You take what is yours and I'll take mine.

The Widow by Fiona Barton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jean Taylor is a dutiful wife, who always stands by her man, Glen. But now Glen is dead, and Jean no longer needs to play the role of silent, obedient wife. This works well for Kate, a reporter known for getting her subjects to open up. Meanwhile, Bob, a detective, is desperately working to close the case of missing toddler Bella, who was brazenly taken from her front yard while her mother, Dawn, was inside making tea. The Widow is the intersection of these various stories.

The Widow received a lot of hype when it was published (can we please, please just stop comparing books to Gone Girl already?), so I was a little wary of picking it up. However, this one totally sucked me in. I read it in one day and it completely kept me guessing, which isn't always easy to do. It's even more impressive considering that the characters aren't particularly likeable - Jean comes across as older than her age and irksome, Kate is a pushy reporter, and even Bob can drive you a bit crazy. The chapters cross both time periods and character point of view, which can get a bit confusing. However, it all combines into a very compelling story -- you'll be left flipping pages frantically, wondering what happened to Bella, to Glen and Jean's marriage, and more. This is an exciting thriller and well-worth the read.



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