The Girls Before

by Kate Alice Marshall

From the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods, No One Can Know, and A Killing Cold, a new novel about a search & rescue expert, a kidnapped woman, and the lost girls who haunt them both.

There is a girl in a basement.
The door has stopped opening.
The light is gone.

Stranger is trapped in the dark, with only her imagination and the scribbles on the wall left by long-dead girls to keep her company. Nearly out of food and water, she makes one last attempt to escape. But if the door opens at last, will it mean salvation, or only the beginning of her fight to survive?

Audrey is a search and rescue expert who never stopped looking for her ex-best friend, Janie, who disappeared when they were teenagers. Janie used to love the local legend of a forest witch who saves girls from bad men, but Audrey knows now that for every one saved, there’s always another one lost. When she stumbles upon evidence in the forest that a teenage runaway might have actually been kidnapped from land belonging to the town’s most prominent family, she will have to dig through decades of secrets to reveal the biggest one of all: what happened to the girls before.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult, Suspense

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 24, 2026

About the author

Kate Alice Marshall is the author of thrillers and horror for all ages. Her YA and Middle grade books include I AM STILL ALIVE, RULES FOR VANISHING, and THIRTEENS. Her adult thrillers include WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS and NO ONE CAN KNOW.

She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, two dogs named Vonnegut and Octavia, and two kids. They all conspire to keep her on her toes.

Reviews

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

In case you weren't aware, 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese Zodiac, and apparently, the year of the fire thrillers!

I don't know if our Author's know we can use the distraction now more than ever or what. But, I'm telling you, they're going HARD this year.. especially with the thrillers! This one is absolutely no exception and will have you hooked up until the last words on the last page.. Missing girls, A small town with big families in power, and a witch in the woods? YES PLEASE!

The writing is a lot more lyrical than in most thrillers I've read which I also found really enjoyable. I think the beautiful writing definitely helps boost the books magical aura! Some of the best thrillers can feel like a prison meal on the way down.. Beautiful writing just isn't something that's necessarily needed to make a good thriller. But this book really highlights what a phenomenal combination the mix can be.

A true thriller lovers must read! And definitely a book I will be personally recommending. Honestly this has been the fast January of my LIFE and I owe it all to Netgalley and the amazing Authors, such as Kate Alice Marshall. Who are kind enough to trust us readers with their book babies. It might not seem like much but, when you have regular depression on top of seasonal depression, January tends to SUUUUUCK. And making peoples lives suck a little less is a pretty huge accomplishment in my book! This was my first read from this author but it definitely won't be my last! As always if anyone has any recommendations of what I should read from this author next, please let me know below!

Until next time,
Hades
🩵


* ADHD side note*..The line about an "old" show called Teen Wolf and an AARP membership left me cackling like my girl Winifred Sanderson

[Nikki Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Alice Marshall is an auto-read author for me. Period. If she writes it, I’m reading it. I was absolutely thrilled to get this one! It also features a dog you love.

There is a girl in a basement. The door has stopped opening. Will she ever get out?

Audrey volunteers with the search and rescue team in her free time. She has become quite obsessed with it. Her obsession started when her best friend in high school disappeared and never returned.

I will say that I have shied away from woman held captive tropes. They are, at times, a bit descriptive in abuse. I’m pleased to tell you that none of those things are mentioned here! So if that is something that you have stayed away from, know that this is safe to read!

This story had so many twists that I might have whiplash lol. I had to go back and reread a part towards the ending, but I finally figured it out. Lol.

I highly enjoyed this one, and her loyal fans are sure to love it too! My kitten, Rowan, couldn’t stop chewing on it…. So it’s Rowan approved 🤣.

Add this to your TBR and pre-order your copy now!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date- 2/26

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy!

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

reaction immediately after finishing: Wow.

More thoughts to come.
👇
8/10: 4⭐️’s

First of all, the narration was great (Ina Barron and Karissa Vacker-one of my personal favorites). It was incredibly helpful to have two narrators for this book as well as the chapters labeled with above or below and before or after to separate the different timelines. I might have been confused without that.

