Some titles get under your skin. Before She Knew Him is one of them. Intriguing… Who is ‘she’? Who is ‘him’? What happens between those nameless characters? Clear, simple, punchy and definitely promising something dark, there was no chance of me missing out on reading this novel, especially with such a beautiful cover, the perfect match to the perfect title!

What do you mean, you already know I’ve loved the book?!

Well, let me tell you why anyway!

Moving is exciting, but there’s some pressure about meeting new neighbours and feeling a bit apart in a suburban street where the normal is 2.4 kids and a shiny car in the driveway. So, it’s a relief for Hen and Lloyd to find their closest neighbours don’t have children either and look quite normal.

What is normal?

That’s how Hen and Lloyd end up dining at Mira and Matthew’s house. An evening that will change four lives. Or many more…

Hen is a fascinating character. Her voice in one of the three you hear throughout the book, and she’s my favourite. Vulnerable but resilient, reliably unreliable or unreliably thanks to a brilliant twist used by the author to cast doubt on Hen’s thoughts and actions, she’s an artist with a clever mind. Her art is dark, deep, dazzling. She’s made the strongest impression on me and was the light to another character’s dark: Matthew.

When the sight of a trophy in Matthew’s study brings memories back, Hen listens to her gut, sure that she has put her finger on something big. But with only so little to go with, who will believe her? The book is divided in parts and although all three are simply brilliant, I’d like to say the first one was the one who had a biggest impact on me. What do you do when you know something but everyone is deaf to your screams for help? How much proof is needed for others to trust your instinct? Now I am back to the ‘tool’ I mentioned earlier. Hen has a mental health past and is under medication, putting her straight away into the ‘not to be trusted’ witness box. This, for me, sounded so true and so unfair, giving the novel a complex layer. I fought with Hen, with all my strength. I can’t say I was convinced from scratch by Hen’s theory, but she logical explanations and the right arguments gave me the urge to bang my fist on the table and scream ‘LOOK! She’s RIGHT!!!’ And then I would wonder… The tension was everywhere as Peter Swanson sowed the seeds of what was to come in the two other parts with hints and thrills brought by a perfectly handled narrative.

Part two and three are equally compelling, the split narrative between Hen and Matthew keeping my toes moving in trepidation of what was to come. The first part is a threshold and the rest is pure darkness in every day clothes. I am not talking faceless monsters you can’t understand. That would have been too easy. I faced real people dealing with internal demons. The relationship between Hen and Matthew is sickly good, stunningly electric and makes for an intense and cunning way to explore motives, appearances, and … so much more I can’t talk about without spoiling it for you!!! Frustration! But let me tell you, Before She Knew Him is black and original. So original that the ending came as a total surprise. My mouth was hanging open as I was reading. I couldn’t think, I just wanted to read to fully understand what was happening. I later went back to the events that had led to the fireworks that make the ending and view them with new eyes, fresh and knowing eyes who could see there was no other ending possible.
Scarcely had a reading been so satisfying. Before She Knew Him is a chilling ride into the world of classic psychological thrillers, it reminds us what it takes for the genre to take our breath (and mind) away!

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
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‘They had a secret, the two of them, and there is no better way to start a friendship than a secret’. _______________________________________
I have to start by saying I love Peter Swanson. He is in my top 5 favourite authors. I’ve been looking forward to this book for what feels like forever and I was right to feel excited. As always the book hit the ground running and held me captive throughout.
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The main theme of the story is a woman’s search for the truth. Hen suspects her new neighbour of a terrible crime and won’t stop searching for answers. However, Hen struggles with her own mental health and this tends to muddy her own thoughts of what is real and what is in her mind. This subject was written well with no bias, judgement or prejudice. Another absolute smasher from the amazing Peter Swanson. Highly recommend everything he’s written 🖤

I was excited to read this one as I’ve previously enjoyed Swanson’s work and I love a good domestic thriller, especially one that looks behind the shiny veneer of suburbia. Before She Knew Him totally lived up to my expectations. It is a twisty, complex and genuinely unsettling thriller. It follows a woman with a history of mental illness and her suspicions about her new neighbour. I liked that the story was told from both their perspectives and to be honest I had no idea who to trust to begin with, and as the plot progressed things only got more complicated. I loved it.

Swanson is so fantastic at creating an atmosphere of tension and at making his reader feel uneasy and slightly off-kilter. Hen is a tricky character to figure out. It’s not easy to work out what is real and what is paranoia caused by her illness. Then there is also the very real chance that, paranoid or not, she may still be completely dead on in her assertions. At first, this story feels quite straightforward but I was continually aware that there is more going on here. With Swanson’s books I often feel a little on edge and I just have no idea where things are headed which is fantastic.

