But who, if anyone, is really in danger?įrom 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. Could this charming, mild-mannered College Professor really be hiding a dark secret, one that only Hen, whose 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. When they're invited over for dinner, however, things take a sinister turn when Hen thinks she sees something suspicious in Matthew's study. Turns out they live in the Dutch Colonial immediately next door. 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.

If you love psychological thrillers about killers, check out Before She Knew Him.'They had a secret, the two of them, and there was no better way to start a friendship than with a secret.'

I didn’t see the plot twist at the end coming at all, but the ending more or less ties up loose sends. The author is descriptive and writes in a way that makes the plot easy to follow.įinal thoughts: The book explores many mature issues, so it isn’t a suitable read for everyone. Writing: It’s about 350 pages long, so the story isn’t too long or too short.

“They had a secret, the two of them, and there was no better way to start a friendship than with a secret.” The characters have their own flaws and shortcomings, but I found myself drawn to them nonetheless. Even from the beginning, there’s a creepy, dark undertone to the story that continues throughout the book.Ĭharacters: I enjoyed learning about Hen and Matthew.

It leads her to think he’s a killer, but no one believes her.įirst impressions: I liked the premise because it sounded like a suspenseful and compelling thriller. When she meets Mira and Matthew, the couple next door, Hen sees an object in Matthew’s office that is connected to an unsolved murder. About the book: It’s a standalone novel about Henrietta Mazur who moves into a new house with her husband Lloyd.

Before she knew him by peter swanson