Cate Holahan | THE WIDOWER'S WIFE

Cate Holahan is a sneaky writer who doesn't get enough praise...until now. Her new novel coming in September is getting rave reviews and a lot of notice in the world of "Bookstagram". As intrigued as I am, I had received a copy of her second novel, THE WIDOWER'S WIFE through Book of the Month and couldn't wait to read it! If her new novel is anything like this one, hold onto your seat.



Plot:

Ana Bacon, a beautiful young wife and mother, tumbled off a cruise ship into dark and deadly waters. Ana is gone--leaving behind her wealthy husband and adorable daughter--but not everything about her disappearance adds up. What secrets did she leave behind?

Investigator Ryan Monahan is a numbers man. So when his company sends him the Bacon case, which could net a ten-million-dollar payout, Monahan doubts that her death is just a tragic accident. But the husband has a substantial alibi and a number of witnesses claim to have seen Ana fall, and the official ruling seems to hold up.

Still, the more Monahan uncovers about Ana’s life, the more he realizes how many people would kill to keep her secrets hidden. And the closer he gets to the truth, the greater the odds grow that he, too, will take a fatal fall.


Review:

A dead wife. Millions of dollars. A guilty husband. A ruthless PI. What ELSE could you want in a novel? Told in alternative perspectives between Ana Bacon and the investigator that is looking into her mysterious fall from a cruise ship, this one starts off with a bang and the smoke doesn't settle until the very last haunting page. 

The characters in this one really do set a purpose for the story. I especially loved the character of Ryan and how he related to Tom and Ana's story by comparing their relationship to his own failed marriage. One thing I enjoy with good characterization is how realistic these characters were written. Sometimes I liked Tom and sometimes I hated him. Sometimes Ryan makes some amazing breakthrough in this case and sometimes I wanted to yell for him to open his eyes. And then Ana. Sweet, sweet Ana. At first I didn't feel that Ana was really a standout, even though half of the novel is told from her perspective before the fall. As the novel processes, I really did begin to LOVE Ana and my heart was broken when I learned of what happened to her. 

What really worked for me with this one was that it was so fast-paced and so much was happening that not a dull moment was spent investigating this intense and action-packed novel. With the perfect sized chapters, not a moment was wasted in trying to guess and figure out what happened to poor Ana Bacon. The first night I read this one, I flew through 200 pages without barely blinking. Each and every time I tried to guess what was going on, I was proven wrong by the next page. This one is exciting and thrilling and very well-executed. A great beach read to end your summer come next weekend! 

My only holdback with this one was that as much as I guessed and tried to figure out what happened, only to be proven wrong, I was happy with the ending but wanted more of a shock. The ending was extremely satisfying, but left me wondering if a chapter could have been added to have a final moment where I gasped before ending this one. Nevertheless, Cate Holahan has a fan in me and I cannot wait to check out her new one in a month! 

Rating: 3.5/5

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