This is a very solid mystery novel. The characters are a good blend of likeable and villains. The story is creative and had a few good plot twists that keep the reader engaged.

I have read this author before and i think her writing is good but story lines can be hit or miss.. I LOVED her in the apartment and little whispers but this one.. didnt work for me. WHYYYYY i was so excited I felt the blurb and the book didnt actually tell the same story. I am sorry K.L. Slater please dont be mad at me I will stilll keep reading all your works!

A great read as always. K L Slater never disappoints.
Kate Shaw knows her husband, Michael, wouldn't commit suicide. As she watches the cops dig up the site where her husband was working, she isnt too sure what the search will bring up. A woman has gone missing and there is proof that Michael maybe involved. This also bring back memories of an old case, where a local girl had gone missing.
Trying to piece together the puzzle life has thrown her, Kate discovers more secrets.
A well paced plot line and all ends tied up well.
Thank you Netgalley & Bookouture for the ARC

You can count on K.L. Slater to write and deliver a truly interesting and twisty thriller! The Widow takes us through a small, close-knit village with all their secrets and ways. While focused on one family, we get all the great details. Brilliant read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

The Widow is a wonderful thriller that will keep you guessing. The story goes from the present to the past, while each tends to give you a different perspective on where the story is heading, and is mainly told from Kate's point of view.

A Polish woman named Suzy goes missing leaving her son behind. Kate and Michael take in Suzy's son since they were new to the area and and he happens to be in Kate and Michael's daughter, Tansy's class.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating a missing case of a Polish man named Jakub, who went missing and whose family back in Poland wants closure. Michael quickly becomes a suspect when he fails to disclose that Jakub worked for him for a couple of years.

I really enjoyed this story and the way it was told. I honestly had a difficult time trying to guess who was the killer. There were several misdirects that made me change my mind and ending up being surprised.

K.L. Slater never disappoints for a quick read domestic thriller. Sometimes I love the storyline and other times it's just ok. This premise was interesting but I find the constant reiteration of things to impress upon the reader how much someone loves someone, etc. can be tedious. It almost becomes filler. Of course you want to protect your child, we know this, it doesn't need to be said every moment. At points this one felt a bit overly concocted and didn't make much sense to me but overall it was an entertaining read as always with her books.

This was my 10th of K.L Slaters books read in 2021, and quite possibly my favourite. It's packed with twists and turns, and the emotion you feel towards and for the characters is so strong. The ending was brilliant. Highly recommend

I was so excited to be given the opportunity to read this book. K. L. Slater is one of my favourite authors and, in the psychological thriller genre, the best there is. Not a single one of her books has ever let me down and I loved this one. I love the way that this author takes the reader slowly into the situations she creates, dropping little nuggets along the way - not giving out too much but just enough to sow many little seeds of doubt, expectation and anticipation. Once again, I wasn't able to predict the outcome having been led down several blind alleyways where my suspicions proved wrong leaving me with so many questions. Was Michael, the husband, hiding something? Was his death suspicious? I even had doubts about the best friend, Donna. Nobody was predictable and anybody could have been guilty of having involvement in events as they slowly unfolded. Not until the last few pages did everything become clear and took me totally by surprise! As I approached the final few chapters I couldn't read quickly enough as the tension was such that I just had to know 'whodunnit'. Wonderful writing, characterisation, plot twists and surprises made this a thoroughly engaging book that I loved from the first page to the last. My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The story follows a mystery in Lynwick, Nottinghamshire. Suzy Baros, a Polish immigrant goes missing without a trace during a community event and no one knows where she disappeared off to, not even her young son. Not soon after, police suspect Michael Shaw, someone who worked with Suzy up until her disappearance. Kate, Michael's wife cannot come to terms with a loving and devoted father like Michael himself could commit a crime. However, when Michael is killed in a lorry accident, seemingly having jumped in its way, Kate is forced to ask herself what might've prompted Michael to do this? Is he really responsible for Suzy's disappearance?

Although it was a slow start at first, the author unfolds the story bit by bit, really giving the reader with just enough information to suspect multiple people. The author challenges the reader, giving us characters who are morally grey and spinning a tale so rich in detail, it's impossible to pin the crime on just one person.

The twists were few, but it did pack a punch. My prediction was way off and the unpredictable nature of this book simply made it unputdownable. I finished the second half of the book within a night because I just had to know the end. It was that good.

