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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
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As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
My intrigue was on high as soon as I saw the cover for Before She Knew Him. For some reason the brightly designed cover and mysterious title piqued my interest before I even read the synopsis. I love a good contrast and the vividness in Before She Knew Him vs. its subtly mysterious title was eye-catching. Add in the fact that Peter Swanson's been on my TBR for quite a while and it should come as no surprise to you that I jumped at the chance to review this one!
There's this undeniably compelling quality to Swanson's prose. You can just as easily nod your head in agreement or feel the chill of his words. Before She Knew Him is one of those thrillers that is subtle in its craziness--before it sneaks up on you. The ideal thriller, in other words. Straight away, I had so many questions when it came to the stories central mysteries.
Before She Knew Him has a cast of characters that really, really intrigued me even further. As if the main mystery wasn't appealing enough, the sharpness of each of these characters lead me into an even more compelled state. Before She Knew Him was compulsively readable in so many levels, but the story wouldn't be half as captivating without these characters.
I wanted to know everything about them. Their pasts. Their present. Everything. As a reader who often indulges in thrillers/mysteries, very rarely do stories surprise me. I thought I knew where this story was going; who these characters were, what they were stumbling into. But Before She Knew Him managed to surprise me in a way that not every story can.
Before She Knew Him is woven together in an engaging, can't-put-down kind of way. Everything is connected and once the plotlines begin to unravel, there's really no turning back. There was a big part of me that didn't want to put down this book for a single moment because it was constantly building upon itself.
Overall, this was such an enthralling read that went from 'calm before the storm' to 'the storm' in an irresistible way. Peter Swanson, I see you, and I'm definitely diving into your backlist soon. Fantastic writing, highly atmospheric, and gorgeously paced, Before She Knew Him was such a great read.
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
My intrigue was on high as soon as I saw the cover for Before She Knew Him. For some reason the brightly designed cover and mysterious title piqued my interest before I even read the synopsis. I love a good contrast and the vividness in Before She Knew Him vs. its subtly mysterious title was eye-catching. Add in the fact that Peter Swanson's been on my TBR for quite a while and it should come as no surprise to you that I jumped at the chance to review this one!
There's this undeniably compelling quality to Swanson's prose. You can just as easily nod your head in agreement or feel the chill of his words. Before She Knew Him is one of those thrillers that is subtle in its craziness--before it sneaks up on you. The ideal thriller, in other words. Straight away, I had so many questions when it came to the stories central mysteries.
Before She Knew Him has a cast of characters that really, really intrigued me even further. As if the main mystery wasn't appealing enough, the sharpness of each of these characters lead me into an even more compelled state. Before She Knew Him was compulsively readable in so many levels, but the story wouldn't be half as captivating without these characters.
I wanted to know everything about them. Their pasts. Their present. Everything. As a reader who often indulges in thrillers/mysteries, very rarely do stories surprise me. I thought I knew where this story was going; who these characters were, what they were stumbling into. But Before She Knew Him managed to surprise me in a way that not every story can.
Before She Knew Him is woven together in an engaging, can't-put-down kind of way. Everything is connected and once the plotlines begin to unravel, there's really no turning back. There was a big part of me that didn't want to put down this book for a single moment because it was constantly building upon itself.
Overall, this was such an enthralling read that went from 'calm before the storm' to 'the storm' in an irresistible way. Peter Swanson, I see you, and I'm definitely diving into your backlist soon. Fantastic writing, highly atmospheric, and gorgeously paced, Before She Knew Him was such a great read.
Reminded me a little of the show Dexter. Pretty big twist at the end I didn't see coming.
Agh! Peter Swanson never disappoints! This one was GREAT! There were so many amazing reveals and developments in this story! I absolutely loved it! This was a super addicting thriller! I think that it’s really difficult to pick a favorite Peter Swanson book, there are so many amazing ones! This was no exception! I would absolutely recommend this book! If you’re in a reading slump, this book will definitely bring you out of it!!!!!
I received a free ARC of this book which has in no way influenced my review.
Peter Swanson is a must read author for me. If you haven’t read The Kind Worth Killing then you’re really missing out. It’s one of the books I recommend ALL the time when asked. Swanson’s other books are equally as good. Check out my reviews for Her Every Fear and All The Beautiful Lies by clicking the links. When I heard Faber & Faber were about to publish Before She Knew Him I dropped everything else I had scheduled to read it!
