It is not who you think it is! This book gets under your skin and wriggles and dances away, but it is still not the ending you think it would be.
Loved it, this seriously messes with your head ten-fold.

1 Folgate Street is a beautiful but austere home. Its rent for the area is beyond reasonable. The catch? There's a list of rules that must be adhered to at all times. The rules range from standard to WTF. Nothing can be changed or added without the architects express permission. And you're as likely to get that as a winning lotto ticket. Jane has just suffered a still birth and needs to get away from the home she had planned to raise her daughter in. Having to strip her belongings down appeals to her and she applies and is successful in been chosen to live their. But she soon hears that one of the last tenants, Emma, died in suspicious circumstances. As she learns more about Emma, and becomes closer to the architect Edward she begins to obsess what really happened to the girl before her.

The story is told from Emma's and Jane's POV and to begin with mirror each other. Edward is a manipulative control freak and uses pretty much the same lines on them. But the women are very different characters and react differently to his treatment.

So I have to get it right out there. I hate Edward. God what a tool. Anyway as for the book it's OK. An easy read but it's no Girl on The Train or Gone Girl. At the heart of the problem is the fact the author doesn't seem to know what kind of book they want to write. There are shades of Fifty Shades of Grey which frankly is a book that made me want to vomit it was so bad. Luckily though there are more hints of what could have been a great thriller. I'd give this author another chance....but only if the concentrate on the thriller aspect. I get the feeling there is better to come from him.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

Last November I had the opportunity to read and review a sample of The Girl Before, from that sample my initial impressions were that it was very reminiscent of something that you would find in a Black Mirror episode. A sort of hyper-reality, where technology is completely ingrained into the everyday life and there is a sense of impending doom. I felt that there was already a slow burn of suspense, that this was a book that would easily drag people into it’s world and I hoped that it would be able to deliver on it’s brilliant promise.

I’m pleased to say that for me it definitely has!

The Girl Before is told through dual points of view, we get to see what happened then through Emma and what is happening now through Jane. Both of the narrations run together through certain points of their experience of moving into One Folgate Street, with each character picking up where the other left off. I feel that this really adds to the pace and suspense of the book, knowing that there are so many similarities between their experiences has you questioning at which point it will differ or if it will at all. Jane and Emma’s chapters are also stylised slightly differently, which I liked as it gave Emma’s account an elapsed quality, adding to the division of then and now.

I won’t say much more about the plot as it would spoil it for anyone who wants to read it but I did begin to really feel pulled toward one conclusion and then another. Anytime I felt like I might get my bearings in the story, something else would pop up and misdirect me yet again. I loved how invested I got in the story and the characters, I would be angry at them or scared for them and if I could have been on the edge of my seat I would have been.

The concept itself I thought was very interesting, a house that control light function, shower function, monitors your health and efficiency, alongside the question of how much could you give up to live your life in a minimal fashion. It also makes good points about security and how we are beginning to rely upon technology for more and more and how safe that actually is. I think for me that’s what made this a compulsive read, whilst you do have to suspend reality a little, there are so many elements that are authentic and when it’s set to the backdrop of a relatively normal life, it makes it quite terrifying.

I really loved this book, how Jane and Emma developed, the elements of obsession and perfectionism and how I could never tell what was going to happen next. I would definitely recommend it.

Well, this book has me puzzled. I think it is original, but not plausible, full of mind games and red herrings, full of clever plot twists, but absolutely irritating due to the repetitiveness of what happens to Emma and Jane, the past and present tenants of 1 Folgate Street. I didn't like any of the characters and really couldn't care less who was controlling whom, why and at times I wasn't sure I would even complete this book. It was muddled and manipulative, yes it is a psychological thriller but not for me. Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy. I have spent several days dissecting this story before writing this review, but I'm just going to sit on the fence with this one. I have posted this review on Goodreads today.

The Girl Before is another psychological thriller being compared with The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl. The narrative alternates between two vulnerable women: Emma in the past and Jane in the present. The link between them is One Folgate Street, a hi-tech house with strict rules set by the architect who designed and owns the property. At times it felt as if the house itself was alive, monitoring its occupants and hiding secrets from its past.

The mystery element of the book was great, as Jane sets out to discover what happened to Emma, the girl who lived in the house before her. I was intrigued after the first few pages and found the short chapters easy to read. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but this is certainly a twisted tale with a interesting plot and several surprises.

The only aspect of the book I wasn't so keen on was the dominant nature of the main male character. These two women were completely under Edward Monkton's spell, providing more than a hint of Christian Grey. As with 50 Shades, I couldn't grasp what these women saw in the architect (other than money and 'no commitment' sex, obviously) as there was nothing pleasant about him at all.

