3 wives, 1 husband, hes dead, who did it?

I got really into this book relatively quickly. It felt a bit on the long side but its definitely a page turner. You get 3 POV but its one timeline which I really liked, things get muddled but not confusing which I always think is a skill some murder mysteries cant pull off, this one does.

The characters are all flawed but loveable. It touches on some very harrowing subjects so it gets hard to read in places but the pay off is worth it. Id be interested to know if the author knows of or has been directly involved in a cult situation because it seemed so real at times.

Calling it a fun read seems a little stupid but its definitely one to read if you can handle it. 4/5.

Black Widows is a thriller quite unlike any I've read before. Rachel, Emily and Tina all share a husband, Blake. They live on a remote ranch in Utah, and are cut off from the rest of the world. The story is told by all three women, and gradually more and more layers of intrigue are uncovered.

The action begins immediately with the death of Blake in suspicious circumstances. Rachel is arrested, but proclaims her innocence. Emily then confesses to murdering Blake, but nobody believes she is guilty.

Rachel and Tina set out to investigate what really happened, and secrets and lies are revealed with every chapter. Rachel is also haunted by flashbacks from her time as a child - she was born into a cult.

This book will keep you guessing all the way through. I changed my mind about who I thought was guilty so many times. But there is a twist that I didn't foresee.

Deliciously escapist and with a satisfyingly optimistic ending, it was an enjoyable read, if somewhat contrived at times.

I find the whole thing around polygamy really interesting so this book really appealed to me. Blake is found murdered. His three wives. Rachel, Emily and Tina are all so different but all have a reason to be the culprit. Did one of the wives kill the husband that wasn’t as perfect as he seemed. Are any of them covering for the real murderer.
Told in the point of views of each of the wives. This book will keep you gripped right until the end.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book
Blake is a polygamist in Salt Lake City with 3 wives.- but which one killed him? I was very intrigued by this book and it certainly proved to be a very different read. Sad to say it was rather slow going and not really very much seemed to happen. I didn't really connect with this book or the characters. I don't really get why wives 2 and 3 would agree to marrying someone they already knew was married. The author says its not about Mormonism but it can't really not be.
Interesting but not for me

Well this was certainly different and most definitely an education! Three wives in a polygamous Mormon marriage, Tina, Emily and first wife Rachel! Blake, the husband is found dead in suspicious circumstances! Was it one of the three wives who are all so very different in character? The story certainly kept me on my toes and I found their beliefs and their trials and tribulations quite fascinating. It all unravelled nicely and I was more than happy with the conclusion! A good yarn!

It was a different story which I enjoyed. You keep wanting to read when you find out all three wives have different characteristics. You can’t take it all seriously as it’s someone’s verison of the religion.

Mormon Blake Nelson builds a good life for himself in a very isolated homestead in Utah. He is found dead, believed murdered by his wife. Ok, but which one? Is it legal wife one, Rachel, quietly obedient or maybe sister wife two ex Catholic naive Emily or is it worldly wise sister wife three Tina, the ‘cuckoo’ in their nest? Each wife tells the story in their own way.

First of all, this is an original mystery that’s hard to put down. The story is character driven which works extremely well and I like the varied pace of their storytelling. It’s fascinating trying to work out which narrative is the most reliable as they are all guilty of not necessarily lying but omission and telling the truth as they see it. The characters are very good, they’re all well developed and you see their individual personalities very clearly. Rachel seems obedient and has a past in a cult known as The Sunshine Homestead and her experiences are very dark and absolutely shocking and so no wonder her recall is piecemeal. She is like the mother of the group. Emily is young, innocent especially about sex, frightened but not as weak as she might seem. Tina is whip-smart, a former Las Vegas show girl and drug addict which she is trying to shed through marriage to Blake. Their perceptions of each other are fascinatingly illuminating though it tends to muddy the suspect waters. It’s equally fascinating observing how the dynamics between the wives changes both in their attitudes to each other but also Blake. Adelaide Nelson, Blake’s mother is a brittle but intriguing character and some of her actions make your jaw drop. The multilayered book has so many elements to it which are woven together fluidly and with clever misdirection. We witness the turmoil of the women, their fears, suspicion, there’s a host of secrets, cover ups but at its heart lies the mystery of Blake’s killer. Thank you Tina for the occasional humour to lighten the dark load. I like the ending which takes the storyline almost full circle.

Overall, this is an excellent novel that is very hard to stop reading once you’ve started. It is a dark character driven tale that hooks you from the beginning and keeps you invested in seeking the truth.

NB Other Mormons in the story reject Blake’s polygamy - it is illegal!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially Orion for the arc for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

A murder mystery set in a plural Mormon marriage with a surprising outcome. Really enjoyed this book!

When their husband is found dead deep in the desert, his 3 wives become the automatic suspects and they all suspect each other. Rachel, the first and most homely wife; Emily, the second wife but the youngest and most naive and finally Tina, the most recent wife with a wild previous life.

Polygamy is frowned upon even within the Church of the Latter Day Saints and so the 3 wives are treated with suspicion by everyone. A fascinating read told from the view of each of the wives with unexpected plot twists

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC copy.

Blake Nelson has three wives. Rachel, his obedient first wife, Emily, the youngest and most naïve with a vivid imagination and Tina, streetwise and nothing like a good, obedient wife should be. All four live modestly and happily in their own ranch in the middle of nowhere so when Blake ends up dead surely the only suspects are his wife's but which one is guilty?

