The Woman on Platform 8 by M. A. Hunter is a chilling and twisted psychological thriller that keeps you guessing from the first page. The story is told from the perspective of an ordinary commuter who, after spotting a mysterious woman – whom she imagines to be a glamorous catwalk model – starts to notice something isn’t quite right. As the two women cross paths on their daily commute, the glamorous woman’s behavior shifts from poised to terrified, and our protagonist finds herself compelled to help her.

As the story unravels, the commuter – who has her own secrets and insecurities – learns that the woman’s name is not Lucia, but Allie, and that she is running from something dark and dangerous. Allie confesses to doing something dreadful and desperately needs protection. What begins as an innocent attempt to help quickly spirals into a dangerous web of lies, deception, and peril, as the protagonist becomes entangled in Allie’s nightmare.

Hunter skillfully builds tension and suspense throughout the novel, with each chapter peeling back layers of mystery and psychological complexity. The unreliable narration, coupled with the protagonist’s own internal struggles and the overwhelming sense of danger, creates a sense of unease that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page.

The Woman on Platform 8 is a fast-paced and unpredictable thriller, filled with twists and turns that keep the reader on edge. If you enjoy dark, atmospheric thrillers that delve into human frailty and the consequences of secrets, this book is a must-read. M. A. Hunter delivers a gripping tale of deception, making it clear that sometimes, the cost of doing a good deed can be far more than you ever imagined.

M A Hunter always manages to get me gripped right away and keep me invested in the characters! Overall this was a very intense and suspenseful read.

I probably should start by mentioning what really stands out about this book – the neurodivergent representation. An openly autistic FMC. Which, honestly, is a very rare thing in books. Yes, there are many books where the MC is supposedly on the spectrum, but usually it’s not clearly spelled out and stated for everyone to see, know, and understand. Also, I can point out how much I appreciate it being a woman who is autistic, and it’s someone who isn’t portrayed as a textbook teenage boy kind of autistic.
And now, back to the story. Oh my. I hated it how much I loved it. And I loved it how much I hated it. Most of all, I loved/hated how much the story was… about me. I grew up in a family where I was always being gaslighted and threatened to be locked away in a psych facility if I dared to be “uncomfortable” in any way. I had those loving parents who gladly told anyone and everyone how insane I was and how hard it was for them to live with someone as crazy as me – it took me forever and decades and actual distance to see it for a backup smear campaign in case I ever spoke up about what was really happening to me behind closed doors at home. Nice, isn’t it? I know. Super nice.
So, this book was kind of triggering and kind of therapeutic for me – just because of this little story from my own life.
Me and my shitty parents aside, the book was good. It was beyond good, in fact. Well-written, well-told. Fast paced.
And then, the ending. I know I have said before that I dislike happy endings. Now I know that I live for absolutely horrible endings. The worst of the worst, zero hope for anything ever. Yes, please, give me more of those. Also, unexpected. Beyond anything anyone would have ever expected. So much worse than anything even my catastrophizing mind would have ever come up with. Perfect. Chef’s kiss perfection is what it was.

Thank you to NetGalley and especially Boldwood Books for my ARC and the opportunity to read this ahead of its release.
What a suspenseful book! Jenna is neurodivergent and someone who thrives on routine- she notices someone on the train who appears to be frantic and needs help. She quickly offers aid and befriends this woman into her home From there it turns into a thriller and a question of how sane is anyone really, and can someone really have the power to push you into questioning your own sanity. This has many twists, and when I thought I had it figured out another element was added. This is my first book that I have read by this author, and I am seeking out other books because I enjoyed this one. If you are into thrillers and suspense pick this one up, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Thank you M A Hunter and Boldwood Books to allow me to read this ARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I'm rating this book 3.25⭐ (3 for the sake of this review.)
Started off reading thinking one thing about the main characters, and as the plot progressed, I thought I would able to predict what was going to happen but definitely was a wild ride.

This was so intense and suspenseful! It was one twist after another— very engaging. Highly recommend to anyone interested in a great read!

The Woman on Platform 8 by M A Hunter was excellent psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns throughout with a great storyline which was very cleverly crafted that will have you hooked from the very first few pages till the very end. All the characters were excellent and fitted well with the book.

I highly recommend this book it was an excellent read. Great for a holiday read especially as it was a great easy quick read.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and especially Boldwood Books for my ARC.

