Search This Blog
2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (11)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (3)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (3)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (9)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (4)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (2)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)
International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (3)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (3)
- China (2)
- England (25)
- France (1)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (2)
- Russia (2)
- Scotland (3)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge
2024 52 Club Reading Challenge
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge
2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge
Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Thursday, March 03, 2016
Hyped-Up Debut Leaves Me Seriously Underwhelmed
6:56 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When her banker husband is hit and killed by a bus, Jean Taylor's first reaction is relief. She's unmoored, as Glen has always told her what to do and say, but she's far from devastated by his death. Ever since he was accused of involvement in the disappearance of a 2-year-old girl, Glen—and by extension, Jean—has been living under a cloud of suspicion. Even though the widow has always stood by her man, their life together has been tense and difficult.
With Glen Taylor out of the picture, the local media knows it's the perfect time to get the real story out of his vulnerable wife. Jean has always refused to talk to journalists, but somehow, Kate Waters manages to get in her door. With her gentle approach, the reporter is an expert at softening up her subjects before moving in for the kill. Jean, however, proves tough to crack. Although she eventually agrees to sell her story to Kate's newspaper, the widow is not exactly forthcoming about Glen, their marriage, and the disappearance of little Bella Elliott.
As Kate digs into Jean's psyche, Detective Inspector Bob Sparkes—the cop who's still haunted by his inability to find Bella—does his own investigating. The questions that have always plagued the case haven't changed much. Did Glen Taylor kidnap the little girl? What about Bella's single mom? Does she know more than she's saying? Was it, in fact, her who did something to the toddler? What role, if any, did Jean Taylor play in the crime and its possible cover-up? Both Bob and Kate are convinced the widow knows more than she's saying. But how can they pry loose the truth from a surprisingly obstinate Jean?
Told from several different perspectives, the story bounces between the past and the present to slowly reveal the truth about what really happened to Bella Elliott. While doing so, it asks the terrifying question: How well can we ever know another person?
The Widow, a debut novel by journalist Fiona Barton, has received lots of buzz, including comparisons to recent bestselling psychological thrillers Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. Are those examples apt? Not really. While The Widow has similar themes, it lacks the depth, complexity, and wow factor of the aforementioned books. For a suspense novel, it's just not that suspenseful. The characters are almost wholly unlikable, the plot is too predictable, and the ending feels anticlimatic. Although the premise behind The Widow seems promising, the execution doesn't do it justice. Barton's prose is skilled enough, but the rest of her debut left me seriously underwhelmed. Bummer.
(Readalikes: Um, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, and disturbing subject matter (child pornography, child endangerment, emotional abuse, etc.)
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Widow from the generous folks at Berkley/NAL (an imprint of Penguin Random House. Thank you!
4 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
Listening
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
THWIP Thursday for 21 November 202433 minutes ago
-
A Couple of short(ish) reviews5 hours ago
-
Time Travel Thursday5 hours ago
-
#ThrowbackThursday. December 2011 Part 26 hours ago
-
Rendezvous update 27 hours ago
-
What I’m Giving Bart for Christmas8 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
The Poison Pen Letters by Fiona Walker15 hours ago
-
-
A Quiet Teacher by Adam Oyebanji1 day ago
-
-
-
-
A Quick Update1 day ago
-
-
Audiobook: Lost and Lassoed1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Open for Murder by Mary Angela2 weeks ago
-
-
-
Reading Recap September 20241 month ago
-
Ten Characters Who Redeemed Themselves2 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I3 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus3 months ago
-
Sunday Post3 months ago
-
-
The Music of 2024: Q24 months ago
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ▼ 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
Hmmm...yours is not the first review I've read that mentioned some of the same things. I'm kind of not rushing to read this. I probably will at some point, but there are so many, many books out there that I'm more excited about. :-)
ReplyDeleteDid you get to the next Penny book yet? Inquiring minds want to know....
I might have tried this one but not crazy about the content. Too bad it didn't live up to your expectations.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say I'm sick of the comparisons to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train for books. They mostly never live up to that. I was looking forward to this one but sound like I can hold off especially of the ending isn't great. Great review!
ReplyDeleteWell, now I just don't know. I didn't like Gobe Girl or Girl on the Train. I found them underwhelming. So maybe I'd like this one...or maybe it's even worse than those ones. Eeesh!
ReplyDelete