Review & U.S. Giveaway: The Widow by Fiona Barton

I have to confess that I have been addicted to reading psychological thrillers and suspense the past year or so. Has anyone else experienced this? I love to read my other favorite genres and authors as well. There are so many new authors and edge of your seat thrills that have been enjoyable. I guess that I needed more excitement in my life. Seriously, I find the mystery of the psychological mind and how it works fascinating. 

From the Publisher: 

The subject of heated auctions in more than twenty countries around the world—including Germany, France, Brazil, and Spain—that have been covered in both Publishers Weekly and The Bookseller, THE WIDOW will be published in January in the UK by Transworld (British publisher of The Girl on the Train).

 A British journalist who has worked for the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph among other UK publications, Barton recently shared the inspiration for THE WIDOW: “As a journalist, I spent a lot of time in court. In the big cases—notorious and terrible crimes that led the news—I would find myself watching the wives of those standing in the dock and wondering what they really knew, or allowed themselves to know.”  Kate Waters, the reporter in the novel, is a composite of several journalists Barton has known, including herself. “I have been where Kate’s been—on the doorstep, interviewing difficult subjects, minding interviewees at hotels.” In THE WIDOW, Jean Taylor is the wife of a man who may be a monster. Though never convicted, Glen Taylor was the prime suspect in a horrible crime that captivated people across England and had camera crews camping out on the Taylors’ front lawn. Now, a week after Glen’s death, journalist Kate Waters shows up at Jean’s door, like so many others before, seeking answers—and the scoop of a lifetime. Though Jean kept quiet during the media circus surrounding the trial, she is finally ready to break her silence. The desperate search for answers—both in the past and the present—takes shape through the interlocking narratives of the widow, the journalist, and the detective who never forgot the case. Each has a story to tell, but some might be more truthful than others. Their stories converge in a shocking ending that will leave readers everywhere eager to share and discuss THE WIDOW.

My Thoughts:

In this debut novel, The Widow, Jean Taylor, is the heart of the story in this engaging, fast paced psychological thriller. It is subtle enough to pull you in and engage you as a reader and pops of fascination propel you through the layered story. A little girl lost, her grieving mother and did Jean Taylors husband Glenn have anything to do with it? This is the mystery that the reader goes through and what would it be like to find out that your husband may have a secret life that you knew nothing about? How the media overwhelms the families lives and the decisions to speak to them or not. The ending didn't surprise me but it did provide some closure which is gratifying as a reader.

~GIVEAWAY~

Thanks to Penguin Random House, I have ONE copy to give away to a U.S. based reader. 

To Enter, CLICK HERE and fill out the form. Giveaway is open to those with U.S. addresses only, per publisher request.  ONE entry per person, Ends March 1, 2015.

Giveaway has ended.



Review copy provided by Netgalley and Penguin Random House



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