I'm reviewing this NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This is a twisty psychological thriller. At the start, the protagonist, Jenna, befriends a woman that she catches sight of on the platform while boarding the train. The woman's name is Allie, and she confesses something to Jenna; something shocking.

From the beginning, I found Jenna an interesting character, and I liked the way she articulated herself to the reader. I was keen to find out more about her as the story progressed. The suspense kept building, and I found that the story played with my head. As I turned the pages, I was never sure what to expect. This reminded me a little bit of Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train, so if you liked that, maybe you'll like this too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.

M.A. Hunter’s The Woman on Platform 8 is a tense, twist-filled psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing until the very last page. With its clever narrative and unsettling exploration of identity, secrets, and the thin line between reality and illusion, this novel is a gripping read for fans of domestic suspense and psychological drama.

The story begins with the unnamed protagonist’s fascination with a striking woman she often sees during her commute. In her mind, the glamorous stranger becomes “Lucia,” a mysterious and flawless figure. But when the woman — whose real name is Allie — boards the train one morning visibly shaken and desperate, the protagonist’s carefully constructed fantasy crumbles. What follows is a gripping journey of loyalty, fear, and the unsettling question of how well we truly know the people around us.

Hunter excels at building a palpable sense of unease, using the mundane setting of a daily train commute to amplify the suspense. The protagonist’s inner dialogue is both relatable and troubling, reflecting her own insecurities and the tendency to romanticize the lives of others. As the story unfolds, readers are forced to question not only Allie’s motives but also the narrator’s reliability. Who is really in danger? Who can be trusted?

The pacing is swift, with each chapter peeling back another layer of deception. Hunter skillfully drops breadcrumbs of information, maintaining the tension and ensuring the plot remains unpredictable. The dual focus on Allie’s predicament and the narrator’s own unraveling mental state adds complexity to the narrative, making it impossible to put the book down.

The Woman on Platform 8 is more than just a thriller — it’s an exploration of perception, the masks people wear, and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of our lives. Hunter’s sharp prose and immersive storytelling ensure that readers will be thinking about this novel long after they’ve finished it.

For fans of Gillian Flynn, B.A. Paris, and Lisa Jewell, this book is a must-read. Prepare for a ride full of suspense, psychological intrigue, and a haunting reminder that sometimes the most dangerous illusions are the ones we create ourselves.

"No good deed goes unpunished."

The Woman on Platform 8 by M.A Hunter is a twisty psychological thriller that will have you hooked from the very beginning.

For the past few weeks Jenna Morgan has seen a beautiful woman waiting on Platform 8 for the train. Fixating on this perfectly poised woman, Jenna imagines her to be a glamorous model maybe going to casting calls in the city. But when one day the woman is late to get on the train and appears frightened, Jenna reaches out to her. The woman's name is Allie and she says she has done something awful to her boyfriend. Wanting to help Allie, Jenna invites her to stay with her, her husband, and their two children until she can get herself situated. But soon strange things start to happen and Jenna wonders if Allie is really who she says she is. And Allie isn't the only one keeping secrets...

This book was so tension filled and had such a sense of urgency that I flew right through it. I especially liked the fact that Jenna was neurodivergent which put another spin on her perception. Hunter's writing is absolutely gripping and her characters are all very well written. This was the first book by M.A Hunter that I have read but it definitely won't be my last!!

Thank you to NetGalley, M.A Hunter, and Boldwood Books for this ARC. Publication date is March 31st 2025.

My first thought after I’d finished reading this book was ‘why have I never read anything by this author before ? And the reason I asked myself that question was because this book in my opinion was absolutely brilliant. It’s not often that a book gets right into my head but this one 100% did that. It’s not a fast paced read but that’s a good thing as it gives the reader time to process all that’s going on and believe me there’s lots happening . The characters are all really interesting and it didn’t take me long to make an opinion of them all. I was completely absorbed by this story right from the very start and as for the ending, I’m not going to say much but safe to say I had to go back and read the final chapter again as I thought I’d got confused. I absolutely love a book with a jaw dropping ending and this was one of those books.

