Monday, June 10, 2019

Before She Knew Him

Peter Swanson’s Before She Knew Him is a twist on the mystery-suspense genre. From practically the beginning of the novel, the reader, and the main character, Hen, know who the murderer is. The suspense comes from the tension between a feeling of complacency knowing who the murderer is—and maybe even trusting him a little bit—and not really knowing what the murderer will do next. The ending has two surprises (one I guessed; the other I didn’t). It was a satisfying read, although there are some times the writing drags and doesn’t seem to be moving the story forward, and good for summertime entertainment.

No comments: