I loved the characters and the plot of the story, I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Fabulously creepy read !
Jess and Pete with their 2 kids move into an old house in the countryside ,
What is supposed to a new start for them all quickly spirals into a nightmare
Loved it !

Thankyou NetGalley for an advanced ARC inreturn for an honest review

The People Before tells the story of Jess and Peter, a couple from London desperate to be seen as doing the right thing, and their move to the country. They’d always been happy in London, until the break-in that has left Jess and her daughter scared. The move to Maple House in rural Suffolk seems like the answer to their prayers.
From early on we know Jess is hiding something. Peter’s behaviour is erratic so it doesn’t come as a surprise to learn he has secrets of his own. With two such nervy characters it doesn’t take long before this seemingly idyllic rural home takes on a life of its own.
People in the village seem to have a strange look on their face when Jess mentions where she lives. There’s a history to the house, and Jess’s new friend Eve is happy to fill her in on the more interesting details.
The initial atmosphere of the book felt unnecessarily exaggerated. As we learn more about each of the characters it was clear that the reality of the problems were more character driven. By the time we were told exactly what was happening and why, I found myself quite disengaged. Everything felt simply too much.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this prior to publication. It was definitely a story that had potential.

Average type mystery of an interloper ,what’s she up to why and how far will she go
U will have read similar before
Not bad not great but easy quick read

I enjoyed this book. Although I did find some of it quite predictable but it was a easy read with a good story. I was hoping for something more jumpy.

I LOVED THIS READ!!!

What if your dream house became your worst nightmare? 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.

I loved the sound of this book and when reading it you can definitely feel the atmosphere is tense and creepy. The prologue instantly hooks you, using all the senses to evoke the feeling that you are not alone. The writing was gripping and tapped in to some of my own fears. It was cleverly written from two different perspectives. So many different things happened, but they all tied up seamlessly. The writing was clear and kept me interested throughout. This is a gripping plot that made me feel creeped out and unsettled, and then…..and then comes a switch in the narrator…. and completely switches up the tone of the book.

This is my first read by author Charlotte Northedge, and I won't hesitate to pick up her next book. It leaves you wondering just how much do we know about the people who lived in our houses before us and how much do we really want to know what went on there...

Jess and her family move to a rambling old house in the Suffolk countryside. What will they make of their new life?
What happened in Maple House many years ago, what secrets does it hold?

I think this book had real promise. The slightly ghostly encounters at their new home, the mysterious way the children behave, the new lodger who seems too good to be true… the first half of the novel gives serious M.R. James vibes. Then comes the section narrated by Eve (original sinner reference anyone?). I don’t have anything against stories with multiple narrators - I have most recently seriously enjoyed Elly Griffiths interpretations of this genre - but when the narrator retells the same narrative just from a slightly different perspective it can drag just a little. Unfortunately by the time we came to the - admittedly tense - denouement where beloved Rose and Archie go mysteriously astray, I was itching to finish the novel, and maybe not in the way intended. I just think that perhaps slimming down the text might have helped to sustain the tension throughout the whole novel.

Still, a really enjoyable read - perfect for snuggling on the sofa on a chilly, dark, misty night - just maybe not with a crazed lodger across the courtyard watching your every move!

I really wanted to love this novel.

Creepy House.

Possible ghost.

Main protagonists with secrets.

Unfortunately for me the story did not engage me and I realised that I did not care about what happened to any of them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance ARC in return for my honest review.

This is a real psychological thriller. There is obviously a dark secret in Jess’s life otherwise why would she need a secret phone? What is going on with her husband Pete that he seems to have detached himself from family life? Is there someone watching Maple House and if so why? Why do so many things go wrong with the house? Narrated in the beginning by Jess, Charlotte Northedge’s writing absolutely aces the atmosphere in the creepy, ruined old house. I was looking over my shoulder as I was reading. I didn’t find Jess a likeable character but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. There were so many twists, most of which I did not see coming and it ends on a very sinister note.

Jess & Pete decide that they need a total change & buy a rambling house in the country. Leaving behind their friends they & their children move to Maple House. They have big plans for it but it soon becomes obvious that they have taken on more than they can handle. It also appears not everyone is happy that they have moved there. Jess has given up her job to save on childcare but she finds herself very isolated. She misses her friends & workmates & when she visits a small gallery in Ipswich she strikes up a friendship with Eve, the owner.