Overall, a great read that compels you to hold on until the nailbiting finish! Thank you to Bookoture and Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#TheWidow #NetGalley
A good read with multiple twists.
The story revolves around Michael and his family which includes his wife, Kate and a daughter, Tansy. They were living happily together until one day evrything changed. A body is found on Michael's site. Also Michael came in front of a lorry after being questioned by DI Price, the investigation officer and team.
A second story is going on in parallel with the first one which is set in ZALIPIE, POLAND and revolves around Jakub and Ana. Something happened between these two and then Jakub went missing.
These stories were seeming different until K. L. Slater connected them cleverly.
What I Like?:-
1 The plot.
2 Narration, which is simple and easy to understand.
3 Good psychological elements.
What I Don't Like?:-
1 The length of the story. It's lengthy which makes it boring at some places. I was bored with Kate's marital things. Although Jakub's story was good. It's the main drawback of this novel which makes it only a good read for me otherwise it was really good.
Overall it's a good read with multiple twists and I think everyone should read it once.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.

Yet another brilliant book by Kim Slater,Kate and Donna and their husbands Micheal and Paul are close friends,so when Suzy goes missing from a Christmas lights switch on,Micheal falls under suspicion because he works with Suzy.And with Paul having a wondering eye for other women he also is under suspicion by Donna and Kate,with Suzy coming over from Poland with her little boy Alecks it really is a mystery to the police why Suzy has disappeared,with frequent flashbacks to Poland you get to learn the full story and just why Suzy has come to the UK.As with all K.L Slater’s books it is well written and had me gripped from the first page as the truth is finally revealed,in my opinion Kim Slater is up there with the best authors in this genre she really is that good.So if you are looking for a new author to follow you go won’t for far wrong with K L Slater. A utterly brilliant 5 star read once again by Kim Slater.

I received this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this latest offering by KL Slater having read a few previous books, Kate turns amateur detective to prove her husbands innocence and stumbles upon secrets she would never of wanted to uncover in the process.

I would highly recommend this book

This is actually my favorite of all her books. I felt the character depth of this one went a lot further. Highly enjoyable thriller. It kept me hooked.

I absolutely love K L Slater's books and this one is no exception. I powered through it in just two days, unable to put it down.

The story centres around Kate, a contented wife to Michael and mother to Tansy. After another young mother in their village disappears suddenly, Kate's husband Michael becomes the prime suspect, shattering Kate's world and everything she believes in. Secrets and lies are exposed and Kate no longer knows who she can trust.

I love the author's style of writing and found this to be a fast paced story with multiple layers and twists and turns. I found the characterisations believable and I especially warmed to Kate and the way she clearly wanted to believe the best about Michael, despite the overwhelmingly evidence against him.

Although the clues were there, I did not figure out the ending or guess whodunit, which is always another plus for me.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the author's previous books, and, to anyone who hasn't previously read one, this is as good a place as any to start! I'm eagerly awaiting K L Slater's next book.

Thanks to publishers Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Widow by K.L. Slater
Published: November 12, 2021
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave this review voluntarily.

K.L. Slater is the number one bestselling author of sixteen psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over two million copies of her books worldwide. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in a small Nottinghamshire village in England.

“We looked so happy, a perfectly contented family.”

Kate thought she had quite the charmed life; a loving and devoted husband and a beautiful little girl. But when a striking stranger suddenly shows up in the village, the security Kate once felt starts to recede. And then the rumors start. And then her husband suddenly dies. And then secrets are unburied. Now, Kate doesn’t know what to think or feel or how to protect her child from the wrath brewing in the village.

This was such a delicious and modern version of “Clue”! The way things unfolded and the way things appeared to line up, simply brilliant.

Kate was such a beautiful character. Her past trauma has helped shape her into the woman and mother she is today, and her loyalty, despite current circumstances, runs deep. Kate is such a complicated character who embodies strength, intelligence, determination, and unconditional love. She is a fiercely protective wife and mother, a fantastic friend, and a genuinely kind human. She has a heart of gold and a will of stone.

Michael was such a great character. I loved that he was written to be the loving and devoted family, absolutely in love with his wife and child. But also extremely hard working and slightly mysterious. Michael almost seems too good to be true because no one is perfect, right?

Donna was a very authentic character. A woman who has suffered more tragedy than anyone should ever have to process. She is both a boldly strong and broken woman. I found her very raw and emotionally vulnerable. Her personality was authentic, and her situation was presented very delicately. She was a strong character, who turned her pain into her power, and I love that so much.

The strong women in this novel! I loved that each female character was so different, and each represented something entirely individual for that character. And I found the way each woman processed things so eloquently delivered.

