I will never be able to come up with a Top 10 or 20 this year again. Before She Knew Him is another proof of this. What a read. What A READ! Do I wish my TBR were less good? Nope!!!
My biggest thanks to Faber & Faber for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Hugs to Namra for the speed delivery to fight postage fails!
Title: Before She Knew Him
Author: Peter Swanson
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Date of publication: 7.03.2019
Format: Hardback
Source: Publisher
Number of pages: 309
‘Ever since she’d been old enough to pick out her own library books, Hen had always
had a morbid streak, a preoccupation with death.’
When Hen and Lloyd move into their new house in West Dartford, Mass., they’re
relieved to meet, at their first block party, the only other seemingly-childless couple in
their neighborhood, Matthew and Mira Dolamore. Turns out they live in the Dutch
Colonial immediately next door.
When they’re invited over for dinner, however, things take a sinister turn when Hen thinks she sees something suspicious in Matthew’s study. Could this charming, mild-mannered College Professor really be hiding a dark secret, one that only Hen, who’s been battling her own problems with depression and medication, could know about?
Lloyd certainly doesn’t seem to believe her, and so, forced together, Hen and Matthew start to form an unlikely bond. But who, if anyone, is really in danger?
From its deeply unsettling opening, Peter Swanson, the master of contemporary domestic thrillers, fashions a novel as brilliant, dark, coruscating and surprising as Patricia Highsmith and Ira Levin at their very best.
Some titles get under your skin. Before She Knew Him is one of them. Intriguing… Who is ‘she’? Who is ‘him’? What happens between those nameless characters? Clear, simple, punchy and definitely promising something dark, there was no chance of me missing out on reading this novel, especially with such a beautiful cover, the perfect match to the perfect title!
What do you mean, you already know I’ve loved the book?!
Well, let me tell you why anyway!
Moving is exciting, but there’s some pressure about meeting new neighbours and feeling a bit apart in a suburban street where the normal is 2.4 kids and a shiny car in the driveway. So, it’s a relief for Hen and Lloyd to find their closest neighbours don’t have children either and look quite normal.
What is normal?
That’s how Hen and Lloyd end up dining at Mira and Matthew’s house. An evening that will change four lives. Or many more…
Hen is a fascinating character. Her voice in one of the three you hear throughout the book, and she’s my favourite. Vulnerable but resilient, reliably unreliable or unreliably thanks to a brilliant twist used by the author to cast doubt on Hen’s thoughts and actions, she’s an artist with a clever mind. Her art is dark, deep, dazzling. She’s made the strongest impression on me and was the light to another character’s dark: Matthew.
When the sight of a trophy in Matthew’s study brings memories back, Hen listens to her gut, sure that she has put her finger on something big. But with only so little to go with, who will believe her? The book is divided in parts and although all three are simply brilliant, I’d like to say the first one was the one who had a biggest impact on me. What do you do when you know something but everyone is deaf to your screams for help? How much proof is needed for others to trust your instinct? Now I am back to the ‘tool’ I mentioned earlier. Hen has a mental health past and is under medication, putting her straight away into the ‘not to be trusted’ witness box. This, for me, sounded so true and so unfair, giving the novel a complex layer. I fought with Hen, with all my strength. I can’t say I was convinced from scratch by Hen’s theory, but she logical explanations and the right arguments gave me the urge to bang my fist on the table and scream ‘LOOK! She’s RIGHT!!!’ And then I would wonder… The tension was everywhere as Peter Swanson sowed the seeds of what was to come in the two other parts with hints and thrills brought by a perfectly handled narrative.
Part two and three are equally compelling, the split narrative between Hen and Matthew keeping my toes moving in trepidation of what was to come. The first part is a threshold and the rest is pure darkness in every day clothes. I am not talking faceless monsters you can’t understand. That would have been too easy. I faced real people dealing with internal demons. The relationship between Hen and Matthew is sickly good, stunningly electric and makes for an intense and cunning way to explore motives, appearances, and … so much more I can’t talk about without spoiling it for you!!! Frustration! But let me tell you, Before She Knew Him is black and original. So original that the ending came as a total surprise. My mouth was hanging open as I was reading. I couldn’t think, I just wanted to read to fully understand what was happening. I later went back to the events that had led to the fireworks that make the ending and view them with new eyes, fresh and knowing eyes who could see there was no other ending possible.
