Yet another gripping psychological thriller from Valerie. Allison is a loner with a deep dark past. Will a chance meeting with Peter at a work colleagues party help her rid herself of the monster from her past. What is missing from Allison’s life and will she find it before it’s too late. A fab read with lots of twists and turns along the way. A well deserved five star read

Valerie Keogh's books never disappoints and The Widow is no exception.

Allison's life as a child was devoid of love and affection from her parents, she wanted a better childhood for herself and sisters Beth and Cassie. But when tragedy strikes the family home things only become worse for Allison.
Now and adult and working in accounting Allison meets the very handsome and wealthy Peter.
She believes that hopefully at last she will have the life she always dreamed of.
But after only three months of marriage another tragedy bestows Allison.
Her only two friends Petra and Jo try to rally round but are Allison's friends all what they seem to be?
A wonderful gripping, twisted thriller. I was completely hooked from the first sentence to the last full stop.

This is a great psychological thriller.
Allison has had a troubled past and is on the look out for a rich man to make her life better.
After just three months of being married, Peter dies and Allison contacts the solicitors to find out what she will be getting.
Allison is left very disappointed but this is the least of her problems.
Jo has befriended Allison but has other things in mind rather than friendship.
There’s also another threat to Allison which I won’t spoil as this took me by complete surprise.
This is a gripping thriller that will definitely keep you turning the pages.
Thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

No one in their book is what they appear outwardly to be.
It kept my interest, but some of the reveals were very long in the making.
Allison is a woman on the make. She marries Peter, who May Have stretched the truth, which Allison doesn’t realize until it’s too,late.
I found Allison very cold and sinister and was happy when it appeared she would be receiving her just desserts.
But Keough refused to give me that satisfaction.
The book keeps you guessing.

Set in London this is a masterful piece of plotting in fact I I thought it was brilliant. Ok a bit far fetched but it’s fiction, isn’t that what fiction is? Some truly despicable characters and some who are not quite so despicable, all seem to come together in this fast paced psychological thriller. A number of threads but all centred around the main character, Allison, a lady with a shocking past and an even more shocking future. This is a storyline that will definitely keep you turning the pages.

Briefly, we are aware of Allison’s sad childhood from chapter one but now she is working in London where she meets wealthy Peter and soon they are married and living in his £3m house - what more could a girl want? In Allison’s case a lot more. But not everything is going her way. She has made friends with Portia, a rather eccentric older lady with a creepy husband and a woman called Jo who she met online keeps popping up. All Allison wants is a good life with no money worries - shouldn’t be that difficult, or should it?

This is one of those book where I kept thinking, oh well it’s obvious what’s going to happen next, noooooo it isn’t. Twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat from the start. I did guess one of them but even that I wasn’t sure of until the reveal. My feelings for most of the characters in this were all over the place, one minute I hated them, the next I thought well they aren’t so bad. I can’t say more without spoilers but this is a book well worth a read for anyone who loves a psychological thriller. Brilliant.

A well written psychological suspense thriller. Thoroughly enjoyed The Widow, the plot was cleverly woven and just when you think you have it all worked out , you realise you haven't! Once I picked up this book it was very hard to put it down as I was engrossed from start to finish, the suspense and tension was riveting . The many dislikable characters added another dimension to the story.

With twists and turns galore, you will not know who to root for! Told in two POVs with small chapters from "the monster", one cannot know the full story or truth until the very end. This book is not what it seems and takes wild turns as it evolves. Very good read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Widow’ by Valerie Keogh in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Allison meets Peter Fellowes when he gatecrashes a party she’s attending and they’re immediately attracted to each other. Peter is everything Allison has been looking for in a husband and they quickly marry, but as they’re about to celebrate their three-month anniversary a disaster happens and Peter dies. It isn’t until Allison meets his solicitor that she learns Peter has been keeping secrets from her, but then he’s not the only one as she has too!

‘The Widow’ is a gripping psychological thriller that’s had me so enthralled from the very beginning that I couldn’t put it down and read it in a day. The characters are really unlikeable, devious and conniving with not one of them having an honest bone in their body, but with the twists and turns it’s what makes this into a great story and a rollercoaster of a read as their treachery increases with no signs of stopping. It hasn’t been difficult to guess Allison’s secret and also Jo’s identity, although the weird Portia and Stuart have caught me out. This is the first novel I’ve read by Valerie Keogh, it’s been thoroughly enjoyable and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

A great twisty pull you in and devour you book from this author. You will keep holding on and reading without putting it down because yes it is that good!!

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I love a good psychological thriller and this one was just that.

Allison did something awful as a child. She paid her dues. And now is an adult in London working as an accountant, moving on with life. She agrees to attend a party at a local pub and meets Peter.
She makes a decision that marrying for money isn't all bad and continues a relationship with Peter.
They marry after only a few months of dating.

Allison and Jo meet on social media and seem to have a lot in common. They message each other for a while. Then Jo will be in London on a business trip, and Allison agrees to meet her for lunch.
After that, Allison decides perhaps she should back off a bit from Jo. Allison hurries home after their lunch to get ready to have a special three month anniversary celebration with Peter.

