Paula Hawkins (born 26 August 1972) is a British author best known for her top-selling psychological thriller novel The Girl on the Train (2015), which deals with themes of domestic violence, alcohol, and drug abuse.

[6] Hawkins read philosophy, politics and economics at Keble College, University of Oxford.

She then worked for a number of publications on a freelance basis, and wrote a financial-advice book for women, The Money Goddess.

[6] Her best-selling novel The Girl on the Train (2015) is a complex thriller, with themes of domestic violence, alcohol, and drug abuse.

[2] The novel took her six months, writing full-time, to complete, at a time when she was in a difficult financial situation and had to borrow from her father.