I loved this insightful novel into the lives of three wives and their murdered husband ,keeps you enthralled until the very end and then some .

I enjoyed this book it was very different to anything I have read before plot wise and, although it was about a murder, it was much more than that. It was about the relationships with the wives, how cults act, impact of living in remote areas.  The author did not shy away from difficult subjects - it was a very grown up book 

I havent gone into plot descriptions as the publishers do this better than me . 

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and net galley but the review is entirely my own and unbiased.

This is the captivating and at times very dark tale of Rachel,Tina and Emily,three vunerable, emotionally scared women who found themselves under investigation for the murder of their deeply religious husband Blake. The chapters alternated between the perspectives of the three women,each of whom had been affected in some psychological way by events from their past. Each women was a individual in her own right who each had her own unique personality,opinions and character traits. I think Rachel viewed herself as the mother hen,Tina was a ex prostitute who had a surprising softer side and then there was Emily,she appeared to be quite a innocent character who enjoyed playing detective and watching re - runs of Cagney & Lacey. The three women,quite understandably shared a fractious relationship,there was quite often a toxic atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust when they were together. Although the story was about all three of the women,I would say that the main character was Rachel because her backstory about the cult that she escaped as a teenager was very integral to the plot. As the story unfolded and became more acquainted with the women, I discovered that I had mixed feelings about each of them,there was elements of their characters that I liked and also elements that I didn't like. Were their narratives reliable? Did one of them kill Blake? Maybe they were all involved in his death? What was the meaning behind Rachel's terrifying nightmares? 

Religion plays a integral part in the plot of this story and the reader is given a insight into the practices and beliefs of the Mormon Church, the lives of  people who are in polygamist marriages and the abuse Rachel,Tina and Emily were subjected to by others. In one hand I did feel sympathy for the women when I witnessed the snide comments they were subjected to but in the other hand,because I don't practice their religion, I could also see the abusers points of view. It's difficult to understand things from other people's perspectives when you don't live by their beliefs and codes. There are many different religions scattered across the globe with their own beliefs and codes of practice. Unfortunately that also includes a large number that have no morals whatsoever especially where the treatment of children is concerned.

Written in short,snappy chapters that give the reader a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome,this is a fast paced,captivating thriller. Many of the chapters had endings that encountered the reader to carry on reading because you really wanted to learn what was going to happen next. The story was packed full of twists and turns, the characters were realistic and the truth was revealed during a seriously intense confrontation. I really enjoyed this addictive thriller, I think it's worth all the stars and more and very very highly recommended.

Black Widows is set on a remote ranch in Utah in the USA. This is not an area that I know much about, so I was pleased that Quinn's words transported me here and gave me a flavour of the atmosphere that seemed so oppressive. 

I love an unreliable narrator and Black Widows has three - in the form of Blake Nelson's three wives, Rachel, Tina and Emily. The narration gave me some insight into the polygamous marriage, which I found fascinating, but as they all have secrets and can be economical with the truth, it added to the mystery and made me wonder what exactly had happened to Blake. 

The Mormon religion and the practice of polygamous marriages is not a subject I know much about and I must admit to feeling slightly uncomfortable with the dynamic of Blake's marriages, but I did enjoy learning more about how it works. Quinn's research is incredibly detailed and this allowed her to add an extra layer to her characters and the plot. 

As we reach the end of Black Widows, the tension ramps up a notch and there is a definite feeling of peril. I was holding my breath wondering how the questions that are asked throughout the novel would be answered.

Nobody really cares who killed the Blake Nelson, since he's the least interesting person in the whole novel. What we really want to know is how these three women ended up in this shitty situation in the first place?! Revealed in cleverly plotted snippets, their stories come together in surprising ways. The whodunnit runs all the way to the end, with a properly insane ending. 

It's all a bit crazy, but genuinely fun. Well worth a read.

ARC via Netgalley

This book was definitely a different read for me.  Net Galley were kind enough to let me download to my kindle for an honest review.

Blake is a Mormon who has more then one wife, now frowned upon by the Church of Latter Day Saints. He lives with 3 wives who are each different. 

Rachel his first wife, Emily the second sister wife and Tina the third sister wife.  They don’t always get on and jealousy raises it’s head.

Blake is found dead after going fishing and it is evident it was murder.  All three women are suspects. The night he went fishing they had argued between themselves.

The book is written well and flows easily from one person to the next that you want to keep reading.

There are twists and turns and some of the details are quiet shocking, especially where Emily is concerned and the leader.  I enjoyed reading this book and will be looking for more by Cate Quinn.

What a refreshingly original book this is. I loved it despite it being quite dark in places. The humour in it was delightful and the characters very different and all well developed. I did get a little lost with the back in time bits but not enough to spoil the enjoyment of the read at all. 
My score is four and a half stars but I was sorely tempted to bump it up to five.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this boook in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis:
Blake's dead. His wife killed him.
The question is: which one?

