A Literary Vacation : TLC Book Tours: Review of The Other Widow by Susan Crawford

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pub. Date: December 6th, 2016
Pages: 352

Synopsis

The author of The Pocket Wife explores the dark side of love, marriage, and infidelity in this sizzling novel of psychological suspense.

Everybody’s luck runs out. This time it could be theirs . . .

It isn’t safe. That’s what Joe tells her when he ends their affair—moments before their car skids off an icy road in a blinding snowstorm and hits a tree. Desperate to keep her life intact—her job, her husband, and her precious daughter, Lily—Dorrie will do everything she can to protect herself, even if it means walking away from the wreckage. Dorrie has always been a good actress, pretending to be someone else: the dutiful daughter, the satisfied wife, the woman who can handle anything. Now she’s going to put on the most challenging performance of her life. But details about the accident leave her feeling uneasy and afraid. Why didn’t Joe’s airbag work? Why was his car door open before the EMTs arrived? And now suddenly someone is calling her from her dead lover’s burner phone. . . .

Joe’s death has left his wife in free fall as well. Karen knew Joe was cheating—she found some suspicious e-mails. Trying to cope with grief is devastating enough without the constant fear that has overtaken her—this feeling she can’t shake that someone is watching her. And with Joe gone and the kids grown, she’s vulnerable . . . and on her own.

Insurance investigator Maggie Brennan is suspicious of the latest claim that’s landed on her desk—a man dying on an icy road shortly after buying a lucrative life insurance policy. Maggie doesn’t believe in coincidences. The former cop knows that things—and people—are never what they seem to be.

As the fates of these three women become more tightly entwined, layers of lies and deception begin to peel away, pushing them dangerously to the edge . . . closer to each other . . . to a terrifying truth . . . to a shocking end.

What Did I Think About the Story?

I have always been incredibly creeped out by the idea of someone watching me without my knowledge. Any story that deals with stalking or even the possibility of someone lurking around the corner with nefarious intentions always jacks up the terror factor for me tenfold. Given this, the fact that each of these three women - Dorrie, the somewhat dramatic mistress; Karen, the dissatisfied widow; and Maggie, the ex-soldier/ex-cop insurance investigator - either feel someone watching them or witnesses someone stalking one of the other women completely pulled me into the story. I mean, there are points in the story where the fear of attack is almost palpable...and then the character turns around and no one is there. Like I said...creepy!

Another aspect that I loved (but admittedly did take a little bit of time to get used to) was the fact that the story was told in the present tense throughout. Broken up into chapters from the viewpoint of one of these three main women, this presentation went a long way to intensifying the actions and that feeling of immediacy and urgency. While there were portions and aspects that seemed somewhat superfluous given the main point of the story was Joe's mysterious death and the person who possibly caused it - Dorrie's acting, Maggie's time as a soldier, Karen's interactions with her best friend - these didn't slow down the general story enough to be a distraction.

I wasn't quite as fond of the characters as I was of the story in general. While they were all well developed and I genuinely enjoyed Maggie's character and found her a compelling addition, the rest of the characters were just so terribly flawed that I couldn't really feel overly sorry for them or what they experienced. Karen was somewhat endearing, but her lack of real grief - or what I felt would have been displayed as real grief - made me begin to feel somewhat dismissive of the actual fact that she lost her husband. Instead of really feeling for the characters, it was more like that somewhat removed emotion you have when you hear a sad or shocking story about someone you don't know at all. Given that we are being placed into the lives and minds of these characters, as things are happening, I just expected to be more invested in what was happening to them.

I also can't say that the "big reveal" was all that surprising to me. I kind of had my suspicions about at least the main mystery of what really happened to Joe and who was stalking the women, however I will say that there is a secondary mystery that I didn't even realize WAS a mystery that did surprise. Any time an author can genuinely surprise me is a wonderful thing.

All in all The Other Widow held my attention and kept me turning the pages. The author did an exceptional job of keeping the tension high and the characters one step away from disaster. A story about passion, infidelity, and the lengths some people will go to get what they desire, I think those that enjoy a good, gritty mystery will enjoy their time spent within these pages.

What Did I Think About the Cover?

It's okay. It's kind of mysterious and you aren't able to tell who the woman is meant to be, however it doesn't really grab the eye and make you pick it up.

My Rating: 3.5/5.0

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins for providing me with a free copy of The Other Widow in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Be sure to continue below for more information about the book, the author, and the rest of the tour schedule!

About the Author

Susan Crawford grew up in Miami, Florida, and graduated from the University of Miami with a BA
in English and a minor in psychology. She later moved to New York City and then Boston before settling in Atlanta to raise three daughters and work in the field of adult education. A member of the Atlanta Writers Club and the Village Writers, Susan teaches at Georgia Piedmont Technical College and dabbles in local politics. She lives with her husband and a trio of rescue cats in Atlanta, where she enjoys reading books, writing books, rainy days, and spending time with the people she loves.

Find out more about Susan at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.