming (except for two things), but it was just so over the top and surreal I felt like I stumbled upon a student production of a really bad play. It just didn't seem grounded in reality at all. I often wonder how authors write their books, do they think of the ending first and work backwards, or do they start off with a rough outline. This book had an interesting idea (slightly) but think it went off the rails to the point that it wasn't a realistic thriller.
There's not much to say about this thriller besides it was really obvious what was going on from the first couple of chapters, and I didn't like the character of Bridget. I guess with the ending you can get why she acts the way she does, but it was hard to take since it seemed most of the time she was crying and shaking and obsessing over missing children. There were way too many twists (that made zero sense by the way) for me to even find this book believable. I think at one point I realized that this would have been right up my alley years ago if it appeared on a random Sunday Night Made for TV movie. Thankfully my tastes have evolved.
"The Girl on the Platform" follows Bridget who is drowsing a bit on a train when she wakes up and suddenly sees a girl on a platform she's passing being taken by two men and dragged off into a van. Bridget manages to call the police and the train is held for a couple of hours while the police try to figure out what stop Bridget saw the abduction. Unfortunately the police don't find anything, and Bridget returns home and barely manages to hold it together. Readers then find out that Bridget is back at work and her husband, Tom, is staying at home writing a screenplay (I think, honestly I kept forgetting what he was supposedly doing) while also caring for their 8 month old daughter, Grace. We find out that Bridget is dealing with post-partum depression and feels resentful of not being there for her daughter like Tom is. The book though jumps back and forth between Bridget investigating the disappearance of the girl that was taken (after the police push back on her account) while also dealing with her troubled personal life with her husband and mother.
Bridget was just a lot to deal with while reading. Since she's the main character and the one we follow, I just find myself getting tired of her "investigation" and lying to her husband about what she was up to. I just never really got a handle on her as a character, not even when I got to the end of the book.
Bridget's husband was a saint. Honestly. Because when you read the whole book and get to the ending one wonders why he's with her. I saw no real reason why anyone would want to date or marry Bridget. Her mother was a lot and way too into her life and though we hear tales on how fun she used to be and how she was always racing to do things, it just felt like a whole other character we were never formally introduced to.
The flow of the book is really slow.
The ending was when things really came apart for me. I saw the twists coming (except for two things), but it was just so over the top and surreal I felt like I stumbled upon a student production of a really bad play. It just didn't seem grounded in reality at all. I often wonder how authors write their books, do they think of the ending first and work backwards, or do they start off with a rough outline. This book had an interesting idea (slightly) but think it went off the rails to the point that it wasn't a realistic thriller.
May 12, 2021
Bridget Carlson is rushing home as she does every weeknight, to her husband Tom and their 7-month-old daughter Grace. They live in a small flat and it takes Bridget a couple of hours every day to go to work and back. She has a well-paid job as a Senior Manager at a London research agency, and Tom works from home as he takes care of Grace whilst writing a book. Tom is a very caring father but Bridget is exhausted every day as her work demands long hours. Bridget is unhappy and is taking an anti-depressant as she suffered from postnatal depression. Her mum helps out and takes care of Grace one day a week though she and Tom don't always get on. Bridget's sister Gillian, also offers assistance. Half asleep on the train, Bridget awakens to see a child being taken from a station platform. Panicked, she calls the police to explain what happened but they don't believe her and neither does Tom.
The Girl on the Platform is an intense and riveting story. As the reader is party to Bridget's suffering her nightmares, her past, and her feelings all manifest including a massive secret. As the twists kept bombarding me, everything eventually came together in this harrowing tale. A nuanced sophisticated and fascinating mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Avon Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
The Girl on the Platform is an intense and riveting story. As the reader is party to Bridget's suffering her nightmares, her past, and her feelings all manifest including a massive secret. As the twists kept bombarding me, everything eventually came together in this harrowing tale. A nuanced sophisticated and fascinating mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Avon Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
April 20, 2021
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 UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 26, 2021
**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-book copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
I really enjoyed this book - it was gripping and I couldn't put it down. The characters were relatable despite me never having gone through what Bridget goes through with post-partum depression. I guessed the ending about halfway through maybe? so would have preferred hints to have only started later in the book, but even so, the twists and turns leave you questioning everything and it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book.
However, I think it's important to highlight the many trigger warnings associated with this book, including but not limited to: mental illness, self harm, suicide, suicidal thoughts, depression, alcoholism, etc.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller to keep you on your toes!
I really enjoyed this book - it was gripping and I couldn't put it down. The characters were relatable despite me never having gone through what Bridget goes through with post-partum depression. I guessed the ending about halfway through maybe? so would have preferred hints to have only started later in the book, but even so, the twists and turns leave you questioning everything and it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book.