This is much of the synopsis I read before I asked for a copy. 
I don't really like going into much more detail with any thriller/mystery book. 

Review:
There are three sister-wives - Rachel, Emily and Tina, and the book opens with them finding out about the death of their husband. 
I really liked the pacing of the first half of the book. There were scenes of the wives being questioned in the police station which is one of my favourite things to read/watch so I really enjoyed it. 
The second half is more focused on the mystery and the wives trying to work out what happened, but also trying to work out more about each other. I felt like this half had a different tone, as more dark secrets and memories were exposed.

I struggled a little with writing this review as there were things that I liked about this book and things I didn't, so I may just list a few of them.
Pros
Intriguing concept
Short chapters seen from the point of view of each of the wives.
The way the early lives and backgrounds of the wives was gradually revealed over time.
Suspicion fell this way and then another, the reader is baffled as to the killer's identity.
Made me really think about things - religion, polygamy, relationships.

Cons
Although the book pulled me in from the start my interest began to flag about halfway through as the story line seemed to drag.
A lot of spelling mistakes, typos and errors that should have been picked up but as this was an arc then hopefully this was rectified before publication.
The characterisation of the three wives just seemed a little too contrived. They had different personalities and this was constantly being reinforced.
Some things I found hard to believe would happen but this is a work of fiction.

So overall it is an intriguing original book with a murder that keeps you guessing but just not quite up there for me.

Quinn explores the creepy world of polygamy in this story of murder and revenge. Rachel, Tina and Emily are all wives to one man, Blake Nelson, who lives with his “family” in a remote corner of Utah. When Blake meets an untimely demise, his wives tell police they can’t believe anyone would hurt their beloved husband. He was such a good, kind, gentle man….. This cat and mouse thriller had me hooked on page one.

Black Widows by Cate Quinn
Black Widows is set in Utah and is all about a Mormon who follows the old ways of polygamy and has three wives.  When one of these wives then kills him the mystery is which one it was who actually carried out the deed.  It is a fascinating story told from the three viewpoints.  Each chapter in the novel conveys the thoughts of one of the wives and in some you are able to witness the same event from different viewpoints.  
There is Rachel the one legal wife who always does as she is told and is suffering from the trauma of having previously been in a cult.  Emily, who has converted to Mormonism from Catholicism and and is a naïve, simple girl.   Then there isTina, the ex-showgirl and former drug addict with her whip sharp wit who injects some humour into the novel.  There are so many layers woven into the story and it is fascinating to see the dynamics of the relationships between the women change.  It is a story which is driven by the characters and their interrelationships as we gradually unearth the secrets.
The clues for the police to follow are thin on the ground.   It is an interesting and satisfying mystery and the denouement is very pleasing.  I would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this intriguing mystery thriller, based in Utah, and giving the reader a vivid insight into plural marriage, religious sects and surviving out on a remote ranch in the desert. The story unfolds from the rolling viewpoints of the three widows, who were sister wives to Blake Nelson, who was found murdered on his ranch, in a way that initially looked like suicide, but is soon found to be homicide. The dynamic between the three widows is fascinating and the plot ramps up throughout the book. It keeps you guessing and changing your mind and wondering about everyone and everything it throws at you. And there is a lot. Secrets, Lies. Cults. Sects. Abuse. The writer has pulled off a brilliant twisting plot and transports you to Utah, then Nevada, then back to Utah and provides an insight into another world, that is, thankfully, inaccessible to most of us. The story was well told and if my advanced draft copy had not had so many editorial mistakes to contend with (typos, wrong words, repeat words) then it would have been a five star read for me. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Orion, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Black Widows is a thriller - which of Blake Nelson’s three wives killed him near their isolated home in Utah? The first wife - Rachel with her secret past at the homestead, the second wife - ex catholic Emily or third wife - Vegas hustler Tina? It also gives us an unusual and fascinating glimpse into contemporary Mormon culture and the polygamy of Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints. Their sister love binds them together

In the desert of Utah Blake Nelson has been living with his 3 "Wives". Rachel, the first wife who cooks and cleans and always does as she is told.
Tina, sister wife is the total opposite of Rachel, wild and wilful and Emily the youngest sister wife who is quiet and shy.
When Blakes body is found the police initially suspect suicide but quickly come to realise that he was murdered. 
Living in such a remote place they suspect that either Rachel, Tina or Emily killed him.
They quickly focus their attention on Rachel who seems to be the strongest of the three, with seemingly the most reason to want Blake dead.
The three women set out to prove their innocence but they all have their doubts about each other.
Told through the eyes of each of the women the story unfolds in such a way that you are never sure who the killer is and what the motive was.
It twists and turns and keeps you hooked to the last page.

A great read in the sense of a whodunnit storyline. The plot follows 3 wives, Rachel, Emily and Tina, all of whom are married to Blake who at the start of the book is found murdered.  A multi-perspective look into the wives and them all suspecting each other the book is full of twists and turns and keeps you on your toes. I thought that the subject matter was well researched, well written and the character development was done very well. A enjoyable read overall.

