The Woman In The Window by A.J. Finn – 427 pages
Book Blurb:
Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times–and spying on her neighbors.
Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, and their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.
What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.
My Review: 4 stars
The Woman in the Window, another psychological thriller, has gotten hype from every angle. I’m finding that the plethora of books that fall into this genre are all starting to blend together and none of them seem that original any longer. As I was reading this, I was simultaneously listening to The Deepest Secret, which had an abundance of similarities to this title. In both there’s a medical condition that prevents a main character from going outside. Additionally, in both novels these housebound characters are the only two to witness a crime. Remind anyone of Rear Window?
I knew from the start which character was the culprit, so that slightly dampened my reading experience. I was able to figure this out not just because I read a lot, but rather by what clues the author fed me to chew on. If you didn’t recognize the guilty party, then the book probably read with more of a punch and the drama seemed more exciting. I did find that the pacing was excellent and the short chapters worked well in telling this story.
There were a few plot twists that were very well done and made for a better understanding of the main players of the story. I found Anna to be completely unreliable so I didn’t trust much of anything that came from her mouth. I would’ve liked to know more about her partner in her medical practice as he plays a big part in the novel. I did find the entire idea of having a doctor of the mind slowly losing her own mind, to be a great premise to build the story around. Fans of this genre will eat this one up.
Quotes I liked:
My dear girl, you cannot keep bumping your head against reality and saying it is not there.”
-“My head was once a filing cabinet. Now it’s a flurry of papers, floating on a draft.”
-“Watching is like nature photography: You don’t interfere with the wildlife.”
– “Fine. I’ll give her a low-calorie kiss tonight. A Diet Smooch.”
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