The People Before

An eerie new psychological thriller from the author of The House Guest

‘I adored it! I found it moody, propulsive, gripping and so terrifying you’ll need the lights on. GILLIAN McALLISTER

‘Charlotte Northedge turns the psychological thumbscrews with relish’ THE TIMES

‘I read through the night to finish this thriller… Spooky, tense, richly atmospheric and profoundly moving’ ERIN KELLY

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What if your dream house became your worst nightmare?

Jess and her husband need a new start. So when the chance to buy a rambling old house in the Suffolk countryside comes up, they leap at it.

But not everyone in Suffolk is welcoming. The locals know a secret about the Maple House, and soon, Jess realises they’ve made a huge mistake.

Something bad happened in that house. Something nobody wants to talk about.

Something to do with the people before…

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‘This is every bit as accomplished as Northedge’s debut The House Guest, with the same precise and finely tuned use of language, by no means always a given in the genre.’ FINANCIAL TIMES

‘Charlotte Northedge creates a riveting psychological study of self-deception and creeping dread.’ THE SUNDAY TIMES

‘Creepy, atmospheric and cleverly plotted, an excellent winter read.’ CATHERINE COOPER

‘Twisty, claustrophobic and deliciously dark, this is the perfect winter chiller’ ELLERY LLOYD

'A tense, paranoid atmosphere and a satisfying and unsettling conclusion.’ DAILY MAIL

‘Tense and threatening, this is a great follow-up to Northedge’s debut, The House Guest.’ OBSERVER

'This taut new psychological mystery feels particularly timely.' MARIE CLAIRE

‘The author does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere.’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

About the author

Charlotte Northedge is the joint editor of Guardian Review and Head of Books for the Guardian. Charlotte has previously written for a range of newspapers and magazines, including the Guardian, Psychologies and Cosmopolitan. She has an MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature from Birkbeck and is an alumni of the Curtis Brown Creative writing course. Her first novel, The House Guest, was published in 2021 and received glowing reviews.