Waiting for Wednesday

...Wednesday is indeed waiting!

A murdered woman, missing girls, a vengeful psychiatrist, lost young people, disillusioned cops. Packed to the rafters with bizarre coincidences that lead to difficult situations upon difficult situations. Throughout is the sub plot question: Who really is this person named Frieda? She's hard to grasp hold of, undeterred by obstacles, a juxtaposition of knowing and intuition, a shadow that flits in and out of the action, enfolding it, following it, a veritable warren of wisdom and chaos.
I love the title. I was up to where Detective Chief Inspector Malcolm Karlsson and Detective Constable Yvette Long went to interview the lover of the murdered woman when I really focused on the title. Yes, Wednesday I show more thought! We're all waiting for Wednesday, the happenings of Wednesday, the significance of Wednesday. Us readers, the detectives on the case, the lovers, the family, all of us, either were, or are, waiting in anticipation, in dread, in secret. All waiting!
Then there's ex detective Jim Fearby looking for patterns. Patterns on the disappearance of young women. Marking his maps and patiently, slowly and steadily closing in on the epicentre of events. Meanwhile Sandy is sending desperate emails to Frieda. She's off his grid pursuing threads of what? Even she doesn't know. And the children and young people revolving around the situation, all are affected and are at various stages of loss and despair.
Frieda wanders through all this, seemingly aimlessly, but put together her intuitive ability to follow threads, and the multi-layered circumstances of people's lives intertwining in a six degrees of separation fashion, the storyline pulls you into the same off key rabbit hole of action that Frieda disappears into.
And throughout all this somewhere lurks the spectre of Dean Reeve, 'her stalker and her quarry', who is maybe not so dead.
As Frieda later reflects, there's 'so much wreckage, so much damage she had left trailing behind her.'
I am newly come to the person of Frieda but have enjoyed every tortured minute of her involvements and her unfolding story.

A NetGalley ARC show less

Prior to this work, I'd read and enjoyed six Nicci French books, but none of the "Frieda Klein" series. I found this book an unexpected change -- it could have been written by another author entirely. That issue aside, I found the book an enjoyable form of escapism, with plenty of psychological thrills and an intriguing mystery at the heart of the story. The book kept my interest and made me glad to return to it. On the other hand, the story is somewhat long and convoluted, with three subplots, and numerous threads. At times, the invented conflict is a bit overdone. In addition, it has a confusingly large cast of characters -- about 70 by my count. This appears to have been a plot device to divert the reader from the very small number show more of people who could have been the main perpetrator.

As this book opens, the main character Frieda Klein is recovering from a terrible physical and emotional trauma that happened in a previous book of the series, and is on suspension from working with the police. For much of the book, she appears a passive victim, though at the end, she finally emerges to take control (and solve the main crime). I likely would have had more sympathy for her (and been able to follow some of the plot lines better) if I'd read previous works in the series first. That's one recommendation I'd make to prospective readers -- take the books in order ("Monday... Tuesday...") rather than starting with this one. Another recommendation, at least for those unable to recall large numbers of characters for as long as it takes to read the book is to keep a list of them and their relationships to one another.

Finally, don't be misled by the apparently large size of the book. The paperback version is being printed in large format (large type, big margins), which makes a novel of conventional size into one of 512 pages that can be sold for 20 US dollars. Add this to the fact that this book is one of a projected series that should be read in order, and it's clear that the publisher has found a way to keep the income flowing for some time to come.

All this having been said, I'm not sorry I read the book, and will likely seek out others from the series. show less

Waiting For Wednesday is the third book in the series by husband and wife writing team Nicci French, featuring psychiatrist Dr Frieda Klein. Tuesday's Gone, the second book, was my introduction to this gritty, British crime fiction series and I was delighted to lay my hands on an ARC of this newest installment.

With her practice on hold while Frieda recovers from the near fatal injuries she sustained during the events of Tuesday's Gone and her official connection with the police department severed, Frieda should be taking it easy. But with Joseph renovating her bathroom, her sister drinking too much and Dean lurking unseen somewhere nearby, Frieda is on edge. Then her wayward niece demands her aunts help for a friend whose mother was show more brutally murdered in her own home, a case DCI Karlsson is investigating. Desperate to escape the turmoil and with her control slipping, Frieda allows herself to become distracted by a chance remark, obsessively tracing its origins which leads her to a broken down journalist and into the lair of a serial killer.

The investigation into the death of Ruth Lennox is full of surprising twists and turns. The veneer of the seemingly blameless wife and mother is peeled back to reveal not only her secrets and lies but also those of her husband and children. It's an emotional case that Frieda is reluctant to become involved in but her niece's relationship with the woman's teenage son makes avoiding the case awkward, especially when DCI Karlsson asks her for her help.