This is a dark book. After a little bit of thinking, I don’t know how to say much without giving away a lot. And I definitely do not want to spoil any thing for other readers.

Audrey is a high school counselor and a volunteer search and rescue member. Barry, her dog, is wonderful, but a has a bit of an attention problem so his time with search and rescue didn’t last long. Her ‘best friend’, I say that loosely because someone like Janie doesn’t sound like someone I would want as my friend at all, disappeared when they were teenagers. Now a teenager from the school she works at has gone missing, but no one seems to be looking for her. Much like with Janie.

Audrey can’t seem to help herself from searching for answers. While out hiking, but pretty much being nosy and curious, with Barry and the new teacher at school, they stumble across something that changes everything.

With that I will stop because my rambling self is so tempted to say more than I should!! Especially since an inkling I had about something turned out to be correct and I had an ‘I knew it, I just knew it!’ moment and want to tell everyone what it is that I knew! It’s twisted.

I do want to note that my favorite character in this book is Kenny. He doesn’t have a significant role, but oh gosh, I would love to have a friend like him.

This was dark and twisty and had some definite moments of holding my breath just a little bit while various scenes played out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook. It was a doozy! All thoughts are my own.

Rating and thoughts posted: 1/23/26

Publication date: 2/24/26

TW: captivity with assumed various forms of abuse.
———————————————
I forgot to add a quote from Len (?) that is one of my new favorite lines from a book:
“Don’t escalate the stupid.”

I need to start a list of lines I want to try to incorporate into conversations with others😂.
Small addition: 1/24/26

[Val~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooooo gooood! Mystery after mystery. This is a gripping thriller! Truly entertaining! I enjoyed every part of it!

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall, to be published on February 24th, 2026.

[Tini · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a girl kept captive in the dark. There's Audrey, a guidance counselor and search-and-rescue expert who never stopped looking for her missing best friend, Janie. And there are the ghosts of all the girls before - the ones who vanished from the forests of the Pacific Northwest, amidst legends of a witch who helps desperate girls. But there's nothing supernatural about it.

What begins as a claustrophobic survival tale unfolds into something much broader: a haunting, multi-layered mystery about friendship, trauma, and what it means to be saved. Mercifully, it's not your typical "woman held captive" story - refreshingly, there are no graphic depictions of violence, only the echo of what's been endured. The pacing is brisk, the atmosphere dark and foreboding, the twists satisfying, and Audrey's bond with her dog gives the story unexpected warmth. I did, however, roll my eyes at how many red-haired women seemingly disappeared (in a small town in the Pacific Northwest, no less) without anyone making the connection.

I listened to the audiobook, and it's excellent. Narrators Ina Barrón and Karissa Vacker are perfectly paired: Barrón gives voice to the raw desperation of the captive girl, while Vacker's particularly stellar, empathetic narration of Audrey's perspective grounds the story in reality.

The Girls Before is an elegy for the lost, and for the ones who refuse to stop looking. Kate Alice Marshall once again proves she's one of the most consistent voices in contemporary suspense.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy of the audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"The Girls Before" is slated to be released on February 24, 2026.

[Heather Adores Books]

Starting off very intriguing with a girl chained up below.

What to expect:
~ dual 1st person POV, present tense
~ below/above & before/after chapters
~ missing children
~ search and rescue

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author is always so good!! A guaranteed wild and twisty read, and The Girls Before was no different.

Dark and suspenseful, we have a school counsellor who volunteers with Search and Rescue who gets herself caught up in a town secret, with a prominent family at the centre. Audrey will not let it go, no matter what the police tell her, she knows there are girls buried in the forest, girls that have gone missing without a trace. With an urban legend to boot, there are cover ups galore, making this a very interesting story.

As always Karissa Vacker does an amazing job with narration. I always love listening to her telling the story.

This was slower burn than the author’s usual pace, so the audiobook was definitely the way to go , kept me listening and interested all the way.

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio for the early copy to listen to. Out on February 24th.

