The Widow by Fiona Bartonβ 324 pages
Book Blurb:Β
When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen…But that womanβs husband died last week. And Jean doesnβt have to be her anymore.
Thereβs a lot Jean hasnβt 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.Β The truthβthatβs all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything.
My Review: 3.5 stars
The Widow has been has been buzzed about for the past few months so Iβm glad I can finally add my two cents.
Yes, this book is filled with suspense, a slow burn of upheaval and new clues. But honestly, the premise is awful: kidnapping and pedophiles. In some weird way however, it brings you closer to the characters and their words, to try and figure out the ending. From the press, to the victims, to the suspects and main characters; almost all of them were unreliable with very limited moral compasses.
Even with the high suspense factor, there were a few sections that dragged which made the second half a little long for me.
Quotes I liked:
No one wanted to know us now. They just wanted to know about us.β
-βThe simple lies are the hardest, funnily enough. The big ones seem to just fall off the tongue:β