The Girl Before
"In the tradition of The Girl on the Train, The Silent Wife, and Gone Girl comes an enthralling psychological thriller that spins one woman's seemingly good fortune, and another woman's mysterious fate, through a kaleidoscope of duplicity, death, and deception. Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life. The request seems odd, even intrusive--and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating. EMMA Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant--and it does. JANE After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space--and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home's previous t
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about The Girl Before
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
An architect lets a beautiful, austere London house for almost nothing, on the condition that tenants live by his hundreds of rules. Jane discovers that the previous tenant, who looked like her, died in the house.
Yes. BBC released a four-part adaptation of The Girl Before in 2021, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jessica Plummer. The show is largely faithful to the novel.
No. The Girl Before is a standalone J.P. Delaney thriller. Delaney is the pen name of Tony Strong, who has written several other psychological thrillers.
The Girl Before was written by J. P. Delaney, published in 2000 by Quercus.
The Girl Before is 434 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Girl Before takes most readers 7 to 9 hours to finish.
The Girl Before is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.