The Wife and the Widow is the second novel by Christian White and I have to say that I love this book. I was really glad to finally get my hands on a copy and I was not disappointed! I have heard great things about this novel, and seeing as I love Aussie Noir I was keen to see what the fuss was about.
The novel is about the widow who is patiently waiting for her husband to come home and the wife who has an inkling that her husband is harbouring a secret. Both women don’t know each other, but the question in the back of your mind will be, how are they connected? I won’t give away any spoiler alerts, but you do have to read on.
Why did I enjoy this book? Firstly, it is a psychological thriller, which is my favourite genre. I also liked that fact that we got the story from two perspectives. It is not so much the same story told twice, but rather, the perspectives come from the two major players involved in the same narrative but play different roles. We hear from the wife and the widow (as the title suggests). It is this narrative tool that will keep you guessing. You will be asking yourself, what is their connection? What do they have in common? The writer lulls us into thinking that we are cleverer than we are. But you should always say to yourself, if it is too good to be true, then chances are it isn’t.
This book would, of course, appeal to hard-core thriller fans. But I also think it could appeal to readers who usually read novels about relationships and family sagas. The story is underpinned by the bonds that connect us in families and intimate relationships. These bonds drive the story and the motivation of each of the characters. After all, the tagline for the book is “How well do we know the people we love?”.
I also found that the story moved along at an even pace. It is a cross between a slow-burner and a page-turner. However, there is a slow-burning plot-twist that will confront the reader. When I realised that there was a plot twist I suddenly had the thought that I had been unquestioningly accepting the structure of the story and making assumptions. I won’t go into detail for fear of giving the plot away. Let’s just say that the writer is manipulating the reader in the same way that the characters might manipulate each other.
When I finished reading the book, I couldn’t help but compare Abby (the wife) with Norman Bates from Psycho, on account of Abby’s unusual hobby of taxidermy and her yearning to be in control of the situation.
I would definitely recommend this book because I know that you will enjoy the plot twist and getting different perspectives on the story. But also, because it is a rollicking good read!!
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