Written by Lindsey Williams
A psychologist trapped inside her own home. A picture-perfect family, new to the neighbourhood. A daily, dangerous mix of pills and merlot. Obsessions. Delusions. Paranoia. Murder.
Anna Fox knows what she saw… doesn’t she?
A.J. Finn’s highly anticipated psychological thriller The Woman in the Window hit shelves on January 2nd. There was a lot of hype surrounding the release of this book, and after reading it I can certainly guarantee that it delivers. The book follows Anna Fox, a non-practicing psychologist who, after a trauma in her near past, hasn’t left her home in nearly a year. Anna suffers from severe agoraphobia, and spends her days peering out at the world (and into her neighbour’s homes) through her window. When one night she sees a horrific act occur across the street, Anna must attempt to fit the pieces together on her own.
One of the best aspects of this book was Anna herself—she is the epitome of unreliable narrator. Finn did an incredible job with her characterisation. While reading, you want to like Anna. You want to trust her. You want to believe her. But, grappling with her mental health, Anna spends long stretches of her days downing a cocktail of pills with bottle after bottle of merlot. Of course, when the shocking event occurs, Anna is the only witness. But what did she witness? Even she isn’t entirely sure. If you love a good unreliable narrator, Anna is one of the best.
The book also includes a delightful number of nods to many classic black and white films. When not spying on her neighbors or spending time in an online forum of fellow home-bound agoraphobia sufferers, Anna watches old thrillers from her vast collection. The book is clearly inspired by a mix of classic Hitchcock films, so it was quite enjoyable to find the main character watching these movies on the page.
Also impressive was Finn’s ability to leave me guessing at every turn. As someone who reads from the mystery/thriller genre quite often, it can be easy to spot common tropes, or to see the twists coming from a mile away. I won’t say too much here, as I’d hate to give away any spoilers of the wild ride you take when reading, but this book was entirely unpredictable. This brought an excitement while reading that made it difficult to put the book down. The reader is so thoroughly pulled into Anna’s world that even as horrific events occur, it is hard to look away.
Overall, if you’re looking for a suspenseful psychological thriller that is full of dark twists, then this is definitely a must-read. The book is already in development as a feature film, so if you like to read your books prior to seeing their movies, pick this one up at your local bookstore today!
Have you read this book? Or will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
“For readers of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade’s most anticipated debuts, to be published in thirty-six languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: a twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.
It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .
Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.
Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.
What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.
Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, The Woman in the Window is a smart, sophisticated novel of psychological suspense that recalls the best of Hitchcock.”
Brilliantly projected and written.