The premise of this book is intriguing: Izzy spends her days at a café, quietly observing a house across the street. Each day, a man rides up on a bike and goes inside to join a woman and her toddler. The twist? The man is her husband, Jed.

Izzy’s quiet demeanor stems from a traumatic upbringing with her abusive father, a controlling priest who silenced her and her mother. For years, Izzy could only communicate through written notes, leaving her with lasting difficulty in expressing herself. Despite this, Jed has always been understanding and kind—or so she thought. Now, driven by betrayal and a thirst for answers, Izzy is determined to uncover the truth about Jed's double life and seek revenge.

While the premise holds promise, the execution falls short. The writing feels somewhat immature, and the characters lack depth, coming across as flat and one-dimensional. The story itself misses opportunities for impactful twists or emotional resonance, leaving the shocks underwhelming and the ending unremarkable. Though it’s a quick and easy read, it ultimately feels like something is missing.

This book is a psychological thriller full of tension and suspense.

The main character, Izzy, has had a difficult childhood. When she meets and marries Jed, she finally feels secure. Until she notices him regularly visiting a woman in the street where she sits and drinks her coffee.
The book is full of secrets, lies and deception, accompanied by some fabulous twists and turns. The twist the story takes at the end was unexpected and well written. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

I enjoyed this very much and recommend it to fans of psychological suspense novels.

They say that nothing good comes from spying on others, and this would definitely be the case for Izzy. She's married to Jed and convinced he's having an affair, after seeing him from the window of a back street coffee shop where, unbeknown to him, she goes for a daily caffeine fix.

Izzy is an unreliable narrator. She has several phobias and describes both herself and Jed as having deep-rooted issues. She says "He's insecure, and I'm unbalanced, on the cusp of crazy."

Her job as an agony aunt for the local paper sees her testing some of her theories about Jed's affair among the readers. She starts inventing letters and seeking readers' thoughts on the agony aunt Facebook page.

She finds out that Jed may be up to his neck in deception and has possibly been involved in serious crime.

The tension grows and I felt almost like shouting out loud "No!" when Izzy seemed to be close to having a secret affair of her own with a "wide boy" builder who is developing the rundown site where Jed's mother lives.

The ending was a little mysterious to my mind and I didn't trust Izzy an inch. It's possible I think we may see her in a follow-up book.

A well written psychological thriller with interesting characters and enough red herrings to keep you hurrying to the end.

Diana Wilinson is a brand new author for me, although I see she has written quite a few books. The description lured me into reading this one.

Description:
Every morning on my way to work, I settle with my cappuccino in the corner of my favourite café, Angelo’s, and watch the world go by.

I’m especially riveted by the flat across the street. It’s where a pretty brunette comes and goes. I try to imagine things about her. Her age. Her life. Her background. What makes her tick.

Once a week at least, a man in cycling gear rings her bell. Sometimes he dares kiss her on the lips. More often, the door is swiftly closed, and he follows her up the stairs. I watch bereft, and imagine all sorts of things.

It’s all regular as clockwork. He’s never late. He always wears the same cycling outfit. He’s not a Lycra sort of man. His new helmet, with an edging of red around the black, is as far as he’ll go to appear professional.

I’ve worked out lots about him from just watching. But then I know a whole lot more about him too.

Because he’s my husband.

Keeping a secret life from an unsuspecting wife takes not a little cunning. But I’m no longer an unsuspecting wife. The question is, will I be able to keep the knowledge of what I know from my husband……until I decide what I’m going to do.

My Thoughts:
I can't imagine being a wife and watching your husband regularly visit another woman wihtout saying anything! Such a strange situation. Lots of secrets and lies, and the ending was a surprise. I think those who like domestic thrillers will probably enjoy this one.

Thanks to Boldwood Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Izzy is a very warped person.
I spent most of the book trying to figure out what her game plan was and what she hopes to gain from it.
I wasn’t convinced that she didn’t help a few of the people who died in the book reach that state.
She was a grade A stalker for sure!!!
Izzy would be a great tracker for a PI firm.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the book #TheGirlInTheWindow by #DianaWilkinson. Every morning Izzy sits in a cafe and waits for a man who visits a woman like clockwork. Izzy is determined to find out who the woman is and why her husband, Jed, is there every day. Can she discover the connection and the truth? This book had me curious to the ending.

I would give this 3.5 stars but not an option. Overall a good easy read, it started well and the storyline got my interest, there were a few moments where I felt it slowed a little and I was wanting to get back to the nitty gritty. A couple of things I didn’t see coming and some things I did.

The Girl in the Window by Diana Wilkinson was an excellent book from start to finish. This was a book that had me hooked and I did not want to put it down, I wanted to find out what happens to Izzy and her husband Jed. It's full of great twists and turns throughout that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and what an excellent ending The Girl in the Window had. . . . . . . . . WoW 10/10. . . . . . . . Superb!

I highly recommend this book I loved it.

This book is light and engaging, making it perfect for those looking to unwind without encountering too much tension. While I wouldn't label it a thriller, it has an interesting plot that bounces. However, some elements of the story can feel somewhat predictable, which may diminish the excitement of seasoned readers of the genre. Despite this, the narrative flows smoothly, making it a brilliant choice for a quick read. The writing is polished, and the characters are likeable, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. This book fits the bill nicely if you’re seeking something entertaining and easy to digest.

This unpredictable and exciting psychological thriller by Diana Wilkinson explores how the brain can adapt to new and evolving situations.

Izzy is a voyeur who spends hours sitting and watching the world around her from the front window of her favorite coffee shop. Her current view is of a man who visits the same woman and child every morning. He is greeted with a kiss and the adoration of the young boy. This man is of particular interest to her because he is her husband, Jed! Izzy is the product of abusive childhood trauma and is unable to verbalize her emotions. What follows is a series of secrets as she tries to unravel the mystery of the lies that have plagued her relationship and her life.

