The Widow

by Fiona Barton

[kimbacaffeinate]

3.5
Through the voice of widow Jean Taylor, Bob Sparkes the lead detective and those of journalist, Kate Waters and the mother of the victim we gain firsthand knowledge as Barton unraveled the mysteries surrounding the case. The synopsis does not mention the crime, so I am not going to divulge that in my review. I will say that Glenn Taylor is suspected of a crime that most will find horrifying, unthinkable and particularly heinous.

Whenever a particularly gruesome new story makes the headlines, you often wonder if the parents, wife or siblings knew about the violent acts, their loved one was committing. We think the same thing when a spouse is cheating. How could the wife/husband not know? I think in retrospect there are signs. Barton does a suspenseful job of showing the many sides of Jean Taylor. She made her decisions, actions and struggles seem authentic.

The timeline goes back and forth between the present and the time of the crime, both through the character’s retelling and the detective’s case. While the crime was horrific, Barton spared readers the gruesome details and for once, I was beyond grateful. We skirted the darkness and I still shuttered.

Barton allows readers to understand Jean Taylor, her marriage and her reaction as events unfolded. We saw the subtle manipulation, the cracks that began to appear and began to understand Jean’s psyche. It was a brilliant case study.

I really wish this was not marketed as the next Girl on the Train or Gone Girl . The Widow is not a twisted/big-reveal type thriller. Jean does surprise us, but I think marketing did Barton a disservice. The Widow falls more in the mystery genre. It is very well written but I fear people will be expecting something different. I became caught up in the case and its characters and wasn't disappointed but I did go into it with the wrong expectations. I cried for the victim and cringed as we went through the court trial and learned more about Glenn. Barton brought Bob Sparkes to life and I felt the weight this case had on him and his family. I felt for the victim’s mother even as I mentally scolded her. Surprisingly while I didn't care for Jean, I did sympathize with her and can understand why the mind turns a blind eye, even if subconsciously we know the dark answer. Some knowledge is too great to bear.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer