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What She Saw Last Night
No one will believe ... WHAT SHE SAW LAST NIGHT.Jenny Bowen is going home. Boarding the Caledonian Sleeper, all she wants to do is forget about her upcoming divorce and relax on the ten-hour journey through the night. In her search for her cabin, Jenny helps a panicked woman with a young girl she assumes to be her daughter. Then she finds her compartment and falls straight to sleep.Waking in the night, Jenny discovers the woman dead in her cabin ... but there's no sign of the little girl. The train company have no record of a child being booked on the train, and CCTV shows the dead woman boarding alone.The police don't believe Jenny, and soon she tries to put the incident out of her head and tells herself that everyone else is she must have imagined the little girl. But deep down, she knows that isn't the truth.
370 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2019
37 people are currently reading
632 people want to read
About the author
Mason Cross
24 books482 followersFor the latest updates, exclusive giveaways and a free short story, join the Mason Cross Readers Club.
Mason Cross was born in Glasgow in 1979. He studied English at the University of Stirling and has worked variously as a tax officer, events coordinator, project manager and pizza delivery boy. He has written a number of short stories which have been published in Ellery Queen, Scribble and First Edition.
His story 'A Living', was shortlisted for the Quick Reads 'Get Britain Reading' Award. His first novel, The Killing Season was longlisted for the 2015 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and his second, The Samaritan was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club in Spring 2016. The third book in the series, The Time to Kill was released in 2016 and published in the US under the title Winterlong in 2017, followed by Don't Look For Me and Presumed Dead. He lives near Glasgow with his wife and three children.
You can find him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to varying extents (usually when he's distracting himself from doing the actual writing), and he also has a blog.
You can find out more about Mason Cross and the Carter Blake series by visiting his website.
Mason Cross was born in Glasgow in 1979. He studied English at the University of Stirling and has worked variously as a tax officer, events coordinator, project manager and pizza delivery boy. He has written a number of short stories which have been published in Ellery Queen, Scribble and First Edition.
His story 'A Living', was shortlisted for the Quick Reads 'Get Britain Reading' Award. His first novel, The Killing Season was longlisted for the 2015 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and his second, The Samaritan was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club in Spring 2016. The third book in the series, The Time to Kill was released in 2016 and published in the US under the title Winterlong in 2017, followed by Don't Look For Me and Presumed Dead. He lives near Glasgow with his wife and three children.
You can find him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to varying extents (usually when he's distracting himself from doing the actual writing), and he also has a blog.
You can find out more about Mason Cross and the Carter Blake series by visiting his website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
October 30, 2019
Mason Cross, the author of the brilliant Carter Blake series gives us a standalone crime thriller that has echoes of the old style crime classics. The central protagonist is an IT geek, Jenny Bowden, worn out by life's traumas, her father has recently died in Scotland and having discovered her husband, Eric's infidelity, she is now in the process of getting divorced. She only just manages by the skin of her teeth to board the Caledonian sleeper train service in London, travelling through the night to Scotland, planning to clear out her father's home and prepare it for being sold. As she works her way through the train carriages with her luggage to get to her reserved 'room', she sees a woman with a young girl, presumably mother and daughter, she picks up a fallen stuffed grey rabbit and hands it to the mother. Waking up rather early, Jenny sees their door ajar, only to find the woman dead in what looks like a drugs overdose.
Sergeant Mike Fletcher and DI Greg Porter make their way to the incident, Porter sees it as a straightforward death and moves to close down any investigation as soon as possible. However, there is a fly in the ointment when Jenny asks where the young girl is. There is no such girl on the train, with Porter suggesting that Jenny had made a mistake. A baffled Jenny lets it go, but on reflection is absolutely certain of what she had seen. She just cannot let it go, worrying what on earth had happened to the girl and where she might be now. Using her IT expertise, she begins to look for evidence of a missing girl that resembles the one she saw. Mike learns there was no such girl with the woman boarding the train on CCTV at the London station, but he cannot discount Jenny's account. However, his boss, Porter, has no intention of allowing any investigation, forcing Mike to act below the radar. Matters become even more confusing when a man Jenny had seen going into the room next to the now dead woman cannot be found on CCTV either. Mike and Jenny join forces to find the missing child, but have no idea about the deadly danger they are to find themselves in.
Mason Cross writes a gripping and twisted thriller located in London and Scotland where the body count just keeps rising. His central character of Jenny is a fiercely determined woman who just will not let go, her worries for the missing girl propel her into a situation where she naively goes against advice that is to make her the target of a ruthless and professional killer, and put those close to her in danger. This is a compulsive and intensely engaging read, with characters I came to care for. Those who have read Mason Cross will be aware that he writes great nail biting thrillers, and this standalone is no different. However, I do think the title of this novel could have been better. A great read. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
Sergeant Mike Fletcher and DI Greg Porter make their way to the incident, Porter sees it as a straightforward death and moves to close down any investigation as soon as possible. However, there is a fly in the ointment when Jenny asks where the young girl is. There is no such girl on the train, with Porter suggesting that Jenny had made a mistake. A baffled Jenny lets it go, but on reflection is absolutely certain of what she had seen. She just cannot let it go, worrying what on earth had happened to the girl and where she might be now. Using her IT expertise, she begins to look for evidence of a missing girl that resembles the one she saw. Mike learns there was no such girl with the woman boarding the train on CCTV at the London station, but he cannot discount Jenny's account. However, his boss, Porter, has no intention of allowing any investigation, forcing Mike to act below the radar. Matters become even more confusing when a man Jenny had seen going into the room next to the now dead woman cannot be found on CCTV either. Mike and Jenny join forces to find the missing child, but have no idea about the deadly danger they are to find themselves in.
