November 6, 2020

I’ve been on another psych/suspense thriller kick lately. Fortunately, most of them have been pretty good, and each one has had something unique that makes them stand out.

For The One Before, I’d have to say that the author pulls a switch that I absolutely did not see coming, and it changed my perspective on the story completely.

Well done for that.

I did feel like the story started slowly. I’ll admit that I wasn’t entirely sure that I was going to like the book. It felt very methodical and almost formulaic. Outsider engaged to rich golden boy; they move to boy’s hometown where his family rules the roost; town members are divided about past events.

Only once you reach a particular point in the book (you’ll know it when you read it), you realize that everything was put in place exactly this way to lull the reader into a sense of familiarity and maybe even complacency.

And the purpose all along is to be able to slap the reader in the face with a twist. Or four.

Truly, this book totally picked up in the second half. Once I got to the turning point, I couldn’t put it down.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/34Cl9sC
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Kobo: https://bit.ly/30tnCUl
Google: https://bit.ly/31jUygW

To me, Cooper was the most complex character. In some ways, he was an enigma as he had escaped Whisper – only to return and become more like his family. It was an interesting switch for him.

I didn’t care for Madison that much at first. I thought the author maybe injected Madison with some of her personal perspectives on feminism. There were also a couple of relatively throwaway political comments that served no purpose to the plot and only seemed to be inserted for “points.” That annoyed me, and me unsympathetic towards Madison.

However, I think that Madison realized the error of her past choices and was on a path to redemption. Her journey was tough, but she did better herself – at least a little bit.

I will admit that I did guess one of the more major twists – but that was only because I play a game with myself that I try to think of the most “out there” twist and then see if I’m right. This time I was – but not about all of them.

I would definitely recommend picking up and sticking with this one. You’ll be glad you did. And while you’re at it, check out this author’s other books Some Days are Dark and What I Know.

Author Bio:
Miranda Smith writes psychological and domestic suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Before completing her first novel, she worked as a newspaper staff writer and a secondary English teacher. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three young children.

Website: https://mirandasmithwriter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MirandaSmithAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/msmithbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirandasmithwriter/

This book had a great premise, but I can’t help feeling that there was something lacking.

Don’t get me wrong; I read it one sitting, so it definitely had me engrossed and curious to see what happened. I liked the set up of three women “getting away from it all” and heading to Tuscany, especially since they all seemed to be in disparate places in life.

Susanne was divorced and missing her teenage son who was off on holiday with her ex-husband. Evie, her new friend, had recently lost her mother, inherited her mother’s house, and was at loose ends. Dale, her long-time best friend, was just ready for a vacation.

When they get to the villa (owned by a friend of Susanne’s) they find that Harry (the friend’s godson) is already there. Is Harry too good to be true, as he doesn’t seem to mind the company of the older ladies, especially Susanne?

Or is something else going on?

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08H8KMV4GSocial
Apple: http://ow.ly/a1E650BgGxB
Kobo: http://ow.ly/DeYX50BgGwu
Google: http://ow.ly/aXKW50BgGAz

The author does a good job of casting doubt on each of the character’s motivations. There’s just enough to question about each of them that I was never quite sure if anyone had ulterior motives or not.

There was also a great twist at the very end that got me. I didn’t see it coming and it was a great way to end the book.

All of that being said, there were a few things that could have been slightly better.

I thought that the character development could have been a little bit deeper. It seemed like each woman’s situation was more for the plot than for any development of the character. Even though each woman’s situation was unique, there didn’t seem to be much purpose for the situations.

Every time I thought each woman’s perspective would produce a new offshoot of interest, it didn’t. There seemed to be quite a few paths that were approached but never taken.

There was a definite “Talented Mr. Ripley” vibe to the whole thing as well. You’ll understand when you read it.

At one point in the book, the author also introduces a new point of view. It quickly becomes apparent why that person is contributing to the story, but the arrival was a bit jarring.

I also felt that Susanne’s decisions in the latter half the book were questionable. I get why the plot needed to go in that direction, but the choices didn’t seem honest and (again) were more to move the story than be true to the character.

Even though this was a little bit of a mixed bag, I would still recommend it because the author does a nice job of throwing enough questions out there that it made for interesting reading.

**FACEBOOK:** Beverley-Harvey-Author
**TWITTER:** @BevHarvey

Author Bio:

Throughout Beverley’s many years spent working in advertising and PR, she had always wanted to write fiction. In 2015 a creative writing course inspired her debut novel, Seeking Eden, which was published in 2017. The sequel, Eden Interrupted, soon followed. Beverley’s third novel – her first with Bookouture – fulfils a long-time goal to publish a psychological thriller.

Born in Yorkshire, and raised in Kent, Beverley currently lives in West Sussex with her partner and their adorable terrier. When not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking the dog or listening to rock music.