If you enjoyed Girl on The Train, you will like this book. I personally am not a big fan of thrillers so I wasn't expecting to love this book and I didn't. The two main characters, Emma and Jane were very dull and one dimensional. I did like the writing but the book as a whole the book was quite boring.

It was a mystery that did keep me turning pages, but mostly because I thought I had figured out whodunit and wanted to make sure I was right (I was). I prefer a few more twists and turns with my mystery, but this was still pretty atmospheric and dramatic.

A unique house with a peculiar land-lord. A lot of rules, with a harrowing application process. 
One Folgate Street, it was built by a techno-minimalist architect named Edward Monkford. Everything about Monkford is intense-from his 200 question application to the face-to-face interview. If you are accepted into this house, you have to live by strict rules and adapt to Monkford's idea of a minimalist lifestyle. It is all in the contract, which states no pets, no curtains, no rugs. Everything must be put away at all times (including dishes, clothes, etc), no books, nothing left out on floors, etc. Also,  you are required to keep the same cleaning service, must open the house to visitors for architecture tours, and must take assessments every month to see how you change throughout your stay at One Folgate Street.

I'm sure I will be in the minority on this, but here goes....I did not care for this book much.  Besides the general idea being so far-fetched, there was so many things going on, at times it was hard to keep up.

REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS

I really loved how this story was told. Alternating every chapter between each girl and their stories added to the suspense so much. What adds even more to the suspense is that Jane tells her story from the past and Emma is in the present. Having their lives intertwine so much was at times a bit creepy and really helped me to fall in love with this book. I loved the mystery element of Jane trying to figure out what happened to Emma and how it is the plot of the story, but it didn’t take over the story.

There were many parts of this book that I found myself surprised that the author was a male. Usually, I don’t think it matters who is writing because this is fiction and the author is using their imagination to tell a story so I judge the book based on their writing and depth of story.  In this case though, JP Delaney wrote so vividly about things that only a woman can go through that I was very impressed with his writing. He also did a wonderful job keeping me guessing the whole story and this book had so many twists and turns that it was a hard book to put down.

Both Emma and Jane felt so real to me that I was invested in both of their stories from the get go. Jane has just been through a home invasion and is looking for somewhere new to live with her boyfriend because she, understandably, doesn’t feel safe anymore where she is living. Emma has recently suffered a stillbirth and is trying to recover from the loss of her child. Both of these events are the motivation behind each girl’s choices and behaviors.  Even though both of their stories are taking place at different times many of the side characters are the same for both narratives, which just further entwines their stories. Both Emma and Jane were messy and relatable women and I found myself so caught up in each of their stories that I wasn’t even trying to look for clues to the mystery. Also, knowing that something is going to eventually happen to Emma kept the suspense level high throughout the whole story.

The Girl Before was way more dark and twisted than I thought it would be. I’m not really sure what I was expecting but it was definitely more rated R than PG13. I love how dark it was and it was a great addition to all the other elements in the book. This story has a lot of sexual content which may make some readers uncomfortable or may even be triggering so please keep that in mind if you’re deciding to read this book or not. JP Delaney balanced everything in this book so well and it was a very enthralling read.

Earlier in the month I posted about a challenge I was doing, where I’m wanted to read 15 thrillers before the end of the year. This was one of the books on the list and I’m so happy that I was finally pushed to read this because I loved it so much. I was also happy to find out that The Girl Before is being turned into a movie.  It is going to be such a great movie if done right and I will definitely be seeing it in theaters.

~Cassie

I had requested this book from Netgalley before I saw all the mixed reviews on it. I’m still glad I ended up reading it, but it definitely wasn’t as good as I was expecting, and ended up being more of a fence sitter.

The story is told through alternating POV. The newest resident of One Folgate Street, Jane, and the girl before, Emma. We know right from the get go something had to have happened, obviously, because One Folgate Street is back on the market and not still being lived in by Emma. I found the premise of the house itself to be more intriguing than the lives of the women and the people in their lives. Hell, I wanted to move into One Folgate Street after reading the descriptions of the location and how the house itself was set up.

