A couple with a young family need to move out of London due to various problems. They find what they believe to be their perfect home. However, as early as the day they move in, they experience significant doubts. There are strange shadows, smells and atmosphere and their lovely daughter is terrified from the get go.

This is a strange book as, what starts out as an atmospheric, creepy read, becomes more of a family drama in the second half and by the end, other than the daughter, I’d little interest in the characters or storyline.

My main issue was in the ending that just didn’t sit right. Well, that and my irritation at a couple who made such a huge life decision with little or no research or forethought!

It’s got atmosphere and it’s a decent read. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to preview.

Jess, Pete and their two children Archie and Rose make the move from London to live the country idyll. Jess hates the house from the start, it’s a huge crumbling wreck in need of renovating and she feels a malevolent presence, convinced they are being watched..
Jess feels lonely and that the local mums don’t seem particularly welcoming. In London she worked in a gallery and on a trip to one locally she bonds with the owner, Eve and the pair become friendly.
Eve it appears is in a precarious position financially and somehow ends up moving in with Jess, Pete and the children.
All is not what it seems everyone is hiding secrets until eventually the truth becomes clear.
Lots of little twists and turns to keep you interested here - not loads of action or murder which makes a pleasant change!

So yeah, it's middle class white people moving to a rambling house in the middle of nowhere that needs serious work ... and sure, there's a middle class white gallery owner who seems a bit off ... and yeah, none of the villagers like the "intruders" ... oh, and of *course* a murder once happened in this house, but ... I very much enjoyed this. The plot was super thin but it was a very good book and I would read more by this author.

This was a really enjoyable read, it’s full of suspense and twists and turns throughout. The characters were good, the plot was great and the style of writing was perfect. This is the first book I have read by this author, but I’ll be keeping my eye out for more in the future. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

An enjoyable read that gives you shivers down your spine within the first couple of chapters. Great characters although at times a few seemed a little far fetched. Well paced throughout.

Wonderfully atmospheric, The People Before builds on the themes of alienation, social capital and messy, misunderstood families that sparkled in Northedge's debut. Properly, discomfortingly chilling from the off, nothing is ever quite what it seems to be in this game of psychological cat and mouse. A perfect autumnal read.

The house that Jack built ★★★☆☆

The big project house in the Suffolk countryside was supposed to be a new start for Jess and Pete and their two children. However they soon find out that the dilapidated house has a dark history. Even worse, Jess is convinced that someone is watching them.

Jinxed from the beginning, Jess and Pete begin to crumble under their respective secrets as Jess struggles against the house whilst becoming increasingly paranoid. Friendless and isolated, meeting local gallery owner Eve seems like the answer to Jess’s prayers. Then everything gets much worse…

The layers of secrets are interesting as is the cat and mouse game between Jess and someone invested in the house’s secrets. However, the identity of the saboteur and the voice of that character lacks punch and credulity.

I’ll definitely be avoiding buying a mysterious project house in the middle of nowhere!

Pete and Jess, along with their children Archie and Rose, move from a small house in busy Walthamstow, to a huge house in rural Suffolk. It’s a move that Jess is reluctant to make, but events deem that they should make a fresh start. Needless to say, the relocation is not at all as expected!

I liked this book. The story was captivating, though did get a bit bogged down at times and could have moved along a bit quicker, but that didn’t spoil the plot, which has been done before, but this time with added twists.

There were a few twists and turns, many expected but some a surprise. The denouement was a little convoluted, but it got there in the end!

A good read, would definitely recommend and I look forward reading more by CH.

3.5 *

Thank you NetGalley.

Wow! A book of many parts. The first section was ridiculously creepy, it gave me a few chills along the way.
The next part, it was very interesting to get another side of the story and this is where everything becomes so clear.
The ending, a few twists and turns in thr story I didn't see coming!

The characters, what an interesting bunch! Jess, quite clearly has a past that she is slightly clinging onto and you're waiting to see if she will go back (in glad we found put more about that). Her husband, I wanted to shake him a few times. Eve, oh Eve. So many faces to Eve!

Fantastic, solid read and I especially loved it being set in the local area!

Very mixed emotions about this one. The language and style are superb and instantly drew me in to what began as a solid, intriguing storyline. Unfortunately, half way through, when the narration switched to Eve, the plot weakened instantly and quite considerably. From that point on I really struggled to finish the book and ended up feeling hugely disappointed as, in my opinion, it became muddled, hurried and totally unbelievable. Such a shame, as it had shown such promise.

Creepy, claustrophobic, and thrilling.

This is a pacy thriller, great plot and characters and it will give you a few scary minutes.

Read it in one and loved it.

An eerie and dark read in which Jess and her family buy the rather creepy Maple House in Suffolk. As with all creepy houses, it has a tainted past. The People Before has all the ingredients needed for a suspenseful story. It’s filled with the necessary twists, lies and deceit which makes for a good thriller.

This is the author's first book and I look forward to reading more.
Thank you to NetGalley HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this spooky thriller 📚

This definitely had the twists and turns that every thriller and mystery needs. It kept me going till the end. I enjoyed the fact it wasn’t all based in london.

