The Widow
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3.9 • 2.1K Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“A twisted psychological thriller you’ll have trouble putting down.”—People
“If you liked Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, you might want to pick up The Widow by Fiona Barton. Engrossing. Suspenseful.”—Stephen King
Following the twists and turns of an unimaginable crime, The Widow is an electrifying debut thriller that will take you into the dark spaces that exist between a husband and a wife.
There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.
Now her husband is dead, and there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that 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...
An NPR Best Book of the Year
One of The Wall Street Journal’s 5 “Killer Books” of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Includes a Readers Guide and an excerpt of Fiona Barton’s The Child.
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-Written but Not Well-Paced
Was spellbound in the beginning but the book dragged on for too long. It spelled out the culprit from the start, which is fine, but without any mystery I found myself just waiting for it to wrap up.
Very well written and excellent marks for style.
Novel lacks suspense!
The Widow by Fiona Barton is supposed to be a suspense/mystery novel but it does not succeed. The book starts out in June of 2010. Jean Taylor’s husband was hit by a bus. Jean is sorry to lose her husband, but the scandal before his death was overwhelming. Glen Taylor was accused of kidnapping and killing a little girl (Bella Elliott). The police (especially Detective Inspector Bob Sparkes) could not prove that Glen committed the crime and now they may never find the out the truth. Kate Waters is a reporter with the Daily Post. She wants to get Jean’s story for their newspaper. Kate gets through the door and convinces Jean to sell her story to the Daily Post. We get to find out what Jean actually knew about Glen’s activities (the book then goes back to 2006). Did Glen kidnap and murder Bella Elliott? Can Jean lead the police to the body to give closure to Bella’s mother, Dawn?
The Widow is a slow moving book. It reminded me of oxen pulling a covered wagon across the open prairie (a long, slow journey). The writing itself is okay, but I found it lacking. The book is very dull with no action and a lousy ending. The first 17% of the book is just about Jean and her life with Glen. There is no action or mention of Glen’s crimes. The book goes back and forth from the present to the past. We get to see how Glen and Jean met, their life, etc. We also find out about Bella and her mother, Dawn. The police investigation into the crime. There is no suspense (not a page-turner). The book does not hold your attention. I give The Widow 1.5 out of 5 stars. The basic concept (the crime) is interesting, but the writer did not do a good job developing it.
I received a complimentary copy of The Widow from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Need better ending
The ending just stopped so abruptly I didn’t even know it was over. Makes me not even want to try another story that will end in the same manner