Happy Wednesday! We are halfway through another week. It is Random Acts of Kindness Day. A day to do good deeds for someone else. It could be a friend, a stranger, or a family member. Do something kind or nice. Did you know . . . The Beach Boys began recording Good Vibrations on this day (February 17) in 1966; Myles Standish was appointed the first commander of Plymouth colony in 1621; Thomas Neale is granted the British patent for American postal service in 1691; Thomas Jefferson became the second President of the United States (there was an electoral tie and U.S. Congress had to break the tie); and the first telephone exchange is opened in San Francisco in 1878 with eighteen phones.
The Widow by Fiona Barton is supposed to be a suspense/mystery novel but it does not succeed. The book starts out in June of 2010. Jean Taylor’s husband was hit by a bus. Jean is sorry to lose her husband, but the scandal before his death was overwhelming. Glen Taylor was accused of kidnapping and killing a little girl (Bella Elliott). The police (especially Detective Inspector Bob Sparkes) could not prove that Glen committed the crime and now they may never find the out the truth. Kate Waters is a reporter with the Daily Post. She wants to get Jean’s story for their newspaper. Kate gets through the door and convinces Jean to sell her story to the Daily Post. We get to find out what Jean actually knew about Glen’s activities (the book then goes back to 2006). Did Glen kidnap and murder Bella Elliott? Can Jean lead the police to the body to give closure to Bella’s mother, Dawn?
The Widow by Fiona Barton is supposed to be a suspense/mystery novel but it does not succeed. The book starts out in June of 2010. Jean Taylor’s husband was hit by a bus. Jean is sorry to lose her husband, but the scandal before his death was overwhelming. Glen Taylor was accused of kidnapping and killing a little girl (Bella Elliott). The police (especially Detective Inspector Bob Sparkes) could not prove that Glen committed the crime and now they may never find the out the truth. Kate Waters is a reporter with the Daily Post. She wants to get Jean’s story for their newspaper. Kate gets through the door and convinces Jean to sell her story to the Daily Post. We get to find out what Jean actually knew about Glen’s activities (the book then goes back to 2006). Did Glen kidnap and murder Bella Elliott? Can Jean lead the police to the body to give closure to Bella’s mother, Dawn?
The Widow is a slow moving
book. It reminded me of oxen pulling a
covered wagon across the open prairie (a long, slow journey). The writing itself is okay, but I found it
lacking. The book is very dull with no
action and a lousy ending. The first 17%
of the book is just about Jean and her life with Glen. There is no action or mention of Glen’s
crimes. The book goes back and forth
from the present to the past. We get to
see how Glen and Jean met, their life, etc.
We also find out about Bella and her mother, Dawn. The police investigation into the crime. There is no suspense (not a
page-turner). The book does not hold your
attention. I give The Widow 1.5 out of 5
stars. The basic concept (the crime) is
interesting, but the writer did not do a good job developing it (in my humble opinion).
This is Fiona Barton's debut novel. I received a complimentary copy
of The Widow from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am currently reading (and not enjoying) Out of the Blues by Trudy Nan Boyce. I have quite a bit of housework to do today (unfortunately) so I will head off to do it. I hope all of you have a great day! Take care, be positive, and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
No comments:
Post a Comment