I think this is a book that will appeal to the masses. I can understand why this has been snapped up by Hollywood. The combination of the architecture, hi tech property and sexual nature means it will be perfect for the big screen - but I hope they focus on the plot more than the '50 shades' element.

I found this book to be well written, and it started off as different to other psychological thrillers. As it progressed, I enjoyed it less and it felt similar to other stories.

I really enjoyed this book up to a point. I know that the repetition is a necessary part of the story but it did get on my nerves a little and I think after the first time, the other incidents could have been a little abridged. More implied than spelled out with any key points expanded on.
This book follows Emma in the past and Jane in the present. Both have suffered personally and have sought refuge at 1 Folgate Street, both having gone through the most rigorous application system to become its latest tenants. This house is not like any other. It has rules. Many, many, non negotiable rules. It is state of the art in technology and minimalist in architecture. This regime appeals to both the women as they try to recover from what has happened to them. But then Jane starts to question things. She finds out that a previous tenant died in the house and, on further investigation, it appears that her life was not dissimilar to what her own has become in the short time she has resided in the house. In fact, there are also connections to the house owner's past. Is history repeating itself, is she in danger, who can she trust to help her?
As already mentioned, I did enjoy this book. I found it very easy to read. The writing style of each of the main characters differs enough that it was easy remembering whose story we were in. Especially important given all that repetition. To be honest, take away the repetitive bits and it's actually not a long book at all!
Characterisation was a little bit strange. Notwithstanding what Jane and Emma had been through in their pasts, some of the things they did just beggared belief. The were described as relatively intelligent women but that was obviously greatly repressed when making some of the decision they made, when they ignored great big warnings. This did make me lose favour with them at times and so the connection that I do love to have with characters wasn't quite there all the time.
The story itself was good. It kept my interest very well throughout. Like I have already mentioned, it is a very easy book to read style-wise and I raced through it in less than a day. The house features so prominently in the story that it really is a character in its own right. I was definitely chilling for me. It is one of the things that scare me with the progress we are making with technology these days. If Hive is busy controlling you heating at home then someone else also could have that ability and when heating is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what can be controlled remotely, I just want to switch my wi-fi off and run and hide!
So, it's going to be made into a movie. Hmm, that makes sense. It's almost like it was written with that in mind. The repetition will work there, sadly it didn't really work for me here in print. I also just found out that this author is a previously published author writing under a pseudonym. I wonder if the reasons for this is compartmentalisation or distance?

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

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.

The Girl before by JP Delaney is about two women from different times, both looking for a fresh start at One Folgate Street. Despite the long application process and multitude of stipulations they decide that this is the place that can give them what they need.

The story goes between the 2 women and tells the story of why they ended up living in the house designed by Edward Monkton. Emma is trying to get over a nasty break in at her boyfriend Simon's flat and Jane is trying to recover from the stillbirth of her baby. While Jane is living there blue flowers keep appearing at the door. She eventually meets the man who is leaving the flowers only to discover that they were in memory of Emma and that he believes that she may have been murdered in that house.
Emma is not the person she first appears to be and her life starts to unravel as quickly as the lies she has told. Jane is determined to find out what happened to Emma and this puts her life in danger.
During her investigations she finds that both she and Emma bear a striking resemblance to Edward’s dead wife (who along with their child is apparently buried within the grounds of the house). She also finds that they both had a no strings relationship with him that would end when he decided that they were no longer being honest. She also connects with Emma’s ex-boyfriend and her therapist in a quest to find out about Emma and how she lived.
By the end of the book you find out exactly what happened to Emma and it was not what I had expected.
You do have to question why someone would want to live in a house that was basically run by the landlord, who could deem you had breached any one of the hundreds of rules that came with the house. It took me a while to get to grips with the change between the then of Emma and the now of Jane and a couple of times I thought I had skipped a few pages on my kindle and had to go back just to make sure.
Initially I felt sorry for Emma and what she had been through but as the story progressed, it was evident there was actually very little to like about her. Everything that happened after the initial break in was down to her and the web of lies she had spun affecting everyone around her. I couldn’t even feel sorry for the way her life ended as there was a part of me that thought she brought it upon herself.
Jane was totally different. Even though their lives took similar paths her personality was completely opposite to Emma. She genuinely wanted to find out what happened to Emma however I am not sure that I would go to the same lengths that she did to do so. I also had to question why both women would start an affair with their landlord who seemed to be a complete control freak that didn’t like to share his past and was someone they hardly knew.

Could you give up everything to live in a seemingly perfect house that was run on apps? Could you live by hundreds of different rules? Would you be happy to have to answer surveys at regular intervals that couldn’t be ignored? If I am honest the answer to all of those questions is a resounding no… I am naturally messy (ask my family)and to me a house should be lived in, I am a bit of a technophobe, and I hate answering questions on surveys as I think they can be a bit intrusive.

