WOW! WOW! WOW!

What did I just read? This was an amazing book!!

So I haven't read the author's previous book, "The Nowhere Child', but hearing great reviews about this book decided to read it. Netgalley and the publishers were nice enough to help with a digital ARC. And boy am I glad that they did!

The story telling and the way the story is structures is different and quite unique, in a good way.
Nothing is as it seems so be prepared for anything and everything to happen. I don't want to reveal much because believe me you should read the book going in blind.
What I will mention is that the story is told from two points of view. One of them is the Widow, Kate, a stay-at-home mother. And the other is from the Wife, Abby, who has a daughter and a son and and a happy marriage.

The characterisations are brilliant. The twists and turns in this book are superlative and they just keep coming.
Trust me, this book deserves your complete attention and is completely worth it. It is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers I have read and an absolutely fantastic story

I can't wait to read the author's previous book now.

This one was a total winner.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Oh my goodness, what a thrill ride! The Wife and the Widow is a chilling story of two women navigating the struggles of their current circumstances that weave their lives together in an unexpected way. What an amazing book with incredible twists and turns that will leave you speechless and stunned! The writing style is smooth, crisp and clear and the character are bold, vividly detailed and individual. Christian White has done an amazing job of writing this story and giving the reader a thrill to enjoy from page one until the very end! The island setting helps to give the background of this story a bit of a foreboding feeling that goes hand in hand with the sometimes dark and foreboding characters. Very well done, it's been a pleasure reading this gem!

I read Mr. White's debut novel, The Nowhere Child and loved it so I was very excited to see he had another release coming out. The Wife and the Widow drew me in from the first page and had me glued to the pages all the way to the end. I had so many questions and thoughts while I was reading. I really didn't accomplish much of anything else while I was engrossed in this book.

Mr. White does a great job of leading the reader through these two women's lives. I really thought I was following along really well, completely invested in what was going on with these two women and their lives. I was invested in what was transpiring in the story, following the story and the details of what was happening, the twists and turns taking place, thinking I was figuring out exactly what was going on with Kate's (the widow) husband and how Abby's (the wife) husband played into it all. Then I got to this twist and was Gobsmacked that I didn't figure it out!

Initially I thought the story was going to go in another direction based on something Kate's husband said in the beginning:

"If we don't talk about the monsters in this world, we won't be ready for them when they jump out from under the bed."

Add in the prologue and my mind went in a totally different direction. But Mr. White surprised me with the story that rolled out on the pages. As I said in the beginning, I was glued to this book. I still have a few questions that I would love to have answers to, but I think they were left that way for the reader to form their own opinions.

A very entertaining read, I can't wait to see what Mr. White brings us next!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy of this title in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

While the writing is smooth and easy, the same can’t be said about the story line!

This was a compulsive read-atmospheric and cleverly written, with a solid mystery that completely had me fooled until the end.

Told from 2 POV's, (the wife and the widow) White does an excellent job of slowly peeling back the layers and inserting a reveal or two at just the right moments.

I missed out on his debut [book:The Nowhere Child|38594019] but not for long-off to track this one down.

ARC provided by NetGalley

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dual narratives drive a story with a great deal of depth...

PLOT SUMMARY: Kate’s husband John has been on a work trip for the past two weeks. She and their daughter Mia miss him terribly and can’t wait to see him, but when they go to the airport to surprise him, he’s not there. Unable to contact him, she connects with his work colleagues...and receives more questions than answers. Where is John?

Abby lives with her husband Ray, and two teenage children on Belport Island. Ray is not himself lately, but Abby’s trying not to worry. Until she receives the news that changes her comfortable life forever. What has been happening on her beloved island? And just how are these two women connected?

PROS: Fast paced with a descriptive setting and a few great twists!

CONS: The sequence of events was a bit difficult to follow in places...

YES or NO: It’s a YES for this one! I truly enjoyed it!

4 Stars

Great standalone thriller! I wasn’t ready for the twists and I felt surprised every chapter. I enjoyed the dual narrative.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

You got me, Christian White! I think I was more than one step behind you in this suspense thriller and by the end, my jaw was on the ground and there were dark circles under my eyes. Goodreads people, I must add another author to my favorites list.

Told in alternating chapters by the "Widow", Kate Keddie and the "Wife", Abby Gilpin, there is no shortage of questions in this standalone thriller. I thought I knew from the title what could be the story, but like Jon Snow, I really didn't have a clue!

Our story begins with Kate and her daughter waiting patiently for husband and father, John, to return from a conference in London. When John fails to meet them at the airport, Kate and John's parents begin to worry. As Kate sets about to find her husband, nothing prepares her for what happens next.

Meanwhile, the mother of two teenagers, Abby is living on Belport Island, devoted to her handyman husband and delving into her true crime reading hobby. But when a body turns up in the water, Abby cannot help but wonder if it has anything to do with her husband's strange behavior.

Don't let this one pass you by!

Goodreads review published 07/01/20
Expected Publication Date. 21/01/20

Yes! This was an excellent read. I really enjoyed every part of this book and did not see a lot of the twists and turns coming which seems rare in a lot of the books I have been reading lately. This was a solid read that a lot of people will enjoy. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this!

3 1/2 ⭐️‘S
Told in two voices, White tries for the big twist, but if you look for the early clues, it’s quite easy to figure out. The characters were a bit underdeveloped, and the plot was on the convoluted side. It had a very strong start, but was uneven in places. The pace quickens near the end making up for some of the unevenness in the middle. A dark tale that wasn’t bad, but lacked the suspense needed to really make it great!

