Cover Image: The One Before

The One Before

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Member Reviews

Madison and Cooper are engaged to me married in his home town of Whisper Falls.
Whisper Falls is a small town. Madison is used to the hustle and bustle of a bigger city. Cooper has his family newspaper to run that is the reason for moving back to his hometown.
Rumors abound in small towns. Whisper Falls is no different. Everyone knows everyone's business. That how Madison learns that Cooper is still considered a suspect in an old girlfriend's death. The more Madison learns the more she questions what the truth may be.
A compelling thriller. Keeps you entertained and is intriguing in all ways a thriller should be.

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I really enjoyed this book it kept me guessing and had some twists that surprised me. Madison moves to the hometown of Copper, the man she intends to marry. It doesn’t take her long to find out that Copper hasn’t told her everything about his past , and that he has more secrets he’s keeping from her. This book was a quick read and held my attention till the end. I would like to thank Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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A slow suspense book with a growing intensity. It took me awhile to get into this book, with the very privileged lives of the family members in the small town where they pretty much own and control everything. Once the story started opening new dimensions I grew to like it. I am very happy to see a protagonist who is not scared of everything, questioning her own motives, but bold enough to know right from wrong, even though it hurts.

It’s hard to find sympathy for a family that is so controlling, thinking they have more rights than others, and think they are omnipotent. I would feel exactly like the protagonist. Not belonging, feeling something is terrible wrong, but it would be hard to pinpoint the main issue.

Some things were cleverly written. I don’t want to spoil anyone’s read, so won’t elaborate on this one. A couple of twists were intriguing, but I figured out the ending, so that was a bit of a bummer. All in all a good read though.

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Miranda Smith is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I loved her previous book What I Know, so I was thrilled to be able to read an early copy of this book.

This is a compelling thriller that kept me guessing. I read this in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down and I had to know the truth.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

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Such an intriguing read!
It was very well written and as a thriller should do, it definitely enterained me!
The characters were well written and the mini plot twist were unexpected. I'm interesting in reading other books from this author, she really can put a twist in the classical thriller. Recommend it and love it!

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A few months ago, I read What I Know by Miranda Smith and really enjoyed it. If you haven’t read it, get it now! Her latest, The One Before, is another suspense-filled book with a creepy, promising premise. Imagine you move with your fiance to a beautiful, quiet town. Then you find out that your boyfriend’s girlfriend disappeared and all signs point to your beloved. What would you do? I would start digging and curiosity would get the best of me.

Take a look at the plot:

Whisper Falls is a fresh start for Madison and her fiancé Cooper. The safe, quiet town on the shores of a beautiful lake is the perfect place to spend the rest of their lives.

But then Madison learns that Cooper’s high-school girlfriend Celia disappeared after a party. Three days later, her body was found in the lake. And the town thinks it wasn’t an accident.

Madison loves Cooper, but she can’t help wondering. She has to know the truth. But if she starts asking questions, what other secrets will be revealed? Will she meet the same fate as the woman who came before her?

You can pre-order the book here and it will be delivered on November 4!

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I'm a sucker for books that center around small-town mysteries. This one was packed with lore, gossipy residents, and a prominent family full of secrets. Even though I guessed the majority of the twists, it was still fun to see how the story played out and how everything tied together.

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What if the person you loved was a killer? Engrossing psychological thriller that explores a missing girl and suspect too close to home. It was an amazing book. I would give it five stars.

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Well, this one was quite fast, gripping, nail biter, exciting, devouring at one bite and finishing at one sit kind of reading!

I enjoyed the author’s previous book: “Some days are dark” too much. She can create heart pounding, fast pacing, intriguing storylines with deceitful, unreliable characters.

This time the story formed around a powerful Douglas Family who are wealthy, controlling and one of the most powerful, respectful families of Whisper Falls! A small, beautiful, peaceful town has shaken to the core with the tragedy of young Celia’s death more than a decade ago. A few gossiping towners still point their finger at Cooper Douglas whose her boyfriend and the last person who saw her alive.
And now Cooper and his fiancée Madison returned back to town to move that place and build a new life even though Madison has second thoughts to be part of small, stable, quiet town life.

Once upon a time she was ambitious reporter who dreamed to get her promotion but a deceitful source ruined her entire career. Now she has to change the scenery, living her busy life to adjust her new reality at where her fiancée was born and raised. But as everyone talks ill of her fiancée behind his back about his connection to Celia’s murder and dysfunctional dynamics inside Douglas family whose members cannot form a civil conversation without enough booze being served, she has real hard times to adapt in her new life!