Mason Cross writes a gripping and twisted thriller located in London and Scotland where the body count just keeps rising. His central character of Jenny is a fiercely determined woman who just will not let go, her worries for the missing girl propel her into a situation where she naively goes against advice that is to make her the target of a ruthless and professional killer, and put those close to her in danger. This is a compulsive and intensely engaging read, with characters I came to care for. Those who have read Mason Cross will be aware that he writes great nail biting thrillers, and this standalone is no different. However, I do think the title of this novel could have been better. A great read. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
September 19, 2019
I did quite enjoy this book. The only downside was that about 3/4 of the way in it started to get a bit silly especially with the amount of deaths. I’ve never read a book with so many people dying. Other than that the rest of the book was good. It was a mystery about what really happened to Alice on the train. The ending was really good and I thought most of it was well written. A very interesting book and I look forward to reading more from this author.
November 19, 2019
This was one delicious book that I have read in recent times. Fast paced with a strong female protagonist, a good cop, bad guys, and a plot which moved with its own twists and turns.
Jenny was on a sleeper train, she helped a woman into her compartment, saw a child with her for a second, a tall man in the next compartment. The next day woman was dead, child was nowhere, and the tall man gone. No evidence of child or tall man anywhere on CCTV. Jenny started investigating along with the good cop Mike.
My first book by author Mason Cross, I couldn’t seem to let go of this book. One chapter became few chapters till I came to The End. It was quite amazing how the author kept my interest solely on his writing. The words came me a powerful imagery of the action in the scene and also the emotions.
I kept prodding the main characters as I knew how close the baddies were. At 72% the stakes turned really high and I could only read with bated breath hoping that the main character lives through her ordeal. The body count did rise at the end, but in a race against time to get to the truth, it was all part of fun. The book would make a great movie, fitting in nicely with coke and popcorn.
I loved it. A fantastic rip-roaring thriller of a read. Perfect for breakfast!!
Jenny was on a sleeper train, she helped a woman into her compartment, saw a child with her for a second, a tall man in the next compartment. The next day woman was dead, child was nowhere, and the tall man gone. No evidence of child or tall man anywhere on CCTV. Jenny started investigating along with the good cop Mike.
My first book by author Mason Cross, I couldn’t seem to let go of this book. One chapter became few chapters till I came to The End. It was quite amazing how the author kept my interest solely on his writing. The words came me a powerful imagery of the action in the scene and also the emotions.
I kept prodding the main characters as I knew how close the baddies were. At 72% the stakes turned really high and I could only read with bated breath hoping that the main character lives through her ordeal. The body count did rise at the end, but in a race against time to get to the truth, it was all part of fun. The book would make a great movie, fitting in nicely with coke and popcorn.
I loved it. A fantastic rip-roaring thriller of a read. Perfect for breakfast!!
May 4, 2019
I have long been a fan of MJ Cross, and his Carter Blake series which he wrote as Mason Cross. In fact, it was an appearance of his at Bloody Scotland, and my subsequent reading of The Killing Season and The Samaritan that reignited my passion for books, and particularly crime and psychological thrillers. So a big thank you to Mason - don't think I've ever told him that
So I was excited, and a little bit nervous, to hear he was going to be writing a standalone book, far away from the world of Carter Blake, and set back in the UK. I needn't have worried. What She Saw Last Night is very different from the Carter Blake books, but just as good.
Jenny Bowen is travelling back to Scotland from London on the Caledonian Sleeper, following the recent death of her father. Waking in the night to use the bathroom, she finds the young woman two compartments along lying dead, but can't see the little girl who had been with her when Jenny boarded. It turns out there is no record or CCTV coverage of the little girl, who just seemed to have vanished into thin air. Neither the railway staff nor the police believe Jenny, and think she must be mistaken.
She tries to believe them, tries to forget about the little girl and get on with things in Scotland. But she can't. Just can't. She has to know what happened. So, with very little information, she begins to investigate on her own. But it turns out that she might have an ally in the police after all. Which might just come in handy...
Jenny is brilliant. She's just an ordinary woman who ends up in an extraordinary position. It could be you or I. I've spent a lot of time thinking about that since I read this. What would I have done in Jenny's position? Would I have chased after the truth? I'd like to think so, but I'm really not sure... But Jenny is determined, tenacious and thorough. Brave too. She's a great protagonist, and beautifully written.
From the other key players, Mike Fletcher deserves a mention. A straight up, dependable guy with a nightmare of a boss, he can sense when something's not quite right. And Klenmore is an enigma that we know little about. Both are well written characters, as are all of the cast.
Scene setting is, of course, very important, and Cross does it very well. He has clearly researched the Caledonian Sleeper and it was easy to picture in my mind. As was the busyness of London (a place I don't know well) and the isolation of the house up in Inverkiln.
The book is beautifully paced. It's a bit like riding a train, which sets of at a steady rate, before speeding up and hurtling towards it's final destination. Well, not quite like that, but I'm trying to stick with the train thing! Certainly the ending is full of tension and action, but there are also a couple of heart stopping moments along the way, as Jenny's questions open up a whole can of worms.
So, What She Saw Last Night isn't necessarily action filled in a traditional way, ie. guns blazing, doors being kicked in, etc, there is plenty going on, and I raced through it in a day. It's a character driven thriller, with a hugely believable and relatable protagonist and strong supporting players. And unusual and cracking story line. An absolute winner from MJ Cross ( who will always be Mason to me, I'm afraid)! And it needs to be made into a movie!.
