This chilling novel from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Lake of Dead Languages blends the gothic allure of Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca and the crazed undertones of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper with the twisty, contemporary edge of A.S.A. Harrison’s The Silent Wife—a harrowing tale of psychological suspense set in New York’s Hudson Valley. When Jess and Clare Martin … in New York’s Hudson Valley.
When Jess and Clare Martin move from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to their former college town in the Hudson River valley, they are hoping for rejuvenation—of their marriage, their savings, and Jess’s writing career.
They take a caretaker’s job at Riven House, a crumbling estate and the home of their old college writing professor. While Clare once had dreams of being a writer, those plans fell by the wayside when Jess made a big, splashy literary debut in their twenties. It’s been years, now, since his first novel. The advance has long been spent. Clare’s hope is that the pastoral beauty and nostalgia of the Hudson Valley will offer some inspiration.
But their new life isn’t all quaint town libraries and fragrant apple orchards. There is a haunting pall that hangs over Riven House like a funeral veil. Something is just not right. Soon, Clare begins to hear babies crying at night, see strange figures in fog at the edge of their property. Diving into the history of the area, she realizes that Riven House has a dark and anguished past. And whatever this thing is—this menacing force that destroys the inhabitants of the estate—it seems to be after Clare next…
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It sucked me in from the beginning with the possibilities of ghostly activity. The ending didn’t quite live up to the rest of the story, and even though I was right early on about some of the resolution, that didn’t stop me from enjoying it.
The Widow’s House is part ghost story, part psychological suspense and for this reader just a tad on the creepy side. The story begins with a couple, one an author who now has writer’s block and another who has never published a book but is a freelance writer and editor looking for a home together in upstate New York. At first blush the couple appears to be struggling with mortgage and maxed out credit cards looking for a way out of their situation, but beneath the surface each lives and tells the other mistruths or lies depending on your take. The couple leaves behind city life and moves to their old college town and this begins the story of tension, surprise and the wholly mackerel moments. There is a gothic backdrop to the story which really brings the reader into the lives Claire and Jess after they move to the Hudson Valley. I admit I kept waiting to hear Rod Serling narrating the story, as it had just enough creepiness. I really enjoyed this book especially because of the gothic drama and psychological aspects. Another hit out the ballpark for Carol Goodman.
Deliciously creepy…with such an intense and constant undercurrent of danger that there’s a chill on every page. A modern marriage that’s full of dark secrets, hidden history and seething envy—and starring a gorgeous mansion in the beautiful Hudson River Valley. But nothing is as it seems at River House– or even more disturbing, is it? You will not be able to put this down.
This book started out a little slow for me but simmered its way to a fantastic conclusion. Without a doubt, The Widow’s House has all the necessary elements to make a genuinely creepy ghost story. In addition, I loved the references to “The Yellow Wallpaper” as it is one of my all time favorite short stories.
I finished this book late at night because I couldn’t stop reading. The ending was so intriguing that I had to know the truth. Was Clare being set up so that she would look like she was going crazy? Was there truly a ghost haunting the house responsible for the misfortune happening all around them? Could it be that Clare was an unreliable narrator and perhaps she was truly going insane?
Definitely well worth reading and highly recommended!
This is a tightly woven mystery that takes the reader in many directions that convince the reader that they have solved the mystery. But they likely haven’t. On top of that, it’s one of the best ghost stories I’ve ever read. The reader will have a hard time telling real from unreal.
This is a real page turner. I highly recommend.
Disappointing compared to author’s prior book which I continue to love and re-read periodically for its interesting story & characters and eerie atmospheric setting. I also love apples, apple farms, cider, etc. so it is with much surprise that I admit that this book relied too heavily on its apple valley setting – even for me.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while! It made me stay up into the wee hours just to see what was going to happen next! Clare and her husband Jess have been married for several years and are looking for a new beginning. When they decide to relocate, hoping this will give Jess the inspiration he needs to write his second novel, they become involved with River House (aka, Riven House), which has quite a scary history–it is said to be haunted! This story will keep you guessing, and believe me, by the end, you will be as amazed as I was!! Don’t pass this one up!
This book is a real scary, creepy, and fun read. The author made a promise and kept it.
I wouldn’t rush to recommend it or read it again.
It was alright.
Weird
If you like gothic novels, you can’t ask for more than what you get here: An old house that may be haunted; babies possibly switched at birth; a marriage that may be unraveling. An icy fog hangs over everything and the twists never stop. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun reading.
Another great read. Thank you Book Bub for the offerings.
A little on the formulaic side, but it still kept my attention. Pretty scary!
Interesting read
I have always like Carol Goodman, but this is probably my least favorite novel. All the elements of the gothic ghost story are there. Goodman is a master at portraying the spooky, heavy, tragic, dark atmosphere of the Hudson Valley, and you feel immersed in from the first page. Once you started reading it was hard to stop. It was a fun read, but it just wasn’t as good as her other books. The characters were not as complex as her other novels and some of them were flat. The ending seemed a bit messy.
I really enjoyed this book. I had trouble putting it down.
Fantastic book!
such a contradictory style. very mature writing style but then such corny, predictable devices employed around the whole haunting thing