The Girl Before
A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $23.31
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Emilia Fox
-
Finty Williams
-
Lise Aagaard Knudsen
-
Written by:
-
J. P. Delaney
About this listen
THE GLOBAL BESTSELLER • Soon to be a BBC One and HBO Max limited four-part series, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Morning Show; Misbehaviour) and multiple Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Emmy-nominated actor David Oyelowo (Selma; Les Misérables)
“A pitch-perfect novel of psychological suspense” (Lee Child) that spins one woman’s seemingly good fortune, and another woman’s mysterious fate, through a kaleidoscope of duplicity, death, and deception
Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.
The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.
EMMA
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.
JANE
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.
Praise for The Girl Before
“Dazzling, startling, and above all cunning—a pitch-perfect novel of psychological suspense.”—Lee Child
“The Girl Before generates a fast pace. . . . [J. P.] Delaney intersperses ethics questions on stand-alone pages throughout the book. . . . The single most ingenious touch is that we’re not provided either woman’s answers.”—The New York Times
“J. P. Delaney builds the suspense.”—Vanity Fair
“Immediate guarantee: You will not be able to put this book down. . . . Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will realize that there’s not only more where that came from, but it’s also more thrilling.”—American Booksellers Association
You may also enjoy...
-
Playing Nice
- A Novel
- Written by: JP Delaney
- Narrated by: Ben Elliot, Amelia Cormack, Peter Forbes
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent's worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete's son, Theo, isn't actually his son - he is the Lamberts', switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they've been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.
-
-
One of the best I’ve listened to
- By David on 2021-01-30
Written by: JP Delaney
-
The Perfect Wife
- A Novel
- Written by: JP Delaney
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Graham Halstead, Euan Morton, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He’s a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most innovative start-ups. He tells Abbie that she is the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss. But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins to question her husband’s motives - and his version of events.
-
-
very interesting
- By Alex on 2024-02-24
Written by: JP Delaney
-
Believe Me
- A Novel
- Written by: J. P. Delaney
- Narrated by: Sally Scott, Matt Reeves, Lorelei King, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A struggling actor, a Brit in America without a green card, Claire needs work and money to survive. Then she gets both. But nothing like she expected. Claire agrees to become a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers. Hired to entrap straying husbands, she must catch them on tape with their seductive propositions. Then the game changes. When the wife of one of Claire’s targets is violently murdered, the cops are sure the husband is to blame. Desperate to catch him before he kills again, they enlist Claire to lure him into a confession.
-
-
So many twists & turns!
- By Wendy Kerr on 2021-07-04
Written by: J. P. Delaney
-
Known to the Victim
- Written by: K.L. Armstrong
- Narrated by: AJ Bridel
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Amy Gibson's mother is brutally murdered by her boyfriend, Amy's world is completely undone. Overcome with grief and heartache, she withdraws from everything around her—college, her friends, her entire life. Until her estranged half-brother, Oliver, saves her, pulling her back into her life and giving her family. Giving her a home.
-
-
Very captivating!
- By L Linn on 2024-09-08
Written by: K.L. Armstrong
-
You, Me, Her
- Written by: Sue Watson
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My handsome husband Tom. You've given me everything our beautiful son and our perfect new seaside home. I want to trust you, but I know you haven't been honest about why you really wanted to move here. I haven't been honest with you either.
-
-
Predictable
- By Shrin on 2024-10-23
Written by: Sue Watson
-
Appetite for Innocence
- Written by: Lucinda Berry
- Narrated by: Taylor Meskimen, Em Eldridge
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A serial rapist is kidnapping teenage girls. But he’s not interested in just any teenage girls - only virgins. He hunts them by following their status updates and check-ins on social media. Once captured, they’re locked away in his sound-proof basement until they’re groomed and ready. He throws them away like pieces of trash after he’s stolen their innocence. Nobody escapes alive. Until Ella. She risks it all to escape, setting herself and the other girls free. Only the girl who's been captive the longest gets out with her. And soon Ella discovers her nightmare's far from over.
-
-
It was a struggle to finish
- By Kirstie Ballance on 2024-04-14
Written by: Lucinda Berry
-
Playing Nice
- A Novel
- Written by: JP Delaney
- Narrated by: Ben Elliot, Amelia Cormack, Peter Forbes
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent's worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete's son, Theo, isn't actually his son - he is the Lamberts', switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they've been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.
-
-
One of the best I’ve listened to
- By David on 2021-01-30
Written by: JP Delaney
-
The Perfect Wife
- A Novel
- Written by: JP Delaney
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Graham Halstead, Euan Morton, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He’s a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most innovative start-ups. He tells Abbie that she is the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss. But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins to question her husband’s motives - and his version of events.
-
-
very interesting
- By Alex on 2024-02-24
Written by: JP Delaney
-
Believe Me
- A Novel
- Written by: J. P. Delaney
- Narrated by: Sally Scott, Matt Reeves, Lorelei King, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A struggling actor, a Brit in America without a green card, Claire needs work and money to survive. Then she gets both. But nothing like she expected. Claire agrees to become a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers. Hired to entrap straying husbands, she must catch them on tape with their seductive propositions. Then the game changes. When the wife of one of Claire’s targets is violently murdered, the cops are sure the husband is to blame. Desperate to catch him before he kills again, they enlist Claire to lure him into a confession.
-
-
So many twists & turns!
- By Wendy Kerr on 2021-07-04
Written by: J. P. Delaney
-
Known to the Victim
- Written by: K.L. Armstrong
- Narrated by: AJ Bridel
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Amy Gibson's mother is brutally murdered by her boyfriend, Amy's world is completely undone. Overcome with grief and heartache, she withdraws from everything around her—college, her friends, her entire life. Until her estranged half-brother, Oliver, saves her, pulling her back into her life and giving her family. Giving her a home.
-
-
Very captivating!
- By L Linn on 2024-09-08
Written by: K.L. Armstrong
-
You, Me, Her
- Written by: Sue Watson
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My handsome husband Tom. You've given me everything our beautiful son and our perfect new seaside home. I want to trust you, but I know you haven't been honest about why you really wanted to move here. I haven't been honest with you either.
-
-
Predictable
- By Shrin on 2024-10-23
Written by: Sue Watson
-
Appetite for Innocence
- Written by: Lucinda Berry
- Narrated by: Taylor Meskimen, Em Eldridge
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A serial rapist is kidnapping teenage girls. But he’s not interested in just any teenage girls - only virgins. He hunts them by following their status updates and check-ins on social media. Once captured, they’re locked away in his sound-proof basement until they’re groomed and ready. He throws them away like pieces of trash after he’s stolen their innocence. Nobody escapes alive. Until Ella. She risks it all to escape, setting herself and the other girls free. Only the girl who's been captive the longest gets out with her. And soon Ella discovers her nightmare's far from over.
-
-
It was a struggle to finish
- By Kirstie Ballance on 2024-04-14
Written by: Lucinda Berry
-
The Best of Friends
- Written by: Lucinda Berry
- Narrated by: Amy Rubinate, Tara Sands, Coleen Marlo
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best friends Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani endure every parent’s nightmare when a tragic accident befalls their teenage boys, leaving one dead, another in a coma, and a third too traumatized to speak. Reeling from the worst night of their lives, the three mothers plunge into a desperate investigation of the bizarre incident. How could something so horrible happen in their wealthy Southern California suburb? They soon discover that the accident was just the beginning, and troubling discoveries lead to chilling questions: Do they really know their children? Do they even know each other?
-
-
Friends you just never know!
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-03-30
Written by: Lucinda Berry
-
On a Quiet Street
- Written by: Seraphina Nova Glass
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The perfect neighborhood can be the perfect place to hide… Who wouldn’t want to live in Brighton Hills? This exclusive community on the Oregon coast is the perfect mix of luxury and natural beauty. Stunning houses nestle beneath mighty Douglas firs, and lush backyards roll down to the lakefront. It’s the kind of place where neighbors look out for one another. Sometimes a little too closely…
-
-
Avoid this book
- By Shannon on 2023-08-12
Written by: Seraphina Nova Glass
-
Those Empty Eyes
- Written by: Charlie Donlea
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex Armstrong has changed everything about herself—her name, her appearance, her backstory. She’s no longer the terrified teenager a rapt audience saw on television, emerging in handcuffs from the quiet suburban home the night her family was massacred. That girl, Alexandra Quinlan, nicknamed Empty Eyes, was accused of the killings, fought to clear her name, and later took the stand during her highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the attention of the nation. It’s been ten years since, and Alex hasn’t stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed.
