Book Review ~ Two Widows

Published on by Joan Hall

Hey, everyone. A couple of weeks ago, I posted that I met my 2020 Goodreads Challenge. I’ve upped my goal slightly this year and am happy to say I’m off to a good start.

As an author, I realize how important book reviews are, and I’m sad to say I never got around to writing reviews for a few books I read last year. So, that’s another goal for me. Write a review for every book I read.

Today, I’ll share my first of the year. This is a new to me writer, but rest assured I’ll be reading her books again.

Blurb:

I’d grown desperate for company since the discovery of the dead woman in town.

Gloria is used to solitude. Widowed and still grieving her late husband, she spends her days with only her faded photographs for company. But when a young woman is murdered nearby, Gloria grows anxious. Living alone in an old farmhouse, surrounded by empty woods, there’s no one for miles who would hear her scream.

When freelance travel writer Beth arrives with her trailer to live on Gloria’s land, Gloria is relieved not to be alone. The police have no suspects in the murder and fearless Beth makes Gloria feel safe. Then Gloria discovers Beth is a widow too: the women become closer and begin to share their secrets.

But soon Gloria starts to wonder… what does she actually know about Beth? About what brought her to this isolated spot? About how her husband really died? Is it a coincidence that she’s arrived just as this small town has seen its first murder in decades?

Gloria thought that Beth had told her all her secrets.

She was wrong.

My Review:

I always enjoy a well-written mystery/suspense novel, and Two Widows did not disappoint.

After the murder of a young woman, widow Gloria Flass finds she longs for company. When Beth Ramsey, a travel writer, contacts Gloria about renting space to park her tiny home, she readily agrees. A few days later Gloria rents her garage apartment to a “starving” artist named Joe.

Perhaps her loneliness was the reason she didn’t do background checks on either of them. Gloria soon learns free-spirited Beth is also a widow. Despite their age difference, the two soon become friends.

When a second young woman, whom Beth had befriended turns up missing and is later found murdered, Gloria believes she’d made a mistake in trusting Beth.

The book is writing in first person, the chapters alternating between Gloria’s and Beth’s point of view. The author throws in enough twists and turns that kept me guessing the murderer’s identity until the end.

This was my first time to read one of Laura Wolfe’s novels, but it won’t be my last.

Four stars!

30 thoughts on “Book Review ~ Two Widows”

  8. First, I have to say I really love your header for Book Review Tuesday. It makes me want to curl up and start reading! The cover for Two Widows sucked me in right away.
    This sounds right up my reading alley, and I’m going to add it to my overflowing TBR.
    I used to have a problem reading first person POV, but no more. Now I love it, same with present tense for psychological thrillers and suspense novels. Thanks for introducing me to a new author, Joan.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. I always have resistance to first person, but when an author’s voice is strong enough to get me past it, then it’s clearly a well-written book. And I do love this genre, especially when it can keep me guessing until the end. Sounds like a good one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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