[Nancy McFarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

 Talk about long buried secrets…the secrets revealed in The Girls  Before will definitely take you by surprise. The book starts out as a slow burn to pique your curiosity about what Audrey is going to do and  to get you invested in what is going to happen to the girl below. A fabulous mystery and a story of survival, family and ambition, and how your past (and “what ifs “) can totally take over your life. Another great book by Kate Alice Marshall.

[Manon (mysterymanon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a dog in this one!! The dog is safe!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.. just Wow! This is one of those books that will not leave your hands. And if you have to put it down, you won’t stop thinking about it. It’s dark, tense, emotionally charged and wonderfully suspenseful. Told in alternating POVs with characters that are hard not to like. Especially Dev and Barry. For those who have read the book, am I right? If you haven’t yet, you’ll see what I mean.

Kate Alice Marshall is at the top of her game. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and Flat Iron Books: Pine & Cedar for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Christina C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall was one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to in a long time. Audrey is a compelling main character, and I really enjoyed her ability to help find missing people. While Audrey is great, Barry and Dev truly stole my heart. They added much needed relief to the intense plot.

The plot is gripping, and the way the two timelines intertwine was done exceptionally well, keeping me fully engaged throughout. Everything comes together beautifully, leading to a very satisfying ending. I couldn’t stop listening and highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys smart, well written suspense novels.

[Jessica Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely prefer the author’s other books. This was way too slow and honestly did not care for the story or the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Kate Alice Marshall, and I have recommended her books to so many of my friends. My favorite thing about her writing is the way she always has just a touch of creepy, almost supernatural spookiness layered into stories of real world nightmares.

In The Girls Before, our spooky story is the Bloody Mary, Blair Witch-esque Jenny Red Hands, and our real world nightmare is a town with a history of disappearing young women.

As you can imagine, I was beyond excited to start this one. And there were elements that I enjoyed. I was very into the Jenny Red Hands story, and I wish it had played a bigger part in the overall plot, or that it had wound more tightly into the main story. Ultimately I felt like it was flashy and fun, but if it had been completely removed, it wouldn’t have really made a difference to the characters or events. I do have to admit that this was probably on purpose though. The book did make a point about how legends like these sometimes take away or distract from real tragedies, and I thought that was an interesting and important observation. So, much as I personally may have just straight up preferred a Jenny Red Hands book, I guess I’m ultimately glad that in this one, the focus was on the real world side of things.

It was also super twisty, and I can always appreciate being kept on my toes. However, I will say that it was one of those ones where I made a wild guess about what I thought was going on, it twisted away from that, then it twisted again and again and again until it twisted all the way back around to my original guess. I don’t know if that’s quite the same thing as being predictable, but it does still sort of bum you out. Also, despite the twists and turns, there were several sections that felt slow to me. I saw another review that called it “a slow burn thriller,” and I think that is the perfect was to describe it. I felt like everything was happening but nothing was happening throughout quite a bit of this book, and when I set it down, I wasn’t always excited to start it up again.

I listened to The Girls Before on audio, and I think the narrators did a good job. They were easy to listen to and each handled their chapters well. However, I think this story probably works better in print format. There were a few times when I got confused about who was speaking. I also kept feeling a need to go back and reexamine details and information we were given earlier, which would have been easy to flip to in a printed version - not so simple on audio. This is not in any way a criticism of the quality of the audio production, just perhaps something that would have worked better for me.

Overall, it wasn’t my favorite of Kate Alice Marshall’s books, but I still think it was enjoyable! It’s got a very intriguing premise, and it will definitely be a perfect fit for many readers. It’s expected on February 24, 2026!

Thank you so much to Kate Alice Marshall, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for giving me access to this alc in exchange for an honest review.

[Brynn | readyourworriesaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE GIRLS BEFORE by Kate Alice Marshall might be her best work yet.

The story starts off alternating between Above // Below. In the Above chapters, we get the perspective of Audrey, a search and rescue expert who has never stopped looking for her ex-best friend. In the Below chapters, we learn that a girl is trapped in a basement with only scribbles on the wall to keep her company, left behind from long-dead girls.