Scarcely had a reading been so satisfying. Before She Knew Him is a chilling ride into the world of classic psychological thrillers, it reminds us what it takes for the genre to take our breath (and mind) away!
Get to know Them! Buy link
Other bloggers are with me to let you know just how your TBR needs this book!
Your review is music to my ears, Meggy! I’m looking forward to listening to this one.
LikeLike
Oh, what a brilliant comment ❤ Thank you!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! x
LikeLike
Sounds brilliant and intriguing.
I am so glad to hear you loved so many books you read this year! I don’t think I’ve read that many five stars, but I don’t mind, I still hope there will be plenty of them til the end of the year.
LikeLike
I don’t give ratings to blog tour books anymore because some publishers are not happy with 4 stars… But this one is an absolute 5 indeed. I was blown away by the slow-burning threat going on throughout the novel!
I don’t know if it’s because I choose my books more carefully than I used to or if the quality of books is going off the roof but I am swimming in a pool of amazing reads! x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understand, I noticed that many bloggers don’t rate books in blogtours, and some have stopped in general, but I don’t think I ever will. I didn’t have direct problems with publishers because of that, even though some have removed me from their mailing lists. 😜
I only don’t rate books that are non fiction.
Maybe books are better, but it is probanly that publishers know what you might like more now when you work with them for so long, and you have that sense which book you’d like stronger now.
LikeLike
I miss putting those little fairies to rate the books but I was feeling anxious when the time to choose was coming. It is one of the downsides of blog tours. Haha, I believe that if we can’t be sincere with our reviews, there’s no point in book blogging, so too bad for those publishers, they’re missing out on a fabulous reviewer!
Yes, I think so too! Gosh, I don’t want to hear any talks of Tops and stuff or I’ll panic, haha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Meggy, you always know what to say.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😘😘😘
LikeLike
This book seems amazing and you are so right that the title can really make a difference, I am also now intrigued and want to know more about both characters. Great review!
LikeLike
This is fabulous! I’m really happy you’re interested in this book! Sometimes I gloss over titles but they are so important. I am getting a bit tired of “the woman/girl something…” and Before She Knew Him sounds so good!!!
LikeLike
I definitely have to read this one. I like the sound of the mystery and the unpredictability of the ending. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Fab review!
LikeLike
I really think you’d enjoy it! I love that it’s not so much about who has done what but why would someone do something and what to do when you’re in the secret but have your hands tied! It’s a brilliant mind puzzle!
LikeLike
Fantastic review sounds like a great book!
LikeLike
Thank you, fabulous Nicki! It’s a gripping book!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome review! Black and orginal, an ending you didn’t foresee… I NEED to read this!
LikeLike
Yes, you do 😀 I would LOVE to know what you think of it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great review it sounds a thrilling book and I love when I have to go back and reread parts after the ending to fully digest what happened it’s a sign of a well crafted story
LikeLike
I couldn’t agree more! I love being engrossed in a story and then having the author shed light on something that makes me reassess everything and see events in a different way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fantastic review my dear! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. ❤
LikeLike
Oh I can’t wait to know what you think of this one!! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sounds like an absolutely brilliant, classic thriller! Fabulous review!
LikeLike
It is! It’s a must-read!! x
LikeLike
I think you will have great difficulty with your top books of this year…. and it’s only March. That’s the way we like it though.
A psychological thriller with a twisty jaw dropping ending is just my kind of read.
Amanda xx
LikeLike
I am going to go crazy when TOPs start to appear at the end of the year! I can’t believe I’m reading so many fantastic novels! xxx
LikeLike
I’m so glad that you reviewed this book and that you’re on the blog tour, Meggy! I’ve been curious about it. It’s on my TBR thanks to your review.
LikeLike
Oh, I am so glad to hear this!! You won’t regret giving this novel a try! Let me know how you like it! 🙂
LikeLike