Download Before She Knew Him A Novel eBook Peter Swanson
Download As PDF : Before She Knew Him A Novel eBook Peter Swanson
Catching a killer is dangerous—especially if he lives next door
From the hugely talented author of The Kind Worth Killing comes an exquisitely chilling tale of a young suburban wife with a history of psychological instability whose fears about her new neighbor could lead them both to murder . . .
Hen and her husband Lloyd have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Hen (short for Henrietta) is an illustrator and works out of a studio nearby, and has found the right meds to control her bipolar disorder. Finally, she’s found some stability and peace.
But when they meet the neighbors next door, that calm begins to erode as she spots a familiar object displayed on the husband’s office shelf. The sports trophy looks exactly like one that went missing from the home of a young man who was killed two years ago. Hen knows because she’s long had a fascination with this unsolved murder—an obsession she doesn’t talk about anymore, but can’t fully shake either.
Could her neighbor, Matthew, be a killer? Or is this the beginning of another psychotic episode like the one she suffered back in college, when she became so consumed with proving a fellow student guilty that she ended up hurting a classmate?
The more Hen observes Matthew, the more she suspects he’s planning something truly terrifying. Yet no one will believe her. Then one night, when she comes face to face with Matthew in a dark parking lot, she realizes that he knows she’s been watching him, that she’s really on to him. And that this is the beginning of a horrifying nightmare she may not live to escape. . .
Download Before She Knew Him A Novel eBook Peter Swanson
"So, Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson should have been a five star thriller, if not for one nagging little detail which I won't mention because it's a spoiler but for those who've read it, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
Don't get me wrong. It's got great characterization, a slow burning pace that filled me with dread with every turn of the page, fingernail biting suspense, and a strong prose.
The plot is something out of a Hitchcock film: Hen and Lloyd decide to meet their neighbors, Mira and Matthew. Hen discovers something in Matthew's study that reminds of her a murder she'd researched obsessively. Matthew realizes that Hen is beginning to realize that he is the murderer. And that's just the first couple of chapters. Swanson drives the plot with ease, giving the reader little bites of the main characters personalities. Some twists are easier to spot than others, but this isn't a whodunnit as much as it is awhydunnit. He has a way of giving his plots the Hitchcock feel, giving the lead heroine and her husband questionable moral without sounding contrived.
Every plot point falls neatly in place; nothing feels out of the blue or written just for the sake of surprise. I felt like Swanson guided me into the action instead of dropping bombs like some thriller authors are fond of. Out of the four Swanson books I've read, this falls into third place, but not because it's terrible in any way. I found that even though I appreciated the suspense, I had been anticipating a few major twists, like in All the Beautiful Lies or The Kind Worth Killing. Despite this, the suspense alone and intriguing plot were enough to turn this thriller from a good read to a great one. Well worth it."
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Before She Knew Him A Novel eBook Peter Swanson Reviews :
Before She Knew Him A Novel eBook Peter Swanson Reviews
- I have read Peter Swanson's The Kind Worth Killing and very much enjoyed it. I liked it so much that it is the reason I read Before She Knew Him. I think this book is even better. Anyone who likes a mystery will like this book. I don't usually put much time in trying to figure out an ending. Sometimes the ending is so obvious that it makes the book too predictable to enjoy. I did not see this ending coming. I read other reviews that said there were clues that gave away the ending. I must be too dense to have seen them. I found the ending unexpected. Again, if you like a good mystery, you will enjoy reading Before She Knew Him.
- So, Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson should have been a five star thriller, if not for one nagging little detail which I won't mention because it's a spoiler but for those who've read it, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
Don't get me wrong. It's got great characterization, a slow burning pace that filled me with dread with every turn of the page, fingernail biting suspense, and a strong prose.
The plot is something out of a Hitchcock film Hen and Lloyd decide to meet their neighbors, Mira and Matthew. Hen discovers something in Matthew's study that reminds of her a murder she'd researched obsessively. Matthew realizes that Hen is beginning to realize that he is the murderer. And that's just the first couple of chapters. Swanson drives the plot with ease, giving the reader little bites of the main characters personalities. Some twists are easier to spot than others, but this isn't a whodunnit as much as it is awhydunnit. He has a way of giving his plots the Hitchcock feel, giving the lead heroine and her husband questionable moral without sounding contrived.
Every plot point falls neatly in place; nothing feels out of the blue or written just for the sake of surprise. I felt like Swanson guided me into the action instead of dropping bombs like some thriller authors are fond of. Out of the four Swanson books I've read, this falls into third place, but not because it's terrible in any way. I found that even though I appreciated the suspense, I had been anticipating a few major twists, like in All the Beautiful Lies or The Kind Worth Killing. Despite this, the suspense alone and intriguing plot were enough to turn this thriller from a good read to a great one. Well worth it. - That is not a one-star rating, it is a negative one-star star rating. Definitely did not work for me. There was nothing thrilling about this book AT ALL. Honestly, I am shocked at the high rated reviews. If the book had a face I would punch it. I pushed myself through this book hoping there would be a WOW ending. NOPE! I feel cheated. I hate to write this, I am a fan of Peter Swanson but I would not recommend this book to anyone. MASSIVE BUMMER!
- 4.5 Rounded up
I love Peter Swanson. He is becoming one of my favorite suspense authors. I can’t decide which of his books I like most!
What’s funny is I just reviewed another book where we know who the killer is early on, and I stated I didn’t like it. In Before She Knew Him we know who the killer is early on, but it’s done SO WELL that I loved it.
There is a twist, yes, but you know what it is the second the first hint is dropped. Again, I liked this because it was subtle and rang true. It wasn’t “jaw droppingâ€. Sometimes when we see a “jaw dropping twist†it feels forced and you want to throw the book/kindle against the nearest wall.
This book was enjoyable, and the very definition of what a psychological thriller should be. - This is my favorite of Peter Swanson's books. Superior dialogue, interesting characters, and less of a whodunit than a What Happens Now?
New-to-the-block Hen is certain that her next-door neighbor, Matthew, killed someone. She remembers the case clearly. After all, her obsession with it led to a a nervous breakdown. Why does Matthew happen to have a fencing trophy that looks exactly like the one that disappeared from the crime scene?
This is NOT a spoiler, since we find out almost immediately Matthew is indeed the killer. He's a serial killer, in fact. This isn't the mystery -- what WILL engage us is where the novel goes as the two neighbors play a game of cat-and-mouse. With Hen's previous mental difficulties proving her an unstable witness, the police doubt her credibility when she identifies Matthew as the assailant in another murder, and brings forth her certainty about the trophy at his house.
The novel is quietly suspenseful, reminding me of nothing so much as a Hitchcock thriller. Just as the beat seems like it may be holding on for an instant too long, the narrative switches gears, adding another layer, a different character, an alternate perspective. The twist at the end may not come as a huge shock to anyone, but all in all, the quiet tension in this novel is satisfying. - All you really need to know is the author’s name. Peter Swanson. If you’ve read any of his previous books, you’ll know what I’m talking about and then you’ll run right out and buy this book. It’s the creepiest kind of send chills up your spine suspense that will make you hope people like this don’t exist in the real world. I was scared out of my wits reading Swanson’s latest thriller BEFORE SHE KNEW HIM. A kind of back to sleeping with a light on, double checking that the front door is locked, wondering if that was just a shadow, because this is all kinds of madness right here.
One couple invites the other over for a dinner party and let’s just say it’s highly unlikely they will be breaking bread together again. And it’s not because the meal wasn’t good. It’s because one suspects the other of having committed murder. How’s that for a first impression?
BEFORE SHE KNEW HIM is not your typical psychological drama. Swanson has pulled out all the stops. He’ll entice you with mental illness, murder, cheaters, and liars. All this, wrapped up nicely in the confines of the suburbs.
