Just when you feel a character like Louise has the world by the horns along comes a shocker like death to interrupt the balance of 'power'.
This is surely a 'lusty' situation in which she seems to have her cake and eat it too or shall I say two.
Well, look I'm all for what's good for the goose is good for the gander but this one was way out and hard to reel back in.
With this said it was also equally challenging trying to simply read and follow along because of the lack of space between paragraphs to name just one of several issues.
As for the substance it just seemed like crazy action with an infatuated woman who learns of her husband's cheating ways and decides to make it all fair game.
Surely, she might just get what she hoped in the end but it was hard to sift through the shifting time lines and the cramped space here.
Thank you for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.  Not sure what to write in my review as although I read the book really did not like the main character Louise.

In A.M. Castle's novel, "The Perfect Widow", Louise Bridges (the widow) and Becca Holt (the cop investigating the death of Louise's husband) play a game of cat and mouse, both trying to stay one step ahead of each other. This book gave readers a good look into the minds of both of these strong women, and was very enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable read, as the twists were plentiful and the characters were interesting.  I highly recommend it!

It is one of those books I find hard to review. It was a fast read with a good storyline but it lacked some substance for me. Some parts were very slow and other parts felt rushed.

Louise has it all. The perfect husband and marriage (or so it seems to outsiders); the perfect(spotless) home that everyone is envious of and the 2.5 children. Getting to this point in her life was not easy. It took a lot of hard work and reinventing of herself. Then she gets the news that her husband died in a fire at work. 

PC Becca Holt is dissatisfied with her life and job. She gets to deliver the news of Patrick's death but something doesn't feel right about Louise's reaction and she is like a dog with a bone. She would do whatever she can; legal or not; to prove her instincts are right.

I think the story has a lot of potential but I felt a bit let down. There is also not a lot of action in the book. Some people dont like books that's too gory so I think there will be people who enjoy this book. It is more of a mystery family drama.

Thank you to #netgalley and #HQDigital for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Perfect Widow is a clever and compelling psychological thriller which is the author’s debut novel in this genre.

The novel is split between ‘then’ and ‘now’ chapters which helps the reader to see the story from various points of view which I thought was very interesting and helped me to see the whole story more clearly. I don’t think I was a particular fan of either of the main characters as they both had flaws which I found quite irritating and which meant I was unable to warm to them. Becky’s constant mistakes and inability to make much headway in the investigation grated on me after a while as I felt she should have been able to do a much better job. Louise was a much more sympathetic character as I could understand why she behaves like she did but her need to control things was a bit worrying and meant that I couldn’t warm to her. These flaws did make both characters seem more realistic however, which was probably the author’s intention as it did increase the level of unease in the book.

This book was a bit of a slow burner as the reader learns more about the characters and their past but soon picks up as things become very interesting. The author cleverly led me in one direction and then another, with the many twists keeping me guessing until the end. There is a level of unease in the book which slowly builds as the reader becomes more aware of what is going on. I actually found it quite thought provoking to think about how much we can ever truly know someone.

Huge thanks to Jessica Lee from HQ stories for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

I would like to say a quick thanks to Jess at Blogger HQ/ Harper Collins for inviting me onto the blog tour! Now onto my thoughts of this ebook.
Personally. If I didn't have to review this book I think I'd have to DNF. At 70% into this book I thought it would be too late for for a dramatic twist and I'm still waiting for the tension to rise! At 85% the twist arrived and it wasn't that great in my personal opinion. I felt it was poorly written and was suddenly thought of. 
I personally couldn't get to grips on the character Louise, and couldn't feel any connection to her. She spent years trying to get attention from Patrick and then after a whirlwind romance and popped a few kids out, he's back to his old tricks. Flirting and having a few women on the side. 
All in all, This wasn't a favourite of mine, but some people may enjoy it! I'm going to rate this as a three and possible won't be buying/reading again

There are two main characters of The Perfect Widow, Louise Bridges who is interrupted from her perfect life when the police come to give her the bad news, her husband Patrick is dead, and Becca the young PC who delivers the bad news, although clumsily performed, Becca does gain an interesting feel about the encounter, this women isn't surprised by the news. 

Told from both of these points of view, the premise of the story is how Becca investigates Patrick’s death and the story Louise tells of both her past and the present. It is a well written story of a women who has come from nothing to succeed in life, has worked hard to get what she believes is perfection, a nice home, expensive clothes, two well cared for children and a husband who earns plenty of money. From the outset I thought this was off, surely someone with all of this would have friends but no, she has no-one to call when the police inform her of her husband’s death.  Louise is a likable character though; she has a sense of humour and a colourful background; She is quite an obsessive character with her pinning her hopes on Patrick the first time she met him, eventually leading to a romance and marriage, she is highly driven and determined to get what she wants. 

