Book Review: The Widow by Fiona Barton
Title: The Widow
Author: Fiona Barton
Published: 14th January 2016
Publisher: Transworld
I really am in two minds with The Widow. Whilst on the one hand, I was racing through to get to the conclusion, the ending fell a bit flat and wasn't quite the revelation I was expecting.
The Widow was another very hyped up novel for this year and I had it on my list of anticipated 2016 reads. There had already been so much talk about this and it was sounding like it could be the thriller of 2016. Sadly this wasn't the case for me.
Although there was this need to find out who was the culprit and it was compelling in that sense, when I look back, it was more of a frustration to find out who it was, as a lot of the time I found myself wishing the story would pick up pace a bit.
I think I basically figured out what had happened almost right at the beginning, but was refusing to believe that it was what I suspected. Although The Widow is a very dark tale, I still think it lacked that tension and suspense and then didn't seem to come to much at the end.
I will say that the detective and journalist work was very effective and believable and I know the author was a journalist herself and her knowledge and understanding really did show through.
Despite all this though, I am still glad I read it, as with all the hype I was very curious to find out what all the fuss was about. I also would not put people off reading as this was a good story, I just needed a few more twists and turns to give this story the edge I was expecting.
Great review. I can see where you are coming from, but I think why I loved this book was one little paragraph near the end of the book which completely changed my prespective ofThe Widow and the other was the confession the widows husband gave her. It made me wonder how much she knew.
ReplyDeleteI did find this an easy read and not so much as who done it but a how and why.
Hi Gemma, thank you so much for your comment, I completely see what you mean on it being about the how and why. I think the hype had led me to believe it was going to be about who had done it. I don't know, I just was missing that suspense that I like with thrillers and couldn't quite understand the main character and her thinking. Oh well, difference of opinion and all that :). Thank you though x
DeleteI'm not sure if you have read it, but if you want a really good thriller with a nice "who done it" i can't recommend Burnt Paper Sky enough. Its most certainly a who done it
DeleteOOh I have, thought it was brilliant! Think that is more my kind of thriller :) x
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