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A review by zena_ryder
The Almost Widow by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This thriller is an enjoyable and propulsive read. It was hard to put it down and turn off the light at night!
The characters were great — varied, flawed, three dimensional, and believable. Anderson-Dargatz skilfully reveals how her characters’ pasts impact their present actions. The author’s compassion and empathy makes her characters — even the not-so-nice ones — like real people we can believe in and, ultimately, root for.
The novel is also very much of its location — a small town in the British Columbia wilderness — which I LOVED! The landscape was both familiar and surprising, both beautiful and terrifying. And the story’s set in winter, which brings its own terrors. Environmental concerns and clashes infuse the story, without it ever feeling even the tiniest bit preachy.
I enjoyed the various interwoven threads of the story and how they all came together at the end. I did not predict the ending and it surprised me in all the right ways.
If you’re craving a tense, fast-paced read with genuine relationships at its core, pick up this thriller when it comes out in May!
Many thanks to HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley for an ARC.
The characters were great — varied, flawed, three dimensional, and believable. Anderson-Dargatz skilfully reveals how her characters’ pasts impact their present actions. The author’s compassion and empathy makes her characters — even the not-so-nice ones — like real people we can believe in and, ultimately, root for.
The novel is also very much of its location — a small town in the British Columbia wilderness — which I LOVED! The landscape was both familiar and surprising, both beautiful and terrifying. And the story’s set in winter, which brings its own terrors. Environmental concerns and clashes infuse the story, without it ever feeling even the tiniest bit preachy.
I enjoyed the various interwoven threads of the story and how they all came together at the end. I did not predict the ending and it surprised me in all the right ways.
If you’re craving a tense, fast-paced read with genuine relationships at its core, pick up this thriller when it comes out in May!
Many thanks to HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley for an ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Violence, Stalking, and Kidnapping