There's a knock on the door with horrible news that changes Allison's life. Her friend, Portia, comes to be with her. And Jo also comes and somewhat bullies her way in. Allison wishes she had never met up with her!

I will say, I figured out who Jo was early on in the book. However, it did not distract from the storyline for me.

After this, the book gets really twisty. More secrets are revealed. And it takes you on a psychologial rollercoaster right up until the end!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book , it wasn’t the predictable story I imagined when the main character had the tables turned on her . It’s a pity I did guess who Jo was but even then then there was a suspenseful ending . I would definitely recommend this book to my audience, can’t wait for the next from this author.

A stunning cover and another excellent book by Valerie.

Valerie has a brilliant way of drawing you in and had me totally gripped. Like all Valerie’s books that I have read my life had to put on hold to keep reading a little bit more.

I would totally recommend this book and definitely worthy of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of my favourite song lines is "they're the faces of the stranger and we love to try them on" and that is what this story epitomises to me. Each of the main characters has a secret but in order to prevent it being known adopts a persona usually to someone else's detriment. Allison, who the tale is about, finds love quickly and marries quickly only for her husband to die after just 3 months. However the big question is was it deliberate or not. Valerie very cleverly twists and turns the story and the characters around until your head is spinning with information and just when you think you have it all figured out, you are sent along another pathway. A great story right up to the very last page.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

Wow – what a brilliant book!
As a child, Allison did something wicked and paid the price for it. She now lives in London, works as an accountant, and has tried to put her past behind her. On a rare night out, she meets Peter, and she soon realises that he can provide a much better standard of living than she has previously experienced. Having only known him for a few months she agrees to marry him, but her motives are rather questionable.

Allison meets Jo on Facebook, and they seem to have a lot in common. Having messaged each other and established some sort of relationship they agree to meet up in person. Jo seems harmless to Allison, but she soon decides that the real-life friendship won’t be going anywhere. Allison rushes home to get ready for a special evening out with Peter, but a knock on the door comes, bringing her terrible news. Allison’s friend Portia rushes to her side, soon followed by Jo who elbows her way in, in a rather crude manner. Allison soon regrets ever agreeing to meet Jo as she becomes totally bothersome. But what is Jo’s agenda and is she the one that Allison needs to be wary of?

A very dark and creepy psychological thriller that has so many twists, which just adds to the enjoyment of it. Such a compulsive read which I really struggled to put down. What an amazing book.

What a genuine page-turner! Oh my! I didn't like anyone in the story, but was I drawn in? Absolutely! I honestly began having sympathy for this psychopath! What world did I land in? I kept thinking about how much I disliked the main character, Allison, and knew she should have never trusted Portia and Stuart! Jo was another enigmatic character; I don't blame her for having a hateful attitude toward Allison; between them all, I felt in need of a shower! This will make a great psychological thriller on TV if someone is smart enough to pick it up; it is creepy!
I highly recommend it! Thank you #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks

I loved it!! I'm never disappointed when I pick up a book by Valerie keogh and this one continued the trend. Are they all loveable characters? Absolutely not! Is the plot always the most realistic? Nope! Do I care? Not at all! It's just sheer binge reading domestic noir, switch the phone off and get lost in this crazy little story, indulgence. Absolutely recommend

So much better than I was expecting. Keogh is a new author to me, and I will check out her backlist for sure.

You won't know who to hate and who to barrack for right up until the last pages. There's all the usual twists you expect from good DS, and also a blow from the side you may or may not feel coming. You'll sway back and forward on whether MC was a misunderstood kid who made a bad call or the monster that others deem her to be.

Yep, it's unbelievable at point, but it's domestic suspense. Highly reccommended.

I a big fan of this author and she never disapoints another gripping twisty addictive read. Alison is a bit of a loner she never joins in with outside of work gatherings untill one night when she invited to a birthday party she goes and meets Peter who gate crashes the party. he tells her he a solicitor and she could like him to better herself she only has one friend Portia she thinks her husband creepy but Alison has a stalker she not know it yet. then disaster stricks Peter is killed buy a train and a chain of events unfold i so very recommend this book

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

What a weird, misanthropic, little nightmare of a book. Horrible people hurting horrible people
But it’s fun!

Book Title: The Widow
Author: Valeria Keogh
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: November 1, 2022
My Rating: 💥💥💥💥+ Stars

When Sherri my Reading BFF suggested this dark chilling psychological thriller, We usually agree on the books we like ~ so I hurried to get it.

Allison and Peter have been married for only three months and have a picture perfect wonderful marriage.
When handsome and wealthy Peter is found dead, Allison is devastated or is she?
Note comment on cover~ Grieving or Guilty?

It appears their marriage is built on secrets.
Story centers on both Peter and Allison but also Jo a Facebook “new friend” met on a FB Reading Group. Also Petra an older woman Allison befriends at Yoga.

Story is definitely gripping and twisty. While Allison is trying to keep her past hidden, I am trying to figure out 'who is who' and 'what is wha't! Certainly kept me guessing!
Loved the ending

This is my first Valerie Keogh novel. I definitely will read another ~in fact, just downloaded "The Lodger"!

Want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 1, 2022.