Before She Knew Him also has an interesting tone to it. It is intensely chilling and sinister but there’s also some dark humour thrown in which makes the book incredibly enjoyable to read. Additionally the story also has a killer twist which took me completely by surprise. It’s possible that I’m just an easy mark but the turn this took felt unpredictable and genuinely shocking to me. The whole book actually felt like something outside the norm for the genre – it is original and so well constructed. I would highly recommend it to any crime/thriller fans – I don’t think it will disappoint!

I'm a huge fan of Peter Swanson and I seem to devour everything he writes within hours of picking them up. This book, in my opinion, wasn't one of his stronger stories. It took me a little while to get into it, and I was sort of confused at the beginning to where it was going, but my god, did I enjoy this book! I think Peter Swanson is great at building tension and then pulling all these great twists and turns throughout the story. I didn't think this story was as twisty as his previous works, but it was so good. The ending had my jaw on the floor.

Again, I love Peter Swanson and I can't wait to read more!

I enjoyed this title but not quite as much as previous novels ive read by this author. I found the story a little far fetched but saying that it did keep me eager to read and finish the story. I will definitely look out for future novels by this author.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Faber & Faber in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Peter Swanson book and sadly I'm left a bit wanting. Firstly, the blurb on Net Galley was slightly misleading. The one on Goodreads is clearer but there is zero ambiguity as to whether or not Hen's neighbour is a murderer. I was expecting a story centered around Hen doubting herself and trying to prove whether or not he killed someone, but instead this is predominantly about a serial killer almost befriending the one person in the world he can talk to about his murders. It is confirmed almost immediately that Matthew is a killer, and almost as quickly that Hen isn't in any danger from him.

Beyond the initial opening, there are very few thrilling things that actually happen. Rather than events, this book is squarely focused on different characters talking to each other. Normally I am into stories like that but this one was rather dull. I think ultimately the characters were too flat for it to really work for me. Hen was decent enough and I think Matthew was the best-developed out of all, but the side characters were painfully uninteresting. There was also a weird thing where practically every adult character got propositioned for extramarital sex at least once. I found it a little hard to believe that all of them had the opportunity to cheat within such a short space of time.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THE PLOT, STOP READING NOW. PLOT STRUCTURE WILL BE REVEALED BELOW WITH NO DETAILED SPOILERS BEYOND THAT.

I am not going to go into detail with spoilers but there is something that happens near the end of this book that I 100% did not see coming and sadly, it wasn't a thing I am usually keen on. Ironically, I initially thought that something else I am not keen on was going to happen instead but for once, I thought it would have worked really well. Sadly another thriller trope I disliked turned out to be the true twist and while it did turn a mediocre book into one with a punch, I don't think it worked particularly well for the storyline. Swanson deserves kudos for genuinely surprising me in such a big way because it has been a long time since that has happened with a thriller. However, that could also be because the general plot is so straightforward that I wasn't expecting anything more from the story itself.

PLOT STRUCTURE SPOILERS OVER.

Overall, the writing for this book is strong and it could have been a lot worse than it was given how basic the driving story is. I still plan to read more from Swanson and am more hopeful for his other books, but ultimately there just wasn't enough going on here for me to love.

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

This book, like others I have read by Peter Swanson, held my attention from the first page and I could not tell how it was going to develop. The book opens with the introduction to the reader of Hen and Lloyd who have recently moved into a new neighbourhood. Hen is an unreliable witness due to her history of false accusations and mental health problems so when she becomes suspicious that her neighbour is responsible for a terrible crime we are unsure whether to believe her. It becomes clear that her suspicions are could be well founded but her neighbour is also aware that she is unlikely to be believed.
There are some interesting twists and Hen behaves in a way that seems initially very dubious but due to the way her character has been developed we believe that she could react in this way. The plot has a number of twists and turns and when you think you have worked out what will happen next things change again. Well plotted and a gripping read a fine addition to the crime oeuvre.
Thanks to net galley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

An interesting enough thriller, though never really gripping. Hen and her husband Lloyd have just moved to a new house in the suburbs of Boston, and soon find themselves invited to the next door neighbours house for dinner one night. As they get shown around the house Hen sees something there that shouldn't have been, something that brings to mind an unsolved murder from a few years ago.

