I went into this expecting it to be super thrilling; it started off strongly, and I was immediately sucked in. I spent the first quarter of the book not really able to predict what was going to happen, and I was excited to get to the crux of the novel.

However, there never actually ended up being any real thrill to it. The trope - strange woman comes into a family’s life, acts friendly to begin with and then gaslights everybody - is a tired one, and it’s difficult to create original content from it. I appreciated the author’s attempt at something a bit different, but the tone remained dismal throughout the whole story and there weren’t any proper twists.

Dishonourable mention goes to the ending because it genuinely SUCKED. It wasn’t satisfying in the slightest, and after such a depressing story, I was desperately yearning for a happy(ish) ending that never came.

Each day on the train Jenna sees the same woman, she’s even invented a name and back story for her, but when one morning she sees her enter the train in a distressed manner she knows she must help.

Jenna is portrayed as an autistic character (the author even discusses this briefly at the start of the book) and I think everyone, whether you are autistic yourself, feel you may be, or not, you will relate to this character. The author shows throughout the book her struggles and difficulties, while also dealing with a belief that other mental health problems may run within her family.

There’s lots of twists and turns in this one and I must say I felt a little frustrated when no one was listening to Jenna or even giving her a chance to speak (but I feel this is what the author wanted to portray).

The character development was really good and I feel you really get to know all the different personalities throughout the book, even if some of it seems pretty implausible.

For me, I just couldn’t get on board with how the story ended. As the suspense built in the last few chapters I read as fast as I could to see which possible conclusion it would draw. The one that happened I had not predicted. I’m sure the ending is meant to surprise and shock the audience, but for me it just felt very abrupt, I was hoping, eventually our main character would get the support she deserved, what actually happened I could not have predicted.

All is all a twisty read that will keep you guessing, keep you questioning and then surprise you at the end.
3.5⭐️

The Woman on Platform 8
by M.A. Hunter
Release date: March 31st
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Some books hook you with a quiet intrigue before unraveling into an all-consuming mystery, and The Woman on Platform 8 is exactly that kind of thriller. From the moment our protagonist fixates on the enigmatic woman at the train station, I was drawn into a world of perception versus reality, where every encounter feels both fated and unsettling.

The story builds tension masterfully, starting with harmless curiosity and spiraling into a dangerous entanglement. Allie’s desperation collides with the narrator’s own fragile façade, creating a dynamic fraught with uncertainty. Who is really telling the truth? Who is really in control? M.A. Hunter keeps the reader guessing with psychological twists, unreliable emotions, and a creeping sense of paranoia that lingers long after the last page.

This novel is an addictive ride, perfect for fans of suspenseful, character-driven mysteries. If you love a thriller that challenges what you think you know, The Woman on Platform 8 is a must-read.

Thank to Boldwood Books for this copy for an honest, voluntary review.

#TheWomanOnPlatform8 #MAHunter #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book!

Absolutely was enthralled with this book. I could not put it down.

So exciting and thought provoking.

I highlybrecommend!

Five stars!

This was a very twisty book. I really enjoyed this amazing book. The ending really surprised me as it was so brilliant. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author, and it definitely won’t be my last. We meet Gemma, a commuter who catches the same train every day. One day she helps out Allie, a fellow commuter who gets on the train appearing distressed and upset. She lets Allie come home with her until she can sort out what she is going to do next, but all is not what it seems with Allie. As Allie begins to firmly plant herself in Gemma’s family, it seems that Gemma’s mental health is going downhill...just like her mother’s did many years before.

This was a gripping story which once started you find yourself hooked into Gemma and Allie’s storyline. I always find storylines like this, where you know someone isn’t all they seem, really unsettling (in an enjoyable way!), and this one definitely unsettled me throughout! I liked Gemma’s character, although I did feel like giving her a good shake and asking her what on earth she was thinking taking a complete stranger home with her!! Whilst I knew there was something about Allie which you knew you shouldn’t trust, she made it so difficult to not like her as she seemed, on face value, quite a nice person!

The book’s pace is good, and the storyline moves along building tension and suspense as it goes. Whilst I had a vague idea where it was heading, I wasn’t expecting the twists and turns which happens at it nears its conclusion. The ending, for me, was a little unusual and if I’m honest I’m still in two minds whether the ending was satisfying enough after all the buildup to get there! However, the rest of the book certainly made up for that little bit of doubt, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!! I'd definitely recommend it, and I’ll be looking out for other books by this author.

The Woman on Platform 8 by M . A Hunter


In our everyday lives we all see people regularly going about their business as we do ours.
This book , set in London tells the story of a daily traveller on a train who she sees most days a woman on the morning train journey and who ends up finding out all the details of her life.
It was very interesting for me because the main character is newly diagnosed as having Autism and the author intergrates this into both their situations .

Really enjoyed this fast paced thriller! It get in your mind and the twists and turns had me hooked till the very end! Highly recommend!

This author creates well-drawn, complex characters, and knows how to build tension and drama that hold readers to the end. With several plot twists it managed to keep me guessing until the end. Even then I was surprised. I’m not easily surprised.

