Told in alternating point of view from then and now, this is a really interesting story. It grabbed me and kept my interest. I strongly disliked some of the characters which is the sign of good writing because I felt like I knew them well and they weren't people I would want to spend time with. Twisted with passion and full of pain and heartbreak, you aren't really sure who to trust and who is to blame for that awful things that continue to happen in a minimalistic world. Well written and enjoyable read.

Imagine finding a house beyond all your expectations, only to find out it comes with some very strange rules. Nothing can go on the floor. Everything has a place. No books allowed. The computer system running the house will collect all your data (including vitals) to see how physically and mentally healthy you are and what the trends are. Basically, you are a social experiment in your own home. That is exactly what Emma and Jane experienced. Emma was a resident at one Folgate street prior to Jane. However, the parallels between their experiences are uncanny. Jane starts to wonder what exactly lead to Emma’s death in the house then starts to fear for her safety as well. Can she figure out the secrets of this house before they claim her as well?

This was one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while. I love how it kept switching from Emma back to Jane. You could see how they were both experiencing the same things in almost identical timelines. While the storyline was similar, Emma and Jane were two drastically different people. How Delaney was able to pull you into the true nature of these characters during all these plot twists was amazing. I couldn’t put this book down and intend on looking up more works by this author. I give this one a 5 out of 5 and thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THE GIRL BEFORE
This book was very unusual. It’s unlike any thriller I’ve read. The story jumps smoothly between two beautiful, young residents of One Folgate Street in London. Emma, the tragic prior tenant, and Jane, the current resident, who is drawn into investigating the mystery of what happened to the girl who came before her. Jane seems to be walking in Emma’s footsteps and this concerns her. One Folgate Street is a character in its own right, a super high-tech house that can sense and respond to its occupants’ needs. It was designed to be a dwelling of serenity and calm, without clutter and a drastically minimalist style--no doorknobs, curtains, wastepaper baskets, even books! The interior décor is basically an open chamber of pale stone, stark and impersonal. It gave me an ominous feeling and created a sense of impending doom. Creepy!

The writing style is ingenious and seemed to reflect the mood of the house, clean and flowing, divulging only the barest of information to keep you turning pages. Its characters are broken or struggling in some way, battling their demons, which gives the story a certain darkness. The pace really quickens throughout the last portion of the book with its many twists and surprises. I found this a very unique read.

Very unusual story with a mystery and questions that had me turning pages. I finally had to stop everything and finish the book because I was so curious to find answers. The end was not quite what I expected, but it worked. The author's note helped me understand and appreciate "The girl before".
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Disconcerting issues about a man's obsession with a certain body type.

This is a tightly plotted mystery about three women who have lived in the same house, a house designed by an egotistical and single-minded architect and controlled by a domineering computer. Two of the women are dead.

The writing is very good, the plot and characters excellent.

I received a review copy of "The Girl Before: A Novel" by JP Delaney (Ballantine) through NetGalley.com.

Loved this book, even though I sort of hated the ending. So well written, kept my interest all the way through, with red herrings throughout, just enough so that, although the twist was completely shocking to me, it was still one of those where I went back to earlier chapters to see what I had missed! Thank you so much for this ARC!

My one plea to these authors/editors, is to STOP using the word "girl" in every freaking title. We readers are not machines that are only attracted to a book because of a word in the title; give us good writing, complex characters, and a creative plot line, and we will read it. Okay, now onto this book. Another thriller that will make us turn pages faster than Gone Girl and Girl on the Train? Yes, it is good, yes it deserves the buzz surrounding it, and yes, Ron Howard should continue his task to bring it to the big screen, regardless of the fact that the title annoys me. J.P. Delaney, a 'new' author, is a bit mysterious. Listed as being a pseudonym for a best-selling fiction writer, it is obvious that he/she knows how to write a solid mystery. The setting is London, with two parallel story lines driving the story: Emma, a young woman from 'before' who is looking for a safe flat after being burgled and threatened at knife point in the flat she shares with her boyfriend, Simon; and Jane, the woman from 'now' who needs a sanctuary after having a stillborn child. Enter the architect and owner of One Folgate Street, a flat offered for let with some invasive rules attached, and the story starts to go off in some creepy, mysterious, all together page-turning directions. Twists and turns abound, some cynical yet kind police detectives come into play as do neighbors, co-workers, and an empathetic psychiatrist. If you're looking for a great beach read, or a book to dive into on a cold rainy night, or just your next great thriller, I would highly recommend this one.

