I love female private eyes, but this one ended up being a slog of a read for me featuring a (quite frankly) obvious mystery thread. Billie Walker was a reporter during World War II, fell in love, her husband is presumed dead (gee, wonder what's going to happen there if the series continues /end sarcasm) and she's taken over her father's private inquiry agency. She's hired by the Brown family to find their missing son. The Browns are Jewish and Billie quickly realizes that the boy saw an ad for an auction at a local auction house that "upset" him (according to a friend). So right away I'm no longer puzzled about the mystery angle. Then the author brings in a second mystery involving a mysterious foreigner hiring Aboriginal girls for domestic work and through an amazing set of coincidences the two threads tie together.

Compounding the lack of suspense in the mystery is that the ending is a mess. Billie bungles around endangering her informant, it drags out for several chapters and whamo! Ends super abruptly. I go from my eyes glazing over to a slap in the face.

There's lots of historical detail in case you forget you're reading about post-WWII Sydney and the heroine refers incessantly to the "little woman in her gut" re: intuition and that got old quick. Unlikely that I'll continue on with the series.

I wanted to enjoy this one. But it fell a bit flat for me. I don't know if it was the writing or the fact that it was more of a historical fiction. I also did not like the fact that the story ended on a cliff hanger

This historical fiction release by Tara Moss is a cleverly woven tale of love, mystery, and empowerment, set in 1946 Sydney, Australia. It might sound like a strange combination, but it’s my take. I’ll tell you why....https://booksuplift.com/the-war-widow/

I so enjoyed this novel! Billie is a great character, and the story is fresh and clever. With so many WWII and post WWII books, this one stands out. This was my first novel by Tara Moss, and I can't wait to read more. Thanks to Netgallley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read this one!

This novel started out to be very intriguing about a woman who ran a private detective agency. However, there were moments that it was repetitive. The mystery was predictable, and I did not like the cliffhanger. I would have enjoyed it more if it ended nicely.

This is an interesting historical fiction novel. Billie Walker is a woman before her time. She was a war correspondent in Europe during World War 2. Her husband, a photographer, is presumed dead in Europe. She returns to her native Australia to become a private investigator like her deceased father. She ends up taking the case of a missing teenager. This is not a straight forward case of a runaway teenager. There are nefarious people involved and Billie ends up getting in some trouble. This is an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more books involving her character.

A book must grab me almost immediately to keep me interested enough to continue reading. This book just didn't do it. I'm sure others will like it.

This was a great book, which successfully combined mystery and history in one. An intriguing plot line instantly captures the readers' attention. I would prefer the flow to be a bit smoother, but it was a great read overall! I would definitely be interested in reading more books by Tara Moss!

I'm not really a historical or war type of reader but I will say when I was asked if I wanted to review this novel I thought it sounded good so why not give it a try. I was really wrapped up in this story once I sat down to read it. I love how Billie takes after her father as a detective even when that isn't something that woman do in the time. She is a tough lady and isn't scared to get into the face of any bad guy. She likes to drive fast, stop for a drink and will solve any crime tossed her way.

I look forward to reading more in this series. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

This is the first book I have read by Tara Moss and I will definitely be looking for more by this author!
The War Widow grabbed me from the beginning and kept me reading to the end. Private Investigator , Billie Walker is both a strong and funny character who takes over her father's business after he dies. I loved the setting of Sydney in the 1940's .
Thanks to Netgalley foir an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The War Widow title was a bit of a misnomer for me as the widow didn't search for her missing husband, she is on the lookout for a missing young man when she's back in Sydney, Australia after her war corresponding is over. Billie Walker is a private investigator who gets hired by distraught parents in search of their missing son. As Billie learns along the way, everyone has secrets, but if you listen well enough the answer is right in front of you. Except we never have a definitive answer as to how she became a widow. For fans of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (PBS), this is a great read. Thank you to Ms. Moss and Dutton for the ARC.

This was such a fun thriller! I loved the post-WWII vibe and that it was in Australia! You always get post-WWII stories based in Europe, this was fun to see it based in the Pacific. I really liked this one.

I enjoyed this book. It’s a historical fiction mystery. It follows Billie, a private investigator, who gets a case about a missing teenager. In the process of investigating, she uncovers a bigger case.

It was fun to see Billie’s methods during investigation; and how she worked with her small team.

This one was a good read and great for historical fiction fans. (3.5 stars)

There really are few things I love more than a feminist detective novel. I dream of the day that the mystery and spy genre isn't dominated by tired cliches and tough guys galore... but until then, I have The War Widow to keep my hopes for the future alive.

I was so incredibly excited to pick this book up because I feel like I do not read enough books set in Australia, especially historical fiction. I loved the rich historical setting and vintage feel of this book - Moss writes about post-WWII Sydney with so much detail and clarity that it feels almost makes me feel like I've been transported back in time myself.

Billie is such a wonderful protagonist, she reminded me of a Peggy Carter (from Captain America) or Constance Kopp from Amy Stewart's Kopp Sisters Mystery Series. Her determination and can-do attitude are infectious and inspiring... she represents the best in women of her era and I adore absolutely everything about her.

Overall I thought The War Widow was a refreshingly feminist mystery and a total page turner. I'm so thrilled to hear that this book is part of a series and I can't wait to see what Billie does next!

