JP Delaney Books

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J.P. Delaney is a pen name. The author’s real name is Anthony Capella. As Delaney, he writes mysteries and thrillers. The author uses pseudonyms because he writes different types of books. Pen names prevent confusion among his readers, or so his publishers claim.

Delaney doesn’t mind. First, he has found that his books have a multitude of attributes in common, even though they occupy different genres. Avid followers of Delaney will spot the similarities in themes and characters.

Secondly, the initials in Delaney’s name obscure his gender. Many readers have responded with surprise after meeting him because they thought he was a woman. The author appreciates the reaction. It shows that people are responding to the strength of his stories as opposed to his name.

He believes that writing under a pseudonym allows authors to escape unfair expectations. Delaney made a bit of a splash when he wrote ‘The Girl Before,’ his debut novel under the pen name.

He took inspiration from a magazine article about a London minimalist house that piqued his interest because he believed that only a perfectionist architect with obsessive tendencies could craft such a fascinating structure.

By the time he began visiting minimalist houses, Delaney had no idea that his research would become a successful debut novel. Despite what some people think, he had no trouble writing the story from the perspective of two female leads.

However, the narrative structure presented a challenge. The author wanted to explore two murders from different years as though they were one continuous narrative. But the book fought him at every turn.

Whenever he discarded the story to write something else, Delaney would eventually return to ‘The Girl Before.’ He thought the idea was too good to abandon. However, it took him more than fifteen years to make it work. In the end, he dumped 40,000 words.

Additionally, it took him a while to nail the finale. He wrote eighteen different endings before settling for the ninth option because it delivered the most shocking and unexpected finale possible.

It took Delaney even longer to understand why he obsessed over ‘The Girl Before’ for so long despite the challenges it presented. Yes, he thought the idea was worth pursuing. But more than that, the concept was a stark reminder of his personal trials.

The author dedicated the book to his two sons. One son is autistic and physically disabled. Another son succumbed to cot death. In writing ‘The Girl Before,’ Delaney was expressing his opposition to the idea of living a beautiful, perfect life.

He also hoped to explore the folly of trying to escape the messiness of human relationships. These revelations only became apparent to Delaney after he completed the novel. It was the first among many psychological thrillers in his bibliography.

J.P. Delaney Awards

Delaney has received a Dagger Award nomination.

Best J.P. Delaney Books

The author takes inspiration from writers like Daphne du Maurier, Lee Child, and John Le Carre. Delaney’s best books include:

The Girl Before: ‘The Girl Before’ tells the story of two women. Emma was looking for a new home in the aftermath of a traumatic break-in. But none of the places she found provided the semblance of safety she wanted.

But then Emma came across One Folgate Street, and everything changed. The minimalist house was an architectural marvel, and she couldn’t wait to move in even though the home’s enigmatic architect retained full control.

For Jane, One Folgate Street was a sanctuary, an opportunity to start over after suffering a personal tragedy. But then she moved in and learned the truth about the previous tenant’s demise, a woman the same age and appearance as Jane.

As she attempts to unravel the home’s mystery, Jane begins making the same choices as the girl before, which puts her on a collision course with a terrifying fate.

Playing Nice: A mistake changed Pete Riley and Miles Lambert’s lives irrevocably. An understaffed hospital switched their sons at birth. Two years later, Miles came to Pete’s door and broke the terrible news.

Both sets of parents were determined to make the best of a bad situation. They wanted to merge into a single unconventional family. But then, an attempt to sue the hospital initiated an investigation that unearthed disturbing secrets. Now, Pete and Miles don’t know if they can trust one another.

When Does The Next JP Delaney book come out?

JP Delaney doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The New Wife and was released on January, 2nd 2023.

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