Keen to get out of London, Pete and Jess buy a large house in rural Suffolk which is desperate need of renovation- Japanese knotweed and all. The scale of the necessary work to restore Maple House is somewhat overwhelming and right from the start Jess has misgivings, prickles on the back of the neck with the sense of being watched and there’s a negative energy. Pete doesn’t think she’s being rational but Jess can’t help but wonder if all their problems have followed them here. What problems are those and what stories could the house tell???

The best aspect of the book is the creepy, oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere which makes you wonder why the couple don’t see this when viewing it. Their young daughters Rose has many fears of the change and of the property and these are palpable with the unease permeating the book. You get some interesting little information bombs which are very intriguing and the introduction of Eve into the storytelling who Jess meets in a a gallery in Ipswich, makes for some intriguing dynamics and distantly off notes. Who is the cuckoo in the Maple House nest? The author introduces The Yellow Wallpaper (1892 Charlotte Perkins Gilman) into the storytelling and I really like this element and I’m disappointed that fizzles out.

You soon grow to appreciate that several characters are living in the past and it’s not going to end well. In the second half there are some elements of subterfuge and sabotage with betrayal aplenty.

However, although the novel is clearly meant to be a slow burner at times it’s too slow and so it takes a while for the plot to get going. My main issue is that it’s hard to fully immerse yourself when you dislike the central protagonists! Jess can be very self centred and extremely whiney as she goes round and round the same old garden. Pete is detached and about as much use as a chocolate teapot. The tension does rise and fall as it reaches the conclusion but the ending really lets it down in my opinion. I could accept unlikeable characters if that had been a cracker!!

Overall, a mixed bag read although there are plenty of positives not least in the cloying atmosphere.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins/ HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Jess and Pete move from London to Suffolk. They aim to renovate an old house. With Pete working away, Jess makes friends with Evie and becomes close to her. But there are strange noises in the house, things moving around and being broken. The family feels threatened, is it to do with the past?
Amazing addictive read! Absolutely loved it! I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next, so many secrets!
Edge of your seat novel from an amazing author.

#ThePeopleBefore #NetGalley
Old concept, new twists.
Jess and her husband need a new start. So when the chance to buy a rambling old house in the Suffolk countryside comes up, they leap at it. But not everyone in Suffolk is welcoming. The locals know a secret about the Maple House, and soon, Jess realises they’ve made a huge mistake. Something bad happened in that house. Something nobody wants to talk about.
It was an old concept but the way of representing it was totally new. I loved the twists throughout the whole story. Adored it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

Firstly, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book ahead of publication.

I must admit I have slightly mixed reviews for this book. I’ll start by saying that the author writes extremely well, in that the writing flowed and I felt there was the right amount of description and detail i.e. no rambling, irrelevant paragraphs. However, my issues were mostly to do with the plot of the story as it developed.

The premise was definitely my cup of tea! And I started this novel feeling pleasantly cosy and full of anticipation… family move out of London into derelict country house, strange feelings are described (being ‘watched’), and the weather and atmosphere was building nicely. I also liked that the protagonist was, at first, not your usual main character for one of these books, in that she didn’t actually want to move to the country and had what seemed to be very ‘real’ and relatable issues. However, as the chapters went on, all I could think was: ‘what a moaner!’ I understand the description of her being unhappy to move was meant to create a feeling between reader and character, but there was no redeeming time where we saw her trying to enjoy her new life or not moan about something (all of which seemed to be problems of her own doing!!). Because of this, I felt the description of the house (a great tool to build suspense and create a scene in my mind!) was let down- there was no charming yet spooky and tense description, just a drab and old house with no character or qualities.

On top of this, there was definitely a misogynistic and useless husband/father added to the mix, although I can’t say I much liked Jess by this point either. There were no secondary characters to like either- Jess’s own mother was heartless and cold; the grumpy old neighbour was despicable; the fellow mothers were like a pack of wolves or total vacuous airheads.

Finally, there were then the big ‘WHAT! Yeah right…’ moments in regard to the plot. Without any spoilers, if someone acted towards me (violently) as they did to Jess, I most certainly would not let me children go to sleep upstairs and then let those people stay in the house… I’d rather be in the car and out of there altogether! Nothing gelled right for me with the plot and the motivations behind characters.

Overall, I felt like I simply couldn’t find much to like about this book- literally!

This is a thriller with a twist you won't see coming - I really enjoyed this, from the vivid descriptions of the Maple House to the creepy elements of Jess' fears. I think the plot is really clever, and this is a solidly well written book that will be a welcome addition to the genre. I enjoyed the way the book is split into two parts which overlap, the same story being told from two perspectives. A thoroughly enjoyable book!

This was a very twisty book that was full of anxiety throughout. The plot was intriguing and the atmosphere was well rendered – Maple House being the epicentre of the book, and almost a character in itself. I enjoyed the flick of POVs and found it generally very well written. A v good thriller and one I would recommend.

Eager for a fresh start, Jess and her husband by a run down property in Suffolk. Unfortunately, Maple House has a dark past and Jess comes to regret her decision to buy the property. Locals whisper behind her back, there are stories about the tragedy that befell the previous owners, but the rumors are vague and unsettling. Jess is left to uncover the truth herself, about what happened to the people before. Dark and menacing, the perfect read for a dark, rainy day