‘The One Before’ by Miranda Smith is a gripping suspense thriller that had me reading late into the night. I have read previous books by Miranda Smith and all I can say is, she knocks it out of the park again!
Madison and Cooper are engaged. They met while both working as journalists in Atlanta two years ago. They decide to move back to Cooper’s home town, Whisper Falls. Cooper is from the wealthiest family there and is taking over the running of the family business upon his return.
Madison has her own reasons for the fresh start and adores the fact she can plan their wedding and turn their house into a home. Everything is looking rosy. Then Beth, a local journalist writes an article about the ‘Golden Boy’ of Whisper Falls, Madison discovers that Cooper’s ex-girlfriend, Celia, drowned in Whisper Lake just before he left for college. Madison also hears things about the town and is slowly getting the idea that Cooper may have been very economical with his truths and she feels that both he and his family are hiding something. Then she finds that the residents of Whisper Falls are very divided over Celia’s death and what role Cooper played. Madison doesn’t know whether to trust Cooper or his family. Madison decides she is not a journalist for nothing and begins to investigate, realising she has no one to turn to and wonders how she will ever get to the bottom of it all. If she asks the wrong questions what will she discover? Could she end up as dead as the one before?
A thriller that is a fast-paced read. It has plenty of secrets, lies intrigue and twists to keep you hooked. The characters especially Madison are relatable and I felt really sorry for her when she landed in a strange town with all the small-town gossip that you get in them. Another great read from Miranda Smith.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of the book to write my review today.
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