This is a really great novel. It is unique, and not only as it explores neurodiversity and mental health as part of its fantastic story. It is a thriller with an incredible ending!!

The story is about Jenna, a woman who identifies has autistic. Jenna assists a woman on a train who is obviously distressed, and confides in Jenna that in self-defence she fears she has killed her partner. This young woman, Allie, fears for her safety and is rescued by Jenna, who invites Allie to stay in her family home as she sorts her life out.

While Allie ingratiates herself with Jenna's family, Jenna mental health seemingly takes a turn for the worse leading to Jenna to believe that someone has it in for her, while those around her interpret this paranoia as a symptom of her declining mental health - just which interpretation is correct is explored as this novel plays out.

Such a good book! I am utterly in awe of that ending! Superbywriting and highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

This wasn't really for me, as I found it just too far fetched right from the start. I know Jenna wanted to help Allie and that was ok, but once she went back to the flat then invited her to stay it became unbelievable and predictable. I don't think any mother, whether neurodiverse or not, would invite a complete stranger in to their home when they have young vulnerable children and her husband just accepted it without question. It was well written in as much as it made me feel uncomfortable, watching Jenna's life being infiltrated so fully. The constant questioning of her own mental health based on her experience with her own mother added some interest to the usual cuckoo in the nest plot.
The ending seemed very confusing, almost as if the author had a flash of how the book could end even though it seemed completely separate from the rest of the plot and didn't really make sense, but he used it anyway making it feel like more of an add on than an integral part of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do to help a stranger in trouble? Would you bring her into your home and career? That's exactly what happens when Jenna, a woman who has Autism, sees a Allie in distress on the train. She's seen Allie everyday and has made up a story about her in her mind, reality is very different. Jenna, who has a high pressure job, a wonderful husband, and a couple kids wants to help this poor woman in crisis. But all is not as it seems.

Is Allie manipulative or is Jenna going crazy? The writing had me hooked and I didn't want to put the book down. I don't want to give too much away, I really enjoyed the book and would have given it 5 stars except I hated the ending. I'm sure I won't be the only one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I received a free copy of, The Woman on Platform 8, by M A Hunter, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We never know what people are going through, we think other people have the perfect life, like Allie on Platform 8. Jenna thinks about Allie a lot, maybe to much. Wow this was a thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for my first eARC. Let me just say… Wow! This is my first M. A. Hunter book and I am just completely stunned. I think I enjoyed the story overall, but there were elements that left me confused and honestly disappointed. I have so many questions and am still thinking about the twist ending.

Jenna is a graphic designer and working mom who has autism. One morning, on the train into London, she crosses paths with a woman in distress. Despite social challenges she experiences, she approaches the woman, whom she has noticed previously, to see if she can assist. Jenna learns the woman is called Allie and that she is fleeing a potentially dangerous situation. Jenna’s life quickly becomes intertwined with Allie’s and vice versa, and chaos and uncertainty ensue. Midway through the story, there’s a distinct impression that everyone is trying to sabotage Jenna, and even those who claim to support her can’t be trusted, or can they? As is the case in my psychological thrillers, Jenna is a very unreliable narrator, almost to a fault in this case.

While I enjoyed the twist ending and absolutely did not see it coming, I also had some challenges with the main character, Jenna. Without any direct experience with autism, I hesitate to pass judgment on how the character was written, I do have some concerns with the escalation of her character, though that didn’t sit quite right with me. It was haunting, traumatic, and twisted. Ultimately, I did find it to be an engaging story.

What a fantastic book - tells the story of a London commuter who comes to the aid of a woman she sees regularly on her morning train and who ends up ensconced in her life and career. The main character/narrator has been diagnosed with Autism as an adult and it’s fantastic to read a book from this perspective . The story is brilliantly plotted and I devoured it within 3.5 hrs. One of the best I’ve read for a long time. Highly recommend

This was just a nice, easy read that gives you everything you could want from a domestic noir. It kept me guessing, wasn't overly complicated or far fetched and was just really enjoyable

I enjoyed this book, was a quick paced storyline and concerning autism which is unusual in a thriller. It was an interesting read and I certainly didn’t expect the ending. Some of the characters were likeable and some not so much but that’s what makes the book good. If you want a quick thriller then I recommend this book

This was a pacy, thought provoking read that took me a while to get into. Ultimately I did enjoy it and the twist were interesting.. The topic of autism is covered and I thought that was fairly unique and worked well.

What a cleverly composed and unique plot! Written in the first person POV, this story covers a multitude of issues ranging from marital problems to mental health. It manages to weave in a character who appears genuine and has the main protagonist tied up in knots until she no longer knows which way is up. The ending is totally unexpected and again, brilliantly plotted and written. I look forward to MA Hunter's next book.

I have to say I was rather put off with the main character being autistic.. I don't like the 'latest' trend of life such as covid, autism, etc being used in a book as I want to be whisked away from the generalities of life... but that said I did enjoy this read.

It is quite pacy and with a few twists and an ending I couldn't guess it is an intriguing read.

It has more than enough drama and I enjoyed my reading time