I don’t really know where to start because even after a week from finishing The Girl Before I still can’t make my mind up. I didn’t love it I know that for sure but there’s a few reasons and I can’t really put my finger on exactly what it was but here are my thoughts…

Let’s start with the fact the characters are pretty weird. Now if you like messed up characters then you’ll probably love this. My husband also got a Netgalley review copy and he likes weird characters and pretty much ended up loving this.

Emma (the girl before) and Jane are two very different characters but they both have the same flaw. They’re vulnerable, gullible and a little immature. Then there’s Edward who’s been likened to Christian Grey because he has weird sex habits. Now the sex habits weren’t really my issue it was more his OCD and rules that I found odd.

I thought this was going to be about a creepy house but actually the house doesn’t have much to do with it. There were a few twists and turns but many turned out to be predictable and I wasn’t left gobsmacked.

Overall this was an entertaining read, the writing was good and it was a quick read. I read this in like a day so I was suitably gripped but not enough To warrant this more than three stars. I liked it but it was nothing special. I just hope one day we find out who JP Delaney is!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.

JP Delaney has a slightly more brutal style of writing a thriller which I love and this one is so cleverly done - the best one yet

Jane is looking for a house in ever increasingly expensive London after a traumatic experience, she is given the opportunity of a lifetime to live in an amazing minimalist house for a low rental amount as long as she agrees to the very long list of strange rules and clauses, just like the girl before Jane (Emma) who died in the house, .........then history starts repeating itself.

The story is told by two different characters during two different timelines but with very similar events which I found intriguing and a good style of writing. There were often times where I would think a certain character would not react that way to certain situations she is put in after the traumatic event she had experienced, but this is explained further on in the book. I also grew to dislike many of the characters due to the way they react to certain situations.

I would also like to say, anyone who has personally gone through a stillbirth may want to avoid this book as it is a major part of the story and some may find upsetting.

I am slightly torn about how I feel about this book, as there were certain elements of the writing I found terrible, (the author often using "she goes" instead of "she says" which I just found off-putting), then the end seemed a little underwhelming and a certain aspect (which I can't say without giving part of the ending away) seems to be brought in just for the sake of it-I am guessing as the writer has experience of this issue it is just to bring awareness of it.

I am giving it 4 stars because aside from the issues I mention above, the book is written well, it is atmospheric and builds the suspense, I found myself wanting to go back to it and struggling to figure out how Emma had died and if anyone was responsible for her death.

The beginning of the kindle editions states that this book is being made into a film with Ron Howard directing which I do think will do well in cinemas and I am personally looking forward to.

Edited in 2021 after the BBC1 programme. I still very much agree with the above but can not remember what the issue with the ending was! I thought the programme did a great job of this book and building the tense atmosphere and second guessing, (which doesn't happen often!) and I could remember quite a lot of it which suggests a good book for me!

**Spoiler-Free Review**

“I believe you may be in danger.”

The Girl Before by JP Delaney was thrilling, compelling and you feel like you are in a race against time as you turn the pages. The way in which it’s written felt slightly odd and did take us some time to get used to. Told in two pov’s: Emma in the past and Jane in the present, one serves as a chilling mystery for the other to solve. The twists and deceptions are immense, and we have to say we did not see a lot of them coming. In fact, until the very end, we had no clue where this story was going such was the meticulous unveiling of behavioural clues and psychological truths. Upon finishing we’re still not entirely sure of all the how’s and why’s. What we are one hundred percent sure of though, is that we were swept up in this eerie whodunit drama and were kept on tenterhooks throughout, trying to piece together a puzzle where tiny pieces were missing or didn’t quite fit. Was it a masterpiece? Almost, parts of the picture were still blurred upon finishing but the journey to get there certainly hinted at it.

In a well-run society, there have to be consequences for those who break the rules.

Agree Disagree

It all begins at the tragic and sterile minimalistic One Folgate Place, a rental home masquerading as a stunning architectural vision designed by the elusive Edward Monkford. A house designed to adapt to the person living there yet also create a more tranquil, honest, and less hurried lifestyle in its inhabitant. If the walls could talk though they would scream! One Folgate Place seems to attract the damaged or broken, those who have suffered emotional trauma or grief. However, one simply doesn’t just move in! A lengthy questionnaire must be filled in, once you pass with a nod from Edward Monkford, and move in, an ongoing survey must be filled out with the most impossible questions of moral dilemmas. Questions that we ourselves found almost impossible to answer though they were intriguing, and we could discuss them for hours! Just what happened to Emma? And what part did Edward Monkford and One Folgate Place play in her death? If you love psychological suspense thrillers, problematic obsessive characters, and superbly written whodunits, then The Girl Before by JP Delaney should definitely be on your list!

“There was a time when One Folgate Street seemed like a calm, serene haven. Now it doesn’t. It feels claustrophobic and aggressive. Like the house is angry with me.”

'The Girl Before' has a fantastic premise - a beautifully and lavishly furnished house is offered at an astonishingly reasonable rent on the proviso that the potential occupants provide a list of the things in their life that they consider essential. An odd request but not one that deters either Emma or Jane, both reeling from traumas in their lives, to jump at the chance of a fresh start inside Number One Folgate Street. But this oddly personal request - and the way in which the house seems purposefully designed to change the person living within it - may have devastating consequences for them both.

