Ohhh I do love a Lynda La Plante book. This author can certainly spin a yarn.

I'd read this years ago and recently decided i needed to catch up with the series so I thought a re read was in order.
A great story with some superb characters. 4 women who decide to take on the work of the men that failed.
A great thrilling read, even the second time around. I'm now about to start the next book.
I can highly recommend

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

I was so excited to read that this great story was going to be made into to a film, I wanted to reacquaint myself with this wonderful book.

Dolly Rawling is married to Harry who appears to be a respectable antiques dealer, but is also the mastermind of a criminal gang. When a failed robbery of a security van goes wrong it leads to the death of Harry Joe and Terry. The 4th man is unknown but manages to escape unscathed.

Dolly, Linda and Shirley are now widows struggling to cope without their husbands. When Dolly gets her hands on Harry’s ledger of future planned robberies she decides to carry out the next robbery.

This is such an amazing story, full of wonderful strong female characters. Dolly comes from a working class family and reinvented herself when she married Harry, she is strong and determined that she can do whatever she puts her mind to. I loved the way she manages to unite the women and plan the robbery, she is the glue holding them together. Her sneakiness at evading the police surveillance made me laugh and you really want them to get away Scot free.

I would definitely recommend this book and I’m looking forward to Widows 2. Wished I had watched the series “Widows” but will look forward to the film.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I didn't realise this was a re-release of her early 1980s book (which I hadn't read) but had I known I probably wouldn't have started it. I love other Lynda La Pante books (particularly the Anna Travis series) but this one was just 'okay' sadly.

Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I have read each and every book by Lynda la Plante, and have been a huge fan for ages. In this book she brings the best crime to the reader on paper. It is highly recommended. Just a suggestion though, don't watch the movie before the book.... The book is always better!

I decided to read this book after seeing the trailer for the movie and after reading it I can say it's definitely worth the hype!

Lynda La Plante is on top form here in this gritty examination of how far a group of women would be prepared to go to get everything they want. It tells the story of Dolly, who is devastated when her husband dies during a botched bank raid. Finding the ledgers detailing the plans for the robbery, Dolly recruits three more widows to carry out the bank job themselves. This is a well constructed and compelling narrative that does exactly what it says on the tin. The characters are flawed and honest but the plot does stretch credulity from time to time. I also found it a little predictable, but it never detracted from my enjoyment of what is an excellent heist novel. I am looking forward to reading the upcoming sequel.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked all the books by this author and although I have read this I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again.

As always Lynda la Plante never fails. Dolly Rawlins husband Harry and 2 of his accomplices have been killed during a botched robbery. Dolly is grieving the loss of her husband and the loss of a child a frew years earlier and is looking for something to do. She decides to complete Harrys job as a way of being close to him and also to feel useful. She takes on the other widows to help her and the 4th man is another friend called Bella. It was believed that there was a 4th man involved in Harrys heist that got away. To add another level to the story DI Resnick is also looking for the 4th man as he has become obsessed with bringing down Harrys empire. And another level is the search by some of Harrys ex colleagues to find his "ledgers" which names names and business deals.

I loved this story and I look forward to the film. The relationships between the women are fraught with tension as they become used to their new lives but they are strong when the work together!!! Each woman has her own story, weaknesses and strengths which all come together to make a cracking good read!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Great storyline with good strong characters. Very well written. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Anything men can do, women……………..

This book started out as a TV series, was then written up as a novel, and before being released as a major film later this year, La Plante has updated it.

When an armed robbery goes wrong in the early 1960s, Harry Rawlins and two of his men are killed, making Harry’s wife Dolly and the men’s wives Linda and Shirley, widows.

The usual period of mourning takes place, and then Dolly contacts the other two girls with an audacious plan.

Meanwhile, the unfortunate Detective Inspector George Resnick has doubts about the crime scene and is determined to find Harry Rawlins’ ledgers which it is believed contain details of all his crimes and associates. Resnick who is under a cloud sees this as his chance to clear up past crimes and to further his career, which due to Rawlins, has hit an all-time low.

This is vintage La Plante with a strong plot, convincing characters and a fast pace. The reader is kept on their toes as the suspense mounts with each twist and turn.

Masterful!

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

WoW, I started to read by Lynda La Plante and I thought I had read it before, so looked into it. Blimey, it was over 20 years ago
I first opened this book whilst on holiday and started to read it. I loved the TV series back in the 80's and wanted to read the book (when i was older) I found I was going back in time watching it with my sisters and my parents.
It was Brilliant then and still brilliant now. Set in 1980s in London 3 men perish in a fire. Their widows, Dolly Rawlins who is the main widow, teams up with Linda Pirelli, and Shirley Miller the other 2 widows. The widows decided to work together and complete the job that killed their husbands, after Dolly discovers her husband's robbery plans. The widows train hard and work as a team to pull off the perfect job, that their husbands started.
It's just a brilliant book and so good to read it again.......Thank you.

