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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Absolutely amazing. A true thriller and the loops made you gasp. Such a good book I couldn’t put it down. Highly suggest as a book club read.
When I say I gasped at the twist, I literally gasped out loud.
I couldn’t put this book down. You know who is evil from the beginning, but the way it all unfolds is done extremely well and you don’t see the twist coming… at least I didn’t.
I couldn’t put this book down. You know who is evil from the beginning, but the way it all unfolds is done extremely well and you don’t see the twist coming… at least I didn’t.
Ever since reading a gifted ARC copy of Nine Lives I have been a HUGE @petermswanson fan. His writing style and ability to throw a seasoned reader like myself is something I really enjoy.
Before She Knew Him is a suspenseful tale about Hen(rietta) who moved into a new home with her husband, Lloyd, next to a man named Matthew who she thinks may have killed a college student a few years before. Hen has her own issues and, because of this, NO ONE BELIEVES HER. So, you think this entire book is going to be about her trying to convince everyone, including her husband, that he's a murderer. NOPE. Not really. It takes a turn. And just when you think *maybe* you're figure it out. SCREECH! FULL STOP. It. Will. Blow. Your. Mind.
I freaking loved it.
A+. Would recommend if you love suspense and great twists.
Before She Knew Him is a suspenseful tale about Hen(rietta) who moved into a new home with her husband, Lloyd, next to a man named Matthew who she thinks may have killed a college student a few years before. Hen has her own issues and, because of this, NO ONE BELIEVES HER. So, you think this entire book is going to be about her trying to convince everyone, including her husband, that he's a murderer. NOPE. Not really. It takes a turn. And just when you think *maybe* you're figure it out. SCREECH! FULL STOP. It. Will. Blow. Your. Mind.
I freaking loved it.
A+. Would recommend if you love suspense and great twists.
{2 stars}
“They had a secret, the two of them, and there was no better way to start a friendship than with a secret.”
This book was a big disappointment to me. Eight Perfect Murders ended up being one of my favourite reads of 2020, and though this isn't the Swanson book I wanted to read next, the reviews led me to think I'd still like it.
Boy was I wrong. This book was everything I dislike about thrillers - predictable, detestable, and actually kind of boring. The characters were pretty 2D and boring. Each were so stereotypical - Lloyd: stereotypical dull male whose life is pretty much beer, sports and work. Hen is your stereotypical artist - she has a pixie cut, is a dark artist with mental issues. Mathew is an introverted screwed up adult with a screwed up childhood, no other interests or hobbies. Mira: what does she even like?? All so unlikeable and flat.
Basically, an artist with bipolar disorder attends a dinner party, spots a sports trophy over there, and becomes convinced the guy, Mathew, is a killer and responsible for a cold case from a few years back. Chapter 2 confirms this... and then not much more happens. Some shouting, some confrontations, lots of dissecting of what makes male humans bad, but that's about it until the last 20-30 pages. And it takes place in suburbia. Like I said, boring.
The dialogue was flat and unrealistic. People just don't speak or react the way they did in the book. Mathew was repeatedly going into unnecessary pointless detail that would only help get himself trapped in a net. Hen seemed so lifeless in much of the book. Lloyd and Mira both felt like stereotype plot devices, not people with lives. Dialogue is hard to get right. You rarely notice when it is - but you sure as heck notice when it's not!
I guessed the twist - which rarely happens. And it wasn't one of those "ooohh yes I can't believe I was right!" moments, it was more like, 'yup ok, it was that' - so anti-climatic. The secondary "twist" was even more disappointing and pointless, and did nothing to further the story or the characters.
It’s an interesting take on “female hysteria.” (And the boy who cried wolf). Back in the day, women were regularly called insane and tossed into asylums whenever their actions were undesirable to men, and no one would believe anything they say. This is the modern equivalent - a bipolar woman with information about crime, especially after a couple drinks, especially with a past of blowing things out of proportion, risks the same treatment as the Victorian hysteric, minus the lobotomy.
But the rest of the book was just disturbing. So much talk about the despicableness of men. I really hope that this is exaggerated because if not, I worry about the future of the human race. (I know it's exaggerated, but I couldn't help but feel revolted throughout most of the book).
Only read if finished:
Anyway. There are better mysteries out there. There are probably better thrillers, although those are harder to come by. (Some of Ruth Ware's are okay). If you're set on this author... skip this one, and try Eight Perfect Murders .
