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There are currently 24 member reviews
for The Widow
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Marion W. (Issaquah, WA)
A Child Vanishes
"The Widow" is a disturbing book. The story is not new--the abduction of a small child--but the psychology of the wife of the perpetrator is of interest. We all wonder how such women could be oblivious to the secrets, or are compliant with the actions, of their husbands. In "The Widow", we see how a husband grooms a wife to become so dependent and so servile that she rarely communicates with other people, and seldom has her own thoughts or opinions. So, in this book, Jean dismisses Glen's "hobby" (watching child porn) as"that nonsense." Almost every time the criminal case of a vanished child is uncovered, there is such a flaccid or brainwashed woman in the kidnapper's life, seemingly blandly shrugging aside clues, while regarding herself as a sentient being; and she therefore slips into the role of aiding and abetting. This novel is not for the faint of heart; it's an unsettling study of how this situation comes about. Readers of true crime novels might appreciate this.
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Mollie W. (Greenville, Alabama)
Barton's "The Widow" fast but problematic
Fiona Barton's "The Widow" is a debut novel. Taking into account Barton's newness in the psychological thriller genre, the book is engaging, but has a few troublesome areas.
The novel has a respectable plot that moves quickly. Barton also creates memorable and sympathetic characters. However, the author often abruptly shifts in time from 2006, when two-year-old Bella Elliot is kidnapped, to 2010, when Glen Taylor, the accused, dies. The book focuses more on how Taylor's widow, Jean, handles the aftermath of Glen's dishonesty. The jumps in time spoil some of the fun in finding out what happens to the characters.
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Kathleen W. (New Brighton,, MN)
On the one hand, but then...on the other...
The thrillers that I rate highly are those that keep me tuned in and focused. They must get me from Point A (beginning) to Point B (ending) in a captivating manner. I must not be able to easily predict the ending . Characters must be varied and of some depth, setting must be detailed and plot must be within the realm of possibility.
THE WIDOW by Fiona Martin honestly has me stymied. It has some stylistic high points but also involves an equal number of low points as well, in my opinion. It involves a common enough subject and I felt that the addressing of this subject in this book was handled in a novel manner which was initially captivating. However, I wanted to quit reading about the middle of this book. The story seemed to lose its allure for me.I simply lost interest. Perhaps the frequent changing of narrators and time periods had me confused. Perhaps I could not find investment in any one character. Perhaps the ending was too predictable. However, I kept on, first because I had agreed to review it but also because there WAS a thread of curiosity that pulled me forward on the path. The settings WERE detailed and the plot WAS more than possible. I thought the ending was really superbly handled and finally, well worth the "slog."
I am glad I finished THE WIDOW but I am not sure I would have if I was not fulfilling a review promise. On the one hand, I can't rate THE WIDOW highly for the reasons I have stated. I can't rate THE WIDOW lower than average for the reasons I have stated. Is it worth your time or isn't it? Mine is only one review. Read the others and then I guess you will just have to judge for yourself.
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