A real slow burner and at times some uncomfortable moments but all in all a great read. The book includes some very interesting storylines around how other people live and still live like today.

Would definitely recommend.

A good read with tiny glimpses into polygamist marriages and cults. A clever story narrated in 3 different voices but which still manages to keep it together. Not the book of the year but a very good and entertaining read nevertheless!

When Blake Nelson’s body is found out in the desert the finger is automatically pointed at his wife. But which one?

Rachel is the first wife, she’d met Blake at college after she’d left a crazy and frightening upbringing. They’d fallen in love and moved out to the desert where they built a home.

Emily is the next to join the family. Young, shy and naive she isn’t prepared for the ways of married life, even less so having to share her husband with Rachel.

Tina, the third wife is unlike the other wives. Having been dependent on drugs she met her beloved Blake in rehab where he treated her like his queen.

Who is the one to blame? Who murdered Blake Nelson?

After reading the synopsis I really liked the sound of this book. As I started to read and saw religious bits I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy it, but I really did. I’m not going to pretend I know a lot about religion or cults or plural marriages but I really found this book fascinating. Although it clearly states at the beginning this is a work of fiction and in no way depicts the lives of the religious groups mentioned in the book, it feels quite realistic and I feel it could well have been real. I could clearly picture the desert and the compounds and the explanations of those awful places really have me the creeps.

I was totally hooked from start to finish and was kept guessing who the murderer was right until it was finally revealed. A very dark and disturbing read but very gripping.

Polygamist Blake Nelson is found dead and local police believe his wife killed him, which one? Told in the narrative of each wife - first wife Rachael, sister wife Emily and newest sister wife Tina. While being investigated, each tries to find out what really happened and who killed Blake, their pasts are explored and elaborated.
Easy to read in one sitting, great storyline.

Sadly, I couldn't really get into this. The blurb sounded great, but when I came to read it I was having to read parts more than once to try and take it in. I'm disappointed in myself as it did sound like it was going to be a good book. Maybe I'll go back to it at a later date and try again. Thanks to Netgalley for selecting me to read it for an honest review.

This was a really enjoyable read. The storyline was very unusual which led to an interesting tale creating suspense along with character detail. The book is classed as a thriller and while it definitely had a thrilling feel and kept me guessing till the end, it also had an element of character driven fiction and I found the whole story compelling.

The tale is set within the Mormon community of the Latter Day Saints. The main characters are Mormons in a polygamous marriage, this starts the wives off on a bad footing as not only has their husband been murdered, their lifestyle is questioned while the police try to decide which of his wives killed him.
The investigation not only uncovers the life they had made with Blake, it also uncovers hidden secrets in the past of the three wives, none of them is who they seem. While they try to find out who killed Blake alongside the police, they find out a lot more than they bargained for.

I found the story a little hard to get into at the beginning, The chapters are short and flick between the perspective of each wife so it took a bit of time to realise which wife was speaking at that time. A lot of the country American slang took a bit of time to understand too. However once I got used to the style I managed to get into the story very well. It kept me guessing until the very end and threw in a good amount of twists and deviations to make you predict incorrectly who had committed the murder. I found myself flirting between all the wives constantly never quite sure who to trust.

I found the side detail really interesting as I did not know a lot about Mormon culture and this gave me quite an insight into the patriarchy and the beliefs of the religion. It led me to have a good google about some of the Mormon religion and find out more. The characters had a lot of back story and detail given about them which made it a bit more than just a thriller in my opinion.

I enjoyed this book and will look out for future books by this author.

2.5 - The concept was good and the book does give you a little insight into the Mormon way of life (although how accurate it is I couldn’t say). However, my biggest gripe with this book was the pacing. It was just a really slow burn and it took a long time to start ramping up. I like my thrillers to be fast paced and on the edge of my seat but I just wasn’t with this one I’m afraid.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fast paced and catchy story. I wanted more. I was curious about what actually happened and what each of the three sister wives had to hide.

As I got more into it, the disturbing events started to unravel and I got a bit thrown back. I have to say that I found it hard to continue as it involves lots of child abuse, miscarriage, marital punishment and mental abuse. However, this is such an original story so I braved myself and moved on past my feelings.

Black Widows is such a twisty story that will play with your loyalties. It is full of tension all the way to the end and brilliantly written. The sister wives relationship is one to follow and learn from.

Cate Quinn managed to create one unique domestic thriller that I know lots will absolutely love.

You never really know someone till you’ve lived with them. I’ve also learnt that people behave differently in different relationships. Just great!

It is rare that I cannot get into the feel of a book but sadly I could not get into this book, I found it very slow going and (although I have Mormon relations in the US) as a British, male reader I felt that I did not know enough about the Mormon religion. I also felt that the characters of the three wives were not strong enough as I was getting mixed up with who was who.
I wish you every success with this book but sadly it was not for me

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled initially with this book not just with the polygamy but the way the wives were treated by Blake, he called all the shots and it seemed so at odds with our culture. I did however stick with it and really enjoyed the mystery, tying to work out what happened. The story of the wives and their pasts was really good and I loved the bond that grew between them. Overall a long but good story if you can get past the strange setting.