This is a good read but has left me with so many questions.
Jenna sees the same woman most days on her train journey into work, but one day she looks like she needs help.
Allie tells her something shocking and Jenna says she’ll help her, and invites her to stay with her family.
This was the first red flag for me, as why would you invite a stranger into your home with your two young children?
As I suspected Allie weasels her way into Jenna’s family life and soon Jenna is struggling to cope.
I don’t really like books where a person is made to question their own sanity, but I always hope they will come out on top.
In this book, this didn’t really happen and the ending left me very confused.
Whilst I don’t need books to always have a firm conclusion, this one ended very abruptly with many questions left unanswered.
Thanks to Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this book.

I was accepted to read this book before official publication through NetGalley and below is my honest review.

A straight up 5 star read for me. It is a cleverly crafted thriller that is full of suspense and had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

What I loved most about this book was the representation of neurodiversity. It's rare to find such a well-rounded neurodiverse character at the heart of a thriller or any genres really, and I appreciate how this representation challenges the stereotypes and brings much-needed visibility to the spectrum. It felt honest and authentic.

I was captivated by this book and found that I spent all of my spare time reading it.

I recommend this to anyone who will listen to me!

Overall, I give this book a huge 5 stars!

There is absolutely no way of knowing how this is going to turn out. A totally gripping psychological thriller that draws you in and keeps you hooked from the very first page. Jenna is neurodivergent and I thought this was portrayed really well. Stepping out of her comfort zone she goes to the aid of Allie who she has seen daily on the train to work. Allie tells her that something dreadful has happened and this leads to Jenna befriending her to the point where Allie moves into the family home. As the story develops and unfolds you start to question who is telling the truth and is Allie really who she says she is. With plenty of twists and turns I thought this explored and threw up questions about human nature and how people perceive each other. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

I was totally engrossed in this book, and like the author's other books, I didn't want to put it down.
The main character, Jenna, is neurodivergent, and her overthinking, fear, and paranoia are brilliantly described, so much so that you can feel her frustration.
A brilliantly claustrophobic read with a heartbreaking twist that I never saw coming.

The Woman on Platform 8 is a solid thriller that delivers plenty of suspense, intriguing twists, and a gripping premise. While it kept me engaged from start to finish, it didn’t quite reach the level of a truly great thriller.

The story follows Jenna, a neurodivergent lead character. Who gets caught in a dangerous web of secrets and deception. She helps a woman she's never met but looks terrified and needs to get away from her abusive ex who she is not sure if she killed or not trying to get away. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, with enough twists to keep things interesting, though some were a bit predictable.

M.A Hunter does a great job building tension, and the writing is crisp and immersive. However, certain character motivations felt underdeveloped, and there were moments where the story seemed to rely on familiar thriller tropes rather than breaking new ground. That being said the ending did shock me but it left me wanting more and I felt like the story ended abruptly. Jenna's descent into paranoia and distrust was a big part of the story but I felt like the author spent too much time focusing on that. I do think the author did well writing about a neurodivergent character and that was something I haven't seen a lot.

That said, if you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with plenty of intrigue, The Woman on Platform 8 is still a worthwhile read. It may not be the most memorable in the genre, but it’s an entertaining ride that will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author, and the publisher, for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Woman on Platform 8’ written by M A Hunter in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When the Southampton to London Waterloo train stops at platform 8 Jenna Morgan notices a young woman boarding the train who looks terrified. She befriends the woman who says her name is Allie Davis and that she’s done something dreadful to her boyfriend Clark. Jenna invites her to move in with herself, husband Brett and their children Caley and Luke until she’s able to sort herself out but from that day forwards things start going wrong. Is Allie telling lies or could the mental health problem that Jenna’s mother suffers from be affecting her too?

‘The Woman on Platform 8’ tells of Jenna Morgan, an autistic woman who has a successful career as a graphic designer. As Jenna gets drawn into protecting Allie Davis who she meets on a train it becomes obvious that she isn’t being told the truth but as Jenna suffers from neurodivergence she can’t trust herself to be seeing things clearly. I felt so sorry for Jenna who got little support from her husband while his mother made spiteful and unnecessary comments, and I was hooked from page one as I read with mounting disbelief how Jenna’s feelings were being ignored. This novel has been written by a very accomplished author and has lots of twists and turns with tension that increases the further I’ve got into the story but the last few pages were strange, unsettling, and I had to go back and read them again as they didn’t sit well with what had been written previously. For that reason only I didn’t feel I could give it five stars although I’d really wanted to.