I loved the way the author created the creepy atmosphere of the house, making it almost a character on its own. Jess irritated me, although maybe I was a bit hard on her! When the book switches to a new narrator things start to hot up- I hadn't expected that & it put a new slant on things. Overall it was a good read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

A psychological story, not a thriller as such, it is slow burn. I thought the suspense was built up well in the first part, Jess and Pete move into an old house in the middle of nowhere . Jess has to leave London and her job and Pete is away for long days commuting to his job in the city. You do get a good picture of Jess at home alone and having difficulty fitting in with other mothers at the school gates.
The middle of the book is narrated by Eve, the friend Jess has (too quicky) made in the local town , Ipswich. You see then another side of what happened which was ok, though repetitive. In part 3, Jess narrates again and the story is wound up. I have mixed feelings about this. The plot was not particularly strong though as a reader you do find out what has caused the situations that the characters find themselves in. I did not particularly like any of the characters and none of them were portrayed with any depth.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest rreview. Not a bad read, but not fantastic either .

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5125292150

Insane!!! Is it supernatural, it is human nature? You will have to find out for yourself but what an absolute tour de force!!! It made me shiver, kept me on the edge of my seat and genuinely thrilled me. A must read on a dark cozy night with all the lights on though!!!

An extremely well written, eerie and intriguing story. From the outset, it is apparent that the dream home, bought by Jess and husband Pete in the Suffolk countryside, is anything but. The Maple House has something very dark in its past, but none of the locals seem keen to share what they know - nor do they seem to welcome its new inhabitants. Jess starts to suspect that someone has been in the house and her young daughter Rose, still having nightmares after confronting an intruder in their home in London, is convinced she sees a man outside watching the house. At least Jess finds one ally in Eve, a woman who owns a local art gallery, in whom she is able to confide her fears and concerns.

It gradually becomes clear that, aside from their renovation project, Jess and Pete have problems of their own - and soon there are hints as to the real reason they both wanted a new start away from Walthamstow.

The tension builds throughout, until the final nerve-wracking scenes when all is revealed - in more ways than one. An absorbing read.

Tense and creepy with a few characters who are as odd as the house Pete and Jess have just moved into. Secrets, lies and misunderstandings do not make for good marital relations nor does the stress of moving into a somewhat isolated and dilapidated old house which feels like it could be haunted. And indeed I was expecting a haunting especially as the children seemed to be so sensitive to the atmosphere and people around them.

As the history of the house slowly becomes revealed the tension ratchets up. There is a general sense of threat and menace surrounding the children that Jess and Pete seemed oblivious to and when the story is told from Eve's point of view it becomes clear that the couple is dealing with something extremely nefarious. I had no confidence that they would be able to cope or come out on the winning side.

There are a few twists and turns but no crazy reveals or unnecessary twists at the end. It concludes in a satisfying way with drama and suspense.

Having watched 'The Watcher' recently, there were some elements that felt familiar in Northedge's tale. A family fleeing the danger of the city for the supposed idyll of the countryside and stretching their finances to afford it. Unsettling neighbours, a sense of malice and being observed. It starts as a slow-burn that is intriguing if not particularly new but unfortunately it loses its grip, particularly when the narrative switches to another character's POV. The details become repetitive and the voice isn't distinct enough to prevent this from dragging the pace and the plot. The story and the tension starts to unravel as the reader learns more. The resolution is both disappointing and far-fetched. The twist wasn't the reveal I'd hoped for and didn't live up to the promise of the earlier part of the book.

This was very creepy and unsettling from the start. Jess and Pete mover from London with their two small children but the house is not welcoming. What happened there before and who is lurking?

Really atmospheric, perfect for a cosy read on a rainy winter day.

This book is tense dark and suspenseful . It is very well written. When Pete and Jess move out to rural Suffolk things begin to take a turn for the worse. Creepy things begin to happen and Jess gets increasingly unhappy. The book is very slow and I skipped a few chapters and don't think I missed much. A good but not excellent read.

This book tells the tale of a house with history and secrets, and inhabitants with their own history and secrets. It was sufficiently atmospheric and twisty to keep me intrigued until the end, despite the fact that I ending felt rather drawn out and mundane in contrast to the rest of the book. Worth a read though!

An absorbing thriller with twists I didn’t see coming. The character of Jess was well portrayed and you really felt for her with all the strange goings on in the house. A good ending to an enjoyable book.