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Quick answer: If you loved The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, try Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, Into the Water by Paula Hawkins, In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware and The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager.
Rachel Watson rides the same commuter train every day and watches a couple through the window as she passes their house, inventing a perfect life for them. When the woman goes missing, Rachel realizes she has seen something important, but as an alcoholic who blacks out, she is the least reliable witness imaginable. Paula Hawkins’s debut became an international sensation. The picks below share its unreliable narrators, women with secrets and twisty plots. All are adult thrillers with mature themes.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love The Girl on the Train
Readers love The Girl on the Train because three women tell the story, and none of them tells the whole truth. Paula Hawkins moves between Rachel, Megan and Anna, so the reader watches the same events from different angles, and each narrator’s flaws make her interesting. Rachel’s drinking, memory gaps and lingering feelings for her ex-husband build tension, and the reveal is shocking. The film starring Emily Blunt brought it to even more readers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about The Girl on the Train: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | Psychological thriller | Twists and marriage |
| The Woman in the Window | A.J. Finn | Psychological thriller | Narrators who see things |
| The Silent Patient | Alex Michaelides | Psychological thriller | Therapy and secrets |
| Into the Water | Paula Hawkins | Psychological thriller | More Paula Hawkins |
| In a Dark, Dark Wood | Ruth Ware | Mystery | Isolated settings |
| The Last Time I Lied | Riley Sager | Thriller | Past secrets |
| Behind Closed Doors | B.A. Paris | Psychological thriller | Secrets in marriage |
| The Couple Next Door | Shari Lapena | Psychological thriller | Fast, twisty plots |
| Sometimes I Lie | Alice Feeney | Psychological thriller | Narrators in a coma |
| Before I Go to Sleep | S.J. Watson | Psychological thriller | Memory games |
| The Wife Between Us | Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen | Psychological thriller | Reveals and reversals |
| Big Little Lies | Liane Moriarty | Domestic fiction | Suburban secrets |
| The Housemaid | Freida McFadden | Psychological thriller | Quick, twisty reads |
| Luckiest Girl Alive | Jessica Knoll | Psychological thriller | Dark secrets |
| The Guest List | Lucy Foley | Mystery | Many suspects |
1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
On their fifth anniversary, Amy disappears and her husband becomes the prime suspect. It’s a modern classic.
2. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
An agoraphobic woman sees something terrible in the house across the park. No one believes her.
3. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
A woman who shot her husband refuses to speak, and her therapist wants to understand why.
4. Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
After a woman dies at a river known for suicides, her sister returns to town. It uses many voices.
5. In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
A reclusive writer attends a bachelorette party at a remote glass house. It’s creepy and fun.
6. The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
A painter returns to a summer camp where her friends vanished years before. It’s suspenseful and atmospheric.
7. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
A perfect couple hides a horrifying secret. It’s tense and disturbing.
8. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
A baby disappears from her home during a neighbor’s dinner party.
9. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
A woman in a coma tries to remember what happened to her. It has a famous twist.
10. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
A woman wakes every morning with no memory and relies on a journal. It’s tense and clever.
11. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
A jealous ex-wife watches her husband’s new fiancée. Nothing is what it seems.
12. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Three mothers at a school trivia night keep secrets that lead to a death. It’s funny, sharp and addictive.
13. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
A woman takes a job as a live-in housemaid for a wealthy family. It’s fast and addictive.
14. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
A woman who seems to have the perfect life hides a traumatic past. It’s dark and intense. Content note: sexual assault.
15. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
A celebrity wedding on a remote Irish island ends with a body. It’s twisty and atmospheric.
How to Pick Your Next Thriller After The Girl on the Train
- Want more Paula Hawkins? Into the Water.
- Want a modern classic? Gone Girl.
- Want a memory-based mystery? Before I Go to Sleep.
- Want a locked setting? In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Guest List.
- Want a shorter, faster read? The Housemaid.
- Check content notes. Luckiest Girl Alive covers assault.
What Makes a Great Unreliable Narrator?
An unreliable narrator is a storyteller who can’t be fully trusted, perhaps because they drink, lie, forget or have a motive to mislead. The best ones keep readers guessing by being sympathetic and flawed, so you want to believe them even as you doubt them. The books on this list use the technique in different ways: some narrators lie on purpose, some can’t remember and some don’t realize what they’re hiding. Watch for clues that don’t add up, because rereading is often fun.
Related: books like The Woman in the Window and best thriller books for book clubs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like The Girl on the Train?
The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl are the closest matches.
Is The Girl on the Train hard to follow?
It moves between three narrators and timelines, but each chapter is labeled with name and date.
Is The Girl on the Train graphic?
It has some violence and references to abuse, but it’s less graphic than many thrillers.