The first half of the book is a slower-burn. I was very curious about Audrey's perspective and her role in the story, but I kept finding myself wanting to get back to the Below chapters.

Once the timeline switched about halfway through to Before // After, I was utterly captivated and could not put this book down. The slow-burn start was necessary to the backstory and when I finished this book, I was insanely impressed by Kate Alice Marshall's plotting and storytelling.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing and so hard to put down. There is so much suspense and mystery in each chapter and as the book goes on, we get different chapters from different narrators and also a timeline jump which made things easier to understand. I was on edge worrying as Audrey tries to solve the mystery of the missing girls and puts herself in danger numerous times. The build up in the book makes it hard to trust anyone, so I really had no idea how it could end until I actually got there. This book had the perfect mix of suspense and character building to keep me on my toes the entire way through. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[BHK · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girls Before was creepy, intense, and addictive! I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I loved how the story wove together mystery and survival. Kate Alice Marshall does an amazing job keeping you guessing with all of the suspense and the dual POV. If you want eerie woods vibes and long buried secrets, this book is definitely worth reading. The audiobook narration by Ina Barron and Karissa Vacker was fantastic! Their performances brought so much depth to the story and made the characters feel completely alive!

[Lauren Self (lauren.shelby.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE GIRLS BEFORE
🎧 audiobook review • out 02.24.26
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5)

thank you @macmillan.audio for my gifted ALC
#macaudio2026

kate alice marshall is unfortunately hit or miss for me and this one leans more towards the miss mark. don’t get me wrong, the story was intriguing and the twists at the end hit me full speed— but the story leading up to the twists was not very memorable.

narrated by the one and only karissa vacker 👌🏻who does absolutely incredible every time

audrey is part of search and rescue, and while searching the woods for a missing boy, can’t help but think of her childhood friend who went missing years before.

lots of secrets to uncover, lots of family members that I kept getting confused with 😵‍💫, and overall a good story that I will still recommend, it just wasn’t a personal favorite.

[Courtney Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯. 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯'𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺. 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢."

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?"

"𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴."

💭 THOUGHTS:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 is a dual timeline psychological thriller with a sprinkle of urban legend and a lot of tension.

Audrey is a compelling protagonist and flashbacks flesh her out further. Stranger's captivity and fight for survival is riveting. Side characters, such as Kenny, Dev, and Barry (the dog), provide some levity and relief to the intense plot and to the extremely prestigious (and shady) family in town.

Marshall does an exceptional job with her plotting. The alternating Above/ Below chapters between Audrey and Stranger give a slight slow-burn at the start, but it doesn't ever feel like it's dragging. Multiple missing girls over the years combined with the local legend of Jenny Redhands weaves a sense of unease into the story. I was fully engaged while waiting for the two timelines to intertwine and equally engrossed once they did.

With twists, secrets, and plenty of suspense, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 is another gripping win for Marshall. Readers of Marshall's as well as Gillian Flynn and Simone St. James will likely find enjoyment with this one! [4☆]


🎙 Ina Barrón and Karissa Vacker do a wonderful job with the dual narration. Having two narrators further distinguishes the Above/ Below chapters and perspectives. Vacker is one of my favorites and continues to prove her vocal prowess here. Barrón shines just as bright, and I look forward to listening to more from her!


✨ Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Net Galley for the ALC! [Pub date: 2•24•2026]

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads and Flatiron Books for the Advanced Reader’s Copy! I’ve read two other books by Kate Alice Marshall, so I was thrilled to win a giveaway for her latest. This book was fantastic. I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I was so invested in the characters and the mystery. Even when I thought I’d figured out a twist, it kept me second guessing. The alternating POV works so well.

[Cayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slow burn thriller. It wasnt my favorite by her but I still enjoyed the story. I like stories that involve missing people and esp when you do get the POV of that missing person and them being kidnapped and stuck in a house with no way out. You definitely will be guessing the whole way through the book.