And Helen is out there to prove Cooper is the perpetrator of daughter’s death. She’s spying on Madison, stalking her each move. She can do whatever it takes to convince her not to marry with a murderer.

Madison gets more confused as she learns more about her fiancee’s past and Douglas family’s secrets. Are they capable to bury all the evidence against them? Could Helen tell the truth? Could caring, loving Cooper have another personality that he hides from Madison? Is she in danger by not cancelling her marriage plan?

Well, there are two twists I didn’t see it coming which executed so cleverly. I foresaw some revelations but they were still well played. The story kept me in toes. And I loved both Helen and Madison’s well developed, connectable characterizations.

I loved the author’s previous book more but it still excited me and it was whirlwind, fast, captivating reading!

I am giving my four suspicious, mind bending, enjoyable, twisty stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookoture for sharing this unputdownable arc copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

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I really enjoyed this book and it had me totally gripped. Madison moves back to her fiancés home town and finds out some chilling rumours about Coopers past.. who does she believe and can she trust the man she’s about to marry? I felt like I was sitting at the edge of my seat reading this, each chapter more gripping than the previous. Highly recommend.

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First try with this author and really enjoyed it. Well paced, the characters were pretty well fleshed out, amd I ended up reading this in one sitting!

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Another amazing hit from Smith! Might even be my favorite of hers, which is saying a lot! Smith knows how to deliver what us thrill lovers are seeking! Thrills like a amusement park, chills you to the bone, twists and turns like a roller coaster, and shocks that will make you gasp! Highly, highly recommend! I optimist though, this is one you do not want to start unless you have no plans and definitely not before bed! So well written, absolutely realistic, an unique spin on something we’ve seen before, but doesn’t require a suspension or believes! Absolutely without a doubt UNPUTDOWNABLE!

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An excellent thriller! The characters were well drawn and the storyline flowed seamlessly. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Highly recommended!

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Sometimes it's hard being a part of a family or keeping a family together. This twisted story kept me fascinated. The beginning was slow to develop. The flashback does keep the story in the true nature point of view, as opposed to the family point of view. Regina's character is minor, but I get the feeling that she was meant to take on a bigger role. Madison's background is in investigative journalism; however, I feel that she didn't do that great of a job when it came to her fiance's family secret. Madison's personality is also very bland. Overall it was a good mystery but not a wow for me.

Thank you to the Bookouture and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I love him. I trust him… But what if I’m wrong?


Whisper Falls is a fresh start for Madison and her fiancé Cooper. The safe, quiet town on the shores of a beautiful lake is the perfect place to spend the rest of their lives.

Y'all this was great!
A perfect way to start my day was to begin it with this one.
This will be your perfect fall book!
The way this book was written it was just so good.
The characters you feel.like you are right there with them.

Thank You NetGalley Publisher and author for this great copy!

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This was my 3rd book from Miranda Smith.
After the 2nd book, I bookmarked and followed her on Goodreads.
After this book, I bumped her on to my mist loved author.
Miranda Smith writes an easy thriller, if there ever was one.
I find her writing so engrossing I always finish her books in one sitting.

This is a story about Madison and Cooper who just moved from the city to Coop’s hometown.
It’s supposed to be a fresh start for Madison after being fired from her dream job. But life’s turning around for her as she’s marrying the love of her life, her soon-to-be mother in law is shopping furnitures for her and everyone else in the family seems to love her.
But then again, is life really just that simple? Of course not.
On the course of a few weeks, she’ll learn a lot of things about her fiancé and his family.

It’s one of those thrillers which you think you have figured out but will surprise you in the end. I love how fast-phase it was.
And I can’t wait for her next book, that’s all I can say 😹

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#TheOneBefore #NetGalley
Another Up-All-Night psychological thriller.
You've a terrible past but you want your present to be happy, is it that simple? Don't you think simple is quite dangerous.
Madison and Cooper, a seemingly normal couple loves each other or so they believe. Madison loved Cooper's everything and till date she's there to support him in his toughest days of life. Her husband is a lover, friend, murderer?
Some years ago he was with a girl named Celia who was disappeared after the party and three days later, her body was found.
Accident or Murder?
People are saying till date that it was murder and someone is present there to punish Cooper for what he did. And they think Madison is the perfect way to do so.
Miranda came with another Up-All-Night psychological thriller and I must say that it was damn good.
I loved Celia, Cooper and Madison. Celia's character is as important as any other in this book.
I'm doing more promotion on 4th Nov among my fellow Authors Bloggers Followers Friends and Family.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy of this awesome psychological thriller.

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