The Widow

Thriller connoisseurs will appreciate the exquisitely slow build with enough tease to keep you turning pages. From beginning to the very last page, there are new revelations, the entire mystery never revealed until the very end. It’s a brain itch that you can’t quite scratch, nor can you confidently predict the ending. Narrated from different points of view lends the perspective that each character is a protagonist and a victim. The author cleverly slips several subtle hints that not all is what it seems and the more you read, the more you question the sanity in the stoicism; the psychosis so subtle that you don’t notice it until you’re overtaken. Each character is so thoroughly fleshed out that you empathize with each role. You show more develop love/hate relationships, not knowing who you can fully trust. Throughout the entire book, one question stands out; how far can you push a woman before she finally retaliates? This is truly an impressive breakout novel and I look forward to reading more from Fiona Barton. show less

Jean Taylor is a perfect London housewife, a little untidy. Her husband, Glen, is controlling. He married her young and convinced her of his importance in the world. Most of it was a lie, but Jean doesn't seem particularly upset by that. In fact she's not particularly upset about much of anything, including the fact that Glen was just run over by a bus. What does upset her is the ever-present horde of reporters wanting to get her story.

It seems that Glen just may have kidnapped beautiful little Bella, who was out playing in her yard one minute and, the next minute, was gone.

Despite Bella's mother's tearful pleas on the media, and the dedicated detecting of Bob Sparks, no trace of Bella is ever found.

Glen is the prime suspect. His truck show more was seen in the area the day Bella was snatched. And there are other clues, as well. But nothing can be proved.


The Widow had an excellent start that immediately grabbed me. It was consistent in its format, if not always fluid in the reading of it, and had an element of creepiness to it that warranted its label “psychological” thriller when used. Some may not like “creepy” or the way that it was offered here, but I LOVE it because it’s so much harder to pull off than “scary” or “gross.” “Creepy” toys with the mind in its subtlety.



I picked this one up not sure of what expectations to have, this being a debut and all, and that’s a delicious thing in itself: being able to go into something clean of prejudice or bias. The Widow had resonance. It offered those shards of thought, of dialogue, of wit that ring so true that they’re undeniable and, to some, possibly even a little off-putting. This was a great debut from Barton, and her experience in journalism came through. She offered insight into the world of breaking news media with a naturalness that can only come from a creature in their own element. 4 wonderful Widow Stars from me show less

Jean Taylor’s husband has just been run over by a bus. Yet, she seems relieved. She has tolerated a lot in a married life which revolved around her husband who had unsavory proclivities. He had also been the main suspect in a child abduction case. And now, journalist Kate Waters has bullied her way into Jean’s life for the exclusive story.

Told in multiple POVs and two timelines, this is the first of three in the journalist Kate Waters series; it is the only one I have read so far. It was a fast, engrossing read. Well written and plotted, it is a good study of obsession, perversion, enabling, and contemporary journalism.

TW: Child abduction; pornography

There have been so many novels over the past few years that compare themselves to Gone Girl that this comparison has become very much like The Boy Who Cried Wolf. For every novel that is similar and just as good, there are way too many that are duds and do the comparison a disservice. Then, there is the issue that in saying that a new novel is like a very popular one, readers’ expectations for the story and their enjoyment of it are automatically set. Thankfully, The Widow at least lives up the hype even though its story is nothing like that of those to which it is compared.

Then again, The Widow is one of those stories where to share even a hint of what is to come will be to run the reading experience for future readers. It is a show more twisty novel in which the truth sneaks up on you more than it hits you over the fact, which is one of its greatest strengths. For, as long as you as the reader have doubts and demand answers, you will keep turning the pages as fast as you can.

The Widow is the perfect novel for a quiet weekend afternoon or a readathon. It should also come with a warning label that it can induce book hangover, especially if you start it in the evening, as “just one more chapter” becomes the entire book. It is not Gone Girl or any other novel of its ilk, but it is still a fascinating and thrilling read that will keep you guessing until the very end. show less

The Blurb:

We've all seen him: the man - the monster - staring from the front page of every newspaper, accused of a terrible crime. But what about her: the woman who grips his arm on the courtroom stairs - the wife who stands by him? Jean Taylor's life was blissfully ordinary. Nice house, nice husband. Glen was all she'd ever wanted: her Prince Charming. Until he became that man accused, that monster on the front page. Jean was married to a man everyone thought capable of unimaginable evil. But now Glen is dead and she's alone for the first time, free to tell her story on her own terms. Jean Taylor is going to tell us what she knows.

