A house with rules? Super creepy Psych thriller, I really enjoyed this one. I loved the alternating point of views of the "then and now", and I'll definitely be recommending it to friends. Cant wait to see this as a movie!
Thank you NetGalley!

This is a great book and I really enjoyed it.

*Warning: Possible spoilers ahead*





The book follows the narratives of two women that have lived in the same minimalist house. It is clear that this story is one that will quickly become a narrative that people will want to read and talk about obsessively.

The characters were nuanced and important and each time that Edward approached one of the women (in the past and in the present), I found myself gasping for air a little bit. I wanted to know why Edward would do the things that he had done and why he was the way that he was.

But, in the end, it turned out that the women needed to be looked at more closely. I mean this book was clearly all about the women - and really, all about Jane.

At one point I found myself saying, "I don't know which characters to love and which characters to hate!" And, even at the end, I still feel the same way. And, really, that is the sign of a good character - the conflict to decide whether you like them or not because that is how we feel about most people in real life as well.

Overall, a really wonderful read in this latest genre to really explode (the psychological thriller/who killed her/why didn't I think of that). I was not smart enough to figure out the twists (I always get too wrapped up to figure them out), but I am sure there will be people that can figure it out without a problem.

4.5/5 stars for this one!

SUMMARY
Two women, three years apart, both traumatized by recent events in their lives, need to make a new start and find a new place to live. Then they are told about an architecturally unique house that's available for just the right person. The catch is they have to be approved by the architect and they have to agree to a list of over 200 restrictive covenants.

Both women believe this house and all of its rules are just what is needed in their torn lives. Emma covets the the safety of the house after her previous flat was burglarized. She sees the rules as a way to totally change her life, a way to become a new person. Jane also seeks a new start after the loss of a baby. After Jane moves in she learns about the unresolved death of a previous tenant. She wants to know what happened. She has to know. Her investigation leads her down a dangerous path where the lies and the truth are tangled.


REVIEW
THE GIRL BEFORE is two stories masterfully wound together like a rope. The story of then and now. Two women, strikingly similar in appearance, both in need a new start, and both fall for the demanding architect. Their stories are full of twists and turns.

Pleasantly surprising, the unique house at One Folgate Street is the perfect setting for THE GIRL BEFORE. Everything, from the pale stone walls, to the cream sofa, to the towels, and wine glasses, are of the finest quality And the house, although austere, has such advanced technical innovations, it just might be the most perfect living environment. Who wouldn't want a house that knows everything we like and even strives to makes us a better person?

THE GIRL BEFORE expertly intertwines the stories of Emma and Jane. And this was the perfect way to tell this particular story. JP Delaney's writing is clear and bright. It's a challenging and enjoyable psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages late into the night.

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one very strange book. It's about a house and two women who lived there. At first, I thought the women were living there at the same time but in a different dimension. It is that strange. But then I realized that they were living there a year apart. Emma lived there first and then Jane. The house is all stone. The walls, the floor, the stairs, everything. You can only bring in certain things. The furniture, dishes, cookware, and most of the household goods are already there. You just bring in your personal items much like a hotel. There are pictures in the book to let you get a sense of what the house looks like. It's not for everyone.

It's fully automated and it keeps track of your body to let you know what vitamins your needing, whether the air needs to be turned up or down. The shower is controlled for you. The gas stove is controlled for you. It's all done for you.

All designed by this man named Edward something. What happens to these women after they move in to this house is definitely worth reading. And both of their lives change drastically. I've heard it's being made into a movie. It will definitely be a thriller I can't wait to see as this was a book I could not put down.

Definitely an entertaining, thrilling and mesmerizing read.

Huge thanks to Ballantine Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Competition to live as a minimalist, albeit with rules and provisions this reader could not live up to. Two girls, young women really, striving to appease a control freak. In the background a deceitful and revenge seeking ex-lover. All the characters are fascinating, each in their own way. Each is seeking their own satisfaction, playing the game of life, and each struggling with issues both personal and public. That their paths cross is necessary to make the story flow and intensify the plot. The author accomplishes this with a double time pace. All the elements required for a great read, deceit, love, lack of love, betrayal, crime, law enforcement and morals tossed into a trash can. All the while the seemingly brilliant manipulator appears to have been manipulated. Maybe.

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.