The intrigue continues to unfold in this story as the characters develop and their stories become more complex. It’s a quick read and easy to follow. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a new and unique story that keeps them engaged and motivated to rapidly turn the pages until the end. Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this review copy.

Izzy Malloy writes for the magazine “Echoes of London” under the name Bella and the Agony Aunt column. She works from home. When she was 10, her father, the parish priest, decided that the entire family could not speak but only write notes to communicate to one another.

Izzy’s husband, Jed, travels a lot and lately she has found that he is seeing another woman. He stops at her apartment, goes inside and stays for a while and then leaves. Izzy has taken to watching him from a coffee shop across the street. But one day, he leaves the woman’s apartment and he is hit by a car. Izzy doesn’t know if he is injured but he is taken away by ambulance. She waits to hear from him or from the police in case he was killed. He finally comes home several days later obviously in pain but insisting that he has been out of town on business.

Izzy realizes that she is pregnant but is hesitant to tell Jed because she doesn’t know what he is up to with another woman.

Jed’s mother is ill and living in a home that is ready to be torn down but she refuses to leave. Izzy goes and checks on the woman here and there.

As this book winds up, I couldn’t help but wonder what I had just read. Crazy characters, including Izzy, that all seem to mesh together in some way. What a messed-up conundrum this book is. Sorry but I just did not care for it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Excellent premise, but I found myself waiting for the excitement to start. The writing was a bit bland, which caused the story to drag. I wasn’t connecting to the characters as they were all a bit one dimensional. I would give the author another chance, though, because it really was a fantastic plot; it just needs a little work on the execution.

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Reading in Between the Wines book review #121/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: The Girl in the Window
Author: Diana Wilkinson
RELEASES TODAY on December 13, 2024!!!

Sipping thoughts: So many secrets. So many lies. I loved Izzy’s backstory and could not imagine coming from such a traumatic upbringing. It makes sense as to how she lives her adult life, and I was actually proud of how she managed to live somewhat of a normal life. I love people watching so I understand Izzy, but I can’t imagine watching my husband and not immediately reacting. This book through some monkey wrenches in the story and kept me wanting to continue to read. I was surprised with the ending but pleasantly surprised. I enjoy Wilkinson’s writing and really love the short chapters!

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @BoldwoodBooks for an advanced copy of @TheGirlInTheWindow.

#TheGirlInTheWindow #DianaWilkinson #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

This was a super fast, can’t-put-down read! Izzy had a traumatic upbringing which continues to affect her in her adult life. She tends to keep to herself and prefers to avoid confrontation. She enjoys her morning time people-watching from a corner window in a local café. But then she starts to notice things that have her questioning her current life. Who can she trust? What is she willing to do to get answers? How many secrets will she discover? Or is she just jumping to unfounded conclusions? The Girl in the Window is a fun-to-read soap opera with continuous surprises and revelations. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the digital ARC.

Twisty turny loveliness
A brilliantly clever book that keeps you guessing and turning the pages.
My first book by the author but definitely won't be my last

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This was a tense psychological thriller. At the beginning, I felt a connection with the protagonist, Izzy. There was something about her narrative, the way she described herself and her life, that I found relatable. She was an agony aunt, and I felt it was in her nature to care about others and take an interest in others.

After a few chapters, I noticed the suspense building. I felt the chapters were short, and that added to the suspense. I found myself turning the pages quickly, eager to know what happened next. I felt suspicious, as Izzy did. I wondered what I might have done in her place.

This was a nail-biter with some twists and turns, and if you like thrillers, you may find it hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

This psychological thriller had me totally hooked from page one. Absolutely no way of knowing how it was going to end with so many twists and turns. I really liked how the chapters were quite short which for me made it easy to read ‘just one more!’ At a local coffee shop Izzy sits in the same seat every morning watching……
Absolutely brilliant and so original. All the characters were so well described and as were their interactions. I loved it!! Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

Izzy, an agony aunt columnist, spends her mornings in a coffee shop drinking cappuccino and watching the flat across the road. Nothing too alarming about that except the flat is occupied by a young mother who is regularly visited by a man on his bike who just happens to be Izzy's husband! Is he harbouring a secret such as an affair and is he the father of the child? Izzy has also got a secret of her own. By posing these issues anonymously in her column she is trying to find out what actions she should take. The tables do get turned on her however.
Factor in a couple of deaths and a road traffic accident it makes for an intriguing read. The pace is steady throughout and the suspense palpable. I do however feel the ending is a little bit rushed which drops my rating of this book to a 4 star one.

This was a gripping domestic drama (more than a psychological thriller), yet filled with suspense and an eerie sense of foreboding. There are secrets, so many secrets. There are even more lies, omg, so many lies. It begins slow, but as the story progresses, so does the tension.
Also, hey, who remembers that there used to be print magazines and those had this Agony Aunt columns? I do! And I LOVED those. In fact, I think that was always my favorite part of any magazine. The MC of this book, Izzy, is a magazine Agony Aunt.

The Girl in the Window
by Diana Wilkinson
Pub Date: Dec 13 2024

The Girl in the Window is a psychological thriller/domestic drama, told in the first-person POV by the protagonist Izzy, a part-time columnist known as Auntie Bella where she helps readers with their problems but has a hard time coping with her own.

The story is full of secrets, lies, twists and turns, which kept me guessing and not wanting to put the book down until the final last page! If you’re looking for a psychological thriller/domestic drama, I highly recommend checking this one out! I gave this book 5 stars!

Many thanks to #TheGirlintheWindow #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for providing me with an E-ARC of this soon to be best seller!