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My thoughts:

First, show more let me warn anyone who is thinking of reading this, that the blurb on the back cover - as above - is somewhat misleading. Second - I'm in two minds about this one. I definitely think Fiona Barton can write, and the characters were all well drawn and fleshed out.

There are two timelines - 2010, which for the purposes of this novel is the present day, and 2006, which is when the little girl that Glen Taylor was accused of abducting, disappeared. The vast majority of it actually takes place in 2006, with the 2010 storyline concentrating on a journalist called Kate who wants to get Jean's story.

The chapters are told from separate points of view - 'The Widow' - Jean Taylor; 'The Reporter' - Kate; 'The Detective' - Bob Sparkes who was in charge of the original investigation and is still haunted by the matter years later; and 'The Mother' - Dawn, the mother of the abducted child. I liked Bob and I quite liked Kate, but Jean and Dawn both left me cold.

At times the book was very suspenseful, but at times it did drag slightly as there seemed to be a lot of back-and-forth, and did-he/didn't-he, with the same ground being trodden over. But despite that, I did quite enjoy this book and would almost certainly read more by Fiona Barton. It doesn't have the twists and turns of a book like Gone Girl, but for my money it's better written than Gone Girl (and as with every other psychological thriller which has been released since that book, this one has been compared to it - ignore the comparisons, it's totally different). show less

This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.

Many thanks to NetGalley for offering this ARC to me!

One of the best things about THE WIDOW is that you don’t really know what is happening until the very end. The unreliable narrators seem sympathetic, then horrid, then sympathetic again, until your emotions are all twisted this way and that. It’s wonderful.

Both Jean and her husband Glen live a quiet life, despite Glen’s “nonsense” (Jean’s term for the Bad Thing that is the crux of the book). She is a quiet woman that can be manipulated; first Glen wraps her up in his little world, then the press cajoles her into giving a coveted interview. Jean’s inner monologue shows a strong but conflicted personality, show more with a critical weakness that holds sway over her emotions until the last page.

Barton’s writing style is smooth and her dialogue is easy to follow. There isn’t an overload of characters to remember; the ones that are there are well developed. We learn about Jean and Glen’s life together as each chapter goes by in the form of flashbacks, each one building upon the next until you are almost sure you know what is going to happen–then Barton leads you down a different path.

I completely, thoroughly, loved THE WIDOW. Exploring the theme of “suburban life conceals dark secrets” (some a deeper hue than others) was glorious and satisfying. We have all been that neighbor curious about the goings on next door, and perhaps some of us have been that friendly neighbor that slowly pulls away once misdeeds beget misgivings.

The sub plot of the manipulative reporter, worming her way into Jean’s life and maybe even her heart, along with the beleaguered detective who brings the case home every night (to the constant disappointment of his wife) round out the story perfectly, and give the reader a respite from the subtle creepiness of Glen’s “nonsense”.

This is a story that you can (and will) devour in one or two sittings. Fiona Barton is an author to be celebrated, discussed, and most importantly, supported. I loved her freshman effort and look forward to her next work. show less

Barton’s intricately plotted debut novel leads the reader down a labyrinthine path through the disappearance of a two-year-old girl, the setback-cursed investigation, and the death of the prime suspect before reaching the center of the tangle. This bouncing back and forth from time to time and from narrator to narrator can be heavy going, but most readers will continue to charge through, energized by the compelling need to know if their page-three hunch plays out.

Little Bella Elliott disappeared from her front garden as her mother prepared the toddler’s lunch indoors. Suspicion quickly centered on Glen Taylor, a bullying, narcissistic collector of kiddie porn, but a solid alibi provided by his meek little wife Jean, and an show more investigative tactic later ruled inadmissible by the court, meant that he went free. DI Inspector Bob Sparks never let go of the case, and when Taylor died in a traffic accident four years later, both he and investigative reporter Kate Walters had high hopes that Taylor’s widow might finally break her silence.

That’s the gist of the plot, and it’s a compelling tale, but the occasional red herring never really takes the focus off the Taylors – over who did what and why, and who knew what and when. Jean reveals herself to be far more than the bullied wife, and the multiple facets of her personality emerge with tantalizing slowness over 400 pages.

The only quibble this reviewer has is the revelation Taylor finally makes to his wife – it seems out of character for a man who has stonewalled the police, the courts, and the press for years. It’s something of a letdown, though Sparks – who remains unaware of it until the final pages – continues his dogged pursuit of the truth.

What remains is an engrossing tale that will keep the reader up far past bedtime. show less