Reviews

The Wife and the Widow by Christian White

goblinbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book might make me rethink by aversion to thrillers.

This was a slow-burn with quick chapters that switch POV between our 2 main characters, this made the book a breeze to listen to. 
Also the twist was extremely clever and didn't feel forced. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, Murder, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Death of parent

yasminnnn's review

mysterious tense

4.0

melissaashleighh's review

mysterious medium-paced

3.75

laurentalevski's review

4.0

Holy moly I couldn't put this down but I still did predict some elements of the twists so the ending didn't feel fully shocking. The Australian setting was so different, particularly around the area I grew up. The audiobook took some time to adjust to because of the Aussie voices is not something I am used to.

paulabrandon's review against another edition

4.0

This is a read-in-one-go thriller involving Kate Keddie grieving the loss of her husband. On Belport Island, the site of their holiday home, she attempts to learn more about his death. Meanwhile, Abby Gilpin, a resident of Belport Island, begins to suspect her husband Ray is keeping some pretty deep, dark secrets from her. Their lives intersect in unexpected ways.

I can't say a lot more than that so as not to spoil anything. It's a very quick read (the book is only 320 odd pages with large, spaced-out font), so it would be worth your while to give it a go if you're after a slick, entertaining thriller. While one of the big plot twists was somewhat familiar

Spoiler

A very similar twist can be found in the superior The Silent Patient

, it was nonetheless one I didn't see coming, and pulled off very, very cleverly.

While I tire of female characters in thrillers these days always being "The Wife", "The Widow", "The Girl", "The Daughter" etc etc, here the title was fitting. It's great that we're getting some really cracking Australian-set thrillers from Australian authors these days. The Wife And The Widow is a confidently written, absorbing and suspenseful thriller.

jakanie's review

dark emotional mysterious sad

4.0

taniibabe95's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The fact that Eddie and John had a thing together and Eddie hit semple over the head when they were younger and the husband ray took the blame for all those years then goes 23 year ahead and Kate is married to John keddie.. Abby ends up killing John because he wanted to confess to semple’s murder…

therltproject's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.75

lizlovesbooks13's review

dark mysterious tense

3.0

kassandra_jayne's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0