The Girl Before: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

When Clara Lawson's home is invaded by armed men, she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to 'say nothing'. In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara's fractured life. We see her childhood and we see her now, sequestered in an institution, questioned by men and women who call her a different name - Diana - and who accuse her husband of unspeakable crimes. As her past and present collide she must question everything she thought she knew.

Reviews

Praise for The Girl Before

Gripping...A powerful, moving debut by therapist Olsen in which cruelty is counterbalanced by compassion and love.Booklist (starred review)

Easily the most disturbing and unsettling book I have read this year....As in the best suspense novels, there are mysteries within mysteries, and all is not what it seemsnot to Clara, and definitely not to the reader.BookPage, A Best Mystery of 2016

[A] thoughtful look at victims and perpetrators and the difficulties that arise for someone who is both at once....[The Girl Before] moves at the pace of a mystery, but the novel is strongest when it allows Clara to unpack her past and consider who she will be going forward. A moving story of recovery and responsibility.Kirkus Reviews

I couldn't put it down. The novel is compelling, perplexing, and ultimately uplifting! The unusual structure is a perfect match for the magnetic voice of the central character. I predict this daring debut will make Rena Olsen the girl ahead among psychological suspense authors.Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Upon a Winters Night

A disturbing story, haunting and important.Alexandra Burt, author of Remember Mia

Daring, harrowing and absolutely riveting.Sandra Block, author of Little Black Lies

Author Bio

Rena Olsen grew up moving around every few years, following her minister father from church to church, and her exposure to so many different people and environments sparked an interest in human nature. She earned a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in marriage and family therapy. A licensed therapist, she works in Des Moines, Iowa.