This book took me awhile to get into but once I did I enjoyed it. I loved the alternating voices and the mystery behind it all. Shocking ending I didn’t see coming! Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy!

**4.5 stars, rounded up**

Wowzas, that twist!

This one will be hard to review without spoiling anything, but I'll give it a shot!

Set in Belport, a small island town that comes to life during the summer months for tourist season, Abby, a local woman discovers that she doesn't know her husband as well as she had thought. Kate, whose family owns a summer house in Belport, goes to meet her husband at the airport after a business trip only to discover that he never got on the plane returning from London.

Told in alternating points of view from those two women, The Wife and the Widow will cause you to question how well you can ever really know anyone else. This is a masterfully crafted story that left my head spinning.

This was a clever mystery and I enjoyed it so much I'm definitely going to check out the author's other book, The Nowhere Child. The story grabbed me from the start as I was very interested in what happened to the missing husband as well as figuring out the connection between the two women. There's a surprise or two along the way and while I wouldn't say my mind was blown, I was left feeling appreciative the author managed to pull one over on me.

Kate, a mother of a young girl, is devastated when her husband goes missing. As she tries to figure out what happened to him, she learns he hasn't been completely open and honest with her. Abby is married and the mother of two teenagers. Her family struggles to make ends meet as the island they live on is dependent on tourists who flock there during the summer months. Unfortunately there isn't much work to go around during the other parts of the year. The story will alternate between the perspectives of Kate and Abby. And that's pretty much all you need to know as it's more fun going into this one without knowing too much about the story.

I thought the pacing for this book was excellent and I couldn't believe how fast I whipped through this one. For me this fits the exact definition of vacation read as it easily held my interest and while it was well-written, it wasn't a mystery that was taxing on my brain. Just something I could sit down with, relax, and enjoy.

Without getting into spoilers, while reading I will admit some parts of the story didn't seem all that realistic. However, I had completely changed my mind by the end because I at least understood why some characters were motivated to act in certain ways. Pay attention to the news every once in awhile,, and this story doesn't sound so far-fetched.

Definitely recommend as a good, solid mystery with some thriller elements to it as well.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was original and interesting. You know it's a good book when you are shocked by the ending. Highly recommend!

I read a lot of thrillers, and the plots can become somewhat predictable. But not this book! I enjoyed it because 1) the setting is interesting. Stuff goes down on this seasonal vacation destination. There's rich vs. poor tension, and it makes for an exciting narrative. 2) the two narrators keep things exciting, and there's a lot of surprises. There are several twists that I didn't see coming!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the first book I have read by Christian White. I am intrigued enough to now seek out his first book. I read a lot of thrillers/mystery novels (and I mean a lot) and this is the first in a long time in which I absolutely did not see that twist coming. So well written and kept me reading. I will definitely be recommending this one to everyone! Thank you for the advanced copy.

So many twists and turns! Suspenseful & exciting. Kept me guessing; wanting more.. Would recommend to others!!

This was a great book- it goes back and forth between Kate, whose husband seems to vanish into thin air when she thinks he is on a business trip; and Abby, who lives on the island where Kate's family has a vacation home and whose husband seems to have something to hide. The chapters go back and forth between these 2 POVs, referred to as the wife and the widow.

I was immediately engaged in the mystery and trying to figure out the connection between the 2 women. The connection seemed obvious but the author gave the reader some clues that made me think that everything wasn't as straightforward as it seemed. I liked both main characters, though both did frustrate me at various points, and also really enjoyed the relationship between Kate and Fisher (her father in law). The twist comes late in the book and I DID NOT see it coming, though then I realized that there were clues left behind that helped lead in that direction. I found that I was confused when it all came together and actually had to go back a couple chapters to make sure I understood what was happening- not sure if that was the author's intention or not.

Overall, this was a fun mystery that kept me interested the entire way through and had the rare twist that I didn't figure out in advance. I'd recommend the book for sure. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

How much do you really know someone? Everyone has secrets and some never stay buried.

The Wife and the Widow is a thrilling suspense kind of read. The beginning was a slow start. I had some trouble staying engaged. The characters didn’t help. I didn’t find any of them interesting or likable but yet I trudged on and I’m glad that I did. The twist was a good one and as a whole, this was a good read. I give this 3 stars.

“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.”

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes; some don’t even hide they are visible in plain sight. With that said, I ask, just how far would you go to protect the ones you love from a monster lurking nearby? Such a breathtaking, mind blowing, gut wrenching, left me SMFH in horror and anticipation. The Wife and the Widow is an absolute, hands-down bestseller - 💯 Brandy approved!!

The Wife and The Widow makes you question your own morals - you’ll even find yourself asking - just how far would you go to protect the ones you love. You’ll also finding yourself questioning just how well know them. It’s a read that may have you sleeping with one eye open.

The Wife and the Widow is must, I repeat a must read that hits shelves January 2020. It’s deserving of 5+ stars and is the newest addition to my “fav’ list.” ❤️❤️

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
What a shocking story of a beautiful island holding secrets of a murder -
Kate's husband is supposedly on a work trip when she receives the news he's been murdered.
Abby, the wife discovers shocking secrets of her husband or are they her husbands secrets?
And when secrets are kept what happens when they start to unravel?
With twists and turns your will turn the page to a shocking conclusion!

Interesting story, set in Australia. Husband doesn't come home and has been away from job for a long time.
At the same time, other husband is getting weird.
There is the usual switch back of the voices for both the wife and the widow as the story unfolds- it works well until the ultimate reveal, which confused me initially.

The ultimate 'twist' at the end wasn't that much of a surprise and a bit sad.
The book is well written and moves quickly, an enjoyable read.

This book had me putting it down and picking it back up again and again. The cliffhangers are excellently timed, and reading “just one chapter” has you reading the entire book. The writing is phenomenal, and immerses you in the story and has one relating to the characters almost immediately.

Whodunit mysteries aren’t always my go-to, but this one is perfectly executed.

I loved this. At first I wasn’t sure what was going on, but as the story became clear I was hooked. I never saw the ending coming.

The mystery novels that make me go huh? are few and far between but boy this had me on my toes till the very end. “I couldn’t put it down” is a phrase used often when reviewing a book....but really I could not put this book down and stayed up really late to finish it. It is so cleverly written - the structure was amazing. I loved the description of the characters and the description of fictional Belport Island set the scene perfectly. The Wife and the Widow is the follow-up to Christian White’s The Nowhere Child, which I have not read and which I have already downloaded. I highly recommend this fast paced mystery/thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

“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.”

The Wife and the Widow is a dark and twisty psychological thriller.

It’s tightly wound and compulsively readable--so tightly wound that I read right through the twist! It’s subtle and intelligently written.

It’s best to go in blind, so that’s all I am going to say!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This story is not a fit for me as I prefer my books do not have narratives involving religious beliefs. (Or Political ones, for that matter, though that does not apply here)

Or Taxidermy (also featured in this book)

So, I will encourage you to read the many stellar reviews for this book if it intrigues you, as they will be much more objective.

Thank You to Netgalley, Minotaur books and the author for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Wife and the Widow by Christian White. This book had me hooked immediately. Written in two voices - A wife, protective of her family, and A widow, who has just learned her husband has been murdered.
The story lines merge and converge detailing the lives of two women who deeply love their families but have secrets. The story is set on a small island - tourist flood the island during during vacation season, but when they leave the island is quiet and desolate. One family lives to serve while the other one barely sees those who serve them. But a murder changes everything - and it brings back the past with a vengeance. Excellent - a page turner - 5 stars - RECOMMEND.

My second read by this author and just want to say, I will be reading anything he writes moving forward. This book was fantastic, and had me guessing until the end. Loved it!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

I wanted to read this one because I absolutely loved The Nowhere Child by him. I honestly at so many points thought I had this book all figured out but bam was I wrong! At times, I have to admit I was a little confused reading this, but once you things start coming together you begin to understand things better. The book definitely took turns that I was not expecting! I don't want to give anything away but I highly recommend this book to others. I definitely will continue to pick up future books by Christian White!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”