book cover of Before We Were Innocent
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Before We Were Innocent

(2023)
A novel by

 
 

'This compulsive thriller reads like true crime and had me guessing until the very end.' Reese Witherspoon


Three friends went on holiday.
Only two came back.

Ten years ago, after a sun-soaked summer in Greece, best friends Bess and Joni were cleared of any involvement in their friend Evangeline's death. Although they were found innocent, the case made them infamous and they've not seen each other since.

Except now Joni wants a favour, and when she turns up at her old friend's doorstep in need of an alibi, Bess has no choice but to say yes. After all, she still owes her.

But can you ever leave the past behind, when the whole world believes you're guilty?

'Beautifully written, suspenseful coming-of-age story... I loved it.' The Daily Mail

'Two BFFs are accused of murder in this novel that feels like true crime.' -
Cosmopolitan

'A haunting and dazzling page-turner.' – Laura Hankin

'It's a compulsive thriller, and you won't want to put down Berman's second book.'-
Shondaland

'Slices to the core of a fraught friendship on the brink of disaster.' -
PopSugar

Genre: Mystery

Praise for this book

"Captivating - a rich exploration of the complexity of female friendships with a compelling mystery at its heart." - Tammy Greenwood

"Before We Were Innocent takes a scenario we've seen in news reports - young women abroad, falsely accused of a horrific crime - and gives it all the nuance and empathy that the media never bothered with. Ella Berman is a master at depicting teenage friendships in both their beauty and their brutality. A haunting and dazzling page-turner, Before We Were Innocent kept me up well past midnight." - Laura Hankin

"The past refuses to stay dead in this stunning story of friendship, memory, and guilt from master storyteller Ella Berman - It brilliantly illustrates the vulnerability and cruelty of teenage girls - and how the judgments placed on them create the perfect environment for both to flourish. It brought me right back to my teenage years and cracked my heart open. A profound exploration of loyalty and betrayal, Before We Were Innocent is a perfect book." - Rachel Kapelke-Dale

"Berman's an expert at the small moment, the Austen-esque tragicomedy of unspoken human desire that compounds into something too big to name, too awful to ignore." - Sarah Langan

"Ella Berman reveals a teenage girl's heart of darkness in her absorbing new novel. By braiding together a past tragedy and a present mystery, Berman explores longing, loneliness, female friendship and blind trust, and illustrates how impulsive decisions made by our younger selves can haunt us as adults. Written with the urgency and thrill of an illicit secret, Before We Were Innocent captures the pleasures and perils of American girlhood." - Jillian Medoff

"[A] fascinating portrayal of the complicated friendships between teenage girls, and what happens when they grow up. Berman expertly weaves together the past and the present to create a suspenseful, spellbinding story about lies, betrayal, and what happens when the truth catches up with you. I loved it." - Elissa R Sloan


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