This book was very gripping, from page one. I read multiple books at once, but sometimes books that grab me are harder to share my time with, this is one that I had a very hard time switching to others with. I got very involved in the characters, because they were so well developed, I absolutely needed to know what the heck was going on! Be prepared for lots of emotions pouring out of you, while reading this book, as it’s full of thrills, chills, twists & turns, shocks, and some very heartbreaking parts! Highly, highly recommend to any of those who love the same books as me!
Will make sure to buzz this book up on different platforms!

I’m rounding up from a 4.5 star to 5 star review because this book did something that, as an avid reader, doesn’t happen often. It surprised me. It full on surprised me in such a good way that it made me flip back, then forth, then back again to make sure I read it correctly. I did. It was great.

The back and forth narrative gives this story an extra edge, especially as we get to the climax of the book.

Adding Christian White to my “must read” authors list right now.

#thewifeandthewidow #christianwhite #Netgalley #arc #booksofinstagram #books📚 #bookrecommendations #bookreader thank you to NetGalley for this fabulous read. It had me hook, line, and sinker. We have two main characters. Kate and Abby. The wife. And the Widow. As the story unravels you feel yourself getting sucked in to their story. You are thinking to yourself. Trying to figure out where this author is going with this tale. I didn't see the ending coming and that's what I absolutely adored about this book. I was gobsmacked at the ending. Four out of five stars. I definitely would recommend and buy this for a friend. You are in for a treat

It took me quite a while to get the "thing" about this book, which is a mark of good storytelling. Clever indeed.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Keddie is married to John, a physician working in palliative care, and they have a 10-year-old daughter named Mia. John is supposed to be at a convention and Kate goes to the airport to pick him up as a surprise. John does not come home and he is found dead a couple days later on the island where they have a summer home. Abby Gilpin is married to Ray and they have two teenagers, Lori and Eddie. The Gilpins live on the island where Ray is caretaker for the vacation homes. Abby works at the local grocery store and money is tight. The story goes back and forth from Kate's POV to Abby's. There are lots of surprises and twists in this book that I enjoyed very much. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this highly suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Holy moly was this a twisted ride and I loved each and every one of those twists!! 4.5 Stars for this fantastic and entertaining book!

“If we don’t talk about the monsters in this world, we won’t be ready for them when they jump out from under the bed.”

**4.5 stars rounded up**

Wow. I started this book earlier this afternoon, and I've pretty much read it in one sitting. I found myself frantically turning pages trying to figure out the mystery and get answers to my many questions. I didn't want to put my Kindle down. What a beautifully written story. Christian White clearly has mad skills. His writing flowed effortlessly from one page to another...it was easy, effective, and so, so clever.

While I did figure out one thing fairly early on, but there are so many twists and turns, it didn't make one iota of difference. I've already started following Mr. White on social media and have added The Nowhere Child to my to read list. In other words, I'm officially a fan. Bravo, Christian White. Bravo.

**Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

I'm a big fan of the Suspense genre so it wasn't a surprise when The Wife and the Widow caught my eye. An eerie island town? Secret lives of spouses? Count me in!
The Wife and the Widow started out strong as readers are enticed by a spouse's secrets and the cool 'spin' (not quite twist) that I enjoyed. But there are several aspects that I prevented me from giving this book a higher rating.

First, the story moves too slowly and the regular the jumping between timelines was choppy. Second, for a 'suspense' read, it lacks the tension and self-described 'eerie' factor that I was promised. It's not atmospheric, it's just a small, quiet vacation town in the off-season. Lastly, I found the characters underdeveloped, bland and I was unable to feel anything for them. Not a good sign.

After reading rave reviews of White's debut thriller, Nowhere Child, I had high hopes for this book but, in the end, I was underwhelmed with its confusing plot, disappointing character development, lack of tension and contrived ending. This one just didn't grab me at all.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Minotaur Books for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this story. It was very well written and a little different. The novel spans over many years and gives the prospective from two women and how the actions of others, can effect lives for many generations.

The Wife and the Widow is the second novel by author Christian White. Told in alternating chapters between The Widow, Kate, and The Wife, Abby. In the first few chapters, Kate and her daughter Mia go to the airport to surprise her husband and he’s nowhere to be seen – He’s missing without a trace. She then finds out he quit his job months earlier without telling her and lied about the business trip he was supposed to be on. Kate has so many questions – Where is he? Why did he lie about his business trip? Did she ever really know her husband at all? Abby’s husband Ray, on the other hand has been acting differently and she is determined to figure out what is going on. He’s keeping some secrets from her. As a reader, we know that the two stories will somehow intersect and they do although it takes a while. I kept trying to come up with a theory as to how that was going to happen – because thats what I do! None of my theories panned out however and my jaw dropped at the twist. I did not see that ending coming. I recommend you read it when this book is released on January 21, 2020 and see if you guess the ending! This book was a quick read that I was able to finish in one day. I do like this author’s writing and I am most certainly going to check out his first novel The Nowhere Child which I just so happen to already own! I give this novel 4 1/2 stars – the only reason for the 1/2 point drop is I got a bit confused on the timeline in part of the book and the chapters didn’t indicate a difference in the time. It all made sense in the end but I think if that had been pointed out at the start of the chapters I would have had a quicker understanding – but perhaps that was the authors intent. Thank you Minotaur Books for sending me out a review copy of this excellent book in exchange for my honest review.

Set on a small island (equal parts claustrophobic and majestic), this mystery was refreshing and well worth the read.

Some thrillers are superficial - all they do is make you race to the finish, but by the time you close the book, you’ve forgotten the story.

This one was much MORE than that. It delves into the nuances of family, love, and the place you call home. It was both eerie and gripping.

And it reminds us that we all keep secrets - just some more than others.

**Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.