So I was excited, and a little bit nervous, to hear he was going to be writing a standalone book, far away from the world of Carter Blake, and set back in the UK. I needn't have worried. What She Saw Last Night is very different from the Carter Blake books, but just as good.
Jenny Bowen is travelling back to Scotland from London on the Caledonian Sleeper, following the recent death of her father. Waking in the night to use the bathroom, she finds the young woman two compartments along lying dead, but can't see the little girl who had been with her when Jenny boarded. It turns out there is no record or CCTV coverage of the little girl, who just seemed to have vanished into thin air. Neither the railway staff nor the police believe Jenny, and think she must be mistaken.
She tries to believe them, tries to forget about the little girl and get on with things in Scotland. But she can't. Just can't. She has to know what happened. So, with very little information, she begins to investigate on her own. But it turns out that she might have an ally in the police after all. Which might just come in handy...
Jenny is brilliant. She's just an ordinary woman who ends up in an extraordinary position. It could be you or I. I've spent a lot of time thinking about that since I read this. What would I have done in Jenny's position? Would I have chased after the truth? I'd like to think so, but I'm really not sure... But Jenny is determined, tenacious and thorough. Brave too. She's a great protagonist, and beautifully written.
From the other key players, Mike Fletcher deserves a mention. A straight up, dependable guy with a nightmare of a boss, he can sense when something's not quite right. And Klenmore is an enigma that we know little about. Both are well written characters, as are all of the cast.
Scene setting is, of course, very important, and Cross does it very well. He has clearly researched the Caledonian Sleeper and it was easy to picture in my mind. As was the busyness of London (a place I don't know well) and the isolation of the house up in Inverkiln.
The book is beautifully paced. It's a bit like riding a train, which sets of at a steady rate, before speeding up and hurtling towards it's final destination. Well, not quite like that, but I'm trying to stick with the train thing! Certainly the ending is full of tension and action, but there are also a couple of heart stopping moments along the way, as Jenny's questions open up a whole can of worms.
So, What She Saw Last Night isn't necessarily action filled in a traditional way, ie. guns blazing, doors being kicked in, etc, there is plenty going on, and I raced through it in a day. It's a character driven thriller, with a hugely believable and relatable protagonist and strong supporting players. And unusual and cracking story line. An absolute winner from MJ Cross ( who will always be Mason to me, I'm afraid)! And it needs to be made into a movie!.
May 14, 2019
An excellent story. A standalone. My only complaint and it is a huge one- We do not have Autopsies in the UK. We have post-mortems. I was reading a UK edition, so no excuses. This I would imagine s down to poor editing as in one sentence there is a switch from using term autopsy to post-mortem
April 28, 2019
Very good!!
April 20, 2019
Highland Lassie
A thoroughly enjoyable book which was very well written and kept the reader guessing all the way through the book. Considering that the new rolling stock for the Sleeper enters service in June this year is by the by because the old carriages are well past their prime.
You can feel how Jenny tries to understand what is happening to her by her actions and how the police try to downplay the initial crime but it just goes to show that with perseverance and a whole lot of luck what you can achieve, shame that she didn't get to use the gun?
A thoroughly enjoyable book which was very well written and kept the reader guessing all the way through the book. Considering that the new rolling stock for the Sleeper enters service in June this year is by the by because the old carriages are well past their prime.
You can feel how Jenny tries to understand what is happening to her by her actions and how the police try to downplay the initial crime but it just goes to show that with perseverance and a whole lot of luck what you can achieve, shame that she didn't get to use the gun?
June 1, 2019
Jenny is heading back to deal with the funeral of her father and the sale of his house after her divorce.On the train journey back,she witnesses a murder and a small child missing.She tells the police who does not believe her,all except one.He looks into the case,finds discrepancies,and takes an absence of leave and looks into the matter with Jenny
the girls father is ruthless who keeps an assassin in his employ and one by one kills off people she cares about.Her ex husband,the detective with whom she has a budding romance with.She finds the girl,kills those who killed the people she care about and sets about to adopt the small girl
the girls father is ruthless who keeps an assassin in his employ and one by one kills off people she cares about.Her ex husband,the detective with whom she has a budding romance with.She finds the girl,kills those who killed the people she care about and sets about to adopt the small girl
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2019
Jenny Bowen is at her emotional lowest after the death of her father and discovery of her now estranged husband's infidelity but fate was cruelly going to throw something else in her way. Jenny was boarding the overnight sleeper train from London to her dad's former home in Glasgow when she helps a young woman with a little girl on the train. When in the night she leaves her cabin to go to the loo she sees the woman dead on the floor of her cabin and alerts the guard.
When the police arrive the woman's death is put down to a self-inflicted overdose but when Jenny asks about the little girl she is nowhere to be found and no-one can recall ever seeing her. Jenny can't let it rest, she knows what she saw and begins to dig into who the woman was and where the child could be. Only one person believes her Sergeant Mike Fletcher but to help her it means putting his job on the line.
This is one edgy read that keeps you on your toes. Jenny is much stronger than she thought she could be and has no intention of letting up but there are far bigger people willing to do anything to stop her. The body count around her begins to pile up putting her and anyone she knows in grave danger.