Oh and maybe I missed something? But I still don't get the title.
“They had a secret, the two of them, and there was no better way to start a friendship than with a secret.”
This book was a big disappointment to me. Eight Perfect Murders ended up being one of my favourite reads of 2020, and though this isn't the Swanson book I wanted to read next, the reviews led me to think I'd still like it.
Boy was I wrong. This book was everything I dislike about thrillers - predictable, detestable, and actually kind of boring. The characters were pretty 2D and boring. Each were so stereotypical - Lloyd: stereotypical dull male whose life is pretty much beer, sports and work. Hen is your stereotypical artist - she has a pixie cut, is a dark artist with mental issues. Mathew is an introverted screwed up adult with a screwed up childhood, no other interests or hobbies. Mira: what does she even like?? All so unlikeable and flat.
Basically, an artist with bipolar disorder attends a dinner party, spots a sports trophy over there, and becomes convinced the guy, Mathew, is a killer and responsible for a cold case from a few years back. Chapter 2 confirms this... and then not much more happens. Some shouting, some confrontations, lots of dissecting of what makes male humans bad, but that's about it until the last 20-30 pages. And it takes place in suburbia. Like I said, boring.
The dialogue was flat and unrealistic. People just don't speak or react the way they did in the book. Mathew was repeatedly going into unnecessary pointless detail that would only help get himself trapped in a net. Hen seemed so lifeless in much of the book. Lloyd and Mira both felt like stereotype plot devices, not people with lives. Dialogue is hard to get right. You rarely notice when it is - but you sure as heck notice when it's not!
I guessed the twist - which rarely happens. And it wasn't one of those "ooohh yes I can't believe I was right!" moments, it was more like, 'yup ok, it was that' - so anti-climatic. The secondary "twist" was even more disappointing and pointless, and did nothing to further the story or the characters.
It’s an interesting take on “female hysteria.” (And the boy who cried wolf). Back in the day, women were regularly called insane and tossed into asylums whenever their actions were undesirable to men, and no one would believe anything they say. This is the modern equivalent - a bipolar woman with information about crime, especially after a couple drinks, especially with a past of blowing things out of proportion, risks the same treatment as the Victorian hysteric, minus the lobotomy.
But the rest of the book was just disturbing. So much talk about the despicableness of men. I really hope that this is exaggerated because if not, I worry about the future of the human race. (I know it's exaggerated, but I couldn't help but feel revolted throughout most of the book).
Only read if finished:
Spoiler
I will say that the only character I could stand was Mathew (sans Richard). And to be honest? I admit, I agreed with him, and didn't want him to stop. I was so disappointed with the split personality reveal, I wanted him to get away with it and keep killing disgusting men. Like his "brother." Ew. Making them the same person was a massive let down and spoiled the book for me.Anyway. There are better mysteries out there. There are probably better thrillers, although those are harder to come by. (Some of Ruth Ware's are okay). If you're set on this author... skip this one, and try Eight Perfect Murders .
Oh and maybe I missed something? But I still don't get the title.
Wow. There were many parts in the book where I kept saying “oh shit”. The plot twist, the ending!! It was a fast read because I was so invested in the story. A great thriller. 3.5
Very suspenseful and hard to put down if you can get past the fact that the basic premise is so outrageous and impossible. Then there's the "twist" that wasn't hard to figure out. And the ending...crazy boring.
I am so nice I irritate myself sometimes. Just because I liked "The Kind Worth Killing" I keep giving this author more chances in spite of not liking any of his other books, and this was just silly. Sloppy writing...here he does a lot of what he did in his first book, repeat the same word or phrase in the same sentence. OH, and I actually hissed when I read a female character described as "timid and mousy" when ironically she was one of the few characters that had any sort of spark at all. . What does "timid and mousy" even MEAN, anyway? I really, really HATE timid and mousy. Don't use that cliche ever again, male writers in particular. Another character is not to be believed about anything she says because she is on medication for a bi-polar disorder. Great. That's not offensive in any way. The serial killer has a mean abusive father! What a surprise. and that's why he's of course a serial killer. Right. Always happens. This book even commits the cardinal sin for any self proclaimed "thriller" by being pretty boring a lot of the time. I could go on, but why?
Spoiler
so of course he kills her offSpoiler
and he's got a split personality too, how many treats are we getting here for the price of one! :(
Mind blown! The twists just kept on coming. Wow, wow, wow!