Day: April 29, 2022

The Girl Before Me by Laura Wolfe has all the hallmarks of a good psych thriller.

Rachel is a likable heroine. It is easy to root for her because she is not a caricature. She is realistic, and her actions and thoughts are understandable. It is easy to see where the reader could make the same decisions she does.

There is a “locked room” vibe to the plot. It is obvious from the prologue that Annie is (probably) “the girl before me” – with the “me” being Rachel. But most of the important action occurs within a few apartments in one building.

This allows for a finite number of suspects when things start to go a little strange for Rachel. The author does a great job of casting each person who Rachel comes in contact with as a potential villain.

It also allows for a sense of claustrophobia to permeate through several scenes. I got a definite “Rosemary’s Baby” feeling from the people and the building.

And that’s all I have to say about that point.

A good psych thriller has red herrings. Part of that is which characters are suspicious. But part of it is also not allowing the red herrings to be unbelievable. This is another area where the author largely succeeds.

I did think that Rachel’s situation that led her to be in the apartment wasn’t quite as fleshed out as it could have been. It served as a good option for the events but could have used a little more oomph to be completely believable. The same goes for Rachel’s mom.

Some of the characters, however, were more like caricatures (kindly old couple, hot single guy, trendy girl, weirdo guy) – but I like to think that is by design. They didn’t bother me, they just felt familiar.

It is also a little strange that after the prologue, everyone is sort of like, “yeah, the person is gone” and…that’s it. On the surface, it seems odd that nobody would mention the police or offer more solid theories on where the person went.

However, in today’s transitory culture, especially in big cities, I don’t think it is unusual for people to adopt an “Oh well” type of attitude toward their neighbors. Especially when there are plausible excuses given for the person’s absence.

I know that sounds confusing, but I promise it makes sense in the context of the plot.

What I did like most about the book was that it all just made sense. Once the plot is revealed and the secrets are uncovered, it was possible to look back and see how everything was clearly laid out. It’s a good story when the author makes a clear path for the reader but then leads them astray.

Again, I know that is cryptic, but I don’t want to give anything away. Especially as there are a few final twists even after you think everything is wrapped up.

The Girl Before Me is another solid psych thriller from Laura Wolfe.

Author Bio

Laura Wolfe is an Amazon charts bestselling author who writes fast-paced and twisty psychological thrillers and suspense novels. Her recent titles published by Bookouture include WE LIVE NEXT DOOR, HER BEST FRIEND’S LIE, SHE LIES ALONE, and TWO WIDOWS. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she is hanging out with her husband and two kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Website: https://www.laurawolfebooks.com/