15 April 2019

Review: Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson cover
RRP $39.99 AUD
Published April 2019
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

Time for another thriller and this month I read Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson. Hen and husband Lloyd move into a new house in Massachusetts and soon meet their next door neighbours, Matthew and Mira at a block party.

When they accept an invitation to their house for dinner, Hen thinks she sees something suspicious in Matthew's study and she begins to suspect him of murder. However, Hen could be an unreliable narrator; she has depression and is on medication and could just be having another one of her turns. Will anyone believe her? Is she losing her mind, or is there a dangerous killer living next door, already stalking his next victim?

I worried early on this was going to become another The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn or The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins with a main character that isn't trusted by others due to their addiction or mental health problems. Thankfully the author took us right up to that point and then jolted us into a refreshingly new direction.

There was a minor 'twist' of sorts at the end and to be fair I didn't see it coming. It wasn't earth shattering or mind blowing but it made for an unpredictable ending just the same. I also enjoyed reading from the perspectives of both Hen and Matthew.

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson is an enjoyable domestic thriller of merit.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Would you like to comment?

  1. Well that’s good to know, I had the same expectations so I wasn’t particularly interested in this, but I’m curious now. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Shelleyrae, glad to know I helped you decide to give this one a go.

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Thanks for your comment, Carpe Librum!