There are some really hairy moments within these pages from an author who definitely knows how to shock and throw his readers off-balance. I love that having to just step back take a couple of minutes then carry on reading. It makes it all seem more real being so unpredictable. The bad guys really got to me, especial one, you will know when you meet him. I loved the scenes on the underground in London and the contrast of the countryside just outside Glasgow, both as deadly. A brilliant ending.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly
When the police arrive the woman's death is put down to a self-inflicted overdose but when Jenny asks about the little girl she is nowhere to be found and no-one can recall ever seeing her. Jenny can't let it rest, she knows what she saw and begins to dig into who the woman was and where the child could be. Only one person believes her Sergeant Mike Fletcher but to help her it means putting his job on the line.
This is one edgy read that keeps you on your toes. Jenny is much stronger than she thought she could be and has no intention of letting up but there are far bigger people willing to do anything to stop her. The body count around her begins to pile up putting her and anyone she knows in grave danger.
There are some really hairy moments within these pages from an author who definitely knows how to shock and throw his readers off-balance. I love that having to just step back take a couple of minutes then carry on reading. It makes it all seem more real being so unpredictable. The bad guys really got to me, especial one, you will know when you meet him. I loved the scenes on the underground in London and the contrast of the countryside just outside Glasgow, both as deadly. A brilliant ending.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly
dnf1
May 13, 2019DNF at 60% . Strong start but too large of a plateau to hold my interest.
November 30, 2019
My thanks to the team at Orion and Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for the blogtour invite and my gifted paperback review copy.
With echoes of '4:50 from Paddington' and an an intergral mystery launched in the very first chapter, you feel as if you are walking alongside narrator Jenny as she is dragged into a compelling, and unstoppable tale of a missing child that no one saw but her.
How reliable Jenny is as a narrator will be up to the individual reader to discern. but right from page one I was with her, from her last minute rush onto the train, to the finding of the body culminating in investigating a crime which everyone believes was suicide, I was urging her on,to find out the truth.
The plot is as claustrophobic and air tight as the tiny 'room' (read cupboard!)aboard the Caledonian sleeper that Jenny is travelling on and the plot is as taut as the tightrope Jenny balances on as she assesses her own sanity and the truth of what she saw with her own eyes. As an IT tech,with the evidence of the CCTV laid before her, combined with expert testimony from witnesses who deny ever seeing a child on the train, have her questioning her sanity,is there a chance that recent events in Jenny's life have conspired to overtake her? And how will trying to find a girl who may, or may not exist, have the potential to endanger her very life?
The sense of panic and disbelief is palpable and I honestly whizzed through this thriller completely on the edge of my seat-this poor book has been dragged everywhere with me as I couldn't put it down and the biggest mystery which I had on finishing was 'why the hell have I not been reading this author before now?'
What it means is there is a backlist of books to work through(happy me!)
I would urge lovers of thrillers and classic mysteries to check out 'What She Saw Last Night',in this humble blogger's opinion, you will not be disappointed!
With echoes of '4:50 from Paddington' and an an intergral mystery launched in the very first chapter, you feel as if you are walking alongside narrator Jenny as she is dragged into a compelling, and unstoppable tale of a missing child that no one saw but her.
How reliable Jenny is as a narrator will be up to the individual reader to discern. but right from page one I was with her, from her last minute rush onto the train, to the finding of the body culminating in investigating a crime which everyone believes was suicide, I was urging her on,to find out the truth.
The plot is as claustrophobic and air tight as the tiny 'room' (read cupboard!)aboard the Caledonian sleeper that Jenny is travelling on and the plot is as taut as the tightrope Jenny balances on as she assesses her own sanity and the truth of what she saw with her own eyes. As an IT tech,with the evidence of the CCTV laid before her, combined with expert testimony from witnesses who deny ever seeing a child on the train, have her questioning her sanity,is there a chance that recent events in Jenny's life have conspired to overtake her? And how will trying to find a girl who may, or may not exist, have the potential to endanger her very life?
The sense of panic and disbelief is palpable and I honestly whizzed through this thriller completely on the edge of my seat-this poor book has been dragged everywhere with me as I couldn't put it down and the biggest mystery which I had on finishing was 'why the hell have I not been reading this author before now?'
What it means is there is a backlist of books to work through(happy me!)
I would urge lovers of thrillers and classic mysteries to check out 'What She Saw Last Night',in this humble blogger's opinion, you will not be disappointed!
January 17, 2020
It has been a difficult year for Jenny Bowen and she is returning to Fort William to settle her father’s estate. She thinks nothing of it when she stops to help a young woman and girl on the sleeper but has second thoughts when the next morning she finds the woman dead and the girl missing. The police think she imagined the girl, due to her bereavement, but she can’t let the matter rest.
I thoroughly enjoyed What She Saw Last Night which is an engrossing thriller with a few good twists and a high body count. The novel alternates its point of view between Jenny and DS Mike Fletcher of the Transport Police, who is the only official to take Jenny seriously. As they are both working towards the same end, finding a child, this approach works well giving the reader a wider view and alternative takes on events.
What to say about the plot? It is exciting and action packed so I couldn’t stop turning the pages but it is full of serendipity - easily acquired information, lucky coincidences and situations that match their skill sets. It doesn’t actually bother me as the thrill is in the situation and non stop action, rather than realism and likelihood. It does, however, make the novel seem a little glib.
There’s not much to say about the characters, the good guys are smart and resourceful although not so smart as to stop digging when it gets dangerous and the bad guys are uniformly nasty.
What She Saw Last Night is a good, undemanding read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
I thoroughly enjoyed What She Saw Last Night which is an engrossing thriller with a few good twists and a high body count. The novel alternates its point of view between Jenny and DS Mike Fletcher of the Transport Police, who is the only official to take Jenny seriously. As they are both working towards the same end, finding a child, this approach works well giving the reader a wider view and alternative takes on events.