A big thank you to BookishFirst and Bonnier Zaffre for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read Lynda La Plante before and I did not realize that there had been a dramatisation of this book in the eighties. I did know there is a movie coming out this year so thought I would read the book before that. I did enjoy it at times and thought the last few chapters were really fast paced and satisfying which is rare in a crime thriller. However at times before the end the story is quite slow paced and at times felt it dragged. It has not put me off reading this author again and I am looking forward to reading more.

The book is set in 1980s London three women, lead by Dolly Rawlings, agree to carry out the heist that went so tragically wrong for their husbands and left them alone. Dolly, Linda and Shirley are joined by Bella when it is obvious that four people are needed to carry out this daring and dangerous undertaking.

Dolly found Harry’s plans and his ledgers. She believes this is what Harry would want. It’s only right that her team should be the Widows. They’ll get the job done, it’ll be done properly and they will walk away with £1 million pounds. We follow them as they prepare themselves for the heist and see that it has become a way of channeling their grief, anger and pain after losing their husbands. We see them at their best and worst.

The police team lead by DI Resnick are looking into the failed heist. Resnick is obsessed with Rawlings, so his team thinks, even if there is good reason. Even after the bodies are identified Resnick wants to pursue the matter because there must have been a fourth man on the job and he will have lot’s of answers.

The patch that Harry and his team controlled is being taken over. Arnie and Tony, the Fisher brothers, are building an empire now that they are free of Harry Rawlings. These two aren’t to be messed with. Still Harry’s ledgers need to be found, there’s too much damning information in them, and Dolly well she must know where they are.

The plot is layered and complex yet simply told, it is tense and there are some scary, horrible moments in it’s telling. The characters are well drawn and very believable. This is a glorious tale of ‘daring do’ in the criminal world. It would be surprising to hear of a criminal gang made up solely of women today never mind in the 1980s. So, even though what they are doing is wrong, is criminal, is illegal you get on board, you want them to succeed. They are antithesis of hero’s but you cheer them at every step as they battle against the odds and try to stay one step ahead of the police, of the Fishers, of everyone who might stop them, from themselves and the fear that they can’t succeed makes for a terrific story and a cracking good read.

With thanks to Zaffre via NetGalley for this eARC in return for an honest review.

Rating: 4*

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked all the books by this author and although I have read this I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again.

This was a great read. A little slow in places, but only briefly. I'm hearing rumors this is going to be made into a movie! I hope so! ALL of the characters are well developed and interesting.

I love Widows by Lynda La Plante. I have loved her books for a long time now and have never found one I didn’t like. I read her books before she became a household name and before Prime Suspect. It is such a delight to read books from a seasoned author and yes I understand that you cannot become seasoned before you get rid of all the ideas you have had for a long time and think they will become bestsellers which they almost never do. But you persevere and eventually you might get there too. The Widows has a very basic story line: four guys attack a security truck carrying money, everything goes wrong and three of the four are burnt to almost unrecognizability. Harry the head guy is only identified by the Rolex watch given to him by his wife. One guy disappears completely. Now their widows get together and Harry’s wife Dolly knows enough about the business that she know where to find Harry’s plans and they come together and plan the next security van heist. Therefore a lot of stereotypes of villains and crooked cops and just about anything else you can want in a mystery. I recommend this book for everyone and thank NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for my unbiased review. Hands down a 5 star book!

This is a good book and I’ll be interested to see what the film is like.
The book begins with a failed armed robbery where most of the men involved die leaving three widows, Dolly, Linda and Shirley.
Dolly gains access to Harry's lockup and finds all his secrets in his ledgers including the plans for the robbery.
Dolly gets the other two widows on board and together they set off to finish what their men started.
Things don’t go smoothly though and the book is full of secrets and lies leading to some great final chapters.
This is a solid 3.5 star review from me.
Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Another fantastic read from Lynda La Plante. I did read this quite soon after it was first published in the 1980s (I think) and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, second time round. I am really looking forward to the movie. Fingers crossed they don't mess it up ;)

when harry rawlins and 2 of his accomplices are killed during the execution of an armed robbery, his widow, dolly decides to pick up where he left off with the help of his detailed ledgers and the other grieving widows. Harry’s arch enemy, DI Resnick is watching their every move to the point of obsession.

ive never read a book by this author but thoroughly enjoyed it. the widows are all totally different and trusting each other is a major issue.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.