Faber & Faber

Firstly, this is not the type of book I would class as one of my ‘usual’ reads but I saw it at Edinburgh LitFest and many of you recommended it so I went with it. Boy, I’m glad I did!
The story centres around Lisa Evans and the events of her life that culminated in her death on Platform Seven at Peterborough Station. As a ghost, Lisa is trapped within the confines of the station, that is until a man commits suicide by throwing himself in front of an oncoming goods train in the early hours of the morning. The way Doughty describes this scene is exceptional, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Following the death of the man, Lisa soon discovers that she can in fact leave the station precincts so she sets about re-learning about her former life and how she met her grisly end. We meet various people from her past including her parents, friends and more importantly her boyfriend Matty. Matty Goodison is a hardworking well respected A&E doctor and on the face of it they have a perfect relationship, but, as we all know, you never really know what goes on behind closed doors. He is a complex person and we really get to see his various character traits laid bare. I don’t want to give to much away but needless to say the relationship turns sour with devastating consequences for Lisa.
I loved this book far more than I thought I would. The story is written so well and I liked Lisa, despite being already dead I found myself wanting a happy ending for her, which we know is not going to happen. The scene which describes her death is heart wrenching, it comes up on you when you’re least expecting it, it is brutal in the sense that’s it’s quick and final. The story is well structured, it didn’t feel laboured and sufficient time was given to tell the stories. The characters are likeable and relatable (except Matty for reasons you will discover) and you truly become absorbed in Lisa’s life.
There are many twists and turns, sad moments, shocking incidents and times when you can’t put the book down. Throughout all of this the thread of the story remains clear and concise. I could say so much more about this book but I want you discover this amazing story for yourself and experience the emotional ups and downs first hand. It is one of those books that you think about a long time after you’ve read the last page, you’ll never go to a train station again without this book being in the back of your mind.