What to say about the plot? It is exciting and action packed so I couldn’t stop turning the pages but it is full of serendipity - easily acquired information, lucky coincidences and situations that match their skill sets. It doesn’t actually bother me as the thrill is in the situation and non stop action, rather than realism and likelihood. It does, however, make the novel seem a little glib.
There’s not much to say about the characters, the good guys are smart and resourceful although not so smart as to stop digging when it gets dangerous and the bad guys are uniformly nasty.
What She Saw Last Night is a good, undemanding read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
July 13, 2019
I am a fan of the Carter Blake series so after I got over my huff that this latest book was a standalone I read it knowing I’d be in safe hands with Mr Cross. Jenny just wouldn’t let it lie when nobody believes her account of what she saw. I could question some of her actions but in the spirit of it making a damn good story, I’ll just go with it. At every mention of Gregory Porter I had tunes by the jazz singer of that name playing out in my head so I was glad he wasn’t the main character.
April 6, 2025
Boring af for the first half,. absolutely gripped for the second
December 29, 2019
This book started off really promising, and I got about 3/4 through it, before Jenny’s actions became quite unbelievable. I had difficulty getting my head around the fact that she is pursuing this little girl she saw on a train, despite not having any connection to her at all... I also found it hard to believe that she could find out information about an anonymous person so easily on the internet, without the benefit of being a police officer.
At every opportunity, Jenny continues her quest, even when events happen that would make you go, ‘I don’t even know this person, why am I risking my life?’.
At every opportunity, Jenny continues her quest, even when events happen that would make you go, ‘I don’t even know this person, why am I risking my life?’.
May 27, 2019
MJ Cross has written the Carter Blake series under another name as Mason Cross. While I haven't read that series, this stand-alone has given me an idea how his writing is. And it turns out his style is precise and engaging; and the execution has a "cinematic" vibe to it.
The book opens with our protagonist, Jenny Bowen, boarding the Caledonian Sleeper back to her old home in Scotland. After finding out her husband's infidelity and following the recent death of her father, she decided that leaving London might give her some peace after all the things she's been through. On the way to her cabin, she encounters a woman who's next to her cabin and even helps to pick up a stuffed animal to a young girl whom she assumes to be the woman's daughter. They didn't talk much and Jenny left for her cabin.
On her way to the toilet in the dim early morning light, Jenny discovers the woman's door is ajar and on closer look she is shocked to discover the woman is already dead. And that's not all, there's no sign of the little girl and as a standard procedure the cops are called in to make a thorough investigation. DI Gregory Porter has decided to rule it as a drug overdose case after checking the woman's past record and although Sergeant Mike Fletcher has his doubts, he couldn't find any new evidence that pointed otherwise. Despite the police closing the case, Jenny is adamant that something is amiss and goes out her way in pursuing the truth. Eventually she discovers something and approaches Sergeant Fletcher for another investigation. Now Mike and Porter's personality clashes and the latter has no intention of opening the case again but Jenny's account has Mike very curious so he decides to help her with the investigations unofficially.
As I mentioned, the author's prose has a "cinematic" vibe so I could visualise the events happened in this story as well as the rapport between Jenny and Mike. While I admired Jenny's determination and meticulous demeanour, it was Mike who held my reading interest because he is willing to believe in Jenny, as simple as that. His willingness to help Jenny unofficially has earned him some points in my impression and I rooted for them all the way. As for the plot and the mystery surrounding the dead woman, all I can say is there are layers and layers of intrigue and just when you thought you've some things figured out, another thing arises. I'd more or less figured a rating in mind before finishing the book until one outcome totally astounded me (thus 4 stars - not a fault but purely a personal expectation). Still, it was all a very engaging read and I'll definitely keep a look out for his other books.
The book opens with our protagonist, Jenny Bowen, boarding the Caledonian Sleeper back to her old home in Scotland. After finding out her husband's infidelity and following the recent death of her father, she decided that leaving London might give her some peace after all the things she's been through. On the way to her cabin, she encounters a woman who's next to her cabin and even helps to pick up a stuffed animal to a young girl whom she assumes to be the woman's daughter. They didn't talk much and Jenny left for her cabin.
On her way to the toilet in the dim early morning light, Jenny discovers the woman's door is ajar and on closer look she is shocked to discover the woman is already dead. And that's not all, there's no sign of the little girl and as a standard procedure the cops are called in to make a thorough investigation. DI Gregory Porter has decided to rule it as a drug overdose case after checking the woman's past record and although Sergeant Mike Fletcher has his doubts, he couldn't find any new evidence that pointed otherwise. Despite the police closing the case, Jenny is adamant that something is amiss and goes out her way in pursuing the truth. Eventually she discovers something and approaches Sergeant Fletcher for another investigation. Now Mike and Porter's personality clashes and the latter has no intention of opening the case again but Jenny's account has Mike very curious so he decides to help her with the investigations unofficially.
As I mentioned, the author's prose has a "cinematic" vibe so I could visualise the events happened in this story as well as the rapport between Jenny and Mike. While I admired Jenny's determination and meticulous demeanour, it was Mike who held my reading interest because he is willing to believe in Jenny, as simple as that. His willingness to help Jenny unofficially has earned him some points in my impression and I rooted for them all the way. As for the plot and the mystery surrounding the dead woman, all I can say is there are layers and layers of intrigue and just when you thought you've some things figured out, another thing arises. I'd more or less figured a rating in mind before finishing the book until one outcome totally astounded me (thus 4 stars - not a fault but purely a personal expectation). Still, it was all a very engaging read and I'll definitely keep a look out for his other books.
