Publisher: Quercus
Release date: 26 January 2017
Rating: *****
Back cover blurb: Enter the world of One Folgate Street and discover perfection . . . but can you pay the price? For all fans of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl comes
this spellbinding Hitchcockian thriller which takes psychological suspense to
the next level. Jane
stumbles on the rental opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to live in
a beautiful ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect,
on condition she abides by a long list of exacting rules. After moving
in, she discovers that a previous tenant, Emma, met a mysterious death
there - and starts to wonder if her own story will be a re-run of the
girl before. As twist after twist catches the reader off guard, Emma's
past and Jane's present become inexorably entwined in this tense,
page-turning portrayal of psychological obsession.
The Girl Before is a psychological thriller with a difference, it has a house is one the pivotal characters. And trust me when I say, it's importance really is essential to the story.
One Folgate Street is not just any old house.
It is a house that dreams are made of. Modern, smooth, sleek, minimalistic and architecturally perfect, why wouldn't you want to move in?
Emma certainly does. But with a long list of rules and expectations for prospective tenants from the landlord, prize wining architect and owner/creator of the unique house; Edward Monkford, her boyfriend Simon is not so sure.
Three years later Jane is looking for a new rental property after suffering a stillbirth, One Folgate Street is exactly what she is looking for to leave her old life behind and start a fresh chapter. Will she be so keen to live there when she finds out about the girl before, Emma?
Told in alternate chapters from both Emma (Before) and Jane's (Now) perspectives, their relationship with the house and it's owner is a complex web that needs untangling. It's hard to say anymore without giving too much away but this novel is very very clever and will keep you guessing throughout.
From other reviews I've seen this seems to be a 'Marmite Book', that you will either love or hate. For me (as with Marmite) it's love, with a very original story, and more twists and turns than your average roller coaster, this is a novel not to be missed.
The Girl Before is available from 26 January 2016.
You can pre-order it now via Amazon online and all good book shops.
Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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