*Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* At first I found the different perspectives in the book a little confusing, as I tried to recall from whose perspective each chapter was written, but as the novel unfolded, I became accustomed to the style. The book focusses on two women who, from the outside, seem to lead very different lives. One, a life of luxury and privilege and the other, one of drudgery. However, all is not as it seems on the surface. Louise Bridges is a devoted wife and mother whose world comes crashing down when she is told that her husband Patrick has been killed in a tragic accident. PC Becca Holt suspects that something is not right with how Louise reacts to the news of her husband's death and is intent on digging further. An enjoyable and intriguing book, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing.

Told from two main points of view and two timelines, past and present. Thoroughly enjoyed this mystery/psychological thriller. Could be a bit slow going at times but overall it was definitely worth a read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a free ARC in return for an honest review.

A dual POV that is slow paced and dragged a bit. I was excited for this book but it did not meet my expectations. I expected a stronger start at least.

Intriguing portrait of a woman then and now, where she came from and why she made the choices she did. A young female police officer suspects her of murdering her husband, but did she do it or is the cop simply jealous of a rich and beautiful grieving widow? I wasn't sure until almost the end of the book.

Intriguing book which definitely held my interest. Two very different main characters, a wealthy housewife, Louise, and a pc, Becca, both tell the story in the past and present. Louise’s husband has died in a fire at his office and when Becca arrives to tell her about his demise she is puzzled by Louise’s reaction. She proceeds to dig into her background against orders to let it go while Louise continues to live her life. Both characters seemed too stereotypical for much of the book. It was too repetitive reading about Louise’s obsession with Patrick but then too little time spent on their subsequent marriage, other than a few glimpses to justify Louise’s actions. Becca’s obsession with Louise was again too repetitive. There were so many sub plots (childhood neglect, obsession, marital problems, living a lie) crossing and intersecting which actually worked to hold my interest. Many thanks to A.M. Castle, HQ Digital and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this recently published book.

The premise of a woman newly widowed and a police officer’s suspicions based on little other than a feeling intrigued me. The opening was compelling, in that Louise explained – repeatedly – of her overriding obsession to put her bad childhood and Mother issues behind her, improve her life and get the man of her dreams. Becca, the detective, who also had Mother issues, was obsessed with no one getting away with murder. If it was murder.
Louise became obsessed with Patrick at first sight, seeing him as her perfect man, but at the same time can see his flaws. Firstly, that he’s a ‘player’ and also that he has a superficial view of her and cannot see she is not what she pretends to be. Thus, when the cracks appear in their relationship Louise seems both surprised and shocked when Patrick conformed to type.
Once betrayed, Louise goes to war, ingeniously so, which is when I started rooting for her. Any man who cheats on a new, breastfeeding mother deserves no respect!
Policewoman Becca judges Louise’s beautiful house, two perfect kids and her thin thighs and working on instinct alone, is determined that she’s a wrong ‘un, and she’s going to prove it. Becca is single, has a weight problem an overbearing mother and longs for financial independence. All the things Louise has, but while she reinvented herself, worked tirelessly and got them, Becca is in a rut, and sits in her car outside Louise’s house brooding, so in my book she gets no credit.
For me, the storyline was twice as long as it needed to be. I skipped chapters hoping to get past what Louise thought, said, compared it to, analysed, fantasised, and what Becca ate next.
A lot was unexplained until right at the end – like the fire that killed Patrick and how Louise continues the same lifestyle when no income/insurance/inheritance is mentioned, that is, until Becca decides money is a motive?
Maybe the author wanted the facts to come out slowly to change the reader’s perception of the characters, to make us think - like what did happen to Jane? Then there was Louise’s very odd book collection.
Saying that, this is a well written novel which would appeal to someone less impatient than I am. I also felt it was more a journal of a doomed relationship than a suspense.

3 for neutral! I was so excited for this book, big every time I tried to get into it, I just couldn’t. Something was off, maybe the writing was a bit different than I’m used to or at least for my moods on the occasions I tried. Will update, it able to enjoy at a later date!

I wasn't too sure about this book at first. Some of the metaphors and similes were a little obvious and overstated for me. However, once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. A different and unexpected storyline, with plenty of twists and turns. Recommended.

I really wanted to like this book but just could not resonate with the characters. They just did not come to life for me. The overall story and writing were ok it just did not grasp me like other books of this type have.

An absolutely great read. It sure does fit into mystery. Well-written plot and character development.
Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy.

Louise is married to Patrick and they have 2 children. When Louise becomes a widow and the police arrive to tell her of Patrick’s death her response is unusual and begins a story of intrigue and questioning by others. Leaving the reader thinking did she ......or didn’t she have anything todo with it.....you will need to read it to find out.......

Louise and Patrick Bridges are married and the parents of Giles and Emmy. Their home is very nice. One evening while Louise is fixing dinner, two police come to the door with the terrible news that Patrick has just died in an office fire.

