A brutally murdered husband. An abused wife who wanted him gone for good… Did the wealthy widow arrange his death—and can a disgraced detective discover the truth? “Your husband is dead.” Lorraine Rowe receives the news from an anonymous killer threatening her too—unless she pays an inflated fee for her estranged partner’s murder. Overwhelmed by fear and indecision, Lorraine struggles to survive … Overwhelmed by fear and indecision, Lorraine struggles to survive as her carefully constructed life of lies begins to unravel.
Detective Sergeant Fiona ‘Fifi’ Fielding is fighting for her future after allowing her violent temper to jeopardise her career. Is it karma that dumps a man’s badly tortured corpse on her doorstep—or something more sinister? And will the ensuing investigation enable Fiona to redeem herself?
Both women have lived through traumatic events and have much in common, but when the truth-seeker meets the accomplished dissembler, events spiral inexorably towards a deadly climax.
This hard-hitting, twisted thriller weaves deception, misdirection and psychological torment into a page-turning tale of murder and mayhem that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Not for the faint of heart…
‘The Widow’ is the first standalone novel in a loosely-linked series inspired by The Seven Deadly Sins:
Deadly Inspirations – Book one – ‘GREED’
A British Police Thriller featuring Detective Sergeant Fiona ‘Fifi’ Fielding. If you like complex plots, strong female characters, and high-stakes murder mysteries with plenty of suspense, you’ll love Will Patching’s latest dark and disturbingly twisted novel.
Order The Widow today to uncover the truth behind a criminal’s veil of lies!
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An interesting story that comes together quite nicely with a police officer, a reporter, a widow, and numerous bad guys. This is the third book I’ve read of Will’s. He is quickly becoming a favorite.
This is my first book by Will Patching, and if this is how he normally writes, it certainly will not be my last. I understand this is his seventh novel, so clearly he knows what he is doing, and I agree.
Of course there is nothing I love more than getting my hands on another thriller book, and when the opportunity to review The Widow became available, I jumped immediately. I’m once again glad I did. This is first book in a new series developed by Mr. Patching, and although it can be read as a standalone novel, I look forward to what he continues to do with these characters, hoping for their return.
Since I am unfamiliar with “Fifi” from Patching’s other novels, I was able to follow along with her character without feeling like I was at a loss. The story is very gripping from the start, and as the author states in his forward, it has ‘disturbing imagery’ and ‘profanity’ throughout the tale but it adds to the realism of the story without being overly gruesome. Amazingly, amongst the murders, the story centers around 2 women who have to struggle to get along, and the author does a great job of writing about female relationships that I find quite impressive for a male (and I will leave it at that).
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat reading and you will devour it quite quickly. The entire time you are reading you will constantly be trying to figure out who the culprit might be, and you will be constantly changing your mind. The author certainly keeps you on your toes and there is enough twists and turns that you will not be able to put it down until the very surprising end. Because I do “no spoilers” with my reviews, if I say much more (and believe me I really want to) I will ruin this amazing and action packed tale of suspense.
I can’t wait to get my hands on another the next Will Patching book. I think there’s another new thriller author coming to my dinner table. Solid 4 stars for this book. I loved it.
Thank you to Will Patching, Amazon Digital and Sarah Hardy from Book On The Bright Side Publicity and Promo for the opportunity to read and review this book for my unbiased and honest review.
The Widow by Will Patching
Deadly Inspirations #1
Twisted and twisty this thriller had more than one person tied up in knots. Even I found myself tightening up as I read wondering what would happen next and who, if anyone, would come out unscathed at the end of the book.
The story grabbed me from the beginning and I found myself invested in what would happen next. At first I found myself trying to catch up with the people in the story as I first found myself with widow Loraine Rowe listening in on the phone call she received from her husband’s murderer. Next I was plunked into a psychiatrist’s office with Dr. Asker as he asked Detective Sergeant Fiona “Fifi” Fielding to delve into her PTSD induced nightmares. A bit later another female was thrown into the mix when a hungry reporter showed up willing to do just about anything to get “the story”. And there actually was a fourth female that played a part and that was Fifi’s boss and her part, though perhaps overlooked at first, was important in the end.
This book was not easy reading and having read the notice at the beginning kindly posted by the author I had an idea that it might be dark and gritty and have me wanting to look away at times but how CAN a reader look away when the story is written and not unfolding on a screen? So, a cringe and peeking through fingers but I definitely had to read to find out what happened even during the darkest scenes. Thankfully the torture was not done in gruesome detail BUT there was enough information there that the images may linger awhile in my mind.
This is a book for those who like to think and stretch and take a look at the darker side. It was interesting to me that though some of the people were not necessarily “good” I found myself liking them and wishing they had been able to have a different life than the one they were living. It made me think about why people do. It made me wonder what I would be willing to do to keep myself or a loved one safe.
Did I like this book? Yes
Did it make me think? Definitely
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Note: At the end of the book the author mentions tidbits about his writing. I found this section fascinating as it gave me a look into the way his mind works and how he set up a stellar story.
Thank you to BOTSB and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
Lorraine Rowe receives an anonymous phone call announcing that her husband is dead. And they demand a huge payment. She’s not exactly upet about her husband’s death … they’ve been separated several months at her behest because he nearly beat her to death.
DS Fiona Fielding (FiFi) is a detective barely hanging onto her job. Abducted and tortured some time back, she still suffers from severe PTSD. She beat up a man just because he happened to touch her hand while reaching for the hanging strap on the train. She’s seeing a therapist on condition of keeping her job.
Both women have been through hell and back and actually have a lot in common.
When her husband’s body is found, Lorraine becomes the prime suspect. FiFi wonders about the body found so close to her own home. Coincidence .. or is someone sending her a message? While investigating, she thinks that Lorraine is not telling everything she knows …. did she kill her husband or have him killed?
Also in the mix is Annemarie, a very nosy reporter who wants a story …..
This one seems to have a little bit of everything …. Albanians and their drug running operation… the Irish Mafia … blackmail …. murder. There is also some torture … mostly in memories and / or flashbacks. The author has done a great job in keeping it a bit subdued. The suspense starts at the very beginning and doesn’t let up until the surprising conclusion.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, the opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.