However, I think it's important to highlight the many trigger warnings associated with this book, including but not limited to: mental illness, self harm, suicide, suicidal thoughts, depression, alcoholism, etc.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller to keep you on your toes!
April 11, 2021
Bridget is the mother of an 8 month old baby girl who has gone back to work to support her stay-at-home husband who is doing the child-care. She has suffered/is suffering and being treated for post-natal depression. She works long hours and has a substantial London commute by train. One night she sees a child being snatched by two men at a station as the fast train from London hurtles past. She rings the police and everyone on the train is questioned but no-one else saw anything and distressingly for Bridget, no-one reports a child missing. All the indicators point to her having dozed and dreamt what she thought she saw. But Bridget can’t let it go and begins investigating herself.
I didn’t take to Bridget’s character and although I deeply sympathise with post-natal depression, I struggle to empathise because I was lucky enough never to suffer from it. I felt for her husband and struggled to believe the lengths she went to investigating this kidnapping - which resulted in her spending less time with her little girl and her husband. I felt the police were portrayed in a fair way, hard to know what else they could, in reality, do about a reported crime, unseen by the rest of the commuters on the train, no reports of a missing child, no reports of anything untoward from any of the stations, and the woman who reports the crime is shown on the CCTV as dozing for most of the journey and she’s on medication for depression, which is known to have the side-effect of causing bad, vivid dreams?
I had a ‘light-bulb’ moment half way through the book when I thought ‘aha, I get it!’ but I didn’t anticipate all the twists at the end, which, in my opinion, were slightly far fetched, especially the ‘flower-bed’ part.
When I started his book, my initial thoughts were that the author had just finished a writing course and this was her first book because half of her prose was very detailed and flowery with in depth descriptions (which I remember being encouraged to write on my writing course) and the other half short, staccato sentences. I hoped it wouldn’t continue like this throughout the book and to be fair that lessened but having said that it was all written in the first person and I’m not a lover of that either.
However, I have to say, it did keep me interested all the way through and at no time did I consider giving it up and for that I give credit and stars. I normally enjoy psychological thrillers but this one.........sorry, not so much, just wasn’t for me.
My thanks go to the author, to NetGalley and to the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest, unedited review.
I didn’t take to Bridget’s character and although I deeply sympathise with post-natal depression, I struggle to empathise because I was lucky enough never to suffer from it. I felt for her husband and struggled to believe the lengths she went to investigating this kidnapping - which resulted in her spending less time with her little girl and her husband. I felt the police were portrayed in a fair way, hard to know what else they could, in reality, do about a reported crime, unseen by the rest of the commuters on the train, no reports of a missing child, no reports of anything untoward from any of the stations, and the woman who reports the crime is shown on the CCTV as dozing for most of the journey and she’s on medication for depression, which is known to have the side-effect of causing bad, vivid dreams?
I had a ‘light-bulb’ moment half way through the book when I thought ‘aha, I get it!’ but I didn’t anticipate all the twists at the end, which, in my opinion, were slightly far fetched, especially the ‘flower-bed’ part.
When I started his book, my initial thoughts were that the author had just finished a writing course and this was her first book because half of her prose was very detailed and flowery with in depth descriptions (which I remember being encouraged to write on my writing course) and the other half short, staccato sentences. I hoped it wouldn’t continue like this throughout the book and to be fair that lessened but having said that it was all written in the first person and I’m not a lover of that either.
However, I have to say, it did keep me interested all the way through and at no time did I consider giving it up and for that I give credit and stars. I normally enjoy psychological thrillers but this one.........sorry, not so much, just wasn’t for me.
My thanks go to the author, to NetGalley and to the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest, unedited review.
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April 6, 2021
Discover the locations in the novel The Girl on the Platform
Much of the background to this is vague but the woman on the train is on her way home from Euston Station and heading out past Harlesden and Kenton. The police seem to think it was around Kenton when she saw the girl and reported the incident.
The fact that a girl might have been taken from a platform is shocking as these are stations on a line out of London. They are often badly lit and remote at night so they are creepy as well. Imagine the fear of being ona train and seeing something from a window. Something that no one else sees.
Moving trains, spaces you can’t escape are particularly good settings for thrillers.
October 11, 2022
Good book! I read like the whole thing on the train and it really kept my interest the whole time. The last like 100 pages I kinda knew what happened and just wanted to finish to confirm. This is the second book I’ve read by her and I would def read another by her. Good light but interesting mystery reads!