THE GIRL BEFORE written by J.P. Delaney is the story of a house and the women who inhabit it.
The story is told from the perspective of two women, Emma and Jane and their respective stories of living in One Folgate Square. The house takes on a major role in this novel; the house forces it’s occupants to live a life of austerity, people who live here begin to see life in another way. Part of the application process of living at One Folgate Square is to: Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.
This book really made me think about what possessions are essential to my life, I am anxious to share this book with friends to discuss this and other aspects of this thought provoking book.

4.25- 4.5 STARS

“The Girl Before” is a psychological drama about two very different women—Emma & Jane—who, though years apart, once lived at 1 Folgate Street. In addition to sharing the same address, the reader will quickly discover that Emma and Jane’s lives have intertwined in more ways than one.

1 Folgate Street is the brain child of renowned architect Edward Monkton. It’s sleek, minimalist design and cutting edge technology makes for a beautiful yet highly functional home. But there are numerous rules and stipulations that one must agree to in order to reside there. A series of questions must also be answered, and Edward himself will interview the handful of perspective tenants that he, alone, deems to be fit.

For both women, the desire to live at 1 Folgate Street stems from very different-- yet very significant--tragedies in their lives. For Emma, the move was prompted by a home burglary/assault. For Jane, it was the senseless loss of her full-term, unborn child. Looking for a fresh new start, both women believe that they can find solace in their new, uncluttered environment.

Switching between past and present, Emma and Jane’s stories gradually unfold. As the events of their lives are slowly revealed, it becomes apparent that Edward Monkton is not exactly who he seems. Romantically entangled with first Emma, and then later on Jane, it appears that Edward might be searching for a look-alike substitute to take the place of his deceased wife Elizabeth.

Emma’s story ends with her untimely death--a fatal fall from the built-in staircase inside 1 Folgate Street. Was it an accident? Was it murder? Or was it suicide? No one really knows for sure. But as Jane delves further into Emma’s death, she uncovers a multitude of secrets along the way, as well as the indisputable fact that all suspicion points in Edward’s direction.

“The Girl Before” has a unique and interesting premise with several twists and turns sprinkled throughout. Right from the very start, the story drew me in, and held me captive till the very end. While the characters themselves don’t showcase any real depth, the story was an easy, thought-provoking read that I was able to finish in just one sitting

The Girl Before is told from the alternating points of view, and in the alternating timelines, of Emma and Jane, from the time before they move in, until the time they leave the house - or something else happens. Emma lived there first - and Emma died there. As Jane moves in, she begins to hear rumblings of what happened to Emma, and begins to investigate the truth behind the house, and the mysterious, troubled, possibly sociopathic architect who built it. Both women, each in their own timelines, becomes more and more entangled with the house and the man who made it. All three of the characters begin to reveal themselves as disturbed, possibly unhinged, until neither the reader nor the narrators know who they can trust.

Beautifully written. I really enjoyed reading about Emma and Jane. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll leave it at this, I was surprised more than I thought I would be by the twists and turns back and forth between the life of Emma and the life of Jane. I definitely would've finished this novel in two days time or less if it wasn't for daily life/responsibilities. Edge of my seat, read the last 100 pages in one sitting while making dinner for the Family. Read the Author acknowledgements. They were very touching as well. Terrific work J.P. Delaney, thank you for the wonderful opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review

