My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Train From Platform 2’ written by Stephanie Steel in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Former DI Jess Hirsch is on the last tube train running on the Bakerloo Line when the train slows down, there’s a loud screech and the passengers are plunged into darkness. When the train doesn’t start moving again she goes into the driver’s cab and finds him lying on the floor dead from stab wounds. Someone on the train is a murderer and Jess intends to find out who.

‘The Train From Platform 2’ has a great beginning as Jess Hirsch, a former DI with the Met, has spent an evening with friends and catches the last tube train home. Then the story slows and it’s easy to lose interest, and it isn’t until later in the story that it gets more exciting and the tension starts to increase. The plot is well thought-out although a little far-fetched at times, but I kept wondering where the passengers in the other carriages were, and what took so long for help to arrive? Despite this, I have enjoyed reading this thriller and can recommend it.

Former DI, Jess is on her way home from a night out in London. It's late, she's tired and all she wants to do is get home to her husband and her girls. But when the lights go out and the train stops, she knows something isn't right. And when she finds the driver dead, she realises that she's trapped on a dark train with seven other people, and one of them is a killer.

This was absolutely brilliant thriller that makes you feel claustrophobic the minute the train stops until the very end. Throw in a dead body and a bunch of shady characters, you've got yourself an excellent locked door mystery. As someone who lives in London and often uses the underground, this has definitely made me a little more nervous for the next time. I flew through this one in just over three hours because I couldn't put it down.
Definitely put this one on your tbr.

This book was full of surprises with a small group of strangers ( or were they?) trapped in the London underground after a startling power outage.
Jess is a former DI who left the "good ole' boys club" of law enforcement to spend more time with her family. She;s headed home from a girls' night when the power outage halts her late night train. When the only the emergency lights come on and the hear nothing from the conductor in the next car, Jess decides to investigate and find the conductor dead from a stab wound and all the control wires sabotaged. She quickly realizes she is trapped underground in the sweltering carriage with a murderer as no one from any other carriage would have had time to murder the conductor.
What follows is almost closed room mystery with many suspects and a great deal of conflicting evidence as Jess struggles to find the culprit before anyone else is killed. I thoroughly tagged along with Jess as she sorted the evidence and questioned the other passengers. Although I was surprised by the ending, I like that all of the details were there for the reader to solve the crime if pay closed enough attention.

This one was just fine, overall i did enjoy it but it wouldnt be my typical type of thrillers

It was a closed setting on a train which i always enjoy isolated settings but this was the only real appeal, i didnt really care for the main character and the writing style was a bit basic but it was a good thriller to kick off my year of reading

3 stars

The Train from Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel is an exhilarating and atmospheric locked-room thriller set on the London Underground, where a routine late-night ride spirals into a chilling nightmare.

When the train suddenly stops between stations, former Detective Inspector Jess Hirsch finds herself trapped in a pitch-black carriage with a group of strangers. The tension escalates when she discovers the driver has been brutally murdered, and with no way to contact the outside world, Jess realizes the killer must be among them. As she begins questioning the passengers, each with their own secrets, the claustrophobic setting grows more oppressive, heightening the suspense.

The author does an excellent job of creating a tense and eerie atmosphere. The dark, confined space of the train becomes almost a character in itself, as Jess and the others struggle to remain calm while trying to uncover the truth. The cast of passengers, from a nervous student to a boisterous drunk, is well-developed, each with a distinct personality that keeps readers guessing about who could be the killer. Jess herself is a strong, relatable protagonist, and her sharp investigative skills make her the perfect character to lead the story.

The pacing is initially quick and engaging, though it slows down in the middle, where the story delves into the backstories of the passengers. While this section might feel a little drawn out, it adds depth to the characters and increases the tension as you try to figure out who is hiding what. The mystery is full of red herrings, and just when you think you have it figured out, the author pulls the rug from under you with a surprising twist at the end.

Overall, The Train from Platform 2 is a thrilling, well-crafted mystery with an intriguing premise and plenty of suspense to keep readers on edge. While there are a few moments where suspension of disbelief is required, it's an enjoyable and gripping read for fans of psychological thrillers. The closing twist is satisfying, and the conclusion brings everything together in a way that feels earned. Highly recommended for thriller enthusiasts, especially those who enjoy a confined setting and an unreliable cast of characters.

Closed circle mysteries tend to have a sense of immediacy to them but I didn't get that with <i>The Train from Platform 2</i> until quite late into the book. There were also pieces of the mystery that were quite disappointing in the end.

Jess, an ex Detective Inspector, is stranded in an underground tube with a very eclective group of people . ech passenger was described well and in a way that it was easy to remember each one and attach attributes to them. The train does an emergency stop and the lights go out...an eerie situation that is documented so well. Jess spends the whole time evaluating who had murdered the train driver and then why. The story progresses at a good rate but does in the middle get just a tad on the slow side however this picks up quickly. I loved reading this book and completed it in 2 days as all I wanted to do was to find out what was really happening. I did find it strange that at the end when they were eventaully released from the train that it turned out that there was passengers elsewhere on the train and no one had looked to see how much of the train was occupied.

Former Detective Inspector Jess has an unexpected journey when she boards the underground. The train suddenly stops and her and the fellow passengers are plunged into darkness. On investigating what happened she comes across a lifeless body. It seems they are trapped and there is a murderer on board. Will she find out the truth before it’s too late?

This was an intriguing setting to base a locked room mystery on. I think the author did a great job creating a dark, claustrophobic, eerie atmosphere, as I really felt the darkness of the train, the nightmare situation the passengers found themselves in and the rats!