This is tagged as mystery/thriller/suspense, and really all of that revolves around Jane trying to figure out what happened to Emma. The author really tries to make the reader suspect one person right from the get-go, but I’ve read too many mysteries to fall for it, and gradually came to the conclusion myself who the perp was before it was revealed.

Overall, when I finished the story I was left with the thought that you really never know anyone 100%, and Every. Single. Person. has secrets. Ever person in this story has had something traumatic happen to them:

-Emma: House was broken into and she no longer feels safe.
-Jane: Had a personal tragedy regarding a pregnancy.
-The Architect: Lost his wife and child years before in an architecture related accident.

But when it really came down to it, I kinda felt like the architect was the only one that was sort of coping with what happened to them, and trying to move on. Emma and Jane always came off to me like they were just trying to fill a void in their lives, rather than accepting the fact that you can’t fill the voids that struggles have left you with. Square peg, round hole. A thing can never be broken or cracked and be remade to be exactly what it was before.

I would recommend this book to those who don’t have strong background in reading mystery. I think those readers are the ones that would enjoy this the most. I guess I’m just too jaded so everything was really obvious to me. Still really happy I read this, finally, and would most likely look into something else from this author.

Copy received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book and what lies between the pages of it are so intriguing. I don't feel like that word encapsulates the book to the fullest extent but this was amazing to read. It was a page turner, for sure, and I'm still reeling from it.

1 Folgate Street is no ordinary house, it is cutting edge and won the Stirling Prize. It is an example of extreme minimalism and incorporates the latest home technology. It was originally designed by the techno-architect Edward Monkton as his family home but his wife and son died there which means its now available for others to live. Only there is the slight problem of over 200 conditions that have to be adhered to by whoever lives there. And they have to be interviewed and approved by Monkton personally.

The narrative focuses on Emma from the past, and Jane in the present. Both are troubled women. Emma was held at knife point by burglars and she is struggling to come to terms with this. This event drives her decision to apply to live in the house, despite her boyfriend, Simon's reservations. The conditions for residing there will turn her into a new person with more control, Jane has had a stillborn baby and grieving. This house will be her new start and she just happens to fancy the architect. She is receiving a flower delivery of gentians which she assumes is from the architect until she reads the card....and realises there is more to the house than she thought. Emma died in the house.

A concerned Jane begins to investigate Emma, the girl before to ascertain whether she was murdered, and if so by whom. There are uncomfortable similarities between her and Emma. From both resembling Edward's wife, to having a no strings attached affair with him which runs a similar if not identical course, to both having risque sex. Jane meets the people in Emma's life including Simon, the aggrieved boyfriend, and Carol, the therapist. Meanwhile, the house appears to develop an entity of its own as strange and random things happen. Is the controlling and manipulative Edward a killer? Is Emma a reliable narrator? An air of menace hangs over the house as danger begins to close in around Jane.

The writing is lucid, sparse and beautiful. Pretty much like the house, and there is an air of claustrophobia in the story. This is a house with tragic beginnings and a strong character that is destined to trouble those who live there, you can just feel this. It is a good psychological thriller that keeps you reading without ever losing interest.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

This was wonderful and suspenseful!  I have been trying to sit back and enjoy the ride when reading mysteries and suspenseful books...I think I'm getting better. 

The parallel stories of Emma and Jane were a unique twist and their tumultuous relationship with Edward unfolds with such fluidity, that you cannot help but get swept up in the current.  

Emma's character comes off as spoiled and entitled.

Edward's character is a bit 50 Shades in his discipline and rules. 

Jane's character is awesome!  I loved her resilience and ability to just keep going!

NetGalley provided this book for me to read and review.
THE GIRL BEFORE is being likened to GONE GIRL or GIRL ON THE TRAIN.  This reader likens it to THE STEPFORD WIVES (girls) meet FRANKENSTEIN while SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY. Ha!
Seriously, this book is seriously ludicrous. Women who willingly agree to sign a lease for a house whose tenant must agree to the TWO HUNDRED RULES of occupancy? Absurd! Said house is fully automated (so the tenant has no control over lighting, temperature, etc) ? Asinine! I couldn't begin to enjoy the suspense because I couldn't suspend my disbelief of such a preposterous and wacky storyline. This one gives new meaning to the word bizarre.   I didn't relate to or connect with any of the characters. Weird plot. Weird characters.

