After leaving a failing marriage, Rachel & her daughter Lily move into apartment 4B in a smart building in the heart of downtown Chicago. The fact the building has a doorman helps Rachel feel more secure from her violent ex, & they settle in quickly thanks to their helpful neighbours, including Alex from 4A, a cute guy who is also a teacher at Lily's new school. The only thing marring their first days is a letter which arrives for the previous tenant, Annie Turner. Although she really shouldn't, Rachel opens the letter & it is from Annie's sister, Julia, wanting to know why she hasn't heard from her in so long & telling her she isn't safe in the apartment - Rachel finds out that Annie apparently did a moonlight flit & disappeared owing money to the landlord but wonders why Annie would feel unsafe there. A few nights later, Rachel wakes up & is sure she can hear someone in their apartment, she goes out to investigate & there is no-one there, but she still feels uneasy. Did something happen to Annie, & is the person responsible still around?

I thought this was a really good read, & I enjoyed it. The tension is kept up all the way through as some of the tenants in the building start acting strangely & the reader is unsure who may be involved at first, although it does become a little more predictable towards the end. The final part of the puzzle in the epilogue is a nice touch though. The main character is a little too timid at times, but understandable considering what she has been through, but it was nice to see her finally stand up to her overbearing mother. Overall, I would recommend this if you like uncomplicated thrillers.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bookouture, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Laura has a way of drawing me in right from the start and The Girl Before Me was no different! A quick read with a slow burn suspense however while I enjoyed it and it kept me intrigued it didn’t quite grip me as much as Laura's other two books I read previously.

I have fast become a fan of Laura’s writing style and the way she keeps my attention with a multitude of twists and secrets and while this one had some good unexpected twists and secrets, I feel like they felt a little forced and didn’t give me the wow factor I was looking for.

In saying that, this could just be me and the fact I am presently loving the darkest and most shocking reads. I do recommend checking this one out for yourself! I also do still wait in anticipation for what Laura has in store for us next!

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸

Rachel is excited to start a new life in the city with her daughter Lily after escaping an abusive marriage. Renting a secure apartment downtown complete with a doorman, Rachel feels safe for the first time in a long time.

When a letter arrives in her mailbox for the previous tenant Annie, who the neighbours say just up and left with no word or warning,  Rachel is curious and opens the letter. The letter tells Annie she is not safe and to get out of that apartment!

Rachel suddenly feels that something bad happened to Annie and can’t shake the feeling her and Lily might not be as safe as she first thought in their new apartment!

The Girl Before Me is out 𝟮𝟵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮
 
Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for the advanced review copy!

When Rachel moves in to an apartment in the city with her 6 year old daughter wanting to get a fresh start from an abusive ex and less than supportive mother, she gets that feeling that the previous occupant’s departure wasn’t as simple as it has been portrayed to be. Is her unease in her new start apartment paranoia or genuine? Why does everyone around her seem to have an ulterior motive to be nice to her?

We all have secrets. Many of us have a past that we want to move away from and start anew, but is that ever really possible? How much should we trust our gut when our trust has been compromised so much?

Determined to start a new life, Rachel and her daughter Lily find themselves renting an apartment that once housed a woman who has disappeared. Rachel can't help but find the case interesting, especially when she gets letters from the missing girl's sister in Australia. It seems the neighbours are hiding things too, with everyone being cagey and not willing to give information across when Rachel questions them. Can Rachel find out what's going on? And can she ensure Lily and herself aren't the next victims?

This was an easy to read thriller that I did enjoy. I do feel the premise of eerie apartments and suspect neighbours has been overdone a bit though and maybe I've just read too many similar books and that's why this one didn't seem to hit the mark. I would definitely read more by the author though, as I did enjoy her writing style.

I definitely enjoy reading books like this! Packed with details and story. I throughly enjoyed this book and would recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

This was a quick read that had me hooked from the start.
Rachel is staring over her life with her daughter Lily after a disastrous marriage break up. She moves into a lovely apartment complex in the city while Lily starts at a prestigious private school. She starts feeling weird and unusual vibes from the apartment and some of her neighbours, especially once she realises the previous tenant vanished without a trace.
There is a plethora of suspects and new encounters for Rachel as she tries to figure out what happened to Annie.
This was a slow burn which I didn’t mind. It had lots of twists and turns and the writing was very atmospheric. It just fell a little flat for me. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, but I feel it took so long to get there, that by that stage I had lost a little interest.
A fast, twisty and creepy read that I’d recommend to lovers of domestic thrillers. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital review copy.

A good enjoyable read. I'm afraid I should have reviewed this book sooner as it's been a while and it's hard to now write a review with much detail.

