The Widow by Fiona Barton

THE WIFE

Jean Taylor's life was blissfully ordinary. Nice house, nice husband. Glen was all she'd ever wanted: her Prince Charming. But then everything changed.

THE HUSBAND

The newspapers found a new name for Glen: MONSTER, they shrieked. Jean was married to a man accused of the unimaginable. And as the years ticked by, with no sign of the little girl he had been accused of taking, their life was constantly splashed across the front pages.

THE WIDOW

But now Glen is dead and she's alone for the first time, free to tell her story on her own terms.

I am genuinely very excited about writing this review. I love nothing more then a book that grabs you from the first page. A book that is on your mind all the time, while you are at work, while you go on about your day to day business, while you're trying to sleep and you think about as soon as you wake up. This is such a book, it's been haunting me all the time.

The Widow is written similar to the girl on the train. It sort of switches between the present and the past. Almost like diary entries. Mainly it's about the wife/widow, a journalist and a police officer. Glen Taylor has been accused of a terrible crime a few years ago, that of kidnapping and most likely killing a little 2 year old girl called Bella. Sparks is the one investigating the dissapearance and his investigation takes him to Glens and Jeans door. Without being able to prove anything, all it does is bring the press to the married couples door and change their life forever. Jean stands by her man, even when horrible things come to light. He wouldn't harm a child, would he? We learn a lot about their marriage. Slowly cracks begin to appear and Jean jsnt always 100% sure anymore. 

Kate is a journalist, who in the past became close with the mother of the little girl, she is now closer then anyone before to getting a exclusive story from Jean, the widow. While Jean and Glen never spoke to the pres before, Glen has now suddenly died, hit by a bus just outside Sainsburrys, which leaves Jean to be able to do what she pleases. 

We are taken on a journey to discover the truth, the truth about the little girl, the widow and the husband. What happened the day Bella dissapearad? How much does Jean really know? Will the truth ever come out? Will justice be served to the person responsible? 

I honestly couldn't put this down. As a mother of a little girl this was esp emotional for me. It was so well written, I felt I was sat down with the characters and they was telling me their story over a cup of tea. They all sort of became part of my life for the few days that I was reading the book. But I also know they will stay with me for a long time after. This isn't a book that you just read and forget about, this is a book you talk about for some time. It's a cruel world we live in sometimes and I think the author has managed to open my eyes to some things, things we don't always pay attention to. It includes a powerful message, I for one will be teaching my daughter once again to stay away from strangers. I also have never wanted to shake a person as much as I did these past few days. I wanted to shout out and open their eyes. It's a rare thing as a reader to have such mixed emotions about the characters in a book, I think I felt them all. My mind was certainly kept very busy. 

I can't recommend this book enough. Even if you normally don't read a thriller. It's not the first genre I would go for either but I am so glad I did, not only that but I think I should do more often in the future. This will be at the top of my list when friends ask me to recommend a good new book. 

Fiona Barton is one to watch. I for one, can't wait for her next book. 

Thank you Ben from penguin random house for sending me this beautiful piece of work in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Book will be released 14th January 2016.

Go preorder it now!!