The story spans over the space of one night and is told in multiple voices of the passengers, although Jess is the focal character. I enjoyed discovering each character and kept changing my mind who was responsible. I liked Jess as a main character and would like to see her come back in a series. Although the pacing sometimes slows, this is still a solid, easy to read debut, with a unique slant on the locked room mystery. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

*The Train from Platform 2* by Stephanie Steel delivers a gripping locked-room mystery set on a stranded London Underground train. The premise is compelling—a group of strangers, a blackout, and a murdered conductor. Former detective Jess steps in, determined to solve the crime before the killer strikes again.

The setting is claustrophobic and tense, with Steel effectively capturing the unease of being trapped in the dark, surrounded by strangers. As someone who is *terrified* of mice and rats, this book truly made me squirm—those unsettling details added a whole new layer of discomfort. I almost feel a content warning is necessary for readers like me!

Jess is a strong protagonist, and the varied cast of characters brings intrigue to the story. While the pacing drags in the middle, it picks up again toward the end, leading to a satisfying twist that I didn’t see coming. That said, some elements required a suspension of disbelief, and a few character backstories felt underexplored.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read for fans of atmospheric mysteries, though be prepared for a few hair-raising moments. If you’re looking for a tense, twisty thriller, this is worth picking up—just maybe not if you’re as squeamish about rodents as I am! 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced copy.

This was a suspenseful, thrilling locked room mystery that took place on a train. The train goes dark, someone screams and the conductor's dead body is found. Jess is a former detective who throws herself into the crime to try to solve it before anyone else ends up dead on the train.

A very enjoyable twist on a locked room style mystery thriller.

The writing is quite descriptive and the background of the characters eventually comes to the fore as the story concludes.

A perfect book to while away a wet winter afternoon with alongside coffee and crumpets.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

Stephanie Steel delivers a masterful blend of suspense and intrigue in The Train from Platform 2. From the first page, this novel grips readers with its compelling narrative and keeps them guessing until the very end.

Steel’s ability to weave a mystery is truly commendable. The story is packed with moments that challenge readers to piece together clues and test their theories about the identity of the murderer. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the author skillfully redirects your suspicions, demonstrating her talent for misdirection and suspense.

The ending was particularly impactful—unexpected and deeply satisfying. While I didn’t anticipate the conclusion, it was a testament to Steel’s storytelling prowess that the resolution felt both surprising and well-earned.

Overall, The Train from Platform 2 is an engaging and thought-provoking read. Fans of the mystery genre will appreciate its clever twists and intricate plot, while its emotional depth ensures it resonates beyond the final page. A highly recommended read for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted whodunit.

I love an isolated thriller setting thriller and a book where 90% takes place inside one train carriage trapped between stations on the London Underground ticks every box.

When a blackout stops a train full of strangers between stations and the driver isn't able to be contacted the night begins to unravel.

I loved that every character had secrets and they were not what I expected at all. I found this thriller to be really atmospheric and I was gripped from the beginning.

The main character Jess is an ex police officer which made the investigation parts of the story much more believable.

I would recommend this book for any thriller lovers especially those who enjoy an isolated setting.

A suspenseful story set on a train and spanning over one day. Trapped passengers and a dead driver. Who committed the crime?

A late night train comes to a halt between stations on the London Underground and with loss of power the eight passengers in the front carriage are plunged into darkness. Long tense minutes follow as they wait for the emergency lighting to kick in and when it does one of them, former police officer Jess makes her way to the drivers cab at the front of the train only to find him slumped over the controls brutally murdered with stab wounds to his neck.

As the minutes turn into hours and they're still waiting to be rescued, piece by piece individual back stories come out and former police officer Jess finds herself questioning and doubting as she looks for a lead as to who the murderer could be.

I found this novel easy to get into, it was tense, uneasy and the impenetrable darkness along with a good dose of my own overactive imagination had me hooked from the opening pages. The characters kept it interesting, the plot intrigued and the red herrings threw me off course.

My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel, all opinions expressed are my own.

Seriously you can’t go wrong with a book set in a tube where it stops mid tunnel and strangers are then ‘locked in together’ whilst murder happens as the lights go out….anyone ever been on a tube will immediately feel the panic and tension of that and imagine ways they would be getting out

8 strangers, all with secrets, ideals, passions and things to hide ……one of the them is an ex detective

It’s reading at it’s best to meet them and then see them meet each other and be a part of this whodunit as the lights flicker on and iff again, it’s getting hotter and staler, rats are abundant and someone is trying to kill folk

This is a crime debut and a fine one

Immerse yourself in that tube with those 8 and see if you can guess the guilty one

I didn’t

Brilliant Read

This was ok … I thought the premise was a bit far fetched and didn’t work out the murderer at all. I thought the characters were a bit one-dimensional and couldn’t really believe the back stories I was being introduced to. I don’t think that this will be a particularly memorable read.

A really good, trapped together mystery. I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout. Lots of dark characters and crazy twists. Loved it xx

I get a feeling I might be a tad anxious on the Bakerloo line to Baker Street in future.
Something that came to mind was that the doors are locked from the driver's side on tube trains these days. How did anyone get into the cab to murder the driver? And what happened to the rest of the passengers on the train? Surely there were some. Not everyone could have just travelled in the first carriage.
The main premise of the novel was good however I felt it dragged until about halfway. Sadly, it just didn't live up to my expectations.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of the book.

I am not overly keen on "one room" thrillers and if I had realised this was that type of book I probably wouldn't have read it. Saying that I didn't guess the killer and they're was alot to keep you guessing and second guessing in the plot. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy