It has been too long since I read a book by Peter Swanson. I have been a fan of his work since he started publishing. Unfortunately, I have slacked on keeping up with his books. I blame it on that accurate saying, “Too many books, too little time.” I recognize I have been trying to be more thoughtful about the books I choose to read. I want to pick up a book feeling confident I will love it. I am also doing much better, giving myself permission to bail on a book if it’s not for me. Not only that, but I even just culled my Audible wishlist to include only books I am excited to read. Granted, my wishlist still sits at 268 titles. I have no idea what it was before I started that spontaneous project. Haha

I know it seems like I digressed a bit there, but my point is that I made an excellent decision in selecting Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson. He is an author I can count on for an outstanding psychologically suspenseful novel. A young couple, Hen and Lloyd, buy a house in the suburbs of Boston. Hen is an illustrator and managing her diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Lloyd encourages Hen to attend a block party to meet their neighbors. This leads to a dinner invitation to the couple’s house next door. While touring the neighbor’s home, Hen notices a sports trophy that looks like one that went missing from a man’s home that was murdered two years ago. It was a murder case she followed closely because it happened in her community. Immediately, Hen suspects her neighbor, Matthew, of murder. Due to her mental health struggles in the past, no one is keen to believe her. Hen begins following Matthew and is discovered. 

I borrowed the audiobook from my local library with the Libby app. I loved that there were two narrators, Sophie Amoss and Graham Halstead, as there are two POVs in the story. I was completely engaged in the story from beginning to end. I thought it was kind of dark, in a superb way, as it contributed to the suspense and unexpected twists. Furthermore, I enjoyed the ending, especially since I didn’t exactly see things turning out the way they did. Extremely well written psychological thriller. 

As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.