February 27, 2021
If no one else saw it happen, did it really even happen?
Bryony Pearce’s first adult domestic noir, “The Girl on the Platform,” is to be published April 15, 2021, and highlights post-natal depression and a kidnap sighting.
Bridgit Carlson, 28, is on her way home late one night from her work at a London research company when, from the train window, she witnesses a little girl being kidnapped from a dark train platform. When no one else on the train comes forward as a witness and there is no missing persons report filed, police and her family start to doubt whether she’s telling the truth. Bridgit is on medication for post-partum depression and her sighting is chalked up to hallucinations brought on by the medications and sleep deprivation due to balancing her career and an 8-month baby girl, Grace. She also has a history of attending counselling and a controlling mother, Alison, who loves to paint her daughter as an incapable mother and a depressed soul. This drives Bridgit to start her own investigation. She’s so convinced of the event that she puts it all on the line to find the little girl and to prove that she witnessed an actual event.
Told from two perspectives, Bridgit’s and the missing girl’s, this thriller is difficult to get into at first. Not having had children, I couldn’t understand what was wrong with Bridgit and didn’t understand why she was being treated with such disdain and disbelief. I commend the author for her insightful forray into the mind of an anxious and emotionally unstable mother. I could almost feel her vulnerability jumping out from the pages. I can only imagine how frustrated Bridgit must have felt experiencing a lack of credibility due to her mental illness. Halfway through the story, the pace picked up and, what were initially loose threads in the story, became part of the tapestry. It all made sense. I wasn’t ready for the mind-blowing climax and was aware of my heart pounding as I neared the end.
Thank you to Bryony Pearce, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Bryony Pearce’s first adult domestic noir, “The Girl on the Platform,” is to be published April 15, 2021, and highlights post-natal depression and a kidnap sighting.
Bridgit Carlson, 28, is on her way home late one night from her work at a London research company when, from the train window, she witnesses a little girl being kidnapped from a dark train platform. When no one else on the train comes forward as a witness and there is no missing persons report filed, police and her family start to doubt whether she’s telling the truth. Bridgit is on medication for post-partum depression and her sighting is chalked up to hallucinations brought on by the medications and sleep deprivation due to balancing her career and an 8-month baby girl, Grace. She also has a history of attending counselling and a controlling mother, Alison, who loves to paint her daughter as an incapable mother and a depressed soul. This drives Bridgit to start her own investigation. She’s so convinced of the event that she puts it all on the line to find the little girl and to prove that she witnessed an actual event.
Told from two perspectives, Bridgit’s and the missing girl’s, this thriller is difficult to get into at first. Not having had children, I couldn’t understand what was wrong with Bridgit and didn’t understand why she was being treated with such disdain and disbelief. I commend the author for her insightful forray into the mind of an anxious and emotionally unstable mother. I could almost feel her vulnerability jumping out from the pages. I can only imagine how frustrated Bridgit must have felt experiencing a lack of credibility due to her mental illness. Halfway through the story, the pace picked up and, what were initially loose threads in the story, became part of the tapestry. It all made sense. I wasn’t ready for the mind-blowing climax and was aware of my heart pounding as I neared the end.
Thank you to Bryony Pearce, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
December 23, 2020
Bridget is travelling on a train to get bak to her family after a long day at work when she witnesses a little girl being kidnapped from a dark platform. Surprisingly, no one else on the train saw it, so the police and her family start doubting she is telling the truth.
With nobody believing her, Bridget begins an investigation on her own, but will she be ready to learn what it will uncover?
This book really gave me chills. Not only it is an excellent thriller with numerous twists and turns, but it also gives an insight into the mind of an anxious mother with post natal depression, and I loved it from start to finish.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.
With nobody believing her, Bridget begins an investigation on her own, but will she be ready to learn what it will uncover?
This book really gave me chills. Not only it is an excellent thriller with numerous twists and turns, but it also gives an insight into the mind of an anxious mother with post natal depression, and I loved it from start to finish.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.
April 6, 2021
The Girl on the Platform demonstrates one of the biggest fear of every parent that has ever existed, kidnapping. The story itself is attention-grabbing and the suspense is mesmerizing. Not only was this story entertaining, but it also does a great job at establishing the reality of the life of a mother with depression. The author use's a lot of her own personal experience with depression in the story and it had's rawness and humanity, in a situation dealing with a kidnapping. This was a wonderful ride.
Thank you, NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Bryony Pearce for this arc.
Thank you, NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Bryony Pearce for this arc.
March 11, 2021
Great thriller. Could see where it was going but keeps you interested.
Worth a read.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
Worth a read.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
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