Before I tell you how this book has changed my book life I want to take a minute to thank JP Delaney and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for my advanced copy of The Girl Before. Thank you so much for giving me this gem, it will now be a book I recommend to any person who will listen. I have read that this book was compared to Gone Girl and I did read Gone Girl but I have to say this is in a league of its own!
The first thing I thought when I picked this up was okay who is the girl before and how are Emma and Jane connected to her. This oddly enough starts with a flat, One Folgate Street seems to be the perfect place for those wanting a decent home, yet can't afford one. But how far are people willing to go to have the perfect and affordable place to live? What will you give up and how simplistic can you be? The house is designed to measure everything that the tenants have to do and how they live. This computer system, called Housekeeper had several beneficial aspects to the home owner...recognizing who was in the shower, and their water preferences, noticing the amount of REM sleep they got, checking their stress levels. This system is also in my opinion a way of a Punishment inflicted by the narcistic over obsessive landlord Edward who by the end of this whiplash rollercoaster of a book you will Love to hate yet still connect to by the time you get off the ride. Each Possible Tenant is put through a vigrious application process designed to enhance Edwards odd tendencies.
First you meet Emma a broken shattered soul who moves into the flat with the supposed love of her life Simon. Their story is short lived and Emma is swept up in the persona of Edward just the way years later Jane will be. I refuse to go into this any further then I already have but I will say if you choose to spend money on a book in 2017 this is the book to do it on! Hands down a 5 Star read. The only thing I wish I knew was who the author is behind the pseudonym so I could read more books form them! I can’t wait to see this one unfold as a MOTION PICTURE!

"I believe you may be in danger."


This book feels like it could have been so much better. The premise of a woman living in the same house where another woman who looked like her died and the mystery surrounding her death was intriguing to me.

The story is told from two POVs. One from Emma, who has recently suffered an attack and wants a house that could make her feel safe. The other one comes from Jane, the new tenant who has recently suffered the loss of her baby.

The first part of the novel moved very slowly but I found the last third of the book to be the best. The suspense was finally there. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Jane and the truth about Emma's death. The author gives the reader a couple of good twists which made the story more appealing too.

I'm not sure how anyone would pick Edward as relationship material. He was selfish, self-righteous, mental about perfection, and he discarded women in a blink of an eye without further explanation.

The house and the house rules were all crazy too. Good luck finding tenants to follow those crazy rules and regulations. I wouldn't be able to stay in a place like that. I would be questioning everything including outside access to the camera feeds. Just the questionnaire would have been enough to say goodbye to the idea of renting it. Cheap is never good. See ya One Folgate Street!

Overall, I would say that the story had some good scenes and twists but it was lacking the thrill of suspense.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This house will either destroy you or improve you.

A relationship based on perfection. Both with the house itself and the man that made it.

Told from the point of view of both characters in different time frames. Emma and Jane are both looking for solace after tragedy has struck their lives. One folgate street offers this for them, the chance to start over, leave everything behind and live in a house that will protect them from the outside world.

The house was created by an eccentric architect after his wife and child died. He is a perfectionist who demands you follow the rules, and not just a few. There are pages of rules and a lengthy application process just to even qualify to rent the house, followed by a face to face with the architect himself.

The house is shrouded in mystery, both the fact that the architects family is buried beneath the home, and the fact that Emma died here. With all the technology that this house has Jane hopes to find the answers of what happened to Emma, the woman who looks amazingly similar to herself.

But when she starts investigating the deaths related to the building, the house begins to turn on her, it’s almost as if it’s punishing her. Will she find the answers before it’s too late for her too?

The Girl Before is a suspenseful story that follows two women, Emma and Jane. Both women rent a house at One Folgate Street at different time periods. Emma was the first, and Jane was the renter who came after her.

Emma has some issues following a burglary at her previous residence. She and her boyfriend, Simon, move into the new, high tech house at One Folgate Street because of its security features. The application procedure is unusual and lengthy, but they are finally approved by the architect, Edward Monkford, who owns the house.

The requirements to live in this house are onerous. One has to keep the place neat and clean at all times – not even leaving out dirty dishes! The house is immaculate and very sparse. The occupants are expected to be the same. It’s a totally different way of living and only a few people can tolerate all the terms and conditions required by the landlord.

Emma has an ‘accident’ and falls down the stairs to her death. Jane is the next person who passes the arduous application process and moves into the house. She has her own issues following the stillbirth of her baby. After a time, she begins to look into the mysterious death of Emma. What she finds is frightening.

The house itself seems like a character in the story. It is such a large presence and one cannot avoid being changed by the house and the way it demands its residents live their lives in such a Spartan and fastidious manner. The security and tech features are cutting edge. The integration of technology into every aspect of the home has its benefits but also some disadvantages, such as when house features are disabled until the occupant finishes a survey.

Both women engage in romantic relationships with Monkford. As a character, he is as fastidious and demanding as his building is. He is a very controlling individual and would seem to be a difficult person to be around. As Jane delves more deeply into Emma’s death, she learns some disturbing things about her lover.

