Saturday 20 February 2016

Review: The Widow by Fiona Barton

A loving husband or a heartless killer...she'd know, wouldn't she?
There's a lot Jean hasn't said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with accusing glares and anonymous harassment. Now her husband is dead, and there's no reason to stay quiet. People want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.
     The truth--that's all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything. For the reporter who has secured the exclusive interview, this is the scoop of a lifetime. For the detective who has lived a half-life since he failed to get justice for the victim, it is a chance to get at the truth that has eluded him for so long. For Jean, it's a chance to defend herself, what she knew--and when.
     This is the tale of a missing child, narrated by the wife of the main suspect, the detective leading the hunt, and the journalist covering the case. It's a brilliantly ominous, psychologically acute portrait of a marriage in crisis--perfect for fans of The Silent Wife and The Girl on the Train.


Paperback, 336 pages
Published February 16th 2016 by Penguin Canada 
Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Psychological Thriller

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!**

I really, really liked this book. It was one of the better debut psychological thrillers that I have read in a while. With short, easy to read chapters that alternated between the Widow, the Detective, the Reporter, the Mother and the Husband I found myself flying through the pages.

This story was about secrets and loyalty and the lengths people will go to get what they want. It started when Jean's husband Glen died in an unfortunate accident and people started knocking at the door wanting to know the real story about the crime that Glen was accused of committing from his Widow. Through the different narratives I got the story leading up to present day as I not so patiently waited to find out what Jean knew and what really happened.

I have to admit that there were no real shockers or "aha" moments for me and I was able to guess the outcome. However, it did not impact my enjoyment of the story. I read a few early reviews where people were disappointed because they expected it to be like some other books as stated in a few different places and it wasn't. Knowing this, I jumped in with no expectations as to what stories it resembled and kept an open mind. It was beneficial and I think I enjoyed the story more because of it.

In my opinion it was a strong debut and I look forward to seeing what Fiona Barton does next.








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