Becca on the other hand, is the useless cop that doesn’t get any of her actual work done, spends her time eating doughnuts, illegally gaining information that she obsessively believes should prove Louise killed Patrick. Her information is leaked slowly through the novel but I don't think it really adds anything to the story, if there was some real evidence and not just theory or teasers it would have made it more gripping.

A good read for those that like a slow burner drama, a few twists but as it’s told mostly in the past tense the intensity is lacking.  The middle section is a little repetitive with Becca just repeating her ‘intuition’ however, worth holding onto the end.

A curious mix of psychological suspense and family drama, this story will appeal to those who like psychological orientated suspense. This story doesn’t have the impact common to most thrillers but does use the unreliable protagonist technique well. There are two, in this story, Louise, the perfect widow and Becca the policewoman who sets out to investigate her, based on one brief observation.

Primarily a story of obsession, emotional damage, resulting from poor nurturing in childhood and control The plot handles the psychological theme competently. The introduction of a crusading police constable, who sees beneath the image Louise portrays isn’t convincing. Becca, in many ways, is a superfluous character, except perhaps in her obsessive similarities to Louise?

The plot lacks real-time action, everything is retold either in the past or present by Louise or Becca. this slows the pace and leaves you in the characters heads for too long, making some the twists not as suspenseful as they could be, if written less passively.

A story for the psychological fiction devotees, who like to see how the mind works, given a certain set of stimuli, rather than those who like a combination of jaw-dropping twists and a twisted unexpected ending.

 I received a copy of this book from HQ Digital UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Disturbing and utterly twisted. I loved it. It felt a bit wordy and rushed at some points but overall it was good. Highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by the author

It seems like Louise has the perfect life. Perfect husband, marriage & home, when Becca Holt has to do her first door knock, she finds it odd that Louise doesnt seem as shocked as she expected. 



Becca just cant quite place what isnt right but there is something - however no one seems to believe her. 

The Perfect Widow follows Louise from the moment she met him to the moment the news id delivered. We also learn about Becca who is investigating it without permission.



The Perfect Widow is gripping, it gives nothing aware the entire time you are reading, usually i get an inkling of where the narrative is going. This doesn't - i really had to read until the very last page to get answers as i had spent the whole time trying to figure out who we could trust.



I loved this, it really did hook me & i enjoyed not been able to grasp this, i find the characters hard to read and i didnt trust them, i felt there was something dishonest about them and that is what worked for me. 



Overall this was a steady paced, the pace wasnt over the top fast, it was more a slow & steady burner that unfolded before the reader before concluding at the very end, you got the conclusion & bam - ended.

Louise planned and snared the perfect husband who died. Becca, a cop, broke the news to her. But something caught Becca's attention about Louise and she went investigating.

My first book by this author, the two women seemed more self absorbed initially till the secrets spilled through the pages. The writing was staccato, it slowed in the middle and picked up in the end. A twist changed the story's direction in the last few pages.

Overall, it was good but could have been better.

Can there ever be a perfect widow without suspicion being brought to you. It appears that Louise Bridges is trying to do just that. 
Louise has hat appears on the outside as the perfect life as well as the perfect marriage/family.  But is appears that appearances can be deceptive.
The police PC Becca Holt and her partner turn up at Louise’s house to inform her of the devastating news that her husband Patrick has been killed in a fire at his workplace. Yet her reactions isn’t what the police expected it to be. Whether it was shock or something else we don’t really know, 
Patrick’s death is rule as a tragic accident. Yet Becca just cannot shake this uncomfortable feeling she has that makes her think that there was more to his death. 
She decides to do a little digging and investigate a little deeper into the Bridges life and marriage. 
What she starts to unearth is that the perfect marriage may not have been so perfect after all and that there are some very darks secrets that Louise have hidden.
The story is told from 2 points of view. You have Beccas  story then Louises past and present point of view. Which works well.
A well written book with a great plot. I did feel that the author could have upped the pace just a little bit as it did lag in places.
But overall a great read.
Thank you to both NetGalley and HQ stories for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review

PC Becca Holt and her partner deliver the bad news to Louise Bridges that her husband died in a fire at his office. Becca confides in her partner that something seems off about Louise's response to news of her husband's death. 
 While Patrick's death is ruled an accident, Becca just can't let her hunch go and begins to investigate deeper into Patrick and Louise. Can Becca uncover the truth?

This story is told in two different points of view, now and then.  However, I feel like the author did not develop this style to the best of its ability.  It kept the book at a slow pace, lacking the action and build up I expected.

This book makes you wonder how different people react to hearing about a loved one's death. When PC Becca Holt goes to tell Louise that her husband Patrick has died, Louise does not seem surprised. In fact as Becca looks around the house, she notices things that suggest that Louise knew Patrick was  not coming home that evening.  Becca decides to investigate and digs into Louise's past and uncovers  more than she would ever imagine. 
An interesting story that does keep you wondering.