I was initially drawn to this book by the promise of a psychological thriller about two women who find the same house in the wake of their own tragic life events with terrible consequences. Unfortunately, I did not feel that the book lived up to the hype that the summary promised. It was very difficult to be drawn into the book and even more difficult to connect with the characters. You could skim entire chapters without missing any necessary detail or storyline of the book. The ending didn’t shock me or provide any emotional reaction like most psychological thrillers do, and honestly I never really feared for the women featured in the book. All in all, I’d suggest skipping this one if you’re looking for a true thrill.

*Disclaimer* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All together I would say a 3.5 star book that to me read as more of a 4.

A psychological thriller about women with the word girl in the title, CRAZY, yet somehow I was still intrigued.

My first advice is for any publisher to halt all press that relates, any book at this point, to Gone Girl. Your book is not Gone Girl, it will not be Gone Girl, and you will let people down that you wouldn't otherwise.

With that being said, I think this book was way more well done than I expected. I really enjoyed the dual narrative which I normally am not a massive fan of. You do sometimes have repeats of the story but the different perspectives are both interesting enough that it didn't bother me.

Emma.....I was not a fan, and I think a lot of people will agree. However, I do think there a large camp of people who can relate to her. I try to not let that bother me in a story, unfortunately in this case it just really did.

Overall it wasn't perfect, but I think people in general will really love this story.

Two women, living in the same house at different times. Both of whom need something in their life, need it desperately. This is a state of the art modern home, the picture of simplicity and perfection. With just a little something....off.

This book is exactly what the summary promises: a complete and utter mind fuck.

It took everything in my being not to skip to the end of this damn book. The chapters bounce back and forth between Emma, "The Girl Before", and Jane, The Girl Now. There's a certain symmetry to their stories, despite the fact that they couldn't be more different.

The house sounds incredible, by the way. If it weren't for the intense creep factor, I would be very tempted to live in a house like this. What possessions do you value most in your life? I value everything, throwing away almost nothing. Could I live like this? What do I need in my life, what could happen to make this prospect so appealing?

You get completely wrapped up in the story of these women's lives. And by the time you get to the end, everything you thought you knew is thrown out the window.

On top of all of this, you have Edward Monkford. Stoic, OCD, entirely creepy. Not even remotely charismatic, which is why I find it unrealistic that these women would be enticed into a relationship with him. I think this is the author projecting here.

There are a few problematic factors to this book, all of which make me cast a side eye at the author, whose previous works I don't recognize, but who clearly has had a decent career in his own right. I'm not sure what's up with writing behind a pseudonym, and I'm not interested in criticizing this decision. Just noting it.

Despite the problematic portions, this really is an absolute page turner. Even if you flip to the end, you won't entirely get the full picture.

With that being said, Don't flip to the end. Seriously. The anticipation pays off, just go with it.

Emma Matthews has been through a traumatic experience. She has been burglarized and attacked in the safety of her own home. She doesn't feel safe there anymore so she and her boyfriend, Simon, are on a seemingly endless hunt for a new, safer, place. They come a cross One Folgate Street where the application process is grueling but the home is an architectural and technological masterpiece. Rarely does anyone get accepted and even more rarely do those accepted actually stay.

Jane Cavendish has been through a traumatic experience. She has just lost her baby at birth and she is looking for a new start. She comes across a place called One Folgate Street and decides that it is the only place that she could consider home. The architect, Edward Monkford, has outlandish demands for the tenants of his home and his obsession with minimalism and perfection are difficult to accommodate. However, he thinks Jane is the perfect match for the home. After she is accepted, that is when things become very strange and she sets out to find the truth. Is the truth better off hidden?

This book was hard to put down! The chapters were short with the narration switching from Emma to Jane and from the past to present, respectively. This book kept me guessing throughout the book and until the last few chapters, it is very hard to figure out the actual identity of the villain. It is not a flat plotline, rather, there are so many twists and turns that it is almost dizzying. Lastly, this book covers many topics but they blend together so well that it did not seem overwhelming to read.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys plot twists. I also recommend this book for any reader who enjoys sifting through red herrings.

However, I do not think this book would be for any reader that is offended by violence, foul language, sexually suggestive scenarios, stillbirth, mild drug use, stalking, rape, burglary, infidelity, murder, and conversations about abortion.

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.