As Hen starts to watch her new neighbour, she realises just how suspicious he is, and that is she doesn't report him someone else might get hurt. Yet Hen has a history of mental illness and no one will believe her, will they? A cat and mouse game soon develops, and Hen realises that her husband and herself are in more danger than even she realised.

This book has a good start and some interesting twists at the end, yet I found my interest waning through the middle parts. An okay read for a rainy weekend.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4,5 Stars

This is really a far-fetched story but it is absolutely working. Just don’t think too much about how everybody in this book has always the right intuition and how neatly everything fits. This is a creepy and twisted psychological thriller that keeps you turning the pages.

Henrietta (Hen) and her husband Lloyd move to the suburbs and find themselves next door to a psychopath. Hen has had her own mental problems in the past. When they are invited to their next door neighbors Hen sees something that gives her the idea that Matthew murdered someone she once knew. Of course she is right but also of course nobody believes her. Not only because of Hen’s own problems in the past. How unlikely is it that you live next door to a murderer? Maybe not as unlikely as you think.

It is a very unrealistic story but it is also a lot of fun. I must admit I am a bit afraid of Peter Swanson. He has a way of describing psychopaths that frightens me. He has the ability to explain their point of view that you can almost understand them. I loved “The Kind Worth Killing”. It is one of my all-time-favorite. This guy can write. And he can created unique stories which keeps you glued to the book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

wow; totally blown off!!!

this is the kind of book that keeps you reading on and on and on- if it were not for working and a bit of real life!
you are thrown into action right from the beginning and it keeps up through the whole story. i was swallowed up for hours!
i particularly enjoyed the straightforward approach towards some very serious subjects and it got me totally hooked.
the end was satisfying like i wished for it though i did not guess it would be like that.
if you like twisted, flawed, unique and gripping reads go for this.

thanks #netgalley for this arc

Often us booklovers are drawn to compare notes on the kinds of characters we like with broadly speaking divisions, those characters we like, we’d be happy to have them as friends, and those that you actively dislike. I’ve, in my more contemplative moments wondered why I am so happy to read about unlikeable characters, and I’ve decided that the authors who create these to populate their books tend to have other dynamics going on that make the likeableness of the character a bonus rather than a hinderance.

In Before She Knew Him there are unlikeable characters and to make things even harder the author has created a world, like he has in his previous novels, that is unlikely to exist but just likely enough to make the fiction only too believable.

Hen (short for Henrietta) Mazur and her husband Lloyd have recently moved house to a small suburb in Boston. They love their new house, they’ve left behind what appears to have been a few bad memories and Hen is now following her artistic path as an illustrator in the new neighbourhood. Their neighbours Mira and Matthew invite them for a dinner party. Hen, who has suffered with her mental health isn’t keen but Lloyd wants them to get out and mix. So they go and in one of those weird coincidences that occur in real life as well as novels, Hen makes a connection between Matthew and a victim of a murder who lived close to them in their previous home. What are the chances?

The book then takes on what could be a farcical turn, but doesn’t quite. Hen convinced that Matthew is in fact hiding some huge dark secret does what anyone would do in such a situation. Yes, she chooses to stalk her neighbour, whilst of course keeping this a secret from her husband, who is likely to worry far too much that she needs to go back to the doctor and have her medication altered.

In between this we see things from Matthew’s point of view. The only thing he is hiding from his wife is the visits his brother Richard makes to the house when Mira is out of town working. Mira has to travel a great deal for her work and Richard visits in her absence because she actively dislikes him – not surprisingly as we read excerpts from his thoughts, I’m sure most readers would decide to put him on the ‘not a friend pile!’

So all in all, exactly what you’d expect from a book by Peter Swanson. A bunch of weird characters, some less likeable than others followed by a somewhat bizarre scenario which is all rescued by some brash actions putting various people in danger of being discovered, followed and perhaps, given this is crime fiction, killed! And it was brilliantly pulled off. I didn’t want to put the book down, so engaged was I with what in the hands of a lesser writer would easily have been thrown against the ‘don’t be ridiculous’ wall.

I’d like to thank the publishers Faber and Faber who allowed me to read the experience that Before She Knew Him which will be published on 5 March 2019.

First Published UK: 5 March 2019
Publisher: Faber & Faber
No of Pages: 320
Genre: Crime Ficttion
Amazon UK
Amazon US

Previous Books by Peter Swanson

The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
The Kind Worth Killing
Her Every Fear
All the Beautiful Lies

This was a unique idea well written. I didn’t see the twists coming and I was interested throughout the story which I read in one sitting.

Hen and Lloyd have left busy Boston for a quieter place to live and where Hen can do her art work in a real artist’s workshop. Their neighbours Matthew and Mira seem to be nice, but the dinner Hen and Lloyd are invited to takes a strange turn when Hen during the tour of the house sees something she shouldn’t see. She does not want to believe her eyes, but it has been there and there is just one simple explanation to it: her neighbour Matthew is a killer. But who would believe her, the woman with a history of false accusations and a diagnose of bipolar disorder? Well, Matthew believes her and confirms her suspicion - sure that she cannot threaten him in her position...

Peter Swanson’s novel is a thrilling read that does not play to the normal rules of the genre. We quickly figure out that Matthew is a serial killer, since we get also his side of the story, it doesn’t take too long to sort this out. But then just a third of novel is over, so what is there more to come? A lot and very unexpected turns.

Even though the focus of the story is shifted again and again, each part of the novel has its own thrills. In the beginning, it is the fight between Matthew and Hen, who is stronger, who will win? This is the part I liked most since here the thrill is at its peak. This doesn’t mean that the rest is lacking suspense, it doesn’t at all. Swanson really could surprise me and I was wondering constantly if this could be true: people living with the knowledge of murders but keeping silent.

All in all, a psychological thriller full of suspense and surprising developments.

Another sure fire hit from Peter Swanson. He has an incredible flair for storytelling and the plots are always fresh and interesting.
The one thing I truly loved about this novel is that I felt it was too short, I wanted to know more. And that is the true genius of Peter Swanson - his novels always leave me wanting more.
The twist at the ending had me floored as it was so unexpected.
Brilliant, just brilliant.

Wow, I loved this book and finished it very quickly.
It's a very slick book and I am now looking for everything else Peter Swanson has written as I need more of his writing.
I was impressed with this book and it brought me out of the slump I was in with reading.
Loved it

The Kind Worth Killing was one of my favourite books of that year and I'd been excited for the author's next few books to come out. Unfortunately, none lived up to TKWK and I'm afraid that the same can be said of Before She Knew Him. Sure, it was an intriguing plot but generally, about 80 per cent of the book felt very slow and I'd be lying if I didn't admit I felt a bit bored. It certainly picked up in the latter part of the book but I was disappointed it took so long to get to that point. I didn't warm to any of the characters and while I don't think this is always necessary, I do think this book needed that element. Hen, for me, just wasn't interesting enough and this is despite her 'colourful' past. I will admit that I did not guess the main twist which was a nice touch.

This a creepy and compelling story. It held my interest straight from the start. There were plenty of twists and turns which kept me hooked

I’ve enjoyed all of Peter Swanson’s previous books and this one was no exception. If anything it was even more creepy and compelling than his earlier novels. The Kind Worth Killing was so good, I couldn’t believe he had written another novel that was, if anything, even better.
Hen and Lloyd move into a new house and are invited to dinner by their neighbours Mia and Matthew. Matthew teaches in a school and Mia travels a lot selling educational software.
However after a tour round Mia and Matthew’s house following the meal, Hen spots something which leads her to suspect Matthew is a murderer.
Unfortunately no one believes her including her husband and the police as she suffers from bipolar and has falsely accused others of crimes in the past but is Hen actually right on this occasion? The author builds up the tension as the novel progresses. There are lots of twists and turns which keep the reader guessing.
The characters are cleverly drawn and nobody is really who they seem at the beginning of the story.
This is a great book but I do not want to reveal anymore of the plot as it will spoil the surprises that lie in store for the unsuspecting reader.
Mental illness is a major theme in this novel which Mr Swanson cleverly weaves into the plot.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

After loving ‘The Kind Worth Killing’ I was so excited for this book. It did not disappoint! There were times which were mind boggling but the ending! Wow that hit me like a ton of bricks! I did not see it coming at all.

A full in depth review will soon be posted on my blog. I’m still trying to get my head around this book.

Heard really great things about Peter Swanson and was thrilled to be approved for an ARC of his newest novel. My expectations were high considering all the Swanson hype and the 4+ star ratings on Goodreads. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed.

This book started off great, fast paced and tense from the get go - I really love when an author doesn't make you wait. Before She Knew Him was full of twists and turns, some predictable some not.

What turned me off about this book is that none of the characters had any redeeming qualities. The characters were all unreliable, for one reason or another. The entire plot was based on an incredible amount of coincidences.

I plan on giving Swanson another chance as everyone and their dog recommended The Kind Worth Killing.