For me personally, the novel itself didn't quite live up to the brilliance of its premise - although it definitely has some brilliantly tense moments. Although I enjoyed the alternating perspectives between Emma and Jane - and the way in which this increases the tension and draws out the reveal - I found the presentation of the characters and their backstories, as well as the final twist to be rather cliche.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing per se - for readers who love psychological thrillers then this is a solid addition to the genre and One Folgate Street itself provides a unique setting and a new take on an old premise - but personally I didn't feel as if I was reading something that I hadn't read before.

Unfortunately, I read this book back in 2017 but completely forgot to upload a review on here, so can't remember exactly what I was going to say about it!

What a brilliant book this was. I absolutely loved it . Gripped me from the very start and I didn’t want to put it down.

I'll be honest, I didn't love this book. Although the fast pace kept me interested and the premise was intriguing there were quite a few issues that put me off. The first being that both women seemed interchangeable- which I get is kind of the point but it made it hard to differentiate between each of their voices- they both seemed to have quite different personalities but were never fully explored, and the writing felt very impersonal. A side niggle is that in the chapters focusing on Emma (the girl before) no speech marks were used. I am guessing this was to help separate the two characters but surely there was a better way than forgoing punctuation...

Both women and in fact pretty much all the characters were unlikable. Usually that isn't an issue for me as some of my favourite books feature an unlikable protagonist but I felt like the actions of the two women were unrealistic. Jane was described as a smart woman and yet none of her decisions made sense and seemed stupid. Edward was made out to be a desirable character when I just felt like he was a controlling creep and the fact these woman wanted anything to do with him was beyond me!

I loved The Girl Before - pacy, addictive and chilling, a perfect psychological thriller. Thanks to the publishers for the review opportunity.

An interesting idea for this book, and easy to keep track of the 'before' girl and the 'now'. The twist was not totally unsurprising, but still enjoyable, and the ending was okay but not to my taste. I was quite happy reading this, and was interested to see where the story would go.

Massive fan of this author, another gripping, original read - flew through it and can't wait for the next book.

I liked the format of switching between Emma in the past and Jane in the present. Fast paced and kept me hooked.

4 stars.

A gripping and addictive story which fall under the category intelligent thrillers. Lots of twists, turns and red herrings and will be interested to see the Hollywood Version.

This is not a review. I'm not writing a further review of this book, for reasons dealt with on the previous page, and there's no need to send this on to the publisher.

1 Folgate Street, the ultra-modern, high-tech, immaculate haunted house. With its cheap rent, London location and personalised technology, it might be a dream home for some. But the house comes with rules, very specific, very lengthy rules. Emma and Simon accept these rules, and Emma doesn't live in the house long before her body is found at the bottom of the (ultra modern) staircase.
Next comes Jane. Delighted to find a home in London she can afford, she agrees to the demands of 1 Folgate Street, and it's designer, Edward. As she becomes close to Edward, Simon (dropping off flowers on the doorstep in memory of Emma) warns her to keep away, or end up like Emma. Haunted by the previous tenant and her violent death, Jane digs into the history of the house, as the house watches on.
The story is told from the dual perspectives of Emma and Jane. Emma is flighty, complicated and hard to trust. Jane is independent, fierce but naive. As Emma stumbles towards her death, and Jane explores the manner of her death, and the death of Edward's first wife, it is difficult to decide which characters can be trusted. Edward for sure is a man you should run a million miles from. He was so incredibly well-described, he made my skin crawl. The Emma ending was actually surprising, it's very rare that a story can surprise me like that. The Jane ending was very unsurprising, but not a detriment to the story in any way. This was definitely worth a read, as it was unpredictable and shocking in places. It's very rare that I can't work out the ending, but this one was shocking and incredibly clever. Jane's character left me thinking about the book long after I had finished it. I'll definitely be recommending this to others!

I was so excited to receive a copy of this from Quercus & Netgalley in return for an honest review however it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I loved the actual concept but found the execution a little lacking. As some have said it does venture slightly into 50 shades territory (but believe you me the writing is far superior to that pile of drivel) and there are times you want to shake Jane for being so drippy and compliant. It did hold me however and I would recommend for a quick holiday/travelling read. It hasn't put me off reading more by this author & hopefully she'll take some of the feedback on board.

An excellent read. Was hooked from the start. Told from two perspectives....Past and present- with a twist that I didn't see coming. Quite chilling, strangely stalkerish. Would highly recommend, couldn't put it down, don't want to give too much away!

I really enjoyed The Girl Before. Very well written, well paced and built suspense right up until the reveal.
Excited to read future J P Delaney books as I couldn’t put this one down!

Thank to NetGalley, J P Delaney and the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Before is enticing and heart racing. The slow but steadied introduction to the protagonists Emma and Jane bring the reader to a state of not wanting to put the book down. Rather I felt I wanted to devour the entire book in one sitting. The hardships that both Emma and Jane have suffered which have lead them to One Folgate are gently unravelled to the reader.

Delaney has a perfect balance of thrill and it leaves the reader inquisitive. What happened to the Girl Before?!? This was a brilliant read, the only downfall was that it left me wanting the rest of the book to read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the sample in exchange for my honest review.

This book took me a good month to read- I kept putting it down, picking it up, putting it down, picking it up.....

I had to know what was 1 Folgates secret.

But my god this book drove me crazy!

I liked the present tense side of the story- I just hated the past tense side.

It was difficult to read- especially the way it had been written- with no punctuation- I found myself reading some lines 3 times before I realised they were part of the conversation.....or even who was saying them.

The ending was underwhelming too- After the big lead up I expected more