This story maintained suspense and tension throughout. The twist at the end was so well done that I didn’t see it coming at all. The characters are all believable and given plenty of background so they seem real to the reader. Settings are described well and the narrative moves forward at a good pace. Editing was done well; I ran across no spelling or punctuation errors in the text.

The author has created a unique and suspenseful tale that is woven closely with the presence of the house itself, which is one of the more uniquely interesting settings I have run across in fiction yet. Readers can really ‘nerd out’ on all the tech gadgets and whiz-bang cool stuff that are used in this building. The story will appeal to anyone who likes suspense or thrillers, without all the overt violence found in some of these stories these days. Yes, several people die, but it does not happen in a gruesome or over-the-top manner. The story has elements of romance and mystery as well as the suspense. All in all, I found it a very appealing and enjoyable read with plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing until the end. I recommend this book highly!

This book was a very interesting read. I loved how easily the two stories of the main characters Emma and Jane wove into each other but had their own distinctly different outcomes. I absolutely enjoyed the way this book was written and found it to be a quick read (I couldn't put it down!) Great characters that really pulled you into the stories and the architecture was explained very well. Loved it and am looking forward to reading more of this author!

This was an odd one for me, as I can't say that I aboslutely loved it, but it certainly got under my skin and is one I don't think I will soon forget. This just might be part of the reason a movie is being made out of it, which I can't wait to see how things will play out on the big screen.

The story centers around a high tech, minimalist house created by renowned architect Edward Monkford. After his wife and child died there in a tragic accident, (or was it?) Edward decides to rent the home, but only to those who pass his strict and lengthy interview process. Once chosen, the renter has to abide by strict rules that are monitored closely, in order to live there.

This is told through the voices of 2 of these renters. Jane, who recently lost a child and feels the stark blank walls are just what she needs to help recover, and Emma, the notorious 'Girl Before'.

There are moments of great intensity here, but also there were some chapters that fell flat, which is part of why this didn't cut it as a 5 star for me. The other reason is that I really didn't like any of the characters, which made it hard for me to feel any kind of sympathy for their plights. I was hoping for a better ending, although to be honest I can't say just how, so it probably is the best ending possible. Again-this is where I can't wait to see how it plays out in the theaters.

This is very much a worthy read, as the story line was different and there were some nice twists that I hadn't anticipated. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more from the author!

ARC provided by NetGalley

In the description of this book The Girl on The Train and The Silent Wife are both mentioned in common with the genre of psychological thriller. Having read both of these books I found The Girl Before a more interesting read.
I was never bored or felt like there were any slow moments during my read. Emma and Jane are two very different woman who both end up with similar events happening in there timeline. With Emma from a few years back and Jane in the present you as a reader get to see how similar events happen to them but their actions are not so similar. At the beginning I wasn't quite sure what the "mystery" was going to be and as you keep reading more and more things are revealed to you and you still aren't sure what is trying to be solved exactly.
When the main "mystery" is revealed, its not the only thing your curious about. You are curious about so much more than just solving that. Their are questions as to how everything relates. It took me by surprise. At first I felt near the ending that it was a little anticlimactic but I came to realize that there was much more to the story than just solving that one particular aspect.
I respected the ending with Jane's character and the reveal of the title. It's always my favorite part to find the title in a book and see if it truly does have significance to the story and this did not disappoint. It was definitely not what I thought the title would stand for but I love it.
I would definitely read more by this author.

This will go live on my blog on Jan. 24. Kellyvision.wordpress.com

This novel takes place over two time periods in the same house. Jane lives there now and Emma lived there a few years ago. The house is...unusual. It's almost never rented out and the owner (who also designed it) has rules. You can't redecorate. You have to put everything away as soon as you're done. Dishes are washed, dried and put away immediately. The decor is minimalist and will stay that way. The house is smart (it remembers you and lights, shower temperature, etc. are the way you like it. It sounds strict and it is. But that's not the weird thing. The house...glitches sometimes. Settings change. But are they glitches or something more sinister?

This book is so creepy and it's impossible to know how much is real and how much is imagination. I couldn't stop reading and almost every twist took me by complete surprise.

Read this and go in knowing as little as possible. Recommended.