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.
The Girls Before is a slow-burn psychological thriller that combines witch folklore, a missing person mystery, and captivity horror into a gripping, hard-to-put-down story. This is a book that readers will need patience for, as the first half is more atmospheric and character-driven (without any real thrills), while the second half ramps up with faster pacing, dramatic confrontations, and jaw-dropping reveals—making the wait absolutely worth it!
The story’s dual narrative keeps readers deeply engaged. One perspective follows a woman known only as Stranger, chained in a dark bunker with nearly no food or water, left only with the scratched inscriptions of previous victims. Her short, haunting chapters depict her clinging to fading hope as she struggles to escape before it’s too late. The other POV follows Audrey Dixon, a high school counselor and volunteer search‑and‑rescue expert, haunted by the disappearance of her childhood best friend Janie and drawn into the case of a local missing teen. Clues lead her deep into the woods, a place steeped in unsettling folklore of a vengeful “witch,” where she encounters a powerful family whose land borders the wilderness. As Audrey investigates, she unwittingly begins to unravel dangerous, buried secrets.
True to the author’s style, the writing is straightforward, immersive, and engrossing—especially in the dialogue sequences between Audrey and those she interrogates. The story also has significant emotional depth: Audrey is haunted not only by her friend’s disappearance but also by her own past and insecurities, which make her often second-guess her decisions (sometimes infuriatingly so) that put her in danger. A small romantic subplot between Audrey and a fellow teacher is present, but it gradually develops into a sleuthing partnership, which fits the story perfectly. Stranger’s chapters, by contrast, are short, claustrophobic, and visceral. Every time a glimmer of hope appears, her desperation and resilience shine through, making it easy to root for her. At the same time, her ambiguous past and inherent darkness make her an unreliable narrator and not entirely trustworthy. Her interactions with the “ghosts” of “the girls before” her—whose names are etched on the bunker walls—might read like paranormal encounters, but really symbolize her determination to stand up for their lost voices, beat the odds, and survive.
The last 30 percent of the story is fast and furious, with a lot to unpack, so readers will want to pay close attention to catch every detail. The ending delivers some major twists—one somewhat predictable if you’ve been paying close attention—but the story threads are tied together in a way that is equally satisfying, disturbing, and haunting—and will linger long after the final page!
Overall, The Girls Before is a gripping, immersive thriller and another strong offering from Kate Alice Marshall that’s sure to get people talking. Fans of atmospheric horror, psychological tension, dual POVs, folklore‑tinged mysteries, and twisty slow-burn thrillers that really heat up in the final act will devour this book!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Girls Before features a dual-narration performance led by award-winning voice actor Karissa Vacker, who has narrated multiple Kate Alice Marshall titles, with co-narration by Ina Barrón.
Vacker portrays Audrey with a controlled, thoughtful voice that captures her intelligence, persistence, and underlying vulnerability. During Audrey’s inner monologues—particularly when she grapples with guilt over Janie’s disappearance and her determination to uncover what happened to the missing girl, Megan—Vacker uses greater emotional expression, drawing listeners deeper into Audrey’s internal struggle. Much of this story is character-driven, especially in the first half, and Vacker makes every exchange between Audrey and other characters—whether her best friend, her sleuthing partner/love interest, or the suspicious figures she encounters during her investigation—feel engaging, believable, and completely addictive to listen to! She uses distinct voices, emotional shading, and expert pacing to give the audiobook a multicast, cinematic feel, elevating both the story and its suspense well beyond the experience of reading a physical copy. Audrey’s interactions with Emily and her family, in particular, are filled with palpable tension and will keep listeners guessing. Vacker also excels at pacing the story, allowing space to breathe during introspective moments when Audrey is weighing her next move or assessing suspects, then increasing her cadence during high-stakes scenes—especially the climactic confrontations—to keep the tension simmering and listeners glued to their headsets!
Ina Barrón’s performance as “Stranger” is quietly chilling and haunting, often using a restrained, almost hushed voice to convey the character’s desperation and constant vigilance. Her delivery is perfect for a character focused on survival, with uneven pacing during inner monologues, clipped phrasing, and carefully controlled emotion while Stranger is conserving energy to survive while living in the bunker. As the truth of the Stranger’s identity and long-held secrets is revealed toward the end, Barrón subtly shifts her performance to reflect the emotional weight of her past decisions and growing determination to set things right. There’s more conviction and openness in her tone, which adds depth to the character. Overall, Barrón’s nuanced, thoughtful performance will linger with listeners and makes Stranger feel multidimensional and ripe for discussion after the audiobook ends—especially in a book club setting!