February 10, 2020
Mason Cross
writes a hugely engrossing and entertaining, gripping thriller of ruthlessness, lies, mystery, and menace.
In this standalone story, Jenny Bowen is on her way home, choosing to travel by train. After boarding the Caledonian sleeper train in London, she works her way through the train carriages to get to her compartment. She assists a harassed and dishevelled woman travelling with a young girl, presumably mother and daughter, as she passes. Waking up very early the next day, Jenny sees their door ajar, only to find the woman dead...
Sergeant Mike Fletcher and DI Greg Porter attend the incident, and Porter sees it as a straightforward death, intending to close down any investigation as quickly as possible. But when Jenny asks about the little girl, the Transport Police don't believe her, so she tells herself that everyone else is right: she must have imagined the little girl. But Jenny knows that her mind wasn't playing tricks with her...
An IT expert, Jenny starts looking for evidence of a missing girl that resembles the one she believes she saw. For his part, Mike is unwilling to automatically discount Jenny's version of events, so they team up in an attempt to find the missing child.
The novel alternates between Jenny and DS Mike Fletcher's viewpoints, and Mike is the only official to take Jenny seriously. This approach works well offering the reader a wider view and alternative takes on events. Jenny is a well fleshed out, beautifully written, multi-dimensional character who really enhanced the story for me with her tenacity and determination. The plot is exciting and brimming with action so I couldn’t stop turning the pages.
What She Saw Last Night is a compelling and cracking story that brought no disappointments and everything was beautifully finished in the fabulous and satisfying denouement. I would love to read more from this gifted story-teller and I am delighted to recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Orion via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
In this standalone story, Jenny Bowen is on her way home, choosing to travel by train. After boarding the Caledonian sleeper train in London, she works her way through the train carriages to get to her compartment. She assists a harassed and dishevelled woman travelling with a young girl, presumably mother and daughter, as she passes. Waking up very early the next day, Jenny sees their door ajar, only to find the woman dead...
Sergeant Mike Fletcher and DI Greg Porter attend the incident, and Porter sees it as a straightforward death, intending to close down any investigation as quickly as possible. But when Jenny asks about the little girl, the Transport Police don't believe her, so she tells herself that everyone else is right: she must have imagined the little girl. But Jenny knows that her mind wasn't playing tricks with her...
An IT expert, Jenny starts looking for evidence of a missing girl that resembles the one she believes she saw. For his part, Mike is unwilling to automatically discount Jenny's version of events, so they team up in an attempt to find the missing child.
The novel alternates between Jenny and DS Mike Fletcher's viewpoints, and Mike is the only official to take Jenny seriously. This approach works well offering the reader a wider view and alternative takes on events. Jenny is a well fleshed out, beautifully written, multi-dimensional character who really enhanced the story for me with her tenacity and determination. The plot is exciting and brimming with action so I couldn’t stop turning the pages.
What She Saw Last Night is a compelling and cracking story that brought no disappointments and everything was beautifully finished in the fabulous and satisfying denouement. I would love to read more from this gifted story-teller and I am delighted to recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Orion via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
December 7, 2019
hank you to Tracy Fenton at Complusive Readers for my invitation to the tour and to Orion for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.
I have recently had a bit of a break from Crime novels and I was instantly gripped by this one.
Jenny is travelling up to Scotland over night on the sleeper train and I felt a reminiscence of Murder on the Orient Express with a modern more gritty twist.
When Jenny finds a woman dead the next morning no-one believes that she saw a little girl in the cabin next door too or a tall man in a black overcoat, there is no CCTV as the train is really old.
The authorities are happy to call it an overdose as the woman had a history of drug abuse but Jenny can not stop thinking about the little girl.
Sargent Mike Fletcher is the officer on the case of the murder and although he initially believed that the woman overdosed, he decides to look into the case further but warns Jenny to be careful as she is also doing some investigation of her own as it does not add up.
This is a great book and it has some real shockers along the way that left me with my mouth open! It is a fabulous page turner that is gripping, unpredictable and has a real dark side with what Jenny uncovers, but I will leave you to find out what that is...
I have recently had a bit of a break from Crime novels and I was instantly gripped by this one.
Jenny is travelling up to Scotland over night on the sleeper train and I felt a reminiscence of Murder on the Orient Express with a modern more gritty twist.
When Jenny finds a woman dead the next morning no-one believes that she saw a little girl in the cabin next door too or a tall man in a black overcoat, there is no CCTV as the train is really old.
The authorities are happy to call it an overdose as the woman had a history of drug abuse but Jenny can not stop thinking about the little girl.
Sargent Mike Fletcher is the officer on the case of the murder and although he initially believed that the woman overdosed, he decides to look into the case further but warns Jenny to be careful as she is also doing some investigation of her own as it does not add up.
This is a great book and it has some real shockers along the way that left me with my mouth open! It is a fabulous page turner that is gripping, unpredictable and has a real dark side with what Jenny uncovers, but I will leave you to find out what that is...
May 22, 2019
Jenny Bowen is going home. Boarding the Caledonian Sleeper, all she wants to do is forget about her upcoming divorce and relax on the ten-hour journey through the night.
In her search for her cabin, Jenny helps a panicked woman with a young girl she assumes to be her daughter. Then she finds her compartment and falls straight to sleep.
Waking in the night, Jenny discovers the woman dead in her cabin ... but there's no sign of the little girl. The train company have no record of a child being booked on the train, and CCTV shows the dead woman boarding alone.