There is an old joke that what a husband wants as a wife is ‘a maid in the parlour, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom’.  Blake Nelson is a polygamist Mormon with three wives who roughly fit the pattern so should be the happiest man in the world.  Unfortunately, Blake is dead, strangled by person or persons unknown while out fishing in the creek that runs through his property.  The latter is in the middle of nowhere, or more exactly the flat, sandy wilderness of Utah, far from civilisation and completely ‘off-grid’.  Very few people know of its location and there is no obvious reason why anyone might want him dead.  There are no signs of a struggle.  
From the police’s point of view there are only three people who could have done it – the three widows.  Strictly speaking only one of these is his widow, because polygamy is illegal.  First wife, Rachel, is traumatised by the experiences she had as a child trapped in a religious cult; sister-wife Emily is a naïve, perhaps a little simple, girl clinging to the belief that her mother hasn’t disowned her; sister-wife Tina is a reformed drug-addict, sometimes prostitute, ex-con.  
As for motive, there are obvious domestic and sexual tensions in this menage a quatre, more than sufficient for charges to be made.  Each appears to suspect one of the others.  Clues are thin and the police struggle.  In order to explain the background to the investigation it is necessary to describe the various particularities of Mormonism (legal and illegal versions) and the author handles this extremely well by passing the narrative back and forth between the three women.  Each chapter, there are 106 many quite short, covers the thoughts of one of the three, providing context, or, experience, or conversation.  Some allow the reader to see the same scene from different perspectives.  The whole works as an excellent murder mystery but also as an analysis of the life experiences of women in this patriarchal society. The denouement and the after effects are eminently satisfactory.  
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Black Widows by Cate Quinn is a 4 star read. 
Blake has 3 wives, Rachel, Tina and Emma all three are total opposites of each other so when Blake is found dead the police question each of them but they all say the same thing, Blake was a good man and they don’t know who would want to kill him, but is that the truth? This book is totally unique in its storyline, I have never read or even heard of anything like it. 
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

Narrated in first person by all three women we learn of their present life in Utah as wives of Blake Nelson and members of the Latter Day Saints/Mormon community. The strictness of preparing for the end of days with the canning of goods, polygamy and the wearing of holy under garments to name just a few lifestyle rituals that are seen as strange by outsiders.

We first meet Rachel the chief wife after the police have visited to inform her of Blake’s death. Devout and strict does her past holds clues to the present? Then we meet Tina sister wife and an ex drug addict and prostitute Blake met in Vegas as a volunteer and young, naive, innocent Emily the latest sister wife to be brought in to the fold.

As all three are interviewed by Officers Brewer and Carlson I wondered if they would sell each other out? With suspicion, jealousy and no love lost between the three I was shaking my head at disbelief that this four way marriage was more of a nightmare than I first thought. Little did I know of the shocks still to come. As the past is brought to light I had my suspect and motive. Did I get it right??? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

 This is definitely a slow burn character led thriller. But trust me these characters are worth the time, I loved all three wives even Rachel who was far from easy to like. Tina had the best lines and her dead pan humour was a welcome relief after the dark horrors. For those of a delicate nature I suggest that if you read this you do it wearing bunny pjs and with a basket of kittens or puppies on standby. There are some scenes of a graphic nature and dark topics that I did not know were coming, you have been warned.

Who can you trust when you know they are all lying to keep their secrets? Brimming with tension this kept me hooked right up to the explosive denouement.

I feel as if this book was written with me in mind - I loved it THAT much!

Blake Nelson lived on an isolated farm out in the desert, but now he's dead. His wife killed him - but which one? Rachel, the first wife is obedient and dutiful. Trisha, the second wife is anything but, while Emily, the youngest has never known any other kind of life. They don't know why anyone would kill a good man like their husband - at least, that's what they tell the police.

As I've mentioned before, I don't re-read the blurb before I begin reading so I never know what to expect. I've been fascinated by plural marriage ever since watching the tv series Big Love; not so much the intimate part but more the idea of several women sharing one kitchen! This is my first novel by Cate Quinn and I have to say it's beautifully written. The characters are individually crafted and each one - not just the wives - sparks a curiosity for the reader. The dynamics between all three wives is quite beguiling and kept me hooked all the way through. I had no idea who the killer was until it was in print in front of me. Very carefully plotted and such an enigmatic read. I'm happy to both recommend this novel and give it 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

If you like a good whodunnit this is a definite must read. A murder mystery that begins with the discovery of the body of Blake, a married man with not one but three wives, who has been murdered. The finger  quickly points to one of the three wives. Is the murderer Rachel, Tina or Emily who have all lived together in a polygamous Mormon marriage with Blake? All three women with complicated pasts, estranged from their families and definitely not welcome by Blake's. This one kept me me guessing to the very last pages and still took me by surprise.  I loved every page