Platform 7 by Louise Doughty

 A novel ghost story ?

If you pick this book in the hope of a chilling thriller you'll be sadly disappointed.  However if you enjoy the domestic noir genre then this is a perfect choice for you. Narrated by a ghost, the story should send chills down your spine but this ghoul is a friendly spirit, more 'Rent a Ghost' than 'Poltergeist'.  Watching over the mixed bag of characters who work at Peterborough station, the narrator gives a brief insight into the mundane workings of a major interchange, setting the scene for what is to come. The emergence of a man on Platform 7 piques the readers interest as it becomes clear that he is intent on suicide, the ghostly narrator has no power to alert the living to the impending tragedy, she can only watch. In the ensuing  chapters we discover that the ghost is that of Lisa Evans, initially Lisa can't remember anything about her earthly life and how it ended but gradually her memory returns until suddenly we are thrown back into the months preceding her demise. This adds an interesting dimension to the structure of the story but it is not well executed, it seems like a totally separate narrative. Her life as a ghost is poorly defined, does she have form, can she communicate with others, why can she read some people's thoughts and not others? The sudden switch back in time to her life before death does little to connect with her ghostly form. In fact as the reader becomes engrossed in her love affair with Matty it would be easy to forget that the story began with a supernatural protagonist. If she was given powers to intervene like Clarence the angel in 'Its a Wonderful Life' then her ghostly presence would be validated. Similarly after her untimely death we return to her life as a ghoul, hoping that this may mark the beginning of the end of the tale is just far too optimistic. The story follows a large cast of characters and with each character a new theme or social issue emerges. From coercive control to paedophilia, murder, illegal immigration to drugs and homelessness. Is the unifying theme love or life or death ? This is the underlying problem with this book, it is a blob, it is undefined it is a melting pot of ideas and issues. 

The central theme of the book is coercive control, Lisa narrates her gradual descent from successful, independent thirty something professional, to a terrified neurotic victim. Our group felt that Lisa's character was weak and wet and allowed herself to become a victim, this may have been the authors intention. At one point the author claims that many women make the dangerous mistake of confusing romantic love with possessiveness. There were many points in the story when the reader wills Lisa to toughen up and tell the manipulative Matty to sling his hook but to no avail. All the usual red flags were there, back handed compliments meant to undermine confidence, choosing what she should wear, separating her from her group of friends. The relationship did not go sour gradually but seemed to be quite flawed from the beginning, raising the question of why a woman like Lisa would allow it to continue. There were no twists, no great moments of reckoning, perhaps because Doughty thought it important to reflect the reality of abusive relationships, but if gritty realism is what such a sensitive topic requires why wrap it up in a fantastical ghost story?

The opening section of the book draws the reader in, picking up pace as the repercussions of the man's suicide ripple out through the station into the wider world. The story races along as we discover how Lisa met her death but just like the passenger train slows for the station, so the story slows again then slows again as Lisa becomes the ever predictable victim.  For the last third of the book  the author strings out the ending almost to the point that you are left wondering if she just can't decide what the finale should be. When finally it comes, it comes with no closure, no satisfaction, no revenge, only a long list of goodbyes, goodbyes that cover almost all causes of suicide and death that you can imagine. The horror and waste of drugs, the  woman murdered by her partner. Still the story rolls on and on and on with little reason, it  is unclear why we are treated to a minor characters band practice, perhaps just to ask philosophical questions about suicide. 

Doughty is a very talented writer and can hold the readers attention, recreating settings and believable characters. Using a ghost to narrate  her own sad story is not a new idea but it does add an interesting dimension to the well trodden topic of toxic relationships. There were a few chances to really make this a gripping read but they were not taken. There were so many different themes covered in this book that they all failed to be developed fully.  In its present form it is at least two books rolled into one. A good edit could produce a modern classic. Perhaps when it comes to the small screen it will have been trimmed down to a truly chilling ghost story.

Again Covid 19 has put a stop to a good night out at our local Italian, hopefully things will be much improved for next months discussion of ......