Heaven shining down on us through bullet holes in the sky: THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars


Anna Fox is an agoraphobic former psychologist who spends her time spying on her neighbors, playing online chess, and watching black and white movies. She lives alone, drinking copious amounts of wine and living in the past. She becomes especially intrigued when a new family, the Russells, move in a house across from hers--husband, Alistair; wife, Jane; and teenage son, Ethan. But then one evening Anna witnesses a shocking event at the Russell home and it rocks her to the core. Estranged from her husband and daughter, Anna calls the police, but things quickly become jumbled. What did Anna really see? Who believes her? What is really happening with the Russell family?

This was definitely an intriguing book, which I raced through in about 24 hours. I couldn't figure it out, that's for sure. I'm not usually a fan of the unreliable narrator, and that was definitely the case here. Anna is reliant on medication and alcohol and she's awfully hard to like or empathize with, sometimes. The beginning of the book is a little slow, as we sort of watch her struggle alone in her house and drink, yet oddly mesmerizing, as you are wondering how much of what she sees and thinks is really happening.

Clearly something has happened to estrange her from her husband and young daughter, and as she sinks further into her delusions, the book certainly picks up, bringing you along for the ride along with Anna. The book reminded me a lot of The Girl on the Train - I didn't care for that narrator, either, yet I couldn't stop reading that novel as well.

It was much the same for this one. This is one of the most readable books I've read in quite some time, yet I couldn't really tell you if I actually liked it. I guessed some of the twists ahead of time, but was still quite captivated by the story and mesmerized by Anna's craziness. The big twist at the end wasn't my favorite, but as I said, it certainly kept me reading.

In the end, if you're looking for a compulsively readable thriller, this one definitely fits the bill. I don't think it's one where you'll find highly developed or memorable characters, but it's certainly a page-turner. 3.75 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 01/02/2018.

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