The Widow
-
-
3.9 • 345 Ratings
-
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Fiona Barton's much anticipated psychological thriller will leave fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train on the edge of their seats. Widow Jeanie Taylor is being hounded by the press—her late husband, Glen, was suspected (but never convicted) of abducting a child years ago. Bouncing between the present day and the years around the crime that disrupted the couple's lives, Barton makes us question Glen and Jeanie’s involvement at every turn. A suspenseful mystery told from multiple (and often unreliable) perspectives and packed with red herrings, The Widow kept us turning pages well into the night.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
What would you do if your spouse suddenly became the prime suspect in the kidnapping of a two-year-old girl? That's the stomach-churning prospect that confronts London hairdresser Jean Taylor in this exceptional debut from British journalist Barton, who circles her story as if it were a lurking panther, unseen but viscerally sensed. The main action occurs in 2010, with flashbacks to little Bella Elliott's headline-dominating disappearance from her home in Southampton in 2006. Multiple narrators maximize suspense, with perspectives switching among tough-to-read Jean, whose husband, Glen, has just been fatally hit by a bus at the book's start; haunted Det. Insp. Bob Sparkes, the lead investigator, whose career the case jeopardizes; and tabloid reporter Kate Waters, most resourceful of the frenzied journalistic pack chasing the story. Though Barton stumbles slightly down the homestretch, tipping what should be her biggest bombshell, she tells her tale with a realism and restraint that add to its shattering impact. Author tour.
Customer Reviews
Well enjoyed, page turner!
Enjoyed this book. Originally a recommendation and I would pass the recommendation onward.
Pretty boring
Very slow story telling, no twists or turns. Nothin
Exciting at all
Heartbreaking
A quick read.