Hello Beautiful!

I am so pleased to declare that I kept my wits and took a more achievable reading challenge this year, around with 12 books in total. I recently finished a thriller on the recommendation of a young famous writer, Sara Naveed. I already had my eyes on this one but being endorsed by a writer, its a bonus. Here is my review on the recent read.

The woman in the window

Series: Stand Alone

No. of books in the series: 1 

Author: A.J. Finn 

Book order: The woman in the window

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense 

Synopsis: 

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. 

My Thoughts: 

The book starts off with Anna Fox, who lives alone and is separated from her husband and daughter. The circumstances of separation are unclear for good part of the book and it kept me wondering about the cause. Anna has a drinking problem and is agoraphobic which prevents her from leaving the house. She is a child psychologist and now being house bound, due to her phobia, helps people like herself, online. Her days are passed by watching black and white flicks, playing chess, and spying on her neighbors through her camera and zoom lens from her window. She is under therapy and a physiotherapist also visits her from time to time. There is also a tenant by the name of David, who lives in the basement of the house and helps Anna with chores like bringing in grocery and other stuff that needs to be one outside of the premises. 

The book was sort of slow in the beginning and I struggled with reading. The tedious details of Anna's every day life were kind of boring but also relevant to set the scene. It took a good number of chapters for the plot to settle and take shape. Finally the book grabs some speed and the plot starts to unravel. Anna, like any other day is spying on her neighbors and witnesses something gruesome. She wants to help but can't, as she can not leave the premises. She reports the incident to the authorities and takes a leap by trying to leave the house to provide help in the meanwhile. However she collapses in her garden and gains consciousness in the hospital. The authorities question her and bring her home where they judge her for having a drinking problem and heavy reliance on drugs. Nobody seems to believe the encounter she witnessed and she is easily dismissed. This makes Anna frustrated with herself and she becomes confused about the reality. Did it really happen what she saw or was she hallucinating? The author has done a great job as a narrator, in my opinion, catching onto the fuzziness of a borderline alcoholic and drug abuser. The narration makes you confused about Anna's reality and keeps you guessing. 

Anna's interest in black and white flicks plays a supporting role with the overall story as the movies provide interesting parallels to whatever is happening around her in reality. Lack of conviction by everyone around Anna makes her feel very insignificant and worthless. She vows to quit drinking and drug abuse and sober up to uncover the truth behind what she saw. Even she realizes that her reality is hazy. By the end of the book, there are many interesting plot turns which made me react with a wow, mind blown gestures. We also learn the truth about her family and lies of people around her. The book really picks up pace by the end and keeps making you surprised with the plot twists. 

Verdict: 

The book is an excellent thriller, easy to gobble down once the plot settles and is a complete movie material. I hear that a movie is already under production. I would love to watch the movie as well. Somehow I can picture Emily Blunt as a perfect depiction of Anna Fox. Let's see who gets the lead role. If you are a thriller fan, this book is a must read in your list. Although the plot isn't very original but yet the story keeps you captivated. I am rating it a solid four stars. 

Hope you liked the review. Stay healthy and beautiful. xoxo!!!