The Widow by Fiona Barton

An interesting premise. Throwing the spotlight on the spouse of a monster. I expect we all wonder how much the spouse knew when the hideous crimes of a married man or woman are revealed.

How could they not have noticed the killing? How did they not know who was sleeping in their bed? Did they help hide the crimes and keep their other halves safe?

So many questions and yet most of them go unanswered. It seems as if the majority of these silent spouses are women, perhaps because there are more male serial and child killers. They support their husbands through thick and thin, regardless of the crimes those men have been accused of.

They exist in a co-dependency type relationship, which in itself must or should make them partially to blame for the crimes their spouse commits. Omitting the truth, giving false alibis, deluding themselves into believing the reality isn't true. All those things make them guilty, if not always legally then at least morally.

In this case the reader is perhaps in a better place to see the controlling and deviant actions and behaviour of the suspect, especially towards his wife. She on the other hand seems determined to ignore the blatant signals, lies and even abusive behaviour. Her own need for a child might actually explain her complacency when it comes to the accusations, the harassment and even all the confirmed deviant behaviour.

A psychological thriller with a different perspective on the most heinous of crimes.

Buy The Widow at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood

This is a belter of a crime novel.

I really want to talk about the plot in tiny detail, but I won't spoil the end for anyone. The answer is there and probably in the back of most readers minds, however Marwood has taken great care to distract from the truth with a maze of untruths and red herrings.

Although the main premise is about the disappearance of a three year old little girl, for me it was also about the victims of divorce and the destruction of families. The children, who fall to the side with each new marriage.

Such a common occurrence in divorce situations, the children from the first marriage are replaced with new children, ergo they become superfluous. They end up becoming either weapons between two parents or just forgotten, because one or the other parent doesn't want to upset the new spouse.

It also tells the story, albeit subtly of the relationship between siblings and half-siblings. The feelings of responsibility, the blood bond and the frustration that arises between the feelings of abandonment by the parent and the jealousy the siblings feel towards each other. What a mess and trail of destruction some marriages leave behind them.

The story wanders seamlessly from 2004 to the present and back again, while the events of today are explained by the events and decisions of the past.

Now it might just be me, and it might just be my vivid imagination, but I thought Marwood sailed precariously close to an infamous real life crime. Not sure if that was on purpose or perhaps just the inspiration for the story. Regardless of the why, it still came quite close on a few occasions, and yet not close enough for anyone to point a finger and complain about it. Brilliantly done though.

Marwood has an eye for detail and holds a steady compelling pace throughout the tale.

Buy The Darkest Secret at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

First One Missing by Tammy Cohen

I think I figured it out somewhere in the middle of the book. It was something that was said or perhaps just a specific gesture and I suddenly had this whole scenario in my head, but I thought it might be a little outlandish.

I have to give it to Cohen, it was certainly a really interesting plot and ending.

I'm not sure whether Megan's Angels is just a morbid extension of the extreme events. Is it really helping the parents or just making them tread water?

Much like the family liaison officers, who are assigned to each of the families. They are like odd family member nobody wants to see. It is their job to inform the families of new developments or in this case another murder. Of course then the families have to go through the whole events over and over again, which means they can't move on.

Not that you ever really move on from the death of a child, especially when it involves abduction and homicide. In this particular scenario questions of guilt are bounced around and suspicions grow where certain family members are concerned.

To complicate matters Leanne has let her personal life interfere with her professional one. I found her actions quite unprofessional and hard to swallow. Not only does she ignore vital evidence she also crosses the line of ethical behaviour.

Talking about unethical, Cohen really sheds a light on the behaviour of the press and media in these tragic situations. Reporters are willing to blackmail, lie, steal and betray anyone for a good story. They have no respect for the victims or those left behind.

If you're looking for a crime with a bit of a twist then this certainly delivers a big one.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott

Rachel Abbott is growing with each book and she certainly knows how to combine psychological tension with taboos, the dysfunctional with the depraved and still manage to keep the story realistic.

The story focuses on the disappearance of a young child and her unexplained reappearance many years later. One day she is just suddenly stood at the door, as if she had never been missing at all.

At that moment Natasha is the intruder, a threat to Emma and her small family. Emma knows instinctively that something isn't quite right, and she reacts like any mother would when she perceives a threat to her child.

The young girl is sullen, silent and there seems to be underlying aggression, especially towards the very people she should be glad to see.That in itself isn't unusual and it is common for 'returned' children to feel displaced, to feel anger and to feel out-of-place.

Emma has a gut feeling about Natasha, which her husband isn't interested in, and she quite frankly should have listed to her inner voice. Instead she trusts his good judgement and in doing so puts her baby in danger.

From the very beginning there was one person who didn't react the way they should have. It raised my suspicions and made for a much more sinister plot. The fact that this person could be at the bottom of everything puts a completely new slant on the whole story.

I really liked the way Abbott wasn't afraid to end the book the way she did. The circle doesn't have to be completed, not every thread needs to be tied off and not every story needs a predictably happy ending.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.

Buy Stranger Child at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Read And So It Begins, Read Kill Me Again, Read The Back Road, Read Nowhere Child,  Read Sleep Tight, Read Come a Little Closer, all by Rachel Abbott.