#BlogTour The Perfect Widow by A.M. Castle

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Perfect Widow by A.M. Castle.

About the Author
Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a feature writer on national newspapers including the Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Alice lives in south east London and is married with two children, two stepchildren and two cats. She writes psychological thrillers for HQDigital under the name A.M. Castle and the London Murder Mystery cozy crime series for Darkstroke as Alice Castle.

Follow @AliceMcastle on Twitter, A.M. Castle on Goodreads - Alice Castle on Goodreads, Visit alicecastleauthor.com, Buy The Perfect Widow

About the book
Louise Bridges has the perfect life.
A loving husband, Patrick. Two adorable children. A comfortable home.
So when PC Becca Holt arrives to break the news that Patrick has been killed in an accident, she thinks Louise’s perfect world is about to collapse around her.

But Louise doesn’t react in the way Becca would expect her to on hearing of her husband’s death. And there are only three plates set out for dinner as if Louise already knew Patrick wouldn’t be home that night…

The more Becca digs, the more secrets she uncovers in the Bridges’ marriage – and the more she wonders just how far Louise would go to get what she wants…
Is Louise a loving wife – or a cold-hearted killer?

Review
I wonder if there will be a part of some readers that nods in agreement at the way Louise thinks and acts. The disgruntled wife, the woman who sits at home and cares for her children whilst her husband is playing with his flavour of the month. The woman willing to overlook the occasional marital mishap in order to keep her family together. Until he pushes her too far.

Becca is convinced Louise is a cold-hearted ruthless killer. Her gut sang it loud and clear on the day she met Louise. The day she had to tell her about his death. There was just something about the woman that rubbed her the wrong way. Of course one has to take Becca's penchant for obsessing into account.

Perhaps that is what connects the two women - the way they obsess and feed their obsessions. Is Becca right about how far Louise is willing to go to have the kind of life she thinks she deserves or is she just a victim of tragic circumstances?

It's a crime read with the pace of a psychological thriller and yet the story also delves into women's fiction. Castle captures the way society imposes this huge biological clock on women, and the way these women feel pressured to adhere to the norm before the clocks run out of time. Finding a mate or a provider, instead of a loving partner, becomes part of a very competitive game.

I thought this was a poignant part of the story, because the bio clock narrative is very much driven by the patriarchal society. When you combine those fears with the ageism women are confronted with and defined by in society, it's no wonder women feel as if they can never quite live up to expectations. Perhaps some of them choose to make drastic choices because of it - Is Louise one of those women?

Buy The Perfect Widow at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Digital; pub date 15 Nov. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.