[Drea | Borrowed Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ Wow! What a knock out mystery thriller. This might be my favorite Kate Alice Marshall book to date. For starters, I picked the audio because Karissa Vacker is truly an amazing narrator and does the best male voices in these thriller settings, she shines in this production and kept me hooked from start to finish. I listened in pretty much one day, I could not put this book down. This is a slooooow burn folks, the first half is a lot of set up and not much happening but the twists were good, even if I saw the big one coming just a few chapters before the reveal. There were enough surprises to keep me happy and guessing throughout the whole first half. The reason I knocked a little off the rating was because it was eerily similar to That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally. I loved that book too but don’t worry it is different enough with separate twists!

This book follows a few POVs, Audrey, a high school guidance counselor obsessed with finding missing girls due to guilt she harbors from not being there for her childhood best friend right before she went missing and the second POV is from an unnamed victim captured somewhere “below”. I typically have a hard time with slow burns but this one kept me engaged with those suspense building “below” chapters. Stories of missing girls are always a bit devastating as it relates to the abuse they suffer but Kate handles this topic with care and nothing is glorified or depicted graphically, mostly implied. Also, I loved Barry (the dog)!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook and highly recommend consuming in that format.

TLDR:
* Slow burn - missing girls/mystery
* Multiple POVs
* Good twists
* Excellent audio narration
* Triggers treated with a lot of care, not graphic

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review. This book will publish on February 24, 2026

This was my 15th book of 2026
Format: Gifted ALC

[✨Poppy✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio & netGalley for this ALC! It was one of my most anticipated reds of 2026!
This was so good!! I loved the story from start to finish, and I honestly recommend going into this one completely blind. I still haven’t read the full synopsis, and I truly think that’s the best way to experience a thriller/mystery like this.

The atmosphere is tense and unsettling, the dual storylines kept me hooked, and the slow uncovering of secrets had me turning pages nonstop. It’s dark, gripping, and emotionally heavy in all the right ways, with that creeping sense of dread that never fully lets go.

If you enjoy thrillers that rely on mood, buried secrets, and the feeling that something is deeply wrong beneath the surface, don’t overthink it,just pick it up and start reading!!
Listening Speed: 1.5X
Narrators: Ina Barrón; Karissa Vacker
Feedback: I have only kind words to say about Karissa Vacker, her voice is absolutely divine, and her performance is, as always, top top top. She elevates the story in every possible way and makes an already gripping read even more immersive. I believe this is my first time listening to Ina Barrón and I was honestly very impressed!

[ThrillersDoodles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did but it just ended up not being for me.

Why?
-it was so convoluted, confusing
—even when it finally started coming together I was back and forth trying to figure out the timeline of what happened when and didn’t think I could validate some of it

-it was pretty far-fetched and I needed to suspend disbelief (imo) to carry on with it (the big twist)

-without spoilers, it drove me nuts having to wait until the epilogue for absolute confirmation of what we finally learned.
—the earlier twist was the big thing and I felt like the epilogue info could’ve arrived sooner and so many other things would’ve made more sense.

-I usually enjoy a multi timeline but the way this was vaguely labeled left me confused more often than I care to admit, leading to a lack of enjoyment.

-I didn’t particularly care for many of the characters either, tbh. Audrey’s obsession was…a lot. Janie’s frenemy traits pissed me off. Len was the most likable character for me, and the rest, well…no.

What to expect:
- [x] Multi pov
- [x] Dual timeline
- [x] Twists
Topic(s): missing girls, family drama

Audiobook:
Narrator(s): Karissa Vacker, Ina Barron
1.5x

Flow and Pacing:
- [x] Engaging
- [x] Slow

Recommend:
Maybe. People who enjoy big twists, regardless of plausibility, will likely glom onto this one and enjoy it. I’d be surprised if many are able to figure it out fully!

(My favorite Marshall books are A Killing Cold, No One Can Know and What Lies in the Woods.)

Quotes:
“What is the world but a set of jaws.”

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists, atmospheric and kept me guessing and entertained. This author is an auto buy for me. Some creep, a little romance and so many emotions depending on each scene.

I love the narrator which is a plus. I have listened to several of the books Karissa Vacker narrates and she is phenomenal.