Before She Knew Him is another example of what a master Swanson is at writing characters. The book is all about Henrietta (or Hen to absolutely everyone) and her new neighbour, Matthew. Both characters have ‘something’ about them which immediately intrigued me. I wanted to know what was going to happen, what their story was going to be. Being new to the neighbourhood Hen and her husband Lloyd attend a block party where it is plainly obvious that they are unlike their new neighbours. They don’t have children whereas everyone else does. There is one other childless couple present at the party though; Matthew and Mina. Mina invites Hen and Lloyd to dinner one evening and feeling obliged, they go. Whilst on a tour of the Dolamore’s house Hen sees something which takes her breath away. She knows Matthew’s deep dark secret…
Before She Knew Him is a wonderful slow burn of a novel which held my attention from beginning to end. I felt invested in the characters. I liked Hen’s obsession with the morbid and macabre, how events in her past made her the perfect unreliable narrator. I liked how polished Matthew’s character was and his ability to justify his secret dark side. I also thoroughly enjoyed how convinced I was by the story. There is one particular twist in the story which made me gasp out loud. Before She Knew Him was a very satisfying read.
Would I recommend this book? I would if you’re after a psychological thriller that is chock full of suspense with really interesting characters. You won’t necessarily like them but oh boy, you’ll want to see their story through to the end. An intriguing page-turner of a plot where the characters are everything. Another blinder from a brilliant author and I can’t wait to see what Swanson has for us readers next.
I chose to read and review an ARC of Before She Knew Him. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
Peter Swanson is a must read author for me. If you haven’t read The Kind Worth Killing then you’re really missing out. It’s one of the books I recommend ALL the time when asked. Swanson’s other books are equally as good. Check out my reviews for Her Every Fear and All The Beautiful Lies by clicking the links. When I heard Faber & Faber were about to publish Before She Knew Him I dropped everything else I had scheduled to read it!
Before She Knew Him is another example of what a master Swanson is at writing characters. The book is all about Henrietta (or Hen to absolutely everyone) and her new neighbour, Matthew. Both characters have ‘something’ about them which immediately intrigued me. I wanted to know what was going to happen, what their story was going to be. Being new to the neighbourhood Hen and her husband Lloyd attend a block party where it is plainly obvious that they are unlike their new neighbours. They don’t have children whereas everyone else does. There is one other childless couple present at the party though; Matthew and Mina. Mina invites Hen and Lloyd to dinner one evening and feeling obliged, they go. Whilst on a tour of the Dolamore’s house Hen sees something which takes her breath away. She knows Matthew’s deep dark secret…
Before She Knew Him is a wonderful slow burn of a novel which held my attention from beginning to end. I felt invested in the characters. I liked Hen’s obsession with the morbid and macabre, how events in her past made her the perfect unreliable narrator. I liked how polished Matthew’s character was and his ability to justify his secret dark side. I also thoroughly enjoyed how convinced I was by the story. There is one particular twist in the story which made me gasp out loud. Before She Knew Him was a very satisfying read.
Would I recommend this book? I would if you’re after a psychological thriller that is chock full of suspense with really interesting characters. You won’t necessarily like them but oh boy, you’ll want to see their story through to the end. An intriguing page-turner of a plot where the characters are everything. Another blinder from a brilliant author and I can’t wait to see what Swanson has for us readers next.
I chose to read and review an ARC of Before She Knew Him. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
Despite guessing early on the plot twist already, I think that I still enjoyed reading this book although I also have one unresolved question that is quite important to be left open for interpretation in the end, in my opinion.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars rounding down to 3. This was a good book that kept my attention. I thought the twist of Richard being Matthew’s other personality was interesting. I wish we got to hear more from Mira at the end. I also wish there was some type of communication with Hen and Matthew to wrap things up.
When you read the synopsis, you think this is just going to be another hysterical woman who nobody believes story. You know right from the beginning that Hen’s next door neighbor is a serial killer. Hen knows too, but because she’s bipolar and has a history of paranoia, no one believes her. But it isn’t that, and it had a twist that I did not see coming at all, and I love it when that happens. Not as good as The Kind Worth Killing, but better than his other books.
My second Peter Swanson book. The plot feels like a Hitchcock movie!
A LOT happened in this book, and I felt at times it was too much. I also thought the author’s approach to writing a character with mental health issues was lacking. It felt almost like a caricature.