Jane stumbles on the rental opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to live in a beautiful ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect, on condition she abides by a long list of exacting rules. After moving in, she discovers that a previous tenant, Emma, met a mysterious death there - and starts to wonder if her own story will be a re-run of the girl before. As twist after twist catches the reader off guard, Emma's past and Jane's present become inexorably entwined in this tense, page-turning portrayal of psychological obsession.
Following in the footsteps of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, The Girl Before is being brought to the big screen by Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard.
What did I think?
I am not surprised that The Girl Before is being made into a film; it's chilling, creepy, gripping and scarily believable. Edward Monkford is the landlord from hell, although he's so enigmatic that his tenants don't even realise that they've sold their soul to satan.
The Girl Before is written in the tried and tested 'then and now' scenario but with a psychological twist; both timelines are scarily similar; the same patterns, the same events, the same words but different women. I was reading with my eyes wide open in terror as I prayed that history wouldn't repeat itself.
Then: Emma and Simon are looking for a new home as Emma doesn't feel safe after a burglary in her home. One Folgate Street, with its state-of-the-art security, seems perfect and Simon just wants what's best for Emma so they apply to be tenants. After completing the grilling questionnaire they are accepted but their dream home turns into a house of horrors.
Now: Jane is looking for a new start after she lost her baby. She feels a definite connection with Edward Monkford when she is interviewed to be his new tenant, and it's not long before he moves into One Folgate Street with her. As the reader is treated to glimpses into Emma's past we realise that Jane is in grave danger, but from whom?
This is a completely addictive book. I read the whole book in one day as I was unable to tear my eyes away from the page for one single second. It's like 50 Shades of Grey meets Psycho as the ladies who are drawn to Edward Monkford end up dead, in what appear to be accidental circumstances. My brain was on overdrive trying to anticipate what was going to happen, whilst at the same time fizzing with anger as Edward purposefully repeated history as if he was reading from a script. He is a total control freak who made my blood boil, but is he also a psycho?
Definitely one to add to your reading list and I can't wait to see what Ron Howard does in the film version. I think it might be one to watch from behind the sofa!
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
Buy it from Amazon
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