PC Becca Holt and PC Tom Burke are the police who broke the news to the Bridges family, but for some reason, Becca feels that Louise should have shown more shock than she did. Becca is convinced that Louise is not who she appears to be and cannot stop thinking about her. However, Becca has also had some previous psychotic problems herself.

Before marrying Patrick, Louise was the receptionist in the same office where Patrick worked. All she wanted was for him to notice her. When he finally did, she was ready to begin the life she had always wanted.

The story switches back and forth from Louise to Becca and the chapters are nice and short. This helped keep my attention, but it also was a way to make the book longer than it should have been. We see two women who both have seen pain in their lives and want to be happier. Louise depends upon her wits to get where she wants, but Becca’s love of doughnuts and junk food is her dependency. An interesting story that, again, could have been trimmed down.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was a hot mess. 1.5 stars rounded up.

::sigh::

Where to start?

The Perfect Widow sounded so intriguing in it's synopsis...somewhat creepy even. Trust me when I say, it wasn't. Told from two points of view, those of Louise (in both the past, where she daydreamed about a douchey guy for half the book, and the present, where we read very little about how she's dealing with said douche's death), and Becca, who was given the job to deliver the bad news to the newly minted widow, and decided to investigate her because "she didn't act right."

First, let me just say, Becca's character was an idiot. She should have been fired from her job. I hated her sections of the story because it was nothing but obsessive ramblings about Louise's "perfect thighs" and her "too clean home." Becca, who is described as overweight early in the novel (and who is fat shamed endlessly by the author), clearly wanted to bring Louise down, but more out of jealously than any real sense of justice. It felt as though she was added to the book as an afterthought, when the author realized she needed an antagonist. Meh.

Second, although I found Louise's character somewhat sympathetic, her then sections were repetitive and rambling. We literally read the same things over and over and over again. I wasn't overly impressed by the insta-love either.

Finally, the chapters were super short and clunky. If done correctly, this works at keeping the book moving and flowing.

...It wasn't done correctly in this novel...

What it did was leave us with terribly unfinished characters, and actions that were never explained. Further, I believe this book was advertised as a psychological thriller. It definitely is not. I think I'd likely categorize it as domestic drama.

Bottom line: This story was underwhelming in every possible way. Not recommended.

**Despite my lackluster review, I'd still like to thank the publisher for my advanced copy, in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Louise seems to have a nearly perfect life – a handsome and successful husband, two beautiful children, and a lovely home. So, when she is notified that her husband has been killed in a fire in his office building, you would expect her to crumble. But, instead, she reacts in a calm and accepting manner. This behavior bothers Becca, one of the police officers who broke the news to Louise, and she’s convinced that Louise knows more about her husband’s death than she is revealing.

The Perfect Widow is told from both Louise and Becca’s points of view and it also moves back and forth from present to past, allowing the reader to learn about Louise’s history and her marriage to her husband, Patrick.

The premise of The Perfect Widow is terrific and both of the women held some interest for me, although neither was truly very likable. However, the story of how Louise met, fell in love with, and married Patrick was overly-long and drawn out and I found that it became redundant and annoying. Most of the story moved rather slowly, with very little in the way of revelations. However, the book went into overdrive in the last few chapters, making the ending very satisfying.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

When PC Becca Holt arrives at Louise Bridges's home to break the news that her husband has been killed in an accident, she's taken aback by Louise's reaction. Louise doesn't seem very shocked by her husband's death. And there are only three plates set for dinner, one for Louise, and two for her children, as if she knew that her husband wouldn't be coming back home. Becca is convinced that there is more to Louise than meets the eye and is determined to do whatever it takes to prove it.

Louise Bridges has a loving husband, two beautiful children, and a comfortable house. But getting to this point in her life has not been easy and she will do anything to protect the life she's worked so hard for.

I really wanted to love this book. It started off with so much potential. The first few chapters kept me turning the pages. But the story quickly became slow and repetitive. There were too many chapters with Louise sitting at work, desperately trying to get Patrick to notice her. And too many with Becca sitting at her work, eating a lot of junk food, complaining about her weight, her mom, and obsessing about Louise's perfect life. The only thing that kept me from giving up on this book was Louise. Yes, she was a narcissist, who did some very bad things But I found her to be very likable and I admired her determination for a better life. I rooted for her and wished she had realized a lot sooner that Patrick was not worth her time. There was really nothing shocking about the twist at the end. It basically cemented what we already knew from the start- that Louise was willing to do anything to keep her perfect life. Overall, this book was not for me. But if you like slow-burn thrillers, then you might enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was ok. Took a long a time to develop. There were too many shifts in the story and I just could not get into it. I skipped ahead to the end.

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. This was an amazing thriller and I enjoyed it immensely.
Louise chases the man of her dreams for a long time before he finally noticed her and they end up married. One day Becca, a detective, has to notify Louise that Patrick is dead and she is immediately suspicious of Louise’s cool reaction. The book goes from past to present and is extremely fast paced. I highly recommend it and will be telling all of my friends and fellow book club members to read it. Thanks again NetGalley.

