The Wife and the Widow

Author: Christian White
Genre: Suspense
Type: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Minotaur Books
First Published: January 21, 2020
Opening Lines: John woke with a start and thought, there's someone in the house. 

Book Description from GoodReads: Set against the backdrop of an eerie island town in the dead of winter, The Wife and The Widow is an unsettling thriller told from two perspectives: Kate, a widow whose grief is compounded by what she learns about her dead husband’s secret life; and Abby, an island local whose world is turned upside when she’s forced to confront the evidence of her husband’s guilt. But nothing on this island is quite as it seems, and only when these women come together can they discover the whole story about the men in their lives. Brilliant and beguiling, The Wife and The Widow takes you to a cliff edge and asks the question: how well do we really know the people we love?

My Rating: 2 stars

My Review: I'm a big fan of the Suspense genre so it wasn't a surprise when The Wife and the Widow caught my eye. An eerie island town? Secret lives of spouses? Count me in!

The Wife and the Widow started out strong as readers are enticed by a spouse's secrets and the cool 'spin' (not quite twist) that I enjoyed. But there are several aspects that I prevented me from giving this book a higher rating. 

First, the story moves too slowly and the regular the jumping between timelines was choppy. Second, for a 'suspense' read, it lacks the tension and self-described 'eerie' factor that I was promised. It's not atmospheric, it's just a small, quiet vacation town in the off-season. Lastly, I found the characters underdeveloped, bland and I was unable to feel anything for them. Not a good sign.

After reading rave reviews of White's debut thriller, Nowhere Child, I had high hopes for this book but, in the end, I was underwhelmed with its confusing plot, disappointing character development, lack of tension and contrived ending. This one just didn't grab me at all.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Minotaur Books for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.