Member Reviews
A gripping story with twists that I didn't see coming.
Couldn't put it down at all. Very gritty a good read
My first read from this Author and loved it very gripping and an addictive read. Bella is a writer for a magazine an agony Aunt, but she loves peace and quiet she loves sitting and watching people she is married to Jed she thinks she has a happy marriage. but one day she sees something she wishes she had not. but Bella likes a mystery and starts doing her own unraveling what will she believe and should she keep digging in to lives it's so good so recommend.
This was the first book I’ve read by Diana Wilkinson and hadn’t looked up any reviews on the book or any of the author’s other work before finishing this title. The premise sounded intriguing and I enjoy thrillers, so I gave it a go.
The story is told in first-person POV by the protagonist, a part-time columnist with much too much time on her hands. The story follows her exploits as she watches her husband from a coffee shop as he visits another woman. The cast of characters is small, and the protagonist doesn’t have much to fill her time, so a lot of the exposition is her making tea, drinking coffee, or visiting the cafe or library.
Because of the many mundane day-to-day details of the protagonist’s life driving much of the story forward, I think this book may have been better at a short story or novella. The concept was interesting, but there wasn’t much “thriller” to this “psychological thriller”. I’d describe it as a tepid domestic mystery without much teeth or a surprising twist.
Another cracking read from Ms Wilkinson. This book had me gripped from the first page and I would recommend it to any fans of mystery/domestic noir. The writing flows so well, which is always the case with this author. It is definitely a sleep stealer! With a captivating plot that involves infidelity, family secrets and suspected murder, I give this book a full 5 stars.
Not a bad storyline but was a very slow burner for two thirds of the book. It was an ok finish when the pace picked up towards the end I wouldn’t class it as a thriller though, felt more like a drama/ soap opera. I will still look to read more by this author though as I did like her style of writing, just needs to be a faster paced story.
A bit of a slow burner until towards the end when the story picked up and a lot of things fell into place, all through the book, Tegan was mentioned and I got the impression that she might have been a figment of Issy’s imagination. Honestly I did struggle with this book and felt at one point of not finishing it but I’m glad now I kept going.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
I just had a really hard time with this book. The story was ok, but slow....I feel some things were ignored and some parts just not followed through on. I do enjoy this author, and I'm hoping unlike the next book a lot more.
The Girl In The Window by Diana Wilkerson, Izzy is married to Jed and writes an advice column in the local London paper. Because she works from home every morning she likes to go and get a couple of cups of coffee and this is where she learns the redhead she’s been watching is the same one her husband has been visiting and only learns this when he gets in an accident on his bicycle in front of her home. She starts to totally have a love hate relationship with Jed unbeknownst to him , she even learns the little boy who lives with the woman is Jed‘s son but she doesn’t confront him. instead letting it play out in her advice column. At the same time she meets Adam a guy who is good looking and knows it and although she resist falling for his charms at first it still doesn’t stop the butterflies from fluttering in her stomach. When the mistress, Jed, Adam and Izzy’s story starts to intersect the first person is found deceased at the bottom of the stairs and although it isn’t any of the main players in one way or another the death benefits them all but that won’t be the last death by then all the secrets will be out or at least most of them will. I really love this author‘s books and find most of them to be fast paste but that wasn’t the case with this one and despite all the eyerolling stretching of disbelief and other things I don’t like in thrillers I still really found myself enjoying this book an wanting to see how it ended. #NetGalley, #BoldwoodBooks, #DianaWilkerson, #TheGirlInTheWindow,
This is a good story with a good plot and great characters, but it's so, so slow. Typically British, and not for me.
I absolutely loved this book. It was captivated from the beginning - a real page turner. I loved how the story unfolded. Just when you think you have solved the clues another twist comes along and you are back to square one. A great story well written.
This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.
Sitting in her favourite cafe every morning Izzy, an agony aunt, watches the woman in the flat opposite. Most mornings the woman welcomes a man into the flat, a man Izzy knows very well as it's her husband Jed.
But unwilling at present to confront him she uses her weekly agony column in the local magazine to draw out answers from loyal readers to her dilemma.
I found this a quick easy read, more a drama than a thriller. A novel of secrets and lies that of course always unravel with disastrous consequences.
2.5 stars!!!
A woman observes a man visiting a pretty brunette in the flat across the street from her favorite café every week. She realizes the man is her husband, and now must decide how to handle this revelation without him finding out she knows.
I was extremely disappointed by this book. I have always been a fan of previous titles by this author, but this one fell short. The pacing was slow, and I found it difficult to become engaged with the story. Despite my usual policy of not abandoning advance reader copies, I persevered.
