The wife and the widow by Christian White
Affirm Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925712858. 320pp.
(Age: Mature 16+) Recommended for fans of the mystery genre. This
thriller kept me reading to the end to try and work out what the
twist was that was mentioned in the Author's Note. I often skip to
the end to read this type of note and when warned to turn back, I
did so, with a heightened sense of anticipation. The story is told
in alternative chapters from two perspectives, that of Kate whose
husband doesn't return home when promised and who has been deceiving
her and his family, and that of Abby a woman who works at the
general store on the island where Kate's husband John has a holiday
house. As Kate investigates her husband's disappearance, secrets
emerge that will change her life forever.
This is a quick and easy read and what keeps the reader going is not
just the mystery about why Kate's husband lied to her and who killed
him and her connection to Abby, but the detailed description of the
characters of the two women and the people who surround them. Kate
is a passive stay at home wife until she feels compelled to uncover
the mystery of her husband's death, and Abby has the unusual hobby
of being a taxidermist, using road kill as her specimens.
The atmosphere of the island where the locals rely on rich summer
tourists but resent them, also adds to the feeling of secrecy and
deception. The reader is continually wondering what has happened to
bring Kate's husband back to the island which he said he didn't
like.
Author of The
nowhere child, another thriller, White certainly
knows how to keep his reader in the dark about what is happening and
the twist at the end is certainly not one that I expected - the sign
of a really good psychological mystery.
Pat Pledger