[Nima Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good I finished it in one day. The ending was completely unpredictable and genuinely caught me off guard. Highly recommend!
Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for the ARC

[Kim McFall]

Kate Alice Marshall has done it again! I loved this book!

The way the story was laid out a little at a time with subtle hints, the characters, the dual timelines, and the way I questioned every character’s innocence, made this an amazing book!

I listened to the audiobook and was pleasantly surprised to hear one of my favorite narrators. Excellent choice!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Love · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Girls Before follows Audrey, a search-and-rescue expert still haunted by the disappearance of her teenage best friend. When she uncovers evidence that a missing girl may be tied to a powerful local family, she is forced to confront decades of buried secrets, a chilling local legend, and the truth behind what happened to the girls before.

While the premise is strong and atmospheric, my experience with the audiobook made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story. The narration, performed by Karissa Vacker, often pulled me out of the story rather than immersing me in it. I struggled to distinguish between characters, and the voicing of male characters in particular disrupted the flow and tension, making it hard to stay engaged.

On its own merit, the story has solid ideas and an eerie setup. However, as someone who has been reading thrillers for many years, I didn’t find the execution especially surprising or memorable. The writing is competent, but it didn’t stand out within the genre for me.

I suspect this book may work better in print, as the narration significantly impacted my overall experience. Readers who enjoy slow-burn psychological thrillers with folklore elements may still find something to appreciate, but the audiobook format ultimately wasn’t for me.

Final Thoughts:
• 🎧 Audiobook narration significantly affected my experience
• 🌲 Strong premise with folklore elements
• 🐌 Slow-burn pacing
• 📖 Likely better suited for print than audio

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook in advance.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted this one to work for me, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters from the beginning.

I read a lot in this genre, so I recognize common plot and behavior patterns, and this one never quite separated itself from the pack.
Character growth felt thin.

The same emotional beats repeat, but without enough forward movement to build a satisfying arc.

By the end, the resolution felt more suggested than fully developed, which left the emotional payoff pretty flat.

The pacing was the biggest issue. Most of the book moves very slowly, but without the tension or layering that makes a slow burn rewarding. Calling it a slow burn might even be generous. A sloth has a faster pace.

Then the last section hits the gas all at once and turns chaotic instead of climactic. I actually had to reread parts of the ending to figure out what happened.

It ends up feeling like a story that sleeps through most of its runtime and then tries to sprint to the end. Unfortunately, speed cannot replace buildup.

The audiobook narration does add some lift and polish, and it helped the experience a bit, but not enough to fix the pacing and character issues for me.

[Cara Elizabeth | justanotherbookishgal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely unputdownable. Intense, suspenseful, a little eerie, and so well done. The first half of the book being in alternating chapters and perspectives of “above” (our FMC who is searching for missing girls) and “below” (an unknown girl who’s locked in a basement) and the second half alternating between “before” an incident and “after” an incident… I loved it. It kept me hooked from beginning to end. Audrey’s internal monologue was so good too. I truly loved her character. I had a hunch fairly early on what was unfolding in the story, but it unfolded in a way that still had me second guessing myself. And when it all came together in the end… yeah I loved it. I don’t often think there are perfect endings to suspense books, but this is definitely one of them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron books for the ARC!

[kimberly]

The Girls Before opens in a dark, lonely basement where we meet a stranger, a girl who is being held captive. Above the ground, search and rescue expert, Audrey, has a personal connection to missing girls’ cases; her best friend having gone missing many years ago where she did nothing to save her. When Audrey finds a piece of evidence that links to an assumed runaway teen, the two stories collide.

This novel is told through multiple POV with good atmosphere, but I struggled to remain engaged with the characters from the jump. The problem lies partially with the writing and partially with me, I suppose. As someone who has consumed this genre for years, nothing here felt especially memorable or identifiable from others in its cohort. Narration by Ina Barrón and Karissa Vacker which, unfortunately, I found shrill and didn’t enjoy. It ended up not being a winner for me all around. I didn't finish it so I won't be rating it.

Thank you Macmillan for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available Feb 24 2026