This is one of the most-hyped books of recent memory, along with a movie that was just released (however, to lackluster ratings). It’s a mystery, told by an extremely unreliable narrator, surrounding the disappearance/death of a woman named Megan. Rachel is our narrator, a woman with a serious drinking problem to the point of blackouts. She is obsessed with her ex-husband and his new wife, who happen to live down the street from Megan and her husband, Scott. She passes these homes on the train every day and, though she doesn’t know Megan and Scott, she imagines a life for them, becoming obsessed with them, as well. However, due to her drinking and obsession, she inserts herself into their narrative, which is when Megan disappears.

There’s a cast of suspects that become clearer as Rachel struggles to recall some of her blackout periods. She tries to sober up, and succeeds for a few days, but then falls apart again. She becomes more involved than she should with the players in the investigation, and as a result, puts herself at the top of the suspect list.

You might figure out who actually killed Megan a page or two before it’s revealed. But because pieces of the mystery are spoon fed to us, it’s hard to put the entire picture together before Rachel does.

I thought it was an intriguing mystery, and it kept my attention. It’s one of those books that I just had to finish in a couple of days so I knew what happened. I stayed up extra late to try to get through the last 100 pages. That, to me, is the sign of a good book – if I’m willing to forego sleep!