I had high expectations of this novel, I do love a good domestic thriller featuring the dynamics of neighbourhoods where you believe you know the ins and outs of the people you live next door to, but we never really do know what goes on behind closed doors do we? This sounded like a promising & engaging thriller however sadly I felt the story line just wasn’t going anywhere and it wasn’t as engaging as I’d anctipated it to be.

The Widow Next Door reminded me a lot of The Woman in the Window. This novel contained a common story line, a creepy old lady who lives by herself, watching the neighborhood, and being your stereotypical nosy neighbor. Of course, nothing is quite as it seems, and the author takes us on a ride of reliving the widow's memories on Bristol Lane. Trigger warning: there were times when this book was very depressing, as the widow frequently talks about loneliness, lack of children, being widowed, and more. It is not very uplifting, and admittedly, that is not the intention of the story (in my opinion). This is another book that I felt was wrongly categorized as a thriller; it definitely seems to be more of a dramatic saga about the widow next door.

Jane and Alex move into 312 Bristol Lane. A quiet little cul-de-sac section of road with only two houses in it. Next door lives an elderly widow. All seems to be perfect as they move into their forever home and Jane starts to befriend her neighbour, the widow next door.

A significant thing to note about this book is that it is written totally in the first person from the point of view of the widow, a lady whose name we are never told. We have insight into her thoughts, ideas and observations but it is totally her point of view. We don’t even have a letter or newspaper article to allow us to see anything differently. I found this quite a struggle. Inside the widow’s mind is, frankly, quite boring. There are lots of hints to things in the past as well as some snippets of longer stories from the past. However, a majority of her thoughts are focused on the young couple, Jane and Alex, about whom she has become obsessed. We have no outside knowledge of these people and have no idea if Jane’s strange looks or changing temperment are a figment of the widow’s imagination, a result of something the widow has said or done without telling the reader or non existent.

I found Jane a particularly unbelievable character. She seems to spend all day at home apart from trips to the supermarket and visits to the widow. She is a housewife with no children, no hobbies, no outside interests and makes no effort to get to know the place or people she is living in. This gives her very little character. She has tremendous mood swings and flips at seemingly nothing. However, all of this is just the widow’s thoughts – I wonder what Jane was really like? Perhaps it would have been nice for this book to be have written from both Jane & the widow’s point of view. I wonder how different their thoughts would have been?

I found this a very slow moving book and almost gave up on it a couple of times. There is a lot of looking out the window at nothing and a lot of contemplation about various irrelevant things. This was probably supposed to be a build up of suspense but it really didn’t work for me. I got bored and wanted the story to move on. There are two big reveals at the end – what is behind the shut door with the brass handle? Well, that was no big surprise and nor was the climax at the end.

I just didn’t get on with this book. I did complete it but was far from impressed. It is slow and quite boring in many places.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

This was a great read. I love being surprised by how a thriller ends, and this one really did surprise me. The twists were wonderful and it was suspenseful and creepy all the way through. I really enjoyed it.

This story pulls you in for a wild, suspenseful ride. I realy enjoyed it from beginning to end and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It was brilliantly written with a great cast of characters and intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages. Perfect read to escape from day to day life. A great read.

Great book with a great storyline. Not what I was expecting at all so was a nice surprise. Easy to read and good characters in there too.

Really enjoyed the book. The author did a good job developing the characters and that led me to feel connected with the characters. The book had some good twists and turns and keeps you on your toes wondering how it is really going to end.

Told from the point of view of the "widow" the book is not quite what you expect. The newly weds, Alex and Jane, move into a new home where their only neighbor is a widow woman who pays a lot of attention to what is going on in their home. This causes questions and hurt feelings, but whose? The story actually took a couple of turns that I did not see coming. This always makes the book and ultimately the ending much better.

I loved this book. I like a slow burning story where you can really get to know the characters before the twists hit. Really recommended.

The Widow Next Door by L.A. Detwiler is about a couple, Jane and Alex, who move next door to a lonely widow. The widow watches everything they do and is somewhat critical of their relationship. She sits in her rocker, at the window, and watches them constantly. She then inserts herself into their relationship in an awful way. The book is a fast read with a good plot and good characters, but not necessarily a happy ending. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

A creepy story of what one woman sees from her window.
Trust me it is better than that sounds! The perfect nosy neighbour with an eerie twist.

This book for me was ok . I found it hard to get in to. It was 0k in places but then fell short in other places. I didn't connect with the characters and that is very important for me.

The Widow Next Door was a fab book that I enjoyed.
Sinister in places but kept me interested with a great twist at the end.
My first book by this author but I’ll be looking out for more of her books.

This book was chilling and I enjoyed the plot.. but there was wayyy too much repetition and some of it was not really believable. This was just a weird read and honestly makes me think of some of the weird shows you can catch on Netflix. I’m not sure how I honestly feel about it

This book sounded like it was going to be very good, but, to be honest I found it quite weird and didn't finish it

We start by meeting an elderly woman as she sits and watches the couple next door. I loved hearing her, as I knew (expected) from the blurb things were going to head in the direction of the neighbours she sits and watches all day long. Her pov made you see why she was watching and I soon fell into her little routines and my heart sank at the memories she held that made you think of how important it is to appreciate people and not get so caught up in everyday mundanity which will still be there when you have nobody to share the little things with anymore. In this way I found it justifiable that she watched, hoping the neighbours’ happiness would continue, but then, just as I was settling into a ‘Woman in the Window’ type read where it’s more about her, we get thrown a curveball and you get a flashback that makes you go ‘ooh!’ (Yes, I do make these noises when I read!)

I could not walk away from this book which was difficult as I started reading in the morning and then had to go about my day and I was itching to get back to it! When I did I was again interrupted and it drove me nuts! I binge read the end, watching the couple next door, Jane and Alex, the neighbours who most definitely weren’t what they seemed but then-oh oh-another curveball? Who to believe? And what the frig was going on next door? I won’t give too much away but I did really love this book, all the way down to it’s kind of nutty ending (I had to re-read one or two bits to get my bearings and a grip on it!) I’ll admit two things, I was waiting for an additional pov to those we got (I think actually it would have made it even better) and secondly, I have to admit I don’t like the blurb, I’d have preferred one of those extremely odd vague ones that you curse as they give you nothing. It’s mainly because of what the book the blurb implies/offers to you, which I think is very different to what you get. Not in a bad way, but still. There! Cryptic enough for you?!;) Anyhoo, very much recommended!

Thanks so much to Avon and Netgalley for this book in return for an honest review.

That's it!! I have read it all!! This book takes the cake of being the weirdest of them all!!

The entire story unfolded via the eyes if the neighbor, the elderly widow, She watched the new couple move in and then watches them some more, throughout the day.

There are few scenes in the book which provided a bit of twist and change to the pace with a surprise end to the story.

The slow pace, confusing beginning, and not enough intrigue kept niggling me.

An okay read for me!! On to next!!

This was a pretty interestingly creepy read. All the components that contribute to a story turning weird are here. The story takes place on a cul-de-sac with only two houses on it. One is newly occupied by a young couple who appear to be very much in love and happy with their new home. The other house, with an excellent view into the young couple's house is occupied by an elderly woman who lives alone and begins to pay very close attention to her new neighbors. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, but this is an excellent and surprising thriller that will stay with you after you've finished reading it. Strongly recommend.

While others may have guessed the twist right away, I found this book to be suspenseful and surprising until almost the end.... definitely creepy, it makes you think twice about your neighbors!