Rating: 2.2/5

I was attracted by the premise of this novel and there are certainly elements that lived up to my hopes. However, ultimately, there are just too many aspects that either simply don't work, or at least, don't consistently work well enough.

The early stages of the book are quite engaging and intriguing, as the central character, Rachel, meets and develops a somewhat unusual relationship with a fellow commuter. Although there is an element of having to suspend disbelief, it doesn't require too much of a stretch and I enjoyed the "Brief Encounter" vibe that I was picking up. Less convincing in these earlier sections is the portrayal of the relationship between Rachel and her wealthy husband, Anthony. Pretty much from the word "go", I got the sense that it didn't ring true nor feel authentic. Instead, I felt that these may well just be required to serve the narrative and subsequent plot development. This is a trait that crops up throughout the novel. There are too many occasions when protagonists behave unconvincingly out of character, purely to allow the author to move the storyline in a particular direction. The effect is that it seems clumsy - and the same can be said of a number of overly convenient plot developments that take some swallowing. Sadly, in spite of its encouraging start, "The Commuter" becomes increasingly melodramatic and disappointing. In the final analysis, it is an okay read, but it had the potential to be considerably better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

A great concept that leads into a compelling and thrilling read. Really enjoyed it, plenty of twists and a satisfying reveal at the end.

This book got off to a really good start and I really liked the description of this but it fell flat for me. I read two of the authors books before and enjoyed them but this one unfortunately wasn't for me. I rounded up to 3 stars. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Rachel wakes up from a coma to find that her husband is dead. Someone has murdered him and it's looking like she was involved. But she has lost her memory, so will she ever find out the truth?

What i liked about this book: The premise was good. It's always interesting when the main character doesn't seem to know what's going on and the first part of the book held my attention.

What I wasn't so sure about: Most of the characters are very unpleasant especially Rachel's stepdaughter, Caroline who is the epitome of a spoilt brat. I also felt that there were too many twists and turns, so many that I was quite giddy by the end. I also found that I didn't care who did it.

It appears to be the case in lots of books that main characters are really unlikeable. In truth very few people are as black and white as that. The fact is most people are much more complicated than being just bad, or just good for that matter.

Overall, I thought the novel got off to a good start but this didn't follow through to the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher,. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3,

4.5 stars, this book is fast paced with lots going on but I felt it remained easy enough to follow. Rachel wakes up from an induced coma following a drunken car crash to find her husband has been murdered and her memory of the last 6 weeks is non existent. Flashes of a man (not her husband) keep coming back in wisps but she can’t quite grasp the edges of these memories. She is isolated at this point, suspected by the police, despised by her contemptuous step daughter, betrayed by her narcissistic mother until she meets Dominic a therapist. As Rachel slowly builds herself back up we quickly start to discover not everyone is who they appear to be and events have not unfolded as we assume they have. Kept me gripped all the way through l, I could see this becoming a film easily. Highly recommend

This was a gripping psychological thriller which had me riveted and waiting to see what happened next. It is written over different time lines and keeps the reader in suspense and you never know what’s going to happen next as lots of twists ans turns.

A very good read, gripping and thrilling. Fast paced and with loads of twists and turns . Would definitely recommend

Really enjoyed this read.
Rachel gets the train to work each morning and meets a man who she ends up falling for. After a girly party she ends up in a car accident and is severely injured. She loses her memory and as she tries to regain it we learn the story of her marriage, her husband and stepdaughter and the fateful events that led to that night.
Highly recommended.

Really enjoyed this book as it had lots to keep me turning the pages. I also loved the inclusion of little things like Metro newspapers Rush Hour Crush!

The Commuter is a tense and twisty psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. The story follows Rachel, a woman who wakes up from a coma after a car accident, only to learn that her wealthy husband has been murdered. With no memory of the events leading up to his death, Rachel must piece together what happened.
The plot is full of suspense, false leads, and mysterious characters—in particular, a man she remembers meeting on her daily commute.

I found it to be a gripping and fast-paced read, one that’s perfect for fans of domestic thrillers - especially those with morally grey characters!

Trigger warnings to be aware of include: themes of gaslighting, coercion, and domestic violence

A tense read to the point that it is almost a relief to quickly get to the end. The reader is always on edge as another twist, another lie, another incorrect assumption pulls you along to a conclusion that is satisfactorily surprising.

Really enjoyed this book. Couldn’t put it down, flew through it. Lots of twists and turns, numerous secrets and fast paced! My fave kind of book!

A fast paced thriller of a read with entertaining characters which kept me involved in the storyline all the way.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atlantic Books for this ARC which I can thoroughly recommend.

This book has everything I want in a thriller - well written and fast-paced with lots of twists. The characters have secrets that are revealed as the plot unfolds. I became gripped by the story and couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

I feel like I read a different book to everyone else when I read the reviews. This was so bad. It was lucky to get 2 stars from me.

The writing is literally all over the place from the beginning. All the characters are unlikeable which made reading it a struggle.

Ultimately it tries to be too clever and ends up a confusing word salad.

I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thanks for the advance copy Net Galley

This was going to be a solid 5 stars until about 70% in.

Up until that point, this was a thrilling novel about Rachel, a woman accused of murdering her older, wealthy husband, potentially with the help of her lover. However, having been involved in a car crash on the night of the murder, Rachel is unsure of the role she (or anyone else) played in the murder but is adamant she done nothing wrong.

Told largely from her perspective for the majority of the novel, around 70% in the book starts jumping between characters each chapter and time periods making it really difficult to follow what was happened and when.

I don't want to be too harsh as I do like Emma Curtis and many will enjoy this (much like I largely did) but just felt a bit robbed by how it ended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atlantic books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Brilliant and fast paced thriller that kept me guessing right to the end. Lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed this authors last book and I’d say that this was even better. I did find Rachel a little frustrating at times though, I won’t give any spoilers away but I felt she was way too tolerant of other characters in the book and should have cut ties a lot earlier!

I liked the premise of this novel. However, the characters and storytelling pace did not engage me and I did not finish the book.

Omg!!!!! This book is amazing
Brilliant writing with great characters and plot twists. I had no idea who had done what until the very end.