This is a well paced thriller.
At first, I thought I wasn't enjoying it, not clicking with the main character but once the twists started, I was hooked.
The author kept me guessing, couldn't put this down from about 25% in until the end.

An excellent read that kept me gripped until the ending. The timeline flips back and forth, but never in a confusing way. What did Rachel do? It's an intriguing read and an excellent tale.

Emma Curtis has done it again. Along with CL Taylor and Claire Douglas, she writes such unpredictable suspense reads that have a midway twist that makes you gasp and keep turning the pages.

The Commuter follows Rachel, who’s been married to a man 25 years older than her for the past thirteen years. Their marriage has been fraught with tension from Caroline, Anthony’s daughter from his first marriage to Rachel’s acceptance of Anthony’s decision to not have children. Now after Anthony’s heart attack he’s changed and Rachel struggles to recognise the man who she married. A chance encounter on the District Line with the handsome Sean leads to a flirtation and a friendship with want for more. Before anything can develop something shocking happens and Rachel ends up in hospital with amnesia. She’s the one who can find the clues and she needs to do it fast as she becomes a suspect in her husband’s death.

This was a fun, addictive read. It’s one of those books where you have to suspend your disbelief a fair bit but I was up for the ride. It’s a lighter mystery that’s just pure escapism even if a bit outrageous at time.

This book started well and had me intrigued initially.

Our main character Rachel Gordon narrates her version of events when she wakes from an induced coma following a car accident to learn her much older husband has been murdered and all she can remember is that she is somehow involved in his death.

With a bunch of unlikeable characters and some far-fetched scenarios, this was an easy read, but left me feeling quite flat.

From the premise I thought I'd enjoy this one but unfortunately I was disappointed. It had the potential to be a good story but everything was lost in too much detail and confusion.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

I finished this in just a day - admittedly I had a lot of spare time so this kept me busy. I love a good twisty story and this was that and more. The tension and unease I felt reading this story and I really felt like I was at times Rachel too! Wanting to know more with her and just wanting everything to work out for her. Loved it.

Amazing edge of your seat story you won't be able to put down this is a thriller which will keep you turning the pages long into the night

Rachel is married to a man much older than her. She is happy apart from having to put up with her selfish spoiled stepdaughter who has daddy wrapped round her little finger. Travelling to work she meets a man who helps her through a panic attack & she is soon looking out for him. On a rare night out with workmates she gets very drunk & decides she has to go home but not entirely unexpectedly she crashes & is put in an induced coma. She wakes up mumbling "I killed him!" Rather unfortunate as she discovers her husband was murdered the night she crashed!

This seemed a great start but somehow I didn't feel the rest lived up to it. I found the characters mostly unpleasant & the plot a bit too contrived. I finished it but it won't go on a favourites shelf! Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of The Commuter.
3.5 stars rounded up
I was excited to receive an ARC for an Emma Curtis book, having just recently read other books of hers. However I found the skipping and jumping timeline in this book slightly confusing to follow. Other than that it was a good book and a good story.
Recommend.

Wow. What a rollercoaster of a book this is. I know that sounds like a horrible cliché, but in this case I'm afraid it's true. I literally could not put this book down. It was like some kind of addiction...

Rachel is a married to a wealthy man, much older than her. She is happy enough in her marriage, until she meets a handsome stranger on the tube.

Her stepdaughter Caroline has always had a harsh opinion of her, believing that she split up her parents marriage, and conveniently forgetting that it takes two to tango...

Caroline is also a spoilt brat.

Bought up in a life of privilege, wanting for nothing, it has left her with a terrible attitude to life, believing she can trample over people to get what she wants, or pay them off if something unpleasant happens, or doesn't go her way.

Her Father sticks up for his poorly behaving daughter, even when he knows he shouldn't.

He's been doing it for so long that he doesn't know how to stop. But he is at risk of tearing his marriage apart if he doesn't do something soon.

Caroline will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

But no one could know exactly how far she would go to get what she wanted...

Rachel has been in a car accident and when she wakes up in hospital she finds out that her much older husband has died at their home. Rachel has flashbacks about a man she met on her commute and doesn’t know where he fits into her life.

This book has plenty of twists and turns. It starts well but loses its way before getting to the final section which is just too ridiculous. Good in parts.

This was a real roller coaster ride that was full all the way with lots of twists and turns. It is a scary thriller written by an author that I shall look out for in future as this was such an amazing read. I did not want to put it down and sat up half the night so that I could finish it. I did not see the ending at all.

A fabulous read, many layers making a complex and clever plot. The characters are authentic and well developed. A fast paced story that will keep you guessing.

I hadn’t read a book by Emma Curtis before this but it will not be my last. This was such a gripping thriller that I won’t forget in a hurry and I don’t think you will either. I was gripped from the first page I needed to know how the main character ended up in a coma and murder suspect. This is a gripping book that has the reader wondering just who is trustworthy and with manipulative characters aplenty it delivers a dark, fast paced story. I thought the characterization of Rachel was brilliant – she felt like a real person, with lots of layers and a sad and difficult history. The fact that she couldn’t remember parts of the recent past made it feel like I was living the story with her, willing things to be pieced together. A definite page turner and thoroughly recommended.
#TheCommuter #NetGalley

A classic gripping, twisty thriller. I couldn't put this book down. I loved the premise and the plot and thought the characterisation was brilliant. My first Emma Curtis book but not my last!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I literally couldn’t catch my breath while I was reading this, it was honestly the wildest ride I’ve ever been taken on when reading a book.

I was so torn on who to believe and with every chapter my mind got changed and I was deceived all the way through!.

It was shock after shock and twist after twist, this book will definitely be a book of the year for 2024.

If you’re on the fence about this book, take my advice and read it ASAP, plus it’s only 99p at the moment ( at the time i published this post).

Emma Curtis sucked me in with The Babysitter, and she kept me there with The Commuter! A twisty, unreliable tale that had me second guessing a lot of it, and trying desperately to unravel the secrets behind the mysterious man and this mysterious evening. LOVED LOVED LOVED
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Thank you to Atlantic for the early read!!

The Commuter by Emma Curtis is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the hidden lives and secrets of those we think we know. Curtis masterfully builds tension as she delves into the routine yet mysterious world of daily commuters, where a seemingly ordinary train ride turns into a twisting and suspenseful journey. The protagonist is drawn into a web of deception, betrayal, and danger, making readers question how well we can ever really know the people around us. With its well-crafted plot, unexpected twists, and expertly developed characters, The Commuter keeps readers on edge, unraveling layers of mystery with each page. It’s a compelling and intense read that will resonate with fans of domestic thrillers and suspense.

Rachel is married to Anthony living with her step daughter who dislikes her immensely. People think she is only married to him for his money but Rachel has tried to show this isn’t true continuing with her job in the city making sure she can rely on that income for herself. On the train one morning she meets Sean who helps to calm her down when the train breaks down in the tunnel and they form
A connection. She looks forward to seeing him each morning. It is only after she is in a car accident and she awakes to discover her husband has been murdered and she can’t remember the many weeks previously which rouses suspicion in the investigating police detective.
Rachel has to try to remember those missing weeks to find if she really did have something to do with Anthony’s murder and if not to find out what actually happened.
This was a great book which kept me guessing right up to the end.

A polished, twisty , page turner told over two timelines. This book builds beautifully, the pacing is excellent and once I hit the half way mark in reading it was almost impossible to put down.
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, add this book to your list immediately. It kept me engaged and guessing the whole way through. Recommend.