The Wife and the Widow

Christain White is another Australian author of great crime fiction. The Wife and the Widow is his second book and I will will definitely be adding his first book, Nowhere Child, to my my list of books that must be read.

The story is told via alternating chapters involving Kate and Abby and is set on a small island, Belport, off the Victorian coast during winter. It soon becomes apparent that both women do not know the full story about their husbands. Do they really know their husbands at all? 

When Kate's husband John disappears she gradually learns secrets of his life that had been hidden from her. During the novel Abby also discovers that her husband has secrets. At first the plot appears to be  progressing in one direction and then comes the Twist.

Fortunately I started reading this book on a cold, wet winter's afternoon and was able to finish it before going to bed. I didn't see the Twist coming and even had to check previous pages to ensure that the direction of the story had really changed. All in all a clever, gripping crime story that keeps the reader guessing what the outcome will be.