Mary M. (emeraldfire) - , reviewed on 8/30/2017

Rachel Watson follows the same routine every single day without fail. She takes the same commuter train each morning and evening - using the consistency of that routine to numb some of the grief she feels for her recently failed marriage. Each day as she rattles down the tracks to work, she flashes past the cozy stretch of homes in a suburban neighborhood, and stops at the same signal. This routine allows her to slip into a soothing daydream; one that allows her to watch people as they go about their own business during the day.

As she sits in the same seat, gazing out of the window at the landscape before her, what she sees next will ultimately change everything. Rachel enjoys her little episodes of people watching; she actually looks forward to seeing some of the same people every single day. As a matter of fact, each time that she stops at the train signal, Rachel watches the same couple eating breakfast on their deck. Their daily morning routine is one which she truly admires, and she has even begun to feel like she knows them.

Jess and Jason, as she calls them, seem to have an almost picture-perfect life together. Actually, not unlike the life that Rachel herself once had. So the routine continues day after day, until the day that it changes irrevocably. It only takes a minute before the train moves on, but Rachel sees something so shocking that she cannot keep it to herself.

Now that her routine is broken beyond repair, she feels that she must go to the police. But is she as unreliable as they seem to believe? Soon Rachel is deeply entangled; not only in the investigation being conducted by the police but also in the lives of everyone involved. In the long run, has she done more harm than good?

Actually, I absolutely loved this book and am delighted to see that it is this author's debut novel. In my opinion, it was well-written and captured my attention right from the beginning. I must say that I thought that the time sequence was slightly unusual, but I certainly appreciated how the author utilized it. I would give this book an A+! and will definitely be putting Ms. Hawkins' name at the top of my wishlist.

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