Book Description Review “[A] stellar family drama. A clever twist near the end upends the plot’s trajectory. Readers will eagerly await White’s next. “―Publishers Weekly (starred review)”White exceeds readers’ expectations after his super successful debut with strong, complex protagonists…and notable secondary characters who are well developed. The plot never stops and the clever twist is thrilling.” ―Library Journal (starred review)“A compelling, fast-paced tale…a gripping psychological thriller that delivers on its examination of the corrosive impact of family secrets with a dramatic finish that upends expectations.”―New York Review of Books”The author does a vivid job of creating real characters and captures the alternately calm and claustrophobic feeling of island life. Some readers will find the twists fair and others, infuriating, but no doubt all will hang on to discover the ending.”―Kirkus Reviews “White delivers a shocking, excellently executed twist that will have readers reexamining their assumptions; this and the sordid details of decades-old misery and fierce parental love make The Wife and the Widow a story to remember. Fans of White’s debut will be pleased with this follow-up.”―Booklist”White’s sophomore outing succeeds as both a clever literary puzzle and an insistent page-turner.”―The Seattle Review of Books”White destroys any thoughts of a sophomore slump with an entrancing standalone mystery. White draws readers in quickly and adroitly with this compulsive tale, which is a stay-up-all-night kind of book full of masterful plotting and strong characters. The claggy setting is fittingly oppressive and everything builds to a culmination that is breathtaking.”―Mystery Scene”Gripping. White maintains a steady flow even as he nimbly uses history and secondary characters to create multiple potential scenarios. Misdirects and a terrific reveal midway through the novel add to the pleasure of White’s second standalone thriller.”―Shelfawareness”White knows his way around a plot twist. Even the most die-hard thriller reader will be surprised at the direction The Wife and the Widow takes, but even without its truly shocking reveal, White’s thriller stands out for its penetrating examination of marriage and the lies that build between spouses. White’s eerie, patient unraveling of small deceptions makes The Wife and the Widow a hypnotic reading experience.”―BookPage”White is a master of the art of misdirection. Just when you think you have worked things out, he pulls back the curtain to reveal his cunning sleight of hand. It’s often hard to write about the machinations of a really good crime novel without giving too much away, and this is indeed the case with The Wife and the Widow.”―Sydney Morning Herald Read more About the Author Christian White is an internationally bestselling and award-winning Australian author and screenwriter whose debut novel, The Nowhere Child, won the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award. His films have been showcased around the world. He lives in Melbourne with his wife and their greyhound. Read more Customers Review: In the author’s notes, Christian White describes how he fretted that his second book would be a dud, after the success of The Nowhere Child. Well, he need not have worried! I was sucked right in and never saw the BIG twist coming, and that’s unusual for me. The story is told in alternating chapters by The Widow and The Wife, and most chapters ended right before a big reveal — I had to keep going and going (until 1:30 am), as I just HAD TO FIND OUT what happened next. I cant wait for his third effort.
The author was obviously trying to convey the message that mothers will do anything to protect their off-spring. There is a limit to that theory as far as I’m concerned, and I was not convinced.
I was surprised and pleasantly so. If you enjoy a mystery, and one that makes sense, you will enjoy this book. I recommend it to all readers not just mystery readers.
This is the first Christian White book I’ve read and I thought the plot twist was really clever and unusual. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Just like his first book, The Nowhere Child, I could not put it down until I finished the book. Highly recommend this novel.
Really enjoyed this book, clever ending of bringing characters together, don’t want to spoil, good read
Kate is a suburban housewife on the mainland of Australia. Her husband, John is a physician at an elite center for palliative care and her daughter Mia is an inquisitive 10 year old. They have a summer home on an island off the coast that has been in John’s family for years. From the outside looking in, Kate’s life appears to be quite charmed.Abby is a year round resident of Belport, a beach town that comes alive with tourists, campers, and vacationers when the weather is warm. Her husband, Ray is a handyman/caretaker whose business focuses on maintaining unoccupied holiday homes across the island in the off season. Abby and Ray have two teenagers and to help make ends meet, Abby works at the local grocery store. Abby’s marriage is monotonous and her children are moody teenagers, but all things considered she’s content with her life. When John doesn’t arrive home from a two week medical conference, Kate learns that he’s been lying to her for months, perhaps longer. She begins trying to piece together clues and tidbits about a life she knew nothing about. Abby can no longer ignore the strange way her husband is acting. When a body turns up on the shoreline, she worries that Ray might somehow be involved. As she probes into the investigation and events surrounding the mysterious death, she too begins to realize how little she knows about her own husband. The lives of these two women are headed straight for each other and their collision will reveal secrets, whether they’re ready or not.I was pulled right into this novel and turned pages as fast as I could to figure out the mystery at the heart of this book. The plot delivers suspense and there’s an unexpected twist that I didn’t see coming — love that! Once that twist was delivered I wanted to page back through the previous chapters and put all the pieces together that I’d previously missed. The Wife and the Widow was a captivating, compelling thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.Thank you to Minotaur Books for the gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.
This was a clever mystery and I enjoyed it so much I’m definitely going to check out the author’s other book, The Nowhere Child. The story grabbed me from the start as I was very interested in what happened to the missing husband as well as figuring out the connection between the two women. There’s a surprise or two along the way and while I wouldn’t say my mind was blown, I was left feeling appreciative the author managed to pull one over on me.Kate, a mother of a young girl, is devastated when her husband goes missing. As she tries to figure out what happened to him, she learns he hasn’t been completely open and honest with her. Abby is married and the mother of two teenagers. Her family struggles to make ends meet as the island they live on is dependent on tourists who flock there during the summer months. Unfortunately there isn’t much work to go around during the other parts of the year. The story will alternate between the perspectives of Kate and Abby. And that’s pretty much all you need to know as it’s more fun going into this one without knowing too much about the story.I thought the pacing for this book was excellent and I couldn’t believe how fast I whipped through this one. For me this fits the exact definition of vacation read as it easily held my interest and while it was well-written, it wasn’t a mystery that was taxing on my brain. Just something I could sit down with, relax, and enjoy.Without getting into spoilers, while reading I will admit some parts of the story didn’t seem all that realistic. However, I had completely changed my mind by the end because I at least understood why some characters were motivated to act in certain ways. Pay attention to the news every once in awhile,, and this story doesn’t sound so far-fetched.Definitely recommend as a good, solid mystery with some thriller elements to it as well.Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review! |
128 reviews