The book was billed as the next Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train and the fil rights have apparently been picked up by Ron Howard, however being probably one of the few people who has not read either the books or seen the films then this comparison is totally lost on me. I don’t tend to read a book because it is the next such and such or that it might be made into a film. I go by recommendations from people I trust or from what I read on the back cover. After all every author is different, so comparing it to someone else’s work may not be doing the book or the author justice. I was intrigued by the premise of the book and then when I read the sample chapters I was hooked enough to want to read the whole story and find out what happened to Emma and ultimately Jane.

If you are willing to take this book on its own merits then you might just enjoy it.

The book is written in short chapters some times only two sides long. It follows the current day, in chapters described 'now' and the past 'then'. The alternating chapters are between Emma - the girl before and Jane, the current tenant of a very unique flat. The mystery unfolds in a n intriguing and suspense filled way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Girl Before has been talked about for months. I remember seeing reviews for this novel almost every week. No one doubts it'll be a great success and there's already a film in the works (by Ron Howard, who in my opinion seems a rather odd choice, but who knows!). Plus, almost everyone I know in this blogging world has read it or wants to dive into it!

I won't give many details about the plot (this is a book that you should read without knowing too much), but you need to know that this is a complex story that revolves about two women, a man, and a house. A very special one. One Folgate Street is a house like no other. You're being constantly monitored and in order to live there, you'll need to answer a long questionnaire, as well as follow certain rules. Who would want to live there? Well, the women in this book. But what if one of them died in mysterious circumstances?

I think that the two perspectives in The Girl Before worked flawlessly. You get to follow Emma (Then) and Jane (Now) as they both lead similar lives and make the same mistakes (in my opinion, of course) when they accept the house rules and meet Edward Monkford. I get that they wanted a fresh start... but seriously? I honestly didn't like any character in this book, as I couldn't understand how Emma and Jane went along with all those weird rules. And Edward? What a creepy guy... No, thanks.

Regardless of that, I always think that it's a wonderful sign when you dislike the characters but you still want to know what's going on and how the story will finish. The author writes in such a compelling way that you can't stop reading, even though you sometimes want to knock some sense into the characters. And that is something that I highly appreciate.

Although the first part of the book had me completely gripped, things started to get a bit too "50 shades" for me and, for a few chapters, I felt like I wasn't the right target for this book. I can't stand reading about relationships where women say they want an "alpha male" and love being controlled. Fortunately, as the plot developed and it focused on other -more interesting- events, I found myself engaged again. The book didn't have a big twist, but instead provided some minor ones that worked really well and were surprising enough. From one point, I literally couldn't stop reading, as it seemed like you kept finding out secrets on every single page.

I absolutely loved The Girl Before. From the very first page you are drawn into this thriller of a book.

It's written both in the past: Emma and present: Jane and is so well written. It's cunning, sinister and just a fabulous read.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone to add to their to be read pile.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus and the author for the chance to review.

If it's possible to love and hate a book at the same time that is my response to The Girl Before. First of all the bits I liked : the premise of a house that you had to deserve. I loved the insertion of the questions in between chapters and the whole question of how far you would change who you are for the chance to live in a masterpiece of design. As a clutter loving dog owner I couldn't even imagine living in 1 Folgate Street and quite frankly not being able to decide how hot your shower is would really annoy me but I know people who would love it. The house was the star of the book for me, unfortunately I didn't find it's inhabitants nearly as appealing. I felt that the book pushed the reader into opinions of the characters only to then have them have personality shifts that didn't quite ring true in order to create twists. Despite this the book kept me reading until Emma seemed to morph into a character from 50 shades of Grey !! The word Daddy should never be used in the bedroom in my opinion and I found it really off putting. There are good aspects to the book and I'm sure the film will be big budget and amazingly successful but I'm afraid any book with the word Girl in the title is now off my reading list.

I would like to begin by saying one simple word, WOW. This book left me absolutely speechless to be honest. This book is a masterpiece and I’m absolutely in love with this author. This book begins quite calm, by looking for some properties in London and introducing the characters: then - Simon and Emma and now - Jane. It tells two stories at the same time, the action which happened three years ago and the action which is happening currently. I really enjoyed that there not one story from one person’s perspective but two characters are telling their story at the same time. All the main characters are really disturbed in this book and have their own problems which influenced their personality. There is this taste of “fifty shades of grey” in this book, just it doesn’t flatter the book unfortunately. I really liked the way characters where untangled while you flip the pages. The way their personalities unfolded. They were not boring, one thing what I would’ve liked, is more insight into Simon's and Edward's personalities and how do they think, I would’ve liked their perspective in the book. Even though the men in this book seemed like strong and demanding ones, in the end of the day I think the women were the strong ones and the most determined ones in this book. #girlpower
I found the plot original and I loved all the twists and turns which were going on in the book. Every chapter had something happening and it didn’t leave me bored. The more you go into the book, the more plot thickens, the more twists happen and it really kept me hooked. I think it was really great, that the book talked about really important topics, and the psychological aspects of eating disorders, how parents feel after still birth, parents thought about disabled children or how minimalist sees world. I’m new to minimalism and just briefly checked on it, but after reading this book I’m confused in do I really want to know more… I loved that the name “the girl before” had deeper meaning than only finding out Emma’s story, it felt way deeper than it looked. The book itself is easy to read and the writing style not difficult. The chapters are quite short so it doesn’t drag along. I really loved the ending of the book, which concluded the book really nicely but at the same time left me questioning. So to conclude, even though a lot of reviewers bashed this book, I loved this twisted, fast paced and full of suspense and psychological labyrinths creation and I recommend to try it and decide for yourself.