-
-
Amazing book!
- By Leigh Kenderdine on 2024-10-19
Written by: Charlie Donlea
-
The Chateau
- A Novel
- Written by: Jaclyn Goldis
- Narrated by: Carlotta Brentan, Amanda Carlin, Graham Halstead, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to picturesque Provence, where the Lady of the Chateau, Séraphine Demargelasse, has opened its elegant doors to her granddaughter Darcy and her three friends. Twenty years earlier, the four girlfriends studied abroad together in France and visited the old woman on the weekends, creating the group’s deep bond. But why this sudden invitation? Amid winery tours, market visits, and fancy dinners overlooking olive groves and lavender fields, it becomes clear that each woman has a hidden reason for returning to the estate after all these years.
-
-
Great story, well performed
- By Anynomous on 2023-09-10
Written by: Jaclyn Goldis
-
The Vanishing Hour
- Written by: Seraphina Nova Glass
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grace Holloway keeps to herself. Since narrowly escaping death at the hands of the man who kidnapped her, she’s thrown herself into the small inn she runs in Rock Harbor, Maine. It’s quiet, quaint and, in the off-season, completely isolated—the perfect place for Grace to keep her own secrets. But Grace isn’t the only one with something to hide, and Rock Harbor isn’t just a sleepy vacation town. Someone is taking young women—girls who look an awful lot like Grace did when she was kidnapped so many years ago.
-
-
Well rounded mystery. I would say almost perfect!
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-11-24
Written by: Seraphina Nova Glass
-
She Started It
- A Novel
- Written by: Sian Gilbert
- Narrated by: Sarah Ovens, Anne-Marie Piazza, Ione Butler, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.
-
-
Could have been so much better.
- By April Bresky on 2024-11-30
Written by: Sian Gilbert
What the critics say
"JP Delaney's intricate psychological thriller immediately entangles us, and the gifted narrators keep us spellbound.... Finty Williams is vital and convincing delineating Emma's unreliable persona, and Emilia Fox offers a sympathetic, intelligent Jane as she uncovers what really happened to The Girl Before. Absolutely riveting." (AudioFile)
"Riveting.... Writing with precision and grace, Delaney strips away the characters' secrets until the raw truth of each is revealed." (Publishers Weekly)
"A masterfully crafted spellbinder...guaranteed to astonish." (Booklist)
What listeners say about The Girl Before
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Wendy Kerr
- 2020-02-21
Amazing! Kept me on the edge of my seat!
Loved the narration and cadence of this thriller with the past and present becoming one. Couldn't wait for the next chapter!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2021-04-05
First J.P. Delaney book for me..
First book I’ve ever read of J.P. Delaney and I know it won’t be my last... picked me up into the whirlwind of its plot and the side by side time frames made it fun but sometimes I found myself having to rewind if I missed who was narrating that moment. But story made me just want to keep going.. like an ending you can sense, the answers are coming... 👍🏻 awesome
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amanda
- 2020-01-27
Great mystery and thriller!
Loved this story, definitely kept my interest the entire time. Would have liked 2 separate voices for the separate characters to be a little clearer. A new refreshing story that still manages to surprise and keep you guessing!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zoe Dixon
- 2018-09-13
A Thriller That Deserves To Be Noticed
The Girl Before captured my attention from the first page. The plot thickens with many twists and turns in the story. As soon as you think you have it figured out, you are once again surprised!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Gone Girl, The Woman in the Window, or The Couple Next Door. Or, if you like this one, listen to those next!
#Audible1
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dallas D.
- 2020-06-02
jawdroppingly good!
could barely put it down! First thing i thought of when i woke up, last thing before i went to sleep. Best book ive read (heard) in a long time!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Flip
- 2021-04-24
Amateur thriller with uninteresting characters
I was quite intrigued by this but was left very disappointed. The characters all seem very one dimensional and little to no redeeming features. It’s hard to understand why they do what they do. Very little context or backstory. The character of Emma is infuriating. Edward is despicable. It’s hard to feel any sympathy for any of true characters in the end. The story itself is fast paced and engaging. Performances are okay. Nothing great. I’d skip this one. Maybe watch the movie when it’s made.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!