The Perfect Widow

The author has quite a unique writing style in this novel; each chapter is quite short and alternates primarily between the two main characters; Louise; the widow whose reaction to the death of her husband isn't what would normally be expected and Becca; the cop who fees that something is amiss and starts to delve into Louise's life and the accident. A slow burner of a psychological thriller with well written characters - I was especially intrigued by Becca and hope that she features in future books by this author. I enjoyed the narration by Imogen Church and Rebecca Courtney and they really helped bring the characters to life. I look forward to reading some other novels by this author.

The Perfect Widow by A.M. Castle immediately pulled me in. The storyline is believable and compelling. I enjoyed how the author jumped from present to past back and forth. It is primarily from the viewpoint of Louise and Becca. The twists were exceptional, and I didn't see the ending coming. The narration by Imogen Church and Rebecca Courtney was awesome. They brought the characters to life. I could envision so many details listening to this book. I so enjoyed it!

This book is written in both the past and present tense, mostly from the viewpoint of Louise (the Perfect Widow) but also Becca, who is investigating. I wasn't keen on either of the main characters, which may have been the author's intention, though I did warm a little towards Louise. I found Becca's character to be a bit superfluous. The first part of the book quite slow and I kept losing focus and had to listen to parts again. However the last quarter of the book was amazing with several twists that I didn't see coming.

When Becca is called to deliver the news of the death of Louise She is instantly suspicious that the bereaved widow seems to not be surprised at the news. Although there is nothing obvious to prove that anything suspicious has taken place Becca can not shake the feeling that something is not right with Louise. The only problem is she can’t do anything with only a gut feeling. I found this a really interesting story and loved the two different narrators as They really suited the pictures of the two characters I had imagined in my head. This story felt real and you could feel the emotions of all of the parties involved which increased my enjoyment of the audio. The layout of the story means the characters appear to be talking directly to you as if they are telling you a story directly.

Who was the more damaged female? Louise and Becca had both paid a heavy price for their upbringing and were still laying out in their own way. I feel The Perfect Widow was so much more than a psychological thriller, it's also a moral thriller. Although questions needed asking about Louise, I was as intrigued by Becca's motivation. I can't say any more for fear of giving the game away. This book certainly provided lots of food for thought. Exquisitely narrated by Imogen Church and Rebecca Courtney. A.M. Castle's writing will be whirling around in my head for a long time to come. Put it on your wishlist or better still, treat yourself. You won't be sorry.