χ

This review is written with thanks to the TBC Audible Listeners Group for my copy of The Perfect Widow.

Blurb:

Louise Bridges has the perfect life.

A loving husband, Patrick. Two adorable children. A comfortable home.

So when PC Becca Holt arrives to break the news that Patrick has been killed in an accident, she thinks Louise’s perfect world is about to collapse around her.

But Louise doesn’t react in the way Becca would expect her to on hearing of her husband’s death. And there are only three plates set out for dinner, as if Louise already knew Patrick wouldn’t be home that night….

The more Becca digs, the more secrets she uncovers in the Bridges’ marriage – and the more she wonders just how far Louise would go to get what she wants….

Is Louise a loving wife – or a cold-hearted killer?

Review:

I’m familiar with AM (Alice) Castle from her London Murder Mysteries cosy crime series, so I was keen to see how she would approach the psychological thriller genre. The Perfect Widow is anything but cosy, and I loved the way the story creeps up on the reader. It takes some time to gather pace, but once it does, there are a whole host of secrets to come exploding out of the closet.

The Perfect Widow is narrated by both Louise, Patrick’s wife, and Becca, the detective investigating Patrick’s death. This allowed Castle to build tension as we learnt what happened in the time leading up to the death. I listened to the audio version of the book and I loved the way the narrators used their tone of voice to add humour, and in Louise’s case, a few sinister undertones, as this helped me to gain some insight into these wonderfully created characters.

There are a few twists and turns as the novel gathers pace and Castle kept me on my toes the whole way through in what was a thoroughly enjoyable book to listen to.

The Perfect Widow is available from audiobooks.com