Thank you to Netgalley & Tara Miss for my copy of The War Widow, for an honest review. This is the first book in the series. It follows Billy Walker as she comes home from Europe after WWII. A journalist, who spent her time as a reporter & try’s to settle back into life in Sydney. Things don’t go as planned for Billy. She can’t seem to get any reporting jobs, so she re-opens her father’s PI firm. A as to first it’s cheating husbands and petty crimes. Soon though, Billy finds herself entangled in a serious investigation, that brings Europe & the war front and can get. Billy won’t quit until she solves the mystery. I really enjoyed this nook. Billie was such a strong determined woman. The story was well written and I like how it seemed to be historically correct. Looking forward to the second book in the series. This was a 4 star read for me. I featured it on my Instagram page and shared my review on Barnes & Noble. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Billie Walker is home from the war and taking up running her Father's PI business. There is a lot going on. Is Billie really a war widow? Can she make it in a male dominated profession? Set in Sidney immediately after the war there is a lot of world building, character development, and plot to fit into one book. A really interesting look at Sidney in the 1940's. All wrapped up in a mystery that started in Germany.

The following is my review, as posted on Goodreads:

This one was just okay for me. I enjoyed it as I read it, for the most part, but there wasn’t anything about it that really gripped me and made me want to come back for more. I’m thankful to the publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy though. The concept of a Nazi war criminal hiding in Australia was of interest.

I easily slipped into this hard-boiled noir fiction set in glamorous postwar Sydney. Come meet Billie Walker, a private investigator who takes over her late father’s agency. An intense case and spunky heroine made The War Widow by Tara Moss, a page-turner.

Moss takes us to Sydney, 1946 postwar. Billie has returned after losing her father and the disappearance of her husband, Jack. It’s a time of rations and women finding them in themselves, in the position of supporting themselves. Even as society frowns upon it. Armed with her favorite shade of red lipstick, Billie takes over her father’s detective agency. Until now she has handled domestic matters like cheating husbands. Her newest case has her searching for the son of an immigrant couple and navigating the underbelly of the city.

Do you read in color? I do, and this story unfolded in black and white as I became swept up in the investigation. I adored Billie. She has nerves of steel and an eye for making connections. Her secretary and muscle Sam was sweet and good with his fists.

The case had ties to the war and spotlighted some profiting that occurred as they search for this young man. I found it all riveting. I love noir crime novels and devoured collections of hard-boiled PI novels my grandparents had in their library. This tale offered a twist with a female PI, that I found refreshing.

A solid case, well-developed characters set against the backdrop of Sydney were delightful. I am looking forward to the next Billie Walker Mystery. I cannot wait to see what case Billie and Sam deal with next!

A great story of returning from war to a world that is no longer what she knew. She has lost her father and can't connect with her husband who has vanished during the war. She begins rebuilding her life by reopening her fathers private investigation business and the women in Sydney begin flocking to her for all kinds of problems. She ends up in a really bad situation where each person she interviews turns up dead which also shows her she is on the right path to solve this mystery.

Review will be posted on 1/8/2020

Billie Walker isn't your usual woman living in post WWII Australia. She was a war correspondent and saw the atrocities of war first hand; now she finds herself as a private eye, taking over her father's business. Her heart still aches for her husband, who went missing on a job during the war. She hasn't heard from him since. Meanwhile in Sydney, Billie finds herself, along with her assistant, helping with some cases here or there, specifically when it comes to divorces. However, this all changes when Mrs. Brown pays Billie a visit asking her to help find her missing son, Adin. He is young and doesn't usually get into trouble, but the cops haven't been able to track him down. Billie takes on the case and it leads to The Dancers, a fancy club in town. What could have Adin been doing at The Dancers? Also, Shyla, Billie's informant, also gives her a case that involves missing women and a creepy house in the country. Now Billie and her assistant, Sam, find themselves filled to the brim with dangerous cases. Billie will encounter glamorous clubs, dark back alleys, Nazis, war criminals, gangsters, and more in The War Widow, a suspenseful historical mystery with a film noir vibe.

As soon as I "met" Billie Walker in The War Widow, I knew I was a fan. She is just what I would want in a spunky protagonist. I loved her feminist views, her bravery, her fashion, and her determination to help people, especially other women. I wanted more on her backstory in Germany during the war and more about her husband's disappearance, but hopefully that will come as the series unfolds. I also was a fan of her assistant, Sam, who at first seemed rather ordinary; however, as the story progresses, I became more and more impressed with him, especially since he is a former solider. I loved that they worked together to solve cases and had each other's backs.

Moss paints an amazing picture of Sydney post WWII in The War Widow. The book was very atmospheric and was steeping in historical details. I also loved Moss's descriptions of the fashion, which really brought the time period to life. As I mentioned before, The War Widow had a film noir vibe, which I thoroughly loved. The story felt moody and dark at times all while Billie was trying to solve her dangerous case. Each dark alley she turned down, I was worried for her, but I loved being on the edge of my seat.

If you enjoy stories involving private eyes and are a fan of historical mysteries, you must check out The War Widow. It's the perfect book to cuddle up with this winter season and I guarantee you'll love Billie as much as me. I will am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series and Billie's next exciting case.