The police don't believe Jenny, and soon she tries to put the incident out of her head and tells herself that everyone else is right: she must have imagined the little girl.
Jenny does not believe this and so begins her own investigation. There are some shocks along the way and twists and turns. Jenny is a tenacious character and despite all the shocks she suffers ,she is able to go on and fight her way out of corners
There are some coincidences along the way,however all together a satisfying and enjoyable read..
Not all happy endings though.
In her search for her cabin, Jenny helps a panicked woman with a young girl she assumes to be her daughter. Then she finds her compartment and falls straight to sleep.
Waking in the night, Jenny discovers the woman dead in her cabin ... but there's no sign of the little girl. The train company have no record of a child being booked on the train, and CCTV shows the dead woman boarding alone.
The police don't believe Jenny, and soon she tries to put the incident out of her head and tells herself that everyone else is right: she must have imagined the little girl.
Jenny does not believe this and so begins her own investigation. There are some shocks along the way and twists and turns. Jenny is a tenacious character and despite all the shocks she suffers ,she is able to go on and fight her way out of corners
There are some coincidences along the way,however all together a satisfying and enjoyable read..
Not all happy endings though.
November 24, 2019
This is a great read that builds up to a nail biting ending.
Jenny is travelling to Scotland on the overnight sleeper train and doesn’t realise but this journey will change her life.
As she gets to her room she sees a woman and a young girl and moves past her. In the morning she discovers the woman’s dead body, but there’s no sign of the little girl.
Jenny talks to the Police but after checking CCTV, there’s no evidence that the little girl got on the train.
The Police want to close the case but Jenny won’t let this lie.
Soon her own investigations lead her on to a dangerous path and someone wants to get rid of her.
I loved the way Mike comes round to Jenny’s way of thinking and how he helps her out when she needs it.
This is a gripping crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Jenny is travelling to Scotland on the overnight sleeper train and doesn’t realise but this journey will change her life.
As she gets to her room she sees a woman and a young girl and moves past her. In the morning she discovers the woman’s dead body, but there’s no sign of the little girl.
Jenny talks to the Police but after checking CCTV, there’s no evidence that the little girl got on the train.
The Police want to close the case but Jenny won’t let this lie.
Soon her own investigations lead her on to a dangerous path and someone wants to get rid of her.
I loved the way Mike comes round to Jenny’s way of thinking and how he helps her out when she needs it.
This is a gripping crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
December 8, 2019
This was my foray into this author’s work and it started off very promising. Jenny has a lot on her mind with her fathers recent stroke and subsequent death and her cheating ex and looming divorce. But she’s adamant she saw a young girl before the apparent overdose of the presumed mother on the Caledonian sleeper.
However CCTV, room searches and interviews say there was no girl. Sergeant Mike is being coerced by DI Porter into just ruling it as a junkie overdose so they can move on. But good old Mike decides to unofficially help Jenny with her investigations when she doesn’t let it go. I really enjoyed both characters and their rapport but did struggle with the authenticity of their relationship and found the book then turned a bit silly (majorly high body count) .
I kind of wished this had stayed on the path of psychological thriller as the start was full of mystery and very gripping. Instead it turned into more of a gangster action thriller which isn’t my cup of tea. However if you like an assassin and a great baddie I’m sure you will love this.
However CCTV, room searches and interviews say there was no girl. Sergeant Mike is being coerced by DI Porter into just ruling it as a junkie overdose so they can move on. But good old Mike decides to unofficially help Jenny with her investigations when she doesn’t let it go. I really enjoyed both characters and their rapport but did struggle with the authenticity of their relationship and found the book then turned a bit silly (majorly high body count) .
I kind of wished this had stayed on the path of psychological thriller as the start was full of mystery and very gripping. Instead it turned into more of a gangster action thriller which isn’t my cup of tea. However if you like an assassin and a great baddie I’m sure you will love this.
April 2, 2022
Jenny has had a bad time and it gets worse! She boards a sleeper train and bumps into a woman with a small child. By the next morning, the woman is dead and nobody believes Jenny's report that the small child was there.
This was a very intriguing start to a story with some warm and believable characters as well as some who were stereotypical. It got a bit bloodthirsty and far fetched for me towards the end though.
This was a very intriguing start to a story with some warm and believable characters as well as some who were stereotypical. It got a bit bloodthirsty and far fetched for me towards the end though.
July 24, 2019
Brilliant!
Loved this book, couldn't put it down until I got to the end, definitely not sure I want to go on the night sleeper now...
Loved this book, couldn't put it down until I got to the end, definitely not sure I want to go on the night sleeper now...
May 7, 2022
Thrilling
October 31, 2021
What a face paced corker. Blimey. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I could feel my heart beating faster at times. Well written. Good strong characters, and a blooming good plot.
June 23, 2019
Loved it - the cameo appearance by Bye Bunny and the total-dad comment of "Boden clothes, or at least a good supermarket copy" made it for me ;)
June 10, 2019
Was a bit dubious about this book to start off with as I love Mason Cross’s Carter Blake serious and was worried that this wouldn’t be as good... I was wrong! I loved it from start to finish. All the characters were believable and the novel was full of suspense from the beginning until the end and at times I had difficulty putting it down. Highly recommend!