*3.5 STARS *

One Folgate Street is a state of the art award winning property. The rent is pretty reasonable too, but it's tenants must be prepared to give up all their possessions - no books, throws, cushions, photos, no personal effects, nothing except the bare minimum of clothes. Then there are the other rules - hundreds of them, seemingly waiting to trip you up, catch you unawares. There are also regular questions to answer, very personal and intrusive questions. The fact is, whoever becomes this property's tenant must be willing to be completely controlled.

Emma needs to find a new place to live after a traumatic break-in. She can't find anything that is affordable, that is until she finds One Folgate Street. She loves it on sight but Edward the architect, insists on complete control in order to transform his tenants to suit the space in which they're living, and he certainly manages to do that.

Jane also needs a new start after a personal tragedy - she too loves the property but is also drawn to Edward, its creator. She soon discovers that Emma met an untimely death in the house, and begins investigating just what really happened there.

The narrative certainly kept my attention, I really wanted to know what happened to Emma, but I found it hard to believe in Edward, AND his rules, so really that stopped me from rating this one any higher.

*Thank you to Netgalley & Quercus for my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*

J.P. Delaney sets off at a wonderful pace dragging you into her mystery. Laying out the intrigue, rumour and doubt surrounding the deaths of 2 women, who Jane, our current lead character appears to be emulating.
All the mystery and drama around 1 Folgate Street is quite brilliantly exposed drawing the reader into a fascinating web of insecurity. An excellent unputdownable page turner.
Then inexplicable the tension and mystery dissipate, and the story tails off into the mundane.
I am unable to explain why this happened, and I hope I'm not being too harsh, maybe it was just that the story started so well it was impossible to maintain the high standard of increased expectations. Maybe the early revelation of the killer, maybe the late introduction of a wider cast of characters. The quality of the writing remained high throughout, it was like a slow puncture where the tension created escaped through my fingers.

The Girl Before is a psychological thriller with a difference, it has a house is one the pivotal characters. And trust me when I say, it's importance really is essential to the story.

One Folgate Street is not just any old house.

It is a house that dreams are made of. Modern, smooth, sleek, minimalistic and architecturally perfect, why wouldn't you want to move in?

Emma certainly does. But with a long list of rules and expectations for prospective tenants from the landlord, prize wining architect and owner/creator of the unique house; Edward Monkford, her boyfriend Simon is not so sure.

Three years later Jane is looking for a new rental property after suffering a stillbirth, One Folgate Street is exactly what she is looking for to leave her old life behind and start a fresh chapter. Will she be so keen to live there when she finds out about the girl before, Emma?

Told in alternate chapters from both Emma (Before) and Jane's (Now) perspectives, their relationship with the house and it's owner is a complex web that needs untangling. It's hard to say anymore without giving too much away but this novel is very very clever and will keep you guessing throughout.

From other reviews I've seen this seems to be a 'Marmite Book', that you will either love or hate. For me (as with Marmite) it's love, with a very original story, and more twists and turns than your average roller coaster, this is a novel not to be missed.

Amazing. This book was so good. A complete page-turner that had me staring at it wondering what the next words were whenever I put it down for a break.

The characters were brilliant and I loved the plot and setting. A setting so minimalistic yet so full of imagination. It was so easy to put yourself in the characters shoes and actually feel what they were feeling. And the TWIST. I know some people would say it was predictable but I honestly didn't see it coming! Such a fab book! Would definitely recommend.

This book is brilliant .... It will be the thriller read of the year without a doubt!!!
Original storyline we see tenants of the uniquely designed futuristic house tell their story past and present you will be gripped for the first page with twists and turns and a surprise ending that I didn't anticipate ....

The Girl Before was my first book by this author. Overall I enjoyed it. I liked the narrative switching between characters and time periods. I enjoyed the descriptive writing and was able to picture myself there at One Folgate Street, really getting a feel for the scene. I wasn't able to pre-empt the ending, but I found myself slightly disappointed about certain characters even though the overall plot was great.