The Wife and the Widow, a Review by Allison

posted in: Uncategorized | 0

šŸ¦šŸ¦šŸ¦šŸ¦šŸ¦

The Wife and the Widow
By Christian White

Minotaur Books (January 21, 2020)
Thriller
337 pages

Iā€˜m going to start by simply saying this book was incredible.

If you want to take a break, go buy the book, and come back to finish reading this review, fine.

Iā€™ll wait.

This book is THAT good.

I recently saw someoneā€™s post and they were raving SO HARD about this book, that I knew I needed to read it. In fact, I book cheated on ā€œThe Clover Girlsā€ (sorry, Viola Shipman), and finished this gem in about 2 days.

What I liked about the book:

  • Two women, two stories, told in a dual- yet NOT so dual- timeline.
  • Twists and turns. Not many. Which is a GOOD thing. So many authors try to put so MUCH into a book, that it can be TOO much. Sometimes, using the least amount of words is best.Ā  And this book was by no means short- it was a solid 337 pages.Ā  But this couldā€™ve easily been 400+ if the author was wordier.
  • The characters. They were realistic and likable and flawed. One is a taxidermist in her spare time. Like, stuffing dead animals.Ā  Sigh. I love people with hobbies.
  • The ending. Not every book ends up ā€œhappily ever afterā€. I will admit I like it when loose ends are tied, but ONLY if it makes sense. Life is messy. Ā And for John and Ray and David, thatā€™s an understatement.

What I didnā€™t like:

  • There was nothing I did not like about this book. It held my attention through every single page, like a movie that is so good you donā€™t look at your watch once.

As my reviews do not contain spoilers, what I can disclose is this: Abby is a wife and a mother who, while trying to make ends meet in her small island town, starts to suspect her husband has some secrets. Ā Kate, also a wife and mother, finds her comfortable life upended when her husband fails to return from a business trip.Ā  While the stories are told in alternating chapters, each snippet moves these two womenā€™s stories closer and closer until they intersect. The supporting characters are used just right; they do not play a huge role but are definitely involved in the story.

And there is a twist!Ā  And it is a good one, and NOT typically what you see in thrillers. I loved the authorā€™s use of this technique. Brilliant!

Seriously. Read the book. Youā€™ll see.

This is one of those stories that I would love to go back and re- read.Ā  And I donā€™t say that very often, if ever. (*cough* Outlander).Ā  But having finished the book, I would like to start over and find all of the hints that are surely within the first couple of hundred pages.

I am so glad I found that review and took a chance, sight unseen.Ā  This is the first book Iā€™ve read by Australian- born author Christian White.Ā  Iā€™ve researched him a bit and see this is his second novel, his first being 2019ā€™s ā€œThe Nowhere Childā€. I will definitely pick this one up next! Ā Ā (Of course, AFTER I finish ā€œthe Clover Girlsā€. Ā Again, sorry Viola).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing is caring!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *