The Girl on the Train is pure psychological tension that starts easy and builds on every page—actually, I should say “on every run.” After hearing a CBC Radio show on the popularity of audio books in Germany, I decided to give them a try. Not knowing where to start, I checked the best-seller list and clicked “download.”

I listened to this book over a month of running. I read quickly, so the audio version forced me to take every word in turn without racing ahead. This only added to the thrill. I extended my planned runs on more than one occasion to get more of the book in!

You can read this story as a case study in human depravity. The cast consists (mainly) of three women and three men who have complicated backgrounds and painful relationships. Hawkins tells the story through the voices of the three women.

Like a good mystery, you’re never quite sure who did what. Every time Hawkins switches voices, new revelations add to the depth and mystery of the plot.

The Girl on the Train is an intriguing mystery with fully realized complicated characters. It’s easy to see how this made the best seller list.

—Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train (New York: Riverhead Books, 2015).