One of my most anticipated books out this month is Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman. It walks the line of women’s fiction and suspense, starting when three best friends enjoy a summer in Greece. But their vacation ended in tragedy, and only two of the girls made it home. Now, ten years after that horrific event, Joni and Bess have done their best to move on. But when Joni ends up in another crime, so similar to what happened in Greece, and calls Bess for help, Bess isn’t sure what to think of her friend. What really happened in Greece all those years ago?
Novels of friendship and crime are so fascinating. How much can you really trust your BFFs? What if they were somehow involved in something shady… would you still have their back? Before We Were Innocent offers up a beautiful setting of Greece (a place I’d love to visit!), but turns it into a site of horror when one friend meets her untimely demise. The premise of this book is fascinating, and I can’t wait to read it!
Find out more about it below, and let me know if you’re planning to pick up Before We Were Innocent. If you’ve already read it, let me know how you liked it in the comments! I’m hoping to read it soon, so stay tuned for my review.
Official Summary
A summer in Greece for three best friends ends in the unthinkable when only two return home in this new novel from Ella Berman. . . .
Ten years ago, after a sun-soaked summer spent in Greece, best friends Bess and Joni were cleared of having any involvement in their friend Evangeline’s death. But that didn’t stop the media from ripping apart their teenage lives like vultures.
While the girls were never convicted, Joni, ever the opportunist, capitalized on her newfound infamy to become a motivational speaker. Bess, on the other hand, resolved to make her life as small and controlled as possible so she wouldn’t risk losing everything all over again. And it almost worked. . . .
Except now Joni is tangled up in a crime eerily similar to that one fateful night in Greece. And when she asks Bess to come back to LA to support her, Bess has a decision to make.
Is it finally time to face up to what happened that night, exposing herself as the young woman she once was and maybe still is? And what if she doesn’t like what she finds?
Get the Book
You can buy Before We Were Innocent here – it’s available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.
Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman | |
---|---|
Audience | Adult |
Genre | Suspense; Thriller; Women’s Fiction |
Setting | Greece; Los Angeles |
Number of Pages | 384 |
Original Publication Date | April 4, 2023 |
About the Author

Credit: Felicity Griffiths
Ella Berman grew up in both London and Los Angeles and worked at Sony Music before starting the clothing brand London Loves LA. She lives in London with her husband, James, and their dog, Rocky. The Comeback is her first novel.
More Books by Ella Berman

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