Widow (Barton) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Jean is full of contradictions. She’s a fascinating puzzle.... Barton knows how to ramp up tension, but when she leaves Jean to focus on the detective and the reporter, the story loses some steam. All three have secrets, and they all lie, but Jean is lying to herself, which makes her far more interesting.
Chelsea Cain - New York Times Book Review


Motives and methodology are well set out, and the journalistic scenes ring very true—Barton has decades of experience in this field. She cleverly details how each individual copes with a long investigation without ever lessening the tension. The Widow is a tribute to those professionals who never let go of a story, or a case, however cold.
Independent (UK)


[Barton] delivers the goods...Richly character-driven in a way that is both satisfying and engrossing.
Washington Post


The Widow never loses sight of the dark secrets that define ordinary lives, the gray areas where deception gives way to the truth. This is one book in which such subtleties matter as much as the plot.
Chicago Tribune


A twisted psychological thriller you’ll have trouble putting down.
People


Both a taut reconstruction of a crime and a ruthless examination of marriage…A smartly crafted, compulsively readable tale about the lies people tell each other, and themselves, when the truth is the last thing they really want to know.
Entertainment Weekly


Gone Girl fans will relish this taut, psychological thriller.
US Weekly


[The Widow] will keep you in suspense late into the night.
Good Housekeeping


(Starred review.) What would you do if your spouse suddenly became the prime suspect in the kidnapping of a two-year-old girl?... Though Barton stumbles slightly down the homestretch, tipping what should be her biggest bombshell, she tells her tale with a realism and restraint that add to its shattering impact.
Publishers Weekly


Though the characters are flatly drawn, the mystery of what actually happened...will draw in readers until the final page. Verdict: Barton's first novel is one of suspense and intrigue that keeps the pages turning. —Kristen Calvert Nelson, Marion Cty. P.L. Syst., Ocala, FL
Library Journal


[The idea of a] woman whose recently deceased husband was the prime suspect in a horrific crime...[and] who stands beside an alleged monster is an intriguing one, and very nearly well-executed here, if it weren't bogged down with other too-familiar plotlines.
Kirkus Reviews