The plot of the book seemed far-fetched, as the protagonist's actions did not align with what a typical person would do in her situation. I don't want to spoil anything, but the book had a slow-burning mystery vibe.
I understand the immense pressure of following up a successful book, but I have certain expectations when it comes to writing. Unfortunately, this author did not meet those expectations with this particular work. This book left me feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. While the concept had potential, the execution was lackluster, uninteresting, and overall disheartening.
In the end, everyone has different tastes when it comes to books, and I encourage readers to give this book a chance and form their own opinions. Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean it won't resonate with someone else.
Thank you, Boldwood Books for digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Title: The Girl in the Window
Author: Diana Wilkinson
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pub Date: December 13, 2024
My Rating: 3.3 stars
Pages: 346
Every morning Izzy stops for a cappuccino at Angelo’s her favorite café.
She has been watching the house across the street, where a pretty brunette lives.
Once a week, a guy wearing biking gear stops, she opens her door and he follows her in -sometimes he is greeted by an excited little boy.
Aww looks like a happy young family – doesn’t it?
However, the guy is Jed ~ Izzy’s husband!
Story had me curious. Izzy was raised by a father who was over the top religious and decided Izzy nor her mother were allowed to speak.
After he and her mother died Izzy was raised by a loving aunt. However Izzy always felt responsible for her dad’s death.
Izzy thought she was happily married but now has serious doubts about her husband.
I wasn’t sure what to make of Izzy, did she have a mistrust of men because of her terrible father or was Jed really cheating on her.
I love psychologically thrillers as the stories always keep me guessing.
This is my third : Diana Wilkinson novel. ] I totally love :The Girl in Seat 2A"!!
So I went into this with high expectations!
It was a quick read – but did drag at times but kept me guessing.
Want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 13, 2024.
My second Diana Wilkinson novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it! She is becoming a go-to author for me. A rich cast of characters kept me engaged and flipping pages long into the night. Really fresh take on secrets, lies and family ties. Packed with so much tension, and such great herrings. This one hooked me early on and just would not let go Don’t let this gem pass you by.
Thank you NetGalley, Diana Wilkinson and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
A roller coaster of a read with a unique premise. Izzy sits in the window of a café every morning and sees her husband call on a flat opposite, where a woman and a child live and starts to suspect that he has a secret. And he isn’t the only one! This is a tangled web with a great ending that kept me turning the pages.
The Girl in the Window is an interesting psychological thriller that focuses on Izzy, who sits at the same cafe window each day and watches the same woman, man, and child interact across the street. When the man is in an unfortunate bike accident, Izzy realizes that she must face-up to her secrets, as that man is her husband. As Izzy attempts to unravel the secrets of her husband's extra-marital relationships, she finds herself constantly being watched and eventually being threatened by anonymous sources through her magazine column. Are her husband's secrets worth uncovering?
The Girl in the Window is a decent thriller; I definitely wanted to finish the book. However, I found the pacing to be quite slow, which was weird because the chapters were super short (I usually find books with short chapters to be faster paced). I thought the author did a great job of describing the cafe and the author's window seat. I honestly felt like I was there with Izzy. I also truly felt the character's need to feel hidden and her desire for silence. While the plot wasn't exactly predictable, it also wasn't overly surprising. The end was satisfying for a thriller; however, it didn't stand out.
This book is a rollicking good time! Izzy is a columnist who writes a "Dear Bella" column and often makes up her own stories if the submitted ones are too bland. She sits every morning in a coffee shop and from the front window she can see the apartments across the street where a young woman and son reside. But one morning she sees her own husband, Jed there as he is hit by a car leaving on his bicycle. Now she's really intrigued! But then handsome contractor, Adam who is developing an area where her mother-in-law lives catches her eye and while she's not interested in cheating, she is so confused that she contemplates it. And then things get interesting...and ugly! It's a roller coaster ride that had me hanging on every word!
Thanks to NetGalley. for this ARC!
Diana Wilkinson is at her best yet again.
Love, lies, deceit, control and heartbreak all rolled into one.
When Izzy starts to suspect her new husband of having a double life, she tries to wheedle him put of the woodwork. So is the young child his from a mad one night stand on his stag do, or has he been led astray as well.. He needs the money to keep both households going so the only way to achieve this is from him selling his mothers house. Not easy when she is still alive.
Dark reading in places but the book flowed so well.
Izzy sits in the same cafe every day from when it opens at 7.30am. She sits and watches the flat across the street and the man who goes into it every morning. That man is her husband, but what is he doing there. A good read that you will want to find out what happens.
Total rating 3 1/2 stars