This was such a twisted game of cat and mouse. The levels of secrecy and willingness to ignore the truth were glaring. The dominos appear to be set and ready to fall in a predictable pattern until we get knocked through a loop.

The truth will be revealed, and no one will believe it.

I always enjoy KL Slater’s books, and The Widow is another great read.
Kate is married to Michael, they are happy with their six year old daughter, Tansy. When Michael dies suddenly, Kate has to question everything she has come to believe about her late husband. Could he really have anything to do with the disappearance of a local woman? Could he have been harbouring secrets that Kate knew nothing about? Will Kate have to start a fresh life with her daughter away from the village she has come to love?
Such a great book, I love the style of Kim’s writing, the way the plot cleverly unfolds to reveal exactly what has happened.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read so many books by K. L Slater. I really enjoy her writing style a d story telling.
This book was good and solid. Look forward to listening to it on audible

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kate's husband was not a monster. No matter what they say… He was a caring employee, husband, and father. A young mother in their village has disappeared leaving Michael, Kate's husband, the main suspect. He dies and everything starts to unravel.

I loved this book. The twists are so good. The book started out a little slow for me but quickly picked up. I had no idea where it was going to go. The flashbacks were great. The story came together perfectly. This is my first read from her. I will definitely be reading more!

Thank you to Netgalley for the book!

I have been a fan of K.L Slater for these few months and is determined to read all her books, even though I haven't read her first few books. This is the fourth book that I have been reading of this author.

Plot:- A Polish woman named Suzy goes missing leaving her son behind. The main suspect is Michael Shaw, Kate's husband. Michael was loyal to Kate and had a good marriage, always letting her know everything. But was Michael hiding from Kate something?
Meanwhile, the police are investigating a missing case of a Polish man named Jakub, who went missing and whose family back in Poland wants closure. While investigating the case, they find that Jakub used to work for Michael and then soon things start to change as the bodies were recovered in a field where Michael Shaw worked.

Writing:- This story was so engrossing! Literally, I was so hooked into the book, from start to finish, wanting to know what is going to happen next. The story is told mainly from Kate Shaw's point of view with some tits and bits about Jakub--his life in Poland to how he came to work in UK. There were some twists and turns and the story was written in a fast pace that I couldn't wait what the ending is going to be. Is Michael Shaw guilty? What is his connection with Jakub? And soon, these questions began to get answered by the middle of the book. It was intense and the author as usual did a good job drawing the reader to the story. This was indeed a true psychological thriller! I also like the childhood friendship between Aleks, Suzy's son and Tansy's Kate's daughter along with Ellie, Donna's daughter who is also another one of the characters. The ending was unpredictable and unexpected but I truly enjoyed reading this book!

Characters:- I really like Kate's character very well as she worked hard to prove her husband's innocence and I like her relationship with her friend Donna who was supportive of her.

Overall:-- overall, this was an intense and fast paced thriller that will make you at the edge of the seat--worth five stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

There’s no doubt that KL Slater is a wonderful and extremely talented writer. Her writing style is simply beautiful and it had me in genuine tears when we witnessed Michael’s ‘accident’.

However, this is one of those books where the back cover synopsis doesn’t quite match the actual body of work. I’m left confused as to whether I read it incorrectly or whether the book took a turn and I just didn’t notice.

‘Because to keep my daughter safe, the last thing I need is for people to start looking at me’

I genuinely thought this part was going to be the huge reveal. Ripping apart everything I’d been told and making me reevaluate what I’d studiously devoured. Sadly, this was not the case. The story is what the story is I’m afraid. And any developments are released so slowly that it is hard to believe anyone would be surprised.

I received an unedited version and as other reviewers have pointed out there are a few bloopers where the wrong name has been used by mistake. This does throw you a bit as you have to double check and mentally edit as you read but this is NOT part of the book review more just something that has been spotted (in a unedited version!!).

The characters are a little flimsy, whilst they have been given a lot of time and space to grow and develop I think you’ll agree that their reactions to certain elements of the plot quite bizarre! In particular, when the culprit is revealed and the characters have somewhere to lay the blame, all the anger and frustration. What do they do? Well they don’t call the police immediately. And when they do they leave a cryptic answerphone message and then settle down for a nice (and awfully British) cup of tea. I was so anger during these scenes. I couldn’t believe how forgiving these characters were being when their lives had been genuinely turned to mincemeat and spent chapters crying over it!!

All in all, this book just isn’t a good representation of the acclaimed author I’ve read before. It’s a weak offering of a story that could’ve (and should’ve) been some much more!

Thank to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.