Everyone thinks that Louise Bridges has the perfect life but her life will change when two officers go to her house and tell her and her children that her husband is dead. Officer Becca Holt will be the one that will deliver the horrible news, but she is not expecting the cold answer she will have from the widow. This is when everything will start…
Let’s be honest, if you have a normal marriage just the simple thought that your partner can suffer an accident will put you in pain and sadness, so the answer of Louise to the news will sound really weird to the reader, but what can Louise be hiding? She has the perfect life; a nice house, two beautiful children and a nice husband… There are so many questions since the beginning that it was really interesting reading the past of Louise and how she met her husband, but the Louise from the past has little in common with the present one. She is so obsessed in having the perfect life that no one will have concerns of pointing at her as the killer. But could it be really true? Is she the killer of her husband?
The story will be told in first person between Louise and Becca, because Becca will have doubts of Louise since the beginning; like a sixth sense telling her loud and clear that something is not right. She will “investigate” the case in their own way, that I am sure any reader will love.
I was intrigued with the plot of this story, wanting to know how someone so in love with her husband could be so cold in his dead. What are the true feelings of Louise? There will be surprises and twists, don’t worry, you’ll love The Perfect Widow! Ready?

#ThePerfectWidow #NetGalley 
Its a one time read. Its definitely a thriller but not a psychological one. 
Louise Bridges has the perfect life. 
A loving husband, Patrick. Two adorable children. A comfortable home.
So when PC Becca Holt arrives to break the news that Patrick has been killed in an accident, she thinks Louise’s perfect world is about to collapse around her. 
PC Becca comes to Louise's home to inform her about the death of her husband, Patrick but she doesn't react in a way Becca wanted. And then the game of cat and mouse begins. 
Is Louise hiding something? Is Becca wrong or right? Read this book to know more. 
Although the premise of the story is good but i didn't understand one thing that how someone is so sure that the person in front is hiding something? 
Characters are just ok but i didn't feel attached to them.
Story is told in three POV's, one is Louis's present, one is her past and one is Becca's present which is the most interesting POV. 
One time read for the fans of psychological thrillers  Although i personally think that its a thriller but its genre is mentioned as a psychological thriller. 
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing me an advance copy of this book.

PC Becca Holt and her partner deliver the news to the beautiful Louise Bridges that her husband died in a fire at his office. Becca thinks there is something off about Louise's reaction to the news, but Patrick's death is ruled an accident. Louise tries to get on with her life with her two children and remembers when she first met and fell in love with her husband. Meanwhile, Becca just can't let Patrick's death go and investigates the death and Louise's background on her own time to get the the truth of what really happened.

This book sounds great and has all the elements to be a great thriller. There is the beautiful widow with secrets in her past and memories of a marriage that wasn't as perfect as if appeared from the outside. Then, there is the police constable who is smart, and determined to get to the truth even when her supervisors won't take her seriously. The story is told from both Becca and Louise's points of view. Louise's chapters take place in both the present and the past when she first met Patrick. 

Unfortunately, the style in which the book is written detracts from the promising story. Everything is described in a passive way with a lot of reminiscing and internal musings by both Louise and Becca and not enough "action." Some of the chapters seem more like an expanded outline rather than a completed novel. This slowed the pace of the book and prevented me from being fully invested in the story. The investigation didn't have the urgency of a more detailed narrative and even though I liked Becca, the way the book is written kept me from fully connecting with her. I didn't really care for the ending and I had already guessed the final "reveal" so it wasn't a surprise to me. I would rate the book 3.5 stars. It had the potential to be a 5 star thriller, but ultimately was lacking in suspense.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of HQ Digital. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Sorry but I found this really slow and not enough to keep me interested, the widow was dull and uninteresting and the suspecting police lady was just boring . Not for me I’m afraid

The Perfect Widow by A.M. Castle is a marvellous contemporary psychological suspense that will draw you in from the start.
A.M. Castle has created a compelling plotline, intricate and clever with its twists and turns. Her characters are well drawn, not always likable but realistic. She manipulated my emotional responses well.
The novel is about obsessions – once something takes a hold, everything else pales into insignificance. We see a coppers nose that is suspicious – but is her nose correct?
People have secrets and pasts they want hidden. To what lengths are they prepared to go?
There is neglect of a minor. “My childhood was about survival.” This neglect is a catalyst for self-improvement, creating a drive and passion. In contrast there are well loved children who are put first at all costs.
The novel is written from two alternating points of view and time frames of ‘then’ and ‘now.’ I found the whole book riveting and could not put it down.
The Perfect Widow was a cleverly constructed book delving into the human psyche. There is an element of fear – just how well do you know your loved ones? Where do you place your trust? An excellent book.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.