The Woman in Carriage 3 by Alison James is the type of psych thriller that makes the reader think it is going in a certain direction. But then ends up going in a completely different one.
And that’s a good thing.
Hattie is an interesting “heroine.” There’s no other word for her – she’s an absolute mess. She drinks too much, has one-night stands, and can’t hold a job. Someone to really root for, right?
Due to an unfortunate circumstance during a commute, there is a delay on the train she travels on. So, she joins a small group of other commuters to pass the time.
Little does she know that this innocent meeting will lead to all kinds of excitement, both good and bad. And it is anything but innocent.
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What follows is very reminiscent of “The Talented Mr. Ripley” – but not exactly. There’s subterfuge, deceit, uncertainty, heroism…and a lot of secrets.
The author does a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing as to who knows what and when. How everything is tied together also remains unclear. There are more than a few twists and surprises along the way as well.
I was actually drawn in by Hattie’s mess because I was rooting for her to find some kind of footing. But because of that, I was skeptical of just about everything that happened to her. It kept me involved.
There are moments of “Wow, that’s a lot.” But that is okay, too, because it kept the plot moving at a good pace. There are also a couple of red herrings that don’t exactly land. And one character virtually disappears with a lame excuse.
But again, it’s all okay because the overall plot is engaging.
The Woman in Carriage 3 does not require a lot of concentration. The author does a good job of keeping things fairly simple but interesting. Alison James has written a good page-turning psych thriller, and I look forward to other books from her.
