The Girl Before
A Novel
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4.1 • 2.6K Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
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
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Here’s our take on this buzzy book that's already got a Hollywood adaptation incoming (directed by Ron Howard, no less). The Girl Before could easily become the world’s next water-cooler crime thriller. This elite pageturner follows Jane, whose dream rental apartment quickly becomes a waking nightmare. That’s because Jane becomes obsessed with a previous tenant, Emma, who died in the gorgeous but terrifying property. Delaney writes with delicious poise—no mean feat considering the endless twists we’re treated to.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the pseudonymous Delaney's riveting psychological thriller, first Emma Matthews and then Jane Cavendish take up residence at One Folgate Street in London. The house, a masterpiece of minimalist architecture designed by the enigmatic Edward Monkford, is let only to tenants willing to abide by his stringent rules, which reduce life to its basics. This setup appeals to people looking for order, like Emma, who's trying to recover from a brutal attack that's hastening the end of her relationship with a man who adores her. Later, it is Jane, grief-stricken by the stillbirth of her daughter, who seeks asylum within One Folgate's walls. Both find themselves drawn to the house's creator and its tragic history. Were the deaths of Edward's family members accidental? Or were they murdered for not conforming to Edward's obsessive need for order? Writing with precision and grace, Delaney strips away the characters' secrets until the raw truth of each is revealed. That Emma and Jane act in often foolhardy ways hasn't prevented rights sales in more than 30 markets and movie rights to Universal with Ron Howard directing.
Customer Reviews
Couldn't put it down
I couldn't put this book down! Reminded me a lot of The Girl on the Train. Good twists and turns.
Didn't really enjoy like others reviewers
I finished this book because I had to see if it got better. Many reviewers gave it high ratings, I would beg to differ. It was a compilation of recent best sellers, at best. I got super annoyed that the character Emma's chapters always had " Simon states" or " I say" it was hard to distinguish dialogue from other content. I would save your money.
Can't put it down!
Don't pick this up if you have plans for the day because you will not be able to put it down!!! It's a true page turner, can't put it down, I need five more minutes kind of book.