Realistic plot in thriller The Girl on the Train

How many times have you been on a train and wondered about the people who live near the tracks and leave their curtains open so that passersby can watch them?

That voyeuristic view of lives as seen from a distance echoes the themes of obsession, isolation and loneliness explored in The Girl on the Train. British journalist Paula Hawkins deftly imbues her debut psychological thriller with inventive twists and a shocking denouement.

Rachel Watson does more than glance at the patio of the two-story house when her train makes its stop at a signal during the hourlong commute to London. She's made up a scenario about a loving couple she calls Jason and Jess, imagining a happy life as they sip their coffee in the well-tended garden. Then one day Rachel spies the woman kissing another man - and her fantasy world undergoes a drastic change.