Rachel Gleason is starting over in the city with her young daughter, Lily, after leaving an abusive relationship. She got lucky in finding an affordable apartment in a secure building after the previous tenant left, breaking their lease. A letter soon arrives in Rachel’s mailbox addressed to the previous tenant, Annie, which Rachel opens. The letter questions the safety of apartment 4B, and upon reading this, Rachel wonders if her safety is in question as well. She asks various neighbours about the quick departure of Annie, without getting much in response. She starts to question little things that unsettle her but wonders if her mind is just playing tricks on her. Did Annie leave of her own accord, or is one of the tenants responsible for her disappearance? Rachel is able to formulate a motive in her head for most tenants that she has encountered; is everyone as they seem?

This was a quick read which kept me thinking the whole way through. I enjoyed the characters and the plot, constantly wondering what would happen next. Just when I thought there would be no more twists, another one appeared. I would welcome reading more novels by Laura Wolfe since I enjoyed this one.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for allowing me to read this novel. #NetGalley #TheGirlBeforeMe

Unfortunately this book just didn’t hit the mark for me. I think maybe it’s under the wrong genre. I had a hard time liking the characters and at times it seemed very repetitive.

As if Rachel didn’t have enough to deal with. Single mum who has finally escaped her abusive husband, trying to keep her and her daughter Lily on a shoestring, living in her distinctly unmotherly mother’s basement. Finally she gets a break or does she? The tenant in an upmarket apartment near her daughter’s school has done a runner and Rachel gets to take over the tenancy at a cut price rate and start a new life in Chicago. All is not as it seems with Rachel’s apartment however. Creaks in the night, footsteps and did Annie really do a runner or is there a more sinister explanation for her disappearance? Thank goodness for Alex, her neighbour and teacher at Lily’s school but as the story progresses who can Rachel trust? What does she really know about Alex?

A great psychological thriller with a real twist at the end.

The story was interesting and I did like the pacing, but some characters felt off and there were plotholes throughout the book. The ending was abrupt and left so much to be desired. I didn't like Alex, I think he was creepy and weird. The writing was good, that was what made me finish the book. 3.5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review. This book is set to publish at the end of the month!

This read ended up rating as a 3.5 stars for me. Unfortunately this book was entertaining but for the wrong reasons.

The synopsis of this book is categorized as a gripping psychological thriller. Not much happened that was “thrilling” during the first 75% of the book.

This felt like a woman’s fiction story involving Rachel. There were a few tidbits that felt more like drama.

The most thrilling parts were slammed at you in the last quarter. I think what frustrated me a bit is that there was potential to make this gripping but the author decided to play it safe instead.

It was an all around good read but doesn’t fit into my version of a thriller.

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️….so I rounded up.

“The Girl Before Me” by Laura Wolfe is a story about a woman Rachael Gleason and her daughter Lily who a starting fresh in a new city after Rachel leaves her abusive ex-husband Keith. She was able to get an apartment because the previous tenant left in the middle of the night with no notice and the owner just wanted someone in there. Once Rachel moves in she starts hearing things about the previous tenant that doesn’t add up and she starts questioning all the relationships she is starting to build…wondering who she can really trust. Did something really happen to the previous tenant or is she being paranoid?

It took me a little bit to get into this book. Towards the end it did really peak my interest and I wanted to find out what happens and who she could really trust. It was a decent read but nothing that will stick with me for a while.

Full disclosure…I did receive the ARC from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book even though it had quite a few holes in it. The premise was good, and the characters were interesting, but the main character was kind of annoying to me for some reason, and nothing in the book was realistic. Hmm. As I’m writing this out I’m realizing that maybe I didn’t really like this book all that much. 😂

Rachel finds the perfect apartment in Lincoln Park, Chicago for her and her daughter after leaving an abusive marriage - or did she? After moving in, Rachel comes to quickly suspect that the tenant that abruptly vacated her unit before her may not have left voluntarily. Are she and her daughter safe? And what happened to the tenant before her? Can anyone in the building be trusted?

This book will leave you quickly concerned for Rachel and her daughter as they navigate all of the new characters in their new lives in Chicago. While the book had a slower start, I was pleasantly surprised at the final twist as it’s not often that I don’t guess who committed the crime. Be prepared to not put this book down once you get to the second half.