I felt I gained a better understanding of Frieda in this installment of the series. Though she remains an enigmatic protagonist, with her self control slipping, she acquires a fragility not really explored before. The taunting presence of Dean, the psychopath she encountered in Tuesday's Gone, leaves her feeling increasingly vulnerable and the harassment by Dr Hal Bradshaw, combined with her recent failings, causes Frieda to lose confidence in herself.

Frieda's obsession with a scripted story presented by an emergency patient becomes a way of distracting herself. She can't let go of the tale despite the convoluted and increasingly dangerous direction it leads her in and on little more than a hunch, she is in danger of destroying her friendship with DCI Karlsson and her professional reputation.

With it's carefully crafted, nuanced plot and intriguing characters, Waiting For Wednesday is a gripping psychological thriller. I'm already excitedly anticipating the next book in the series. Though it could be read as a stand alone, I wouldn't recommend it is the accumulation of story and character detail that contributes to its appeal. Do yourself a favour and start with Blue Monday. show less

Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French is a 2014 publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It has taken me a good long while to get to this third book, but I wanted to locate the first two installments first, and it took a little time to get through library holds, but it was worth the wait.

This series must be read in order because the storylines bleed over from one book to the next. This one begins with Frieda’s recovery from attempted murder, and the irony of having her arch enemy to thank for saving her life. But, the experience has left Frieda unstable on many fronts and is hard to put into words just exactly how unstable and fragile she behaves. She is show more certainly not herself, that’s for sure, and neither is anyone else for that matter.

Even though Frieda has been kicked off the force and is no longer a consultant, the criminal psychologist that feels humiliated by Frieda, has made it his life’s goal to pay her back, in spades. If that weren’t enough, her stalker, still sends her reminders that he is watching her. Still, Frieda manages to find herself embroiled in a police investigation when her niece, Chloe, introduces her to a friend whose mother was recently murdered.
As it turns out Karlsson and Yvette are working on the homicide and Karlsson can’t seem to keep himself from asking Frieda to give her opinion.
In the meantime, all of Frieda’s friends and family are deeply concerned for her as she appears to be losing her grip and falling further and further away from her practice and the life she once led.

Well, you know what they say about weaving tangled webs. This case is a prime example of that, and goes to show you the far reaching effects our decisions can have on others, even beyond the grave.
But, Frieda finds herself helping the murder victim’s family all while trying to puzzle out a phrase uttered to her under false pretenses. While trying to determine the origins of this story, she stumbles across a clue to a cold case which could potentially blow the lid off it.

So, there is a lot going on here, with all of the recurring characters behaving erratically. There are two cases to solve and Frieda is in the middle of both of them, slowly falling apart every day, spiraling into a dark tailspin, that had me wondering if she was going to come through all this in one piece, not physically, but mentally.

Although this is one is very dark, moody, and is pretty depressing, I thought the character developments were very well done, and so much more realistic. Frieda is a far cry from the woman we met in 'Blue Monday'. Josef is also far removed from his cheerful self, and Olivia has become more a paranoid parent than ever. Yvette is struggling with her actions from the last book, trying to make amends, and even Karlsson makes a boneheaded move that was completely out of character. So, instead of the usual, ‘onward and upwards’ mentality we usually see, the characters responded to all that came before just as someone might in real life- shaken, unstable, and depressed, and sad, or maybe a little angry, or dealing with regret. Each character dealt with this in their own unique way, but Frieda will have you wringing your hands, wondering how much more a person could stand.

The plot was very engrossing exploring the double lives some people live and horrific consequences of their selfish actions, as well has providing us a side story that is equally compelling and twice as chilling.
Although the story ties up most of the loose ends, it doesn’t end with a rosy outcome, and is a little heavy throughout, but I was cheered to see Frieda beginning to take the right steps toward recovery. I am now on a diligent search for the next book in the series. To me this one was the best in the series to date. show less

Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French is a highly recommended psychological mystery and third in the series featuring London psychotherapist-turned-detective Frieda Klein.

When Ruth Lennox is found brutally murdered it appears to Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson that this housewife and mother of three may have interrupted a burglary. At the same time that an accused murderer is set free, journalist Jim Fearby begins to investigate a series of missing young women. Soon it not only appears that Ruth was living a secret life, but more and more secrets are exposed. Frieda, following her own leads and rules, manages to find the connection between the two cases, but her efforts to help are sabotaged.

The writing is superb, compelling and show more descriptive by "Nicci French," the pseudonym for writers Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. They excel at setting up the scenes and the descriptions manage to capture small, intricate details that make a complete picture in your mind as you read.

This is a complex plot that explores two very intricate storylines in the investigations and brings them together for a memorable conclusion. There is a plethora of psychological nuances to all the characters, including Frieda, that are explored.

