lindaraiti70's review
3.0
This was a quick read that had me hooked from the start.
Rachel is staring over her life with her daughter Lily after a disastrous marriage break up. She moves into a lovely apartment complex in the city while Lily starts at a prestigious private school. It’s not long before Rachel starts feeling weird and unusual vibes from the apartment and some of the tenants, especially once she realises the previous tenant from her apartment vanished without a trace.
There is a plethora of suspects and new encounters for Rachel as she tries to figure out what happened to Annie.
This was a slow burn which I didn’t mind. It had lots of twists and turns and the writing was very atmospheric. It just fell a little flat for me. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, but I feel it took so long to get there, that by that stage I had lost a little interest.
A fast, twisty and creepy read that I’d recommend to lovers of domestic thrillers. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital review copy.
Rachel is staring over her life with her daughter Lily after a disastrous marriage break up. She moves into a lovely apartment complex in the city while Lily starts at a prestigious private school. It’s not long before Rachel starts feeling weird and unusual vibes from the apartment and some of the tenants, especially once she realises the previous tenant from her apartment vanished without a trace.
There is a plethora of suspects and new encounters for Rachel as she tries to figure out what happened to Annie.
This was a slow burn which I didn’t mind. It had lots of twists and turns and the writing was very atmospheric. It just fell a little flat for me. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, but I feel it took so long to get there, that by that stage I had lost a little interest.
A fast, twisty and creepy read that I’d recommend to lovers of domestic thrillers. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital review copy.
melaniesreads's review
4.0
3.5 stars
With an ominous prologue this slow burn thriller got off to a great start. It amplified that the one place we should feel safe can be anything but that when we don’t know who we are sharing our space with.
We then get to meet Rachel and her daughter Lily who are moving in to their new apartment block after divorcing husband Keith and serving him with a court order. Just as they are settling in and finally feeling safe with their fresh start a letter arrives and with it a mystery, the sudden disappearance of Annie the previous tenant. With the neighbours keeping schtum you just know there’s more to this than they are letting on. Giving the reader plenty of suspects, not only in regards to Annie but to Rachel no longer feeling safe.
I hate that lone women are often portrayed as vulnerable but unfortunately it’s a true and sad fact. Trying to fit in to a new community we often open up too much and let the wrong people in to our lives. This is definitely the case with Rachel and it leads to her becoming increasingly paranoid.
Taking it upon herself to find answers this then changed direction. You know the classic films like Village of the damned or The Stepford Wives where evil lurks beneath the surface but everyone is still pretending that life is just peachy and perfect. It had those sinister undertones. My only niggle is some of her decision making and the speed of her new relationship considering the marriage she had just got out of.
With some nice twists and a satisfying conclusion this is a creepy little thriller that will make you check your door is locked.
With an ominous prologue this slow burn thriller got off to a great start. It amplified that the one place we should feel safe can be anything but that when we don’t know who we are sharing our space with.
We then get to meet Rachel and her daughter Lily who are moving in to their new apartment block after divorcing husband Keith and serving him with a court order. Just as they are settling in and finally feeling safe with their fresh start a letter arrives and with it a mystery, the sudden disappearance of Annie the previous tenant. With the neighbours keeping schtum you just know there’s more to this than they are letting on. Giving the reader plenty of suspects, not only in regards to Annie but to Rachel no longer feeling safe.
I hate that lone women are often portrayed as vulnerable but unfortunately it’s a true and sad fact. Trying to fit in to a new community we often open up too much and let the wrong people in to our lives. This is definitely the case with Rachel and it leads to her becoming increasingly paranoid.
Taking it upon herself to find answers this then changed direction. You know the classic films like Village of the damned or The Stepford Wives where evil lurks beneath the surface but everyone is still pretending that life is just peachy and perfect. It had those sinister undertones. My only niggle is some of her decision making and the speed of her new relationship considering the marriage she had just got out of.
With some nice twists and a satisfying conclusion this is a creepy little thriller that will make you check your door is locked.
timeforbooksandwine's review
4.0
I really enjoyed reading this thriller! It wasn’t too dark, and it had the right amount of suspense, thrill and mystery. Even though the story was still interesting and kept me intrigued, I did find the beginning a little slow to start. Once the writer got into the actual mystery of the book, things picked up and I was able to enjoy the read more.
What I liked the most about this book, was that I wasn’t able to predict the ending at all. I kept making guesses of who I thought was the murderer, but I certainly couldn’t have guessed the actual outcome. The last chapter of the book also threw me for a loop! I wasn’t expecting it, and it left me sad that the book was over. I need to know more!!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers and mysteries that aren’t necessarily overly dark and twisted.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in return for an honest review.
What I liked the most about this book, was that I wasn’t able to predict the ending at all. I kept making guesses of who I thought was the murderer, but I certainly couldn’t have guessed the actual outcome. The last chapter of the book also threw me for a loop! I wasn’t expecting it, and it left me sad that the book was over. I need to know more!!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers and mysteries that aren’t necessarily overly dark and twisted.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in return for an honest review.
kllgtk14's review
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This psychological thriller is a must read! I wasn’t sure what I was going into when reading this as it is a new book that I have seen absolutely nothing about but man did it shock me! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading this story about a woman who moved to a new city to start over only to find out she moved in to an unsolved crime scene. Annie disappeared 3 weeks prior to Rachel and Lily moved in but where did she go? No one really seems to know or care for that matter, until Rachel moved in and knew in her gut something was wrong with her apartment that Annie previously lived in. The story line was smooth and easy to follow with interesting and engaged characters. The story had many twisted and turns and I was ready to get to the end and sad it was over all at the same time. The ending truly was not what I expected (in a good way). I 10/10 recommend reading this as soon as its published next month!
This psychological thriller is a must read! I wasn’t sure what I was going into when reading this as it is a new book that I have seen absolutely nothing about but man did it shock me! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading this story about a woman who moved to a new city to start over only to find out she moved in to an unsolved crime scene. Annie disappeared 3 weeks prior to Rachel and Lily moved in but where did she go? No one really seems to know or care for that matter, until Rachel moved in and knew in her gut something was wrong with her apartment that Annie previously lived in. The story line was smooth and easy to follow with interesting and engaged characters. The story had many twisted and turns and I was ready to get to the end and sad it was over all at the same time. The ending truly was not what I expected (in a good way). I 10/10 recommend reading this as soon as its published next month!
lxxo's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for a review
3 stars!!
I really liked the premise of this and was so excited to how it started off, it gave me Shiver vibes with the past apartment tenant mysteriously gone, neighbors acting shifty, her own life not being so simple and straight forward, I was so ready for this.
I enjoyed the story, I really did, however, Rachel irked me in some ways. First her judgement of Drake like….okay. I was a bit surprised she would be so suddenly scared and unsure about him just because he was a goth and not the most smiley of people. But giving her circumstances and what she was going through with her husband I though, okay….let that slide.
For me the most part that fell flat for me was the reveal. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that, HOWEVER I was right about one character right at the very end so that was good lol. But the whole part of explaining why and how and when really dragged on and just seemed to take me out of the seriousness of the situation because they’re telling a loooooong story and over explaining everything.
Despite this, the story really did pull me in, it just sadly didn’t hold tight of me towards the end.
3 stars!!
I really liked the premise of this and was so excited to how it started off, it gave me Shiver vibes with the past apartment tenant mysteriously gone, neighbors acting shifty, her own life not being so simple and straight forward, I was so ready for this.
I enjoyed the story, I really did, however, Rachel irked me in some ways. First her judgement of Drake like….okay. I was a bit surprised she would be so suddenly scared and unsure about him just because he was a goth and not the most smiley of people. But giving her circumstances and what she was going through with her husband I though, okay….let that slide.
For me the most part that fell flat for me was the reveal. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that, HOWEVER I was right about one character right at the very end so that was good lol. But the whole part of explaining why and how and when really dragged on and just seemed to take me out of the seriousness of the situation because they’re telling a loooooong story and over explaining everything.
Despite this, the story really did pull me in, it just sadly didn’t hold tight of me towards the end.
nickikendall's review
dark
mysterious
tense
5.0
Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book was a captivating read from the start, I was caught up in the creepy, ominous feelings from the building and the occupants of the other apartments. The tension the main character was reading was palpable and I couldn't help feeling unsettled in the best of ways whilst reading this book.
I loved the sweet moments between Rachel and Lily and of course I was here for the disturbing/ unnerving moments too. A twisty, atmospheric thriller that I couldn't put down. #laurawolfe #thegirlbeforeme #netgalley #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #thriller #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookqueen #bookstagram
I loved the sweet moments between Rachel and Lily and of course I was here for the disturbing/ unnerving moments too. A twisty, atmospheric thriller that I couldn't put down. #laurawolfe #thegirlbeforeme #netgalley #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #thriller #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookqueen #bookstagram
nik530's review
5.0
Wow! This book was everything a psychological thriller should be! I lovedddd the characters, each and every one of them. I loved the setting, I loved the unique storyline. I loved the way the author writes and how the book didn't alternate narrators or timelines. It was suspenseful, it was exciting and even when you think the plot twists are over you get hit with another one. Easy 5 stars and I'm running to read more by Laura Wolfe because The Girl Before Me was amazing and I'm genuinely sad it's over! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
christyrenee's review
5.0
Rachel and Lily are starting over. After Rachel’s tumultuous Divorce, she decides to move with her Daughter Lily to the city. Everything seems to fall into place - Rachel finds the perfect Apartment in a beautiful building after the previous tenant skips town, Lily is awarded a scholarship at a prestigious school just a couple blocks away, and they make fast friends with a few new neighbors quickly after moving in. But Rachel quickly realizes everything isn’t what it seems and there might be more to the previous Tenant, Annie’s, quick exit.
The Girl Before Me was so well written that I often felt sucked in to the story. It was a twisty mystery that I couldn’t put down! Just when you think you figure it out, there’s another turn - which I loved. It keeps you guessing until the very last page! This was my first read by Laura Wolfe and it certainly won’t be my last!!
Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review an ARC. I’m looking forward to reading more from Laura!
The Girl Before Me was so well written that I often felt sucked in to the story. It was a twisty mystery that I couldn’t put down! Just when you think you figure it out, there’s another turn - which I loved. It keeps you guessing until the very last page! This was my first read by Laura Wolfe and it certainly won’t be my last!!
Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review an ARC. I’m looking forward to reading more from Laura!