3.5 stars rounded up

I first saw her on the platform on my way home from work a few weeks ago. She had an aura about her that made people stop and stare. Then I saw her again. And again. Our twice weekly commute into London Waterloo insync. She was always so poised, so pretty, so perfect. Everything i'm not. In my head her name is Lucia, and she a glamorous catwalk model from Milan who commutes from Winchester to attend casting calls in the city. But this morning she's late, barely making the train doors as they close. She doesn't take her usual seat, instead staying close to the doors.... Then it hits me - she looks terrified.

As the story unfolds, the tension rises. We don't know who is telling the truth. It's a character driven story that had me second guessing everything. The characters are well-developed even though at times, they felt unhinged. Jenna was my favourite character, I hated how people seemed to gaslight her. I did not like how the story ended, so I took off half a star for that reason.

Published 31st March 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #MAHunter for my ARC of #TheWomanOnPlatform8 in exchange for an honest review/

I first saw her on the platform on my way home from work a few weeks ago. She had an aura about her that made people stop and stare. Then I saw her again. And again. Our twice weekly commute into London Waterloo insync. She was always so poised, so pretty, so perfect.

Everything I’m not.

In my head, her name's Lucia, and she’s a glamorous catwalk model from Milan who commutes from Winchester to attend casting calls in the city. But this morning she’s late, barely making the train as the doors close. She doesn’t take her usual seat, instead staying close to the doors...

Then it hits me – she looks terrified.

I feel compelled to help her, and against my better judgement I stand up and move towards her. It's then the illusion crumbles. Her name's not Lucia, but Allie. Not a model, but a woman in dire need of help. She tells me she's in danger, that she's done something dreadful and I don't know why I do it, but I promise to keep her safe.

But I shouldn't make promises I know I can't keep.

Because my life isn't as picture perfect as I like to pretend, and I can't stop wondering if maybe I'm not the only one pretending...

MA Hunter, The Woman on Platform 8, Boldwood Books, expected publication date, March 31, 2025

M. A. Hunter’s The Woman on Platform 8 opens with an electrifying premise that hooks readers immediately. Jenna, a mother, wife, and successful businesswoman, finds herself drawn into a dark, twisting tale when she encounters Allie—a battered and bruised stranger who confesses to a horrifying crime: She may have killed her abusive boyfriend in self-defense. This chance meeting on Platform 8 acts as the catalyst for a chilling exploration of trust, reality, and the fragility of the mind.

From the outset, Hunter crafts an atmosphere thick with tension and uncertainty. Jenna, with good intentions, invites Allie into her home, eager to offer solace to a woman in distress. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Allie is wrapped in a complex web of her own making. As Jenna immerses herself in Allie's plight, she unwittingly steps into a labyrinth of hallucinations and erratic behaviors that challenge her perception of reality. Hunter skillfully intertwines Jenna’s struggle to discern truth from illusion, forcing both the protagonist and the reader to ponder the nature of trust and the hidden battles individuals fight within their minds.

The story unfolds as Jenna grapples with the effects of Allie's presence on her family and her own sanity. Hunter excels in creating a sense of urgency, building suspense as Jenna's world begins to fracture under the weight of her childhood with a psychotic mother. The psychological tension escalates, keeping readers guessing about the nature of Allie's intentions and the potential danger she poses. Is Allie a victim, or is she something far more sinister?

The setting of Platform 8 serves as a metaphorical crossroads, symbolizing the choices and paths that lead Jenna down an increasingly dark and chaotic route. The train station, a place of transition and movement, parallels Jenna's internal struggles as she confronts her own illusions and the haunting whispers of doubt clouding her judgment.

Ultimately, The Woman on Platform 8 is not just a tale of suspense; it’s a profound exploration of the human condition, the complexities of mental health, and the haunting nature of past traumas. Hunter deftly navigates these themes without falling into cliché, leaving readers with a chilling sense of realism that resonates long after the final page has turned.

In conclusion, M. A. Hunter’s gripping narrative will keep you turning pages late into the night, eager to uncover the truth lurking behind Allie’s confessions and the dark corners of Jenna’s mind. This psychological thriller is a testament to the power of perception and an unforgettable journey into the depths of fear, trust, and the ties that bind us to one another—no matter how twisted they may become.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.