Book Review: The Wife and The Widow

THE WIFE AND THE WIDOW | Christian White
01.21.2020 | Minotaur Books
Rating: 5/5 stars

Meet the widow: Kate’s husband mysteriously went missing after telling her that he was heading to another country for a conference. Turns out he went to the remote island of Belport, where their Summer house is located. His body has just been found.

Meet the wife: Abby is an Belport local whose world has just shattered around her. A mountain of evidence has surfaced in her garage. All of it points to her husband’s guilt. 

This is all you need to know about the plot of THE WIFE AND THE WIDOW. Anything past this gives way too much away about who these women are and how they are potentially connected. 

At the heart this is a story of lies and deception that run deep enough to tear families apart. This book is told through dual narratives, alternating between Kate and Abby. I was instantly able to connect with each woman and find my interest peaked to the plot revolving around what was happening in their lives. Kate and Abby are similar in the respect that both of their husbands have been withholding the truth from them. What those truths are has led to murder and it is through these two narrators that the reader is able to learn the series of events behind this result. Kate and Abby are completely different in their reactions to their situations. Abby is a strong-willed, no-holds-barred, take charge woman, where as Kate is a much more subtle personality, but still equally determined to achieve her goals.

The atmospheric quality of this story plays almost it’s own character to drive the plot along. The island of Belport is a huge tourist attraction, bringing the extremely wealthy back to their Summer homes, which they leave unattended throughout the year. The location, as well as the disparity between the two groups of residents help to build an air of tension throughout the book. In a small town, everyone knows everyone and it’s impossible to avoid people in your business. The fact that these narratives are occurring in the off season shows the impact of this closeness on the locals of the island, as well as the effects and struggles of what it means to live in a tourist town.

My favorite aspect to Christian White’s writing has to be his subtle ability to drop a huge twist. White writes with such ease and laidback quality that the story feels completely natural. Everything is flowing so seamlessly and you’re growing comfortable with the characters, right up until White hits you in the chest with a twist and you’re left wondering how in the world you missed the hits for this! I love when writers master this! Nothing feels forced with White’s books. Everything is just so effortlessly entertaining and addictive to read. 

Christian White truly solidified himself as an auto-buy author for me with this book. I adored his debut, THE NOWHERE CHILD and his sophomore effort has done nothing but live up to the high bar set with that debut. If you haven’t tried a book by White yet, clear yourself a spot on your TBR and prepare to binge read!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you to Minotaur Books for sending me a free copy of this book!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.