Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson is a psychological thriller that follows Hen and her husband Lloyd as they move next door to Matthew and his wife in suburban Boston. Hen becomes convinced that Matthew is a killer and starts stalking him, leading to a series of unexpected twists and turns. The story is filled with suspense, red herrings, and a major plot twist at the end that surprises the readers. The writing style is engaging, with well-developed characters and a storyline that keeps the readers guessing until the very end.

Characters:

The characters are complex and multifaceted, particularly Hen, who struggles with mental illness, and Matthew, the neighbor who embodies mystery and danger. The supporting cast also adds to the story's tension.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is engaging and character-driven, featuring alternating perspectives that build suspense and delve into the psychological complexities of the characters.

Plot/Storyline:

The story follows Hen, who becomes obsessed with the belief that her neighbor Matthew is a murderer. Her suspicions arise from a trophy linked to a past unsolved murder, leading to psychological conflict and tension as she battles with her mental health issues and struggles to be believed.

Setting:

The setting is a suburban neighborhood which adds a layer of normalcy that juxtaposes against the thriller's dark themes.

Pacing:

The pacing is variable but generally keeps readers engaged with tension-building moments followed by unexpected twists.

Lloyd was silent for a moment. He was in front of the living room bookshelf, rearranging. They had closed on a single-family in West Dartford at the beginning of July, during one of the worst heat wav...

Notes:

The protagonist, Henrietta 'Hen' Mazur, is an artist and has a history of bipolar disorder.

Hen becomes obsessed with the belief that her neighbor, Matthew, is a murderer.

Hen's previous college experience led to her being hospitalized due to her manic episodes and false accusations.

The story explores themes of mental illness and how it affects credibility with law enforcement.

The narrative alternates between the perspectives of Hen and Matthew, creating unreliable narrators.

Matthew is a high school history teacher, adding an ironic twist to his character as a suspected killer.

Hen initially battles with self-doubt about whether her suspicions are a result of her mental health issues.

The book features numerous plot twists that keep the reader guessing until the end.

Swanson addresses societal stereotypes about mental health, illustrating how they impact Hen's ability to be taken seriously.

The book's suspenseful atmosphere is heightened by its psychological elements, leading to shocking revelations.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book contains themes related to mental illness, murder, psychological manipulation, and domestic abuse, which may be triggering for some readers.

From The Publisher:

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. . .

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Before She Knew Him

Peter Swanson