I realize I'm in the minority. I realize Ron Howard is making a movie based on this book. I guess it is a 'not for me' kind of book.

Www.goodreads.com
Www.amazon.com

Oh, where to start??? This was a wild ride and kept me guessing their every move--- loved it and loved that it kept me on the edge of my seat!! Way to go!!!!!

Two strikes, you're out.

DNF @24%

I tried, twice, but I don't want to read this. There's something a bit shallow about these characters and this world that doesn't interest me. And the way the author just handled a sensitive scene sealed the deal for me. I'm not investing time in this.

This is my first book by J.P. Delaney.  I found it to be a fast paced  and it will capture your attention from the first page to the very last page.  I enjoyed the short paragraphs going between the present and the past.  The plot was very creative  and also again the ending was a surprise.  When the movie comes out I am sure it will be a hit. 
 gave this book 4 stars

When I started TGB and all the players were introduced I thought I figured out the mystery hands down. BOY! Was I wrong. Nothing is quite as it seems and when a certain someone’s secrets and lies were revealed my jaw hit the floor because I was so stunned. More things start to unfold and one thing I can say is this is not predictable at all. Every time I thought I had it figured out I was proved wrong. It didn’t even end the way I thought. If you like mind f***s, this one is for you.

Highly recommend this book!  It took almost no time to get through.  The writing structure was fantastic.  It is gripping and thrilling and just when you think you understand whats happening, you are wrong.

I liked the premise and all of the technology in the house.  I felt like the characters weren't well developed enough and I felt like I didn't have enough invested in them.

This novel is about two women, several years apart, who rent a modern minimalist apartment whose architect-owner requires a very detailed application and then applies a lot of restrictive conditions on living there. It starts off with a good undercurrent of suspense as things are clearly going to get creepy, then veers towards Fifty Shades of Grey territory, then just keeps getting creepier and crazier and crazier. It was pretty dumb, but kept me reading and entertained.

The book is based around a house at One Folgate Street that was designed by an amazing architect.  This house is no ordinary house, it comes with pages and pages of rules that you have to agree to and basically has the motto of less is more.  It is a high tech house ran completely by technology and comes at a decent price as long as you agree to the rules and to be watched and monitored.

The book follows along with two different tenants at two different times.  Emma is in the past and died in the house, Jane finds out and begins to investigate her death.  The investigation takes her on a ride through many stories which don't add up.  I would consider this a psychological mystery, not really a thriller at all.  It is a very enjoyable and fast read.  I would definitely recommend it!

This is a pretty creepy book. I wasn't sure about it at the start - I wasn't keen on the style of Emma's narrative (where's the dialogue?) but as you go through the story it matters less and you understand more. Both women want their heads knocking together though, in fact most of the characters do, but it is an interesting read. You want to know what's happened and what's going to happen and I was surprised by the conclusion. There were a couple of outstanding niggles (who was the old guy in his socks, eating the crunchie??) but all in all I found it an easy and compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of The Girl Before.

This was an okay book, did have a twist in it, which is always nice.

Do you like rules?
Lots of ridiculous rules?

Do you like answering hundreds of multiple answer questions that test your personality?

Do you like someone tracking EVERYTHING you do....aaaaaaalll the time?

Eh?Eh? Anyone? Buler? Buler?


Nah me either.

But apparently once you meet the fabulous landlord you will be all about the *YAS*!

I was so very glad the author did not romanticize his crazy ass. I am so done with that sad story.
I couldn't get into either line of the story. We hear from both Emma (aka then) and Jane (aka now). And while Emma was not a likeable character I found Jane to be extremely flat.
I do have to admit the story kept me reading. I wanted to see where all of this ended up. The 'mystery ' was resolved and while it was a plausible resolution it was not the twist I was waiting for.....and then there was the 'true twist' at the end....

Really? Did we have to go there? 

It was not good.

I do believe Delaney has promise though. This story just didn't do it for me in the end. I do have to give the stars for keeping me reading. It  would have been three until that last 10% or so, I could have done without that.