EXCERPT: I hadn't fitted in. That was my simple crime, that was why both Pete and I knew it wouldn't work, couldn't go any further. But what he didn't realise was that it was always my crime. I'd never fitted in anywhere. My fear now was that I never would. It had taken so much work to get this close -and then it had turned out that I had never really been close at all. I'd worked so hard to be this version of me. How could it still not be right?

It was like being five at school all over again. Or seven. Or nine. Or eleven. No one had ever wanted to play with me. I'd understood why, at one level, but that didn't make it any easier to bear. There was something very different about me. I knew it, and somehow they did too. I wasn't sure how they were able to tell. Maybe it was the smoke. That always clung to me. In many ways it seemed the least of my mother's bad habits. Or maybe it was the way I held myself. Maybe it was the twist in my smile, something flitting behind my eyes. It was obvious that I knew too much, but it wasn't the sort of delicious secret that the girls queued up behind the loos to share. It was the sort that no one wanted any part of. Ever. The sort that I haven't spoken of, even now. I didn't fit in. Couldn't. Wasn't ever going to, no matter what I did.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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?

MY THOUGHTS: I honestly don't know how to review The Perfect Widow without giving things away, but I have to try.

Is Louise a loving wife - or a cold hearted killer? That is the million dollar question.

And why is PC Becca Holt so determined to prove that she is the latter? Is it to prove herself as a policewoman, or does she have darker motives?

These two women are opposites in all respects. Becca is single, overweight, and the only love affair in her life is with food. Louise is slender, beautiful, wealthy, and lives in a beautiful home with her two children and a husband who is something in the city.

These two women are the central characters in the story...Becca determined to prove that Louise is not what she seems; Louise determined to protect her life and the innocence of her children.

Let the battle commence.

I read the final two thirds of The Perfect Widow this afternoon after picking it up intending to read only a few pages over lunch.

The story is told over two timelines, 'then' and 'now', from the viewpoints of Louise and Becca. While the chapters are short, the writing snappy, the revelations are made slowly, enticingly. This isn't a nail-biter of a novel, it's quieter than that, but it is a cleverly compelling read.

#ThePerfectWidow #NetGalley

😍😯😳😍

THE AUTHOR: Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. She writes psychological thrillers for HQDigital as A.M. Castle and the London Murder Mystery cozy crime series as Alice Castle.
Alice lives in south London and is married with two children, two step-children and two cats.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to HQ Digital via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Perfect Widow by A.M. Castle for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

“The perfect widow” is a must read!! Absolutely brilliant characterisation that blew me away from the start. For me the makings of a great read are when authors can transport you to a whole other world and develop characters whose lives you become so engrossed in that you can almost believe they are real.
This is definitely the case with Becca and Louise, two very different individuals. Becca is a police officer, low on self esteem, feeling like she can’t live up to her mother’s expectations and addicted to sugar, with a predilection for doughnuts! The diet is always going to start tomorrow. She’s an immensely likeable character unlike Louise Bridges.
Louise is everything Becca is not; slim, elegant, with a beautiful house, children who go to private school and a wealthy husband. But that hasn’t always been the case. Louise is the queen of transformation. Practically dragging herself up from the gutter this woman has to be admired for her sheer determination and ability to adapt to her surroundings, finding suitable role models she can copy to turn her into the woman she is today. Louise is a woman on a mission once she escapes her far from idyllic childhood and when she first sets eyes on Patrick, her determination to get what she wants is evident. Her patience is admirable as he’s not going to be an easy catch but this woman, to her credit, is playing the long game and her ruthlessness knows no bounds. You wouldn’t want Louise as a friend but I love her strong character, a force to be reckoned with and nothing and no one is going to get in her way.
Becca and Louise’s paths cross when Becca is the one to knock on Louise’s door with the tragic news that her husband Patrick is dead. Louise’s reaction is not quite what Becca expects. She smells a rat. She’s determined to discover the truth. How wonderful was Louise and Patrick’s marriage? How far would Louise go to protect her children and everything she has worked so hard to achieve??? Could her marriage be based upon a load of secrets and lies??
I suppose the only downside to the plot line is that it doesn’t take a genius to work out where it’s heading but because the writing is so good, the pace perfect, this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of
the book at all. Absolutely loved the ending and would go as far to say this is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read this year and I’ve read a lot!!
Thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

Louise finds out that her husband has died and Becca the police woman who breaks this devastating news to her thinks that Louise doesn't;t react emotionally enough. The story is told from their POV's.

I just couldn't;t engage with either characters, neither were likeable and I just couldn't;t see where this was going to go. It was hard work for me to keep on reading.

For me I just didn't;t enjoy this story or the writing didn't;t captivate me at all

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this story in exchange for a honest review