Spoilers ahead for The girl from before. One of the most anticipated dramas in Christmas TV programming arrives in the form of The girl before in December. The BBC’s four-part thriller is adapted from JP Delaney’s 2016 hit novel of the same name. But, how does the BBC drama compare to the original book, and what is The girl before end of the book?

Like Delaney’s novel, the television series tells the story of a woman named Jane (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who is lucky enough to move into a beautiful house designed by enigmatic architect Edward (David Oyelowo). However, it doesn’t take long before Jane uncovers some troubling secrets about the house’s past relating to its previous occupant, Emma (Jessica Plummer). In the series, viewers are also introduced to Emma’s ex-boyfriend Simon (Ben Hardy).

Throughout the original book it is revealed that the former resident of the house, Emma, ​​has passed away and that Jane begins to fall in love with Architect Edward, she also begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of ‘Emma. While doing so, she learns that Emma previously lied to the police about the rape and that she also cheated on her ex-boyfriend Simon with her co-worker named Saul.

Continuing to investigate what happened to Emma, ​​Jane then begins to identify a list of potential suspects, including Simon and Saul, who she believes may be responsible for Emma’s death. Ultimately, it is revealed that Emma’s jealous ex-boyfriend Simon is the one who killed her. Following an altercation at home between him and Jane, Simon is also killed after falling down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Jane also becomes pregnant with Edward’s baby and ends up giving birth to a baby boy. It is then revealed that the baby has Down syndrome, and after learning about his newborn son’s condition, Edward suggests giving the child up for adoption so that he and Jane can try again for the so-called baby. “perfect”.

Perhaps the most surprising twist in the story also comes at the end of the book when readers learn of Jane’s true intentions. It is revealed that while Edward is portrayed as a controlling figure throughout the story, Jane actually manipulated him from the start – and purposely sought Edward to get pregnant with her child as she believed he would be. genetically the perfect father.

To find out if the BBC adaptation of The girl before lines up with the original dramatic novel, you can watch the four-part drama on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, December 19. The series will air on four consecutive nights, ending Wednesday, December 22.