In summary, both narrators elevate The Girls Before with emotionally nuanced, convincing performances and expert pacing and intensity, making this audiobook feel unstoppable from start to finish. It’s a must-listen for fans of slow-burn suspense, emotionally complex protagonists, and dual narration that feels natural, engaging, and fully immersive!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Girls Before features a dual-narration performance led by award-winning voice actor Karissa Vacker, who has narrated multiple Kate Alice Marshall titles, with co-narration by Ina Barrón.
Vacker portrays Audrey with a controlled, thoughtful voice that captures her intelligence, persistence, and underlying vulnerability. During Audrey’s inner monologues—particularly when she grapples with guilt over Janie’s disappearance and her determination to uncover what happened to the missing girl, Megan—Vacker uses greater emotional expression, drawing listeners deeper into Audrey’s internal struggle. Much of this story is character-driven, especially in the first half, and Vacker makes every exchange between Audrey and other characters—whether her best friend, her sleuthing partner/love interest, or the suspicious figures she encounters during her investigation—feel engaging, believable, and completely addictive to listen to! She uses distinct voices, emotional shading, and expert pacing to give the audiobook a multicast, cinematic feel, elevating both the story and its suspense well beyond the experience of reading a physical copy. Audrey’s interactions with Emily and her family, in particular, are filled with palpable tension and will keep listeners guessing. Vacker also excels at pacing the story, allowing space to breathe during introspective moments when Audrey is weighing her next move or assessing suspects, then increasing her cadence during high-stakes scenes—especially the climactic confrontations—to keep the tension simmering and listeners glued to their headsets!
Ina Barrón’s performance as “Stranger” is quietly chilling and haunting, often using a restrained, almost hushed voice to convey the character’s desperation and constant vigilance. Her delivery is perfect for a character focused on survival, with uneven pacing during inner monologues, clipped phrasing, and carefully controlled emotion while Stranger is conserving energy to survive while living in the bunker. As the truth of the Stranger’s identity and long-held secrets is revealed toward the end, Barrón subtly shifts her performance to reflect the emotional weight of her past decisions and growing determination to set things right. There’s more conviction and openness in her tone, which adds depth to the character. Overall, Barrón’s nuanced, thoughtful performance will linger with listeners and makes Stranger feel multidimensional and ripe for discussion after the audiobook ends—especially in a book club setting!
In summary, both narrators elevate The Girls Before with emotionally nuanced, convincing performances and expert pacing and intensity, making this audiobook feel unstoppable from start to finish. It’s a must-listen for fans of slow-burn suspense, emotionally complex protagonists, and dual narration that feels natural, engaging, and fully immersive!
The audiobook of The Girls Before features a dual-narration performance led by award-winning voice actor Karissa Vacker, who has narrated multiple Kate Alice Marshall titles, with co-narration by Ina Barrón.
Vacker portrays Audrey with a controlled, thoughtful voice that captures her intelligence, persistence, and underlying vulnerability. During Audrey’s inner monologues—particularly when she grapples with guilt over Janie’s disappearance and her determination to uncover what happened to the missing girl, Megan—Vacker uses greater emotional expression, drawing listeners deeper into Audrey’s internal struggle. Much of this story is character-driven, especially in the first half, and Vacker makes every exchange between Audrey and other characters—whether her best friend, her sleuthing partner/love interest, or the suspicious figures she encounters during her investigation—feel engaging, believable, and completely addictive to listen to! She uses distinct voices, emotional shading, and expert pacing to give the audiobook a multicast, cinematic feel, elevating both the story and its suspense well beyond the experience of reading a physical copy. Audrey’s interactions with Emily and her family, in particular, are filled with palpable tension and will keep listeners guessing. Vacker also excels at pacing the story, allowing space to breathe during introspective moments when Audrey is weighing her next move or assessing suspects, then increasing her cadence during high-stakes scenes—especially the climactic confrontations—to keep the tension simmering and listeners glued to their headsets!
Ina Barrón’s performance as “Stranger” is quietly chilling and haunting, often using a restrained, almost hushed voice to convey the character’s desperation and constant vigilance. Her delivery is perfect for a character focused on survival, with uneven pacing during inner monologues, clipped phrasing, and carefully controlled emotion while Stranger is conserving energy to survive while living in the bunker. As the truth of the Stranger’s identity and long-held secrets is revealed toward the end, Barrón subtly shifts her performance to reflect the emotional weight of her past decisions and growing determination to set things right. There’s more conviction and openness in her tone, which adds depth to the character. Overall, Barrón’s nuanced, thoughtful performance will linger with listeners and makes Stranger feel multidimensional and ripe for discussion after the audiobook ends—especially in a book club setting!
In summary, both narrators elevate The Girls Before with emotionally nuanced, convincing performances and expert pacing and intensity, making this audiobook feel unstoppable from start to finish. It’s a must-listen for fans of slow-burn suspense, emotionally complex protagonists, and dual narration that feels natural, engaging, and fully immersive!
