The Girl Before: A Novel
THE GLOBAL BESTSELLER • Soon to be a BBC One and HBO Max limited four-part series, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Morning Show; Misbehaviour) and multiple Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Emmy-nominated actor David Oyelowo (Selma; Les Misérables)
“A pitch-perfect novel of psychological suspense” (Lee Child) that spins one woman’s seemingly good fortune, and another woman’s mysterious fate, through a kaleidoscope of duplicity, death, and deception
Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.
The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.
EMMA
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.
JANE
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.
Praise for The Girl Before
“Dazzling, startling, and above all cunning—a pitch-perfect novel of psychological suspense.”—Lee Child
“The Girl Before generates a fast pace. . . . [J. P.] Delaney intersperses ethics questions on stand-alone pages throughout the book. . . . The single most ingenious touch is that we’re not provided either woman’s answers.”—The New York Times
“J. P. Delaney builds the suspense.”—Vanity Fair
“Immediate guarantee: You will not be able to put this book down. . . . Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will realize that there’s not only more where that came from, but it’s also more thrilling.”—American Booksellers Association
“A pitch-perfect novel of psychological suspense” (Lee Child) that spins one woman’s seemingly good fortune, and another woman’s mysterious fate, through a kaleidoscope of duplicity, death, and deception
Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.
The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.
EMMA
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.
JANE
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.
Praise for The Girl Before
“Dazzling, startling, and above all cunning—a pitch-perfect novel of psychological suspense.”—Lee Child
“The Girl Before generates a fast pace. . . . [J. P.] Delaney intersperses ethics questions on stand-alone pages throughout the book. . . . The single most ingenious touch is that we’re not provided either woman’s answers.”—The New York Times
“J. P. Delaney builds the suspense.”—Vanity Fair
“Immediate guarantee: You will not be able to put this book down. . . . Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will realize that there’s not only more where that came from, but it’s also more thrilling.”—American Booksellers Association
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Community Reviews
I could think of many ways this book could've gone and been a five-star read! But that is not the case, clearly. Absolutely ridiculous.
♡
Trigger warnings!⚠️
- Stillbirth
- Rape
- Robbery / Burglary
- Abuse; verbal and physical
- Death
- Eating Disorders
♡
Quote that stuck out to me!
"Never apologize for someone you love, it makes you look like a prick." - Edward Monkford
♡
Trigger warnings!⚠️
- Stillbirth
- Rape
- Robbery / Burglary
- Abuse; verbal and physical
- Death
- Eating Disorders
♡
Quote that stuck out to me!
"Never apologize for someone you love, it makes you look like a prick." - Edward Monkford
An excellent book! The changing POV between chapters by Emma and Jane was extremely well done. It isn't gimmicky; it's the telling of two tales placed side by side with the express purpose of having the reader draw parallels.
I enjoyed the background idea of our environment shaping our personalities, and the malleability or responsiveness of our beliefs. It's also a nice touch to realize that the person being studied is just as capable of manipulating the studier.
I don't want to say too much, because the book depends on you coming to it with a fresh mind. Some reviewers are comparing it to Fifty Shades of Gray, or Gone Girl, or The Girl on the Train. Yes, there are similarities, just as their are between Hunger Games and Battle Royale or Divergent, but it is it's own story, and should not be diminished because one character or another bears a resemblance to another literary character. Also - the writing is so far superior to that of Fifty Shades that anything more than a passing thought is insulting.
I read it in less than 24 hours, which is saying a lot considering that I'm moving into a new house at the same time.
I enjoyed the background idea of our environment shaping our personalities, and the malleability or responsiveness of our beliefs. It's also a nice touch to realize that the person being studied is just as capable of manipulating the studier.
I don't want to say too much, because the book depends on you coming to it with a fresh mind. Some reviewers are comparing it to Fifty Shades of Gray, or Gone Girl, or The Girl on the Train. Yes, there are similarities, just as their are between Hunger Games and Battle Royale or Divergent, but it is it's own story, and should not be diminished because one character or another bears a resemblance to another literary character. Also - the writing is so far superior to that of Fifty Shades that anything more than a passing thought is insulting.
I read it in less than 24 hours, which is saying a lot considering that I'm moving into a new house at the same time.
This was a book about two women who rent the same house at different times. I enjoyed the way this book alternated points of view from one girl to the other. It kept the story flowing in a way that prevented me from forgetting one or the other. There’s an insane plot twist that had never occurred to me too which left me feeling a little silly for not realizing the whole time.
This book was interesting the way it bounced from one woman’s life and feelings(Emma, before) to another woman’s life and feelings (Jane, after) & then showed how they overlapped/intertwined. I liked the back and forth, the similarities of their situations and then the unpacking throughout that proved these two women were nothing alike. There were twists throughout the book that I didn’t see coming— like Emma being a complete sociopath and a pathological liar. Also about Si being the one responsible for her death. He’s a psychopath who really took the cake— a pathetic man, snapped. While I believe that this book was really good at its core, I did not care for the conclusion. I understand where they were going with it, but it just isn’t how I saw this ending but also, it wasn’t any real shock. I didn’t expect Edward to necessarily throw all of his beliefs and/or personality out of the window, but I did think that there would be something… something less anticlimactic. I’d still recommend this book though because throughout, it’s a good read. I just wish it had ended with more. The author had me… and then dropped the ball.
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