October 2, 2019
This started off as a really good story but it got a bit unbelievable once the murders started happening .. too hard to believe that the character Jenny could have carried on and done all of the things that followed
February 15, 2020
I couldn't read any more with interest after Mike had been murdered, I was so disappointed and angry, plus I found jenny bowen so annoying and arrogant, I just couldn't forgive her for being inadvertently responsible for Mike's and her ex husbands death
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2019
What She Saw Last Night begins with a chance moment, the sort of fleeting exchange between two people which would ordinarily be quickly forgotten about. Jenny Bowen is travelling to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper and as she boards, returns a dropped soft toy rabbit to the woman in another room; noticing as she does that she is accompanied by a little girl. There always seems something rather romantic about the sleeper train but Jenny's trip proves to be anything but when she wakes in the night and discovers the body of the woman. It looks as if she died as a result of a drug overdose and Detective Inspector Porter is certainly keen to have it wrapped up as such. If finding a dead body wasn't upsetting enough, Jenny then learns that there is no evidence that the woman ever had a child with her. She is shocked but Porter snidely wonders if perhaps she had been drinking that night. There is an instant mutual dislike between the pair and it's obvious right from the start that Porter is an arrogant and lazy man with an infuriatingly condescending attitude towards anybody he considers his subordinate. This includes his sergeant, Mike Flynn who is a far more agreeable character. He admits to Jenny that his hands are rather tied by the lack of any firm proof that the little girl ever existed - there is no CCTV proof and no corroborating witnesses - but crucially, he doesn't totally dismiss her claims.
Jenny has been going through a difficult time of it - she is divorcing her husband due to his infidelity and her father has recently died - and she briefly wonders whether she could have been mistaken. This early element of doubt as to the state of her mind never led to me doubting her but I thought it very cleverly communicated how unsettling it must be to be in the position where you even begin to question your own mind. Fortunately for Jenny, she gains an important ally in Mike after he begins to suspect this isn't as straightforward a case as Porter would like to believe.
It may start as a perplexing mystery but as Jenny realises she can't just move on and forget what she knows she saw, the book becomes a nerve-wracking cat-and-mouse chase thriller. I've recently been craving a novel which features an almost unbearable sense of heart-pounding tension and What She Saw Last Night is most definitely what I've been looking for. I couldn't tear my eyes from the page as the dramatic action and taut, suspenseful plotting ensured I raced through the chapters with my heart in my mouth. Jenny is the perfect protagonist for this type of story; insightful and resourceful even though she is clearly out of her depth, she feels compelled to investigate what happened to the young girl. As she realises she has put herself in terrible danger, she persists in following the leads she uncovers despite the terrifying near-misses she encounters with those who will stop at nothing to ensure she doesn't succeed in her pursuit for the truth. I loved the relationship that develops between her and Mike which sees them pitted against a sinister enemy and risking everything as they become both the hunters and the hunted. The sparks fly between them at times too, adding an altogether different sort of tension.
I'm so glad I don't write my books of the year post until later in December because it would have been a real shame not to include What She Saw Last Night. At this point in the year, I've read a lot of thrillers and this is undoubtedly right up there with the best of them. The action unfurls at a lightning pace and sees Jenny and Mike race from Scotland to London and back again, with the contrasting settings providing a fascinating backdrop to the plot. From the claustrophobic, locked-room train to the frantic city streets and the remote, exposed Highlands, it seems that nowhere is safe from their malevolent, relentless foe. The constant threat of capture is present throughout and there are some genuinely shocking scenes which completely wrong-footed me, leading up to a terrifically intense finale. Gripping, emotional and devastating; this is a superbly crafted thriller and it gives me enormous pleasure to wholeheartedly recommend it.
Jenny has been going through a difficult time of it - she is divorcing her husband due to his infidelity and her father has recently died - and she briefly wonders whether she could have been mistaken. This early element of doubt as to the state of her mind never led to me doubting her but I thought it very cleverly communicated how unsettling it must be to be in the position where you even begin to question your own mind. Fortunately for Jenny, she gains an important ally in Mike after he begins to suspect this isn't as straightforward a case as Porter would like to believe.
It may start as a perplexing mystery but as Jenny realises she can't just move on and forget what she knows she saw, the book becomes a nerve-wracking cat-and-mouse chase thriller. I've recently been craving a novel which features an almost unbearable sense of heart-pounding tension and What She Saw Last Night is most definitely what I've been looking for. I couldn't tear my eyes from the page as the dramatic action and taut, suspenseful plotting ensured I raced through the chapters with my heart in my mouth. Jenny is the perfect protagonist for this type of story; insightful and resourceful even though she is clearly out of her depth, she feels compelled to investigate what happened to the young girl. As she realises she has put herself in terrible danger, she persists in following the leads she uncovers despite the terrifying near-misses she encounters with those who will stop at nothing to ensure she doesn't succeed in her pursuit for the truth. I loved the relationship that develops between her and Mike which sees them pitted against a sinister enemy and risking everything as they become both the hunters and the hunted. The sparks fly between them at times too, adding an altogether different sort of tension.
I'm so glad I don't write my books of the year post until later in December because it would have been a real shame not to include What She Saw Last Night. At this point in the year, I've read a lot of thrillers and this is undoubtedly right up there with the best of them. The action unfurls at a lightning pace and sees Jenny and Mike race from Scotland to London and back again, with the contrasting settings providing a fascinating backdrop to the plot. From the claustrophobic, locked-room train to the frantic city streets and the remote, exposed Highlands, it seems that nowhere is safe from their malevolent, relentless foe. The constant threat of capture is present throughout and there are some genuinely shocking scenes which completely wrong-footed me, leading up to a terrifically intense finale. Gripping, emotional and devastating; this is a superbly crafted thriller and it gives me enormous pleasure to wholeheartedly recommend it.
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