The major problem I had with Waiting for Wednesday was a problem of my own making. I have not read the first two books in the series and in this case it would have behooved me to read Blue Monday, and Tuesday's Gone, the first and second novels featuring Frieda Klein, before undertaking Waiting for Wednesday. Although it is not always the case with many mysteries, I know I would have had a better appreciation for Frieda and the whole backstory if I had read the first two books in the series. I felt like I was missing some important pieces.


Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Pamela Dorman Books for review purposes. show less

Waiting on Wednesday is book 3 in the Frieda Klein series. There were quite a few things that weren’t believable and yes, you do need to suspend disbelief when you are reading a novel but….Frieda is coming off as unbalanced in this book. She did suffer horrific attack and injuries in the previous book so I can somewhat sympathize with some of the actions she takes.

The story starts off with the murder of Ruth Lennox. Ruth is a wife and mother of three and by all outward appearances, she’s perfect. I’m not talking about the physical attributes, rather her very organized life, devoted to her family and no little secrets.

Except yes! She has a big fat secret and once revealed, the plot takes off in multiple directions. Two of her show more children will figure prominently, opening up to other subplots.

One of the things that bothered me was the side story about a missing girl. It had zero to do with the Lennox murder or investigation. An offhand story relayed to Frieda had her tracking the girl named Lila, all on her own. Now introduce a newspaper reporter who had been trying to find a link between several missing young women and he and Frieda combine forces, sharing information. So, no link to the Lennox murder but a huge story on its own.

It weaves together at the end. I want to discuss some things that weren’t resolved but it will spoil the book for any who plan to read it.

So, ok, spoiler has been hidden below!


For instance, they didn't get back to Kerrigan and how his affair tore up the family. What happened after Samantha was discovered to be involved with him? Did his wife or sons find out? Does he get off free without any punishment, even if legal punishment isn't appropriate.

Also, did anyone else figure out who killed Ruth earlier than the last few chapters? I had it pegged for Ruth's sister, truth be told. She was so smug.

For the record, Hal Bradshaw, the psychologist working with the police, is unbearably smug and it wouldn’t hurt me to see him written out. Hopefully with shame and discredit somehow. Frieda’s nice Chloe can be a distraction but I see we need that sometimes, so you can see Frieda’s caring side. Notice I didn’t say warm side. Ha!
I like Josef very much and also the gruff DCI Kaarlson.



Hoping this is a miniseries one day. Who would you want as Frieda Klein, for anyone who has read this series? Maybe Anne Hathaway for her dark features or Nazanin Boniadi, a Persian-British actress. show less

This is book three in the detective/psychological thriller series featuring psychotherapist Dr. Frieda Klein, who is the occasional collaborator of London Detective Chief Inspector Malcolm Karlsson. There is no romantic involvement between the two, although not for want of enthusiasm among readers for the match-up.

The inexplicable and brutal murder of a seemingly normal happy woman with 3 kids that begins the story cries out for the services of a criminal psychologist, but Karlsson now has to work without the valuable services of Frieda, who has been replaced by the pompous, incompetent, albeit well-connected Dr. Hal Bradshaw. By a series of coincidences, Frieda gets in a position to help anyway, in spite of the demands of her family, show more her would-be lover Sandy, a serial killer we met in Book One who is still stalking her, and the unexpected quest for a series of missing young women with which she gets involved.

Discussion: Who Frieda is and what she wants continues to elude us. Frieda resists uncovering herself even to her close friends and to her boyfriend Sandy, a surgeon in America with infinite patience. Sandy does understand that remaining invisible is, for some reason, the most important thing to Frieda; that being “exposed” upsets her even more than threats of professional or bodily harm. Frieda knows that she is a mess:

"She had good friends, but she hadn’t turned to them, not even to Sandy. She could listen, but she couldn’t talk give help but not ask for it.”

Ironically, Frieda realizes that the man who seems to know her the best is the killer who is pursuing her.

Karlsson has his own problems. His demanding career resulted in the estrangement from, and ultimately loss of, his wife and two children, and now he is paying the emotional price. He misses them dearly, especially little Bella and Mikey, who are about to move with his ex-wife and her new husband to faraway Spain.

He also has to put up with the frustrating and enervating demands of his Commissioner, who keeps reminding him that the job is not about “solving crimes” but rather:

"A police force is about political influence, and it always has been. If I can’t get up the home secretary’s arse and get you the funding that you’re pissing away, you won’t be in a position to solve your crimes, any of you.”

(…a quote that could have come with only a slight change right from "Law and Order.")

Evaluation: I think this series is getting better, or maybe I have reconciled myself to the fact that Frieda wants to remain a cipher, and the authors (Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing team of husband and wife Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) have decided to accede to her wishes. There is plenty of suspense balanced with character development, and the pacing is good. Not all the background from previous books is fully explained, but I don't think it impedes the overall flow of the story for first-time readers of the series. show less