The Girl Before Me by Laura Wolfe

When Rachel Gleason moves in to her new apartment with her daughter Lily, she is excited to turn over a new leaf and start afresh. Lily has a scholarship in a very prestige school that is only two blocks away from their two-bedroom apartment, in Lincoln Park, Chicago and their next-door neighbour, Alex is very cute and seems interested. Rachel is just recently divorced from her violent husband and wants to take things slow but that’s ok with Alex. One day Rachel receives a letter in the mail intended for the previous tenant, Annie Turner who left suddenly in the middle of the night breaking her lease, Rachel opens the letter to discover a desperate message from one of Annie’s relatives in Melbourne, Australia, begging Annie to contact them as they have not heard from her. Rachel starts asking everyone in the apartment building where Annie went but they all say she just left on her own accord but Rachel’s gut tells her there is more to the story

I enjoyed this book and found the story quick passed and easy to follow.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Good, but not great book. Too much time setting up the story in the beginning made it hard for me to read for long periods of time. I was invested in the book, but not to the point where I couldn't set it down. I was surprised that the real meat of the plot line didn't come until the last third of the book, but wow did it take a turn then. The whole time the author made you think the "who done it" character was so obvious, but boy was I wrong. Good twist at the very end, just wish there were a few more exciting surprises earlier in the book too!

Plot twists which hit you like a speeding train! This book had me looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was there! Creepy and addictive! Did she run away or did something sinister happen? Can you really trust your neighbours? Rachel finally manages to flee an abusive marriage with her daughter Lily and starts afresh: new city, new home and new friends, but what exactly happened to the previous tenant Annie? On the surface everything is great, but what happens when you can't shake that feeling of dread? Is this nerves of moving into a new home or intuition telling her something isn't right? This book had me hooked from the first page and kept me turning the page with lightening speed. I suspected every character at some point and was unable to figure out the plot twists until they landed like a bomb! Highly reccommend!

OH. MY. GOD.

This book was so good. The pacing was excellent, enough to increase my heart rate and keep me excited to turn the page.

Rachel has just moved into apartment 4B with her young daughter Lily, following the divorce from her ex-husband, Keith. Lily has received the bright paths scholarship for K-12 from the local private school Rachel has enrolled Lily in.

However, only a few weeks earlier a woman named Annie from Melbourne, Australia was living in 4B and vanished without a trace and Rachel has now revived a letter from Annie’s sister pleading her to contact her as she’s worried.

Rachel slowly meets all the tenants in the building befriending Bridget and Robbie and Henry, entering a relationship with Alex, and navigating her place among the residents.

This book kept me on my toes from the very beginning. The twists are well done and the reveal at the end is a true bomb-drop!

Five stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank You NetGalley, Bookoture and Laura Wolfe for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Before Me by Laura Wolfe has all the hallmarks of a good psych thriller.
Rachel is a likeable heroine. It is easy to root for her because she is not a caricature. She is realistic, and her actions and thoughts understandable. It is easy to see where the reader could make the same decisions she does.
There is a “locked room” vibe to the plot. It is obvious from the prologue that Annie is (probably) “the girl before me” – with the “me” being Rachel. But most of the important action occurs within a few apartments in one building.
This allows for a finite number of suspects when things start to go a little strange for Rachel. The author does a great job of casting each person who Rachel comes in contact with as a potential villain.
It also allows for a sense of claustrophobia to permeate through several scenes. I got a definite “Rosemary’s Baby” feeling from the people and the building.
And that’s all I have to say about that point.
A good psych thriller has red herrings. Part of that is which characters are suspicious, but part of it is also not allowing the red herrings to be too farfetched or unbelievable. This is another area where the author largely succeeds.
I did think that Rachel’s situation that led her to be in the apartment wasn’t quite as fleshed out as it could have been. It served as a good option for the events but could have used a little more oomph to be completely believable. The same goes for Rachel’s mom.
Some of the characters were more like caricatures (kindly old couple, hot single guy, trendy girl, weirdo guy) – but I like to think that is by design. They didn’t bother me, they just felt familiar.
It is also a little strange that after the prologue, everyone is sort of like, “yeah, the person is gone” and…that’s it. On the surface, it seems odd that nobody would mention the police or offer more solid theories on where the person went.
However, in today’s transitory culture, especially in big cities, I don’t think it is unusual for people to adopt an “Oh well” type of attitude toward their neighbors. Especially when there are plausible excuses given for the person’s absence.
I know that sounds confusing, but I promise it makes sense in the context of the plot.
What I did like most about the book was that it all just made sense. Once the plot is revealed and the secrets are uncovered, it was possible to look back and see how everything was clearly laid out. It’s a good story when the author makes a clear path for the reader but then leads them astray.
Again, I know that is cryptic, but I don’t want to give anything away. Especially as there are a few final twists even after you think everything is wrapped up.
Laura Wolfe has written quite a few good psych thrillers and The Girl Before Me is another solid effort.