AN AMBUSH OF WIDOWS
Jeff Abbott
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1538719145
Hardcover
Thriller

I don’t know how much a cover attracts a prospective reader. That is an issue above my pay grade. I would submit that an interesting title almost always gets attention. Such was the case when I learned of a new novel by Jeff Abbott entitled AN AMBUSH OF WIDOWS. Abbott is a journeyman author who is seemingly incapable of disappointing or writing badly, but he more than exceeds his own built-in expectations in this most worthy summer which is also a book for all seasons.

AN AMBUSH OF WIDOWS begins with a sharp hook that digs deep into the reader’s attention. Kirsten North is at her New Orleans home one evening while her husband, Henry, is in New York on a business trip. Henry runs an IT security company and is in the never-ending process of hunting clients, Kirsten is doing what married folks normally do when one of them is out of town --- ordering food that she likes, and watching a television show that he doesn’t --- when she gets an anonymous telephone call from Henry’s number. The caller is brief and to the point. They tell her that Henry has been shot and killed in Austin, Texas. Kirsten of course drops everything to travel to Austin. This would be enough to get things rolling, but Abbott, in order to ensure that his reader isn’t going anywhere, inserts an airport vignette wherein a hitman who has been assigned to murder Kirsten practically bumps into her by happenstance in the New Orleans airport. Once this occurs, the reader isn’t going anywhere, given the additional questions raised by this encounter. Things are just getting warmed up, however. Henry was found in a warehouse in Austin with Adam Zhang, who has also assumed room temperature. Adam is an extremely wealthy entrepreneur who assists in the launching of start-up companies for a piece of the action. Kirsten’s arrival in Austin helps the police identify Henry, the man found dead with Adam, but it doesn’t answer other questions, such as why Henry was in Austin instead of New York and why men who apparently had no known link were found murdered together in a warehouse. Flora Zhang, Adam’s wife, has no answers and is dealing with her grief and loss even as she slowly comes to the realization that her husband’s business partner might be trying to ace her out of the company that they built together. The arrival of Kirsten and the initial encounters between the two women who have a tragic commonality are a bit prickly at first, but slowly and tentatively resolve as they move forward with their shared problem. Kirsten also comes with Zach, a foster brother, who is fiercely loyal to her and who also has some extremely interesting connections on both sides of the law. Complications abound, however, given that it is extremely difficult for any of the innocent principals (and there aren’t many) to know who they can believe and who they can trust. It is only when Kirsten and Flora can ultimately work together that the reader understands all of the different reasons behind the title of this compelling and addicting work.

AN AMBUSH OF WIDOWS is complete in itself but Abbott leaves the door open to the possibility of a sequel of sorts at some point down the road. Anything which Abbott writes is worth reading, but a return to the characters introduced here --- those who make it to the last page, anyway --- would be most welcome. Strongly recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2021, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

“An ambush of widows. That’s the collective noun for a group of widows.”

Flora Zhang and Kirsten North are two women that are suddenly thrust into widowhood when their husbands are found murdered in an abandoned warehouse. What was the motive?

Adam Zhang was a venture capitalist and Henry North was a cyber security consultant. Two unrelated professions, yet here they were, found murdered together.

Reeling from their loss, Flora and Kirsten form an unlikely alliance to ferret out the murderer. Uncovering clues from social media and hidden documents, both Flora and Kirsten learn that they really didn’t know their husbands after all.

An Ambush of Widows was a recommended book from a live streaming event. After viewing the review, I immediately set out to read the book. But as they say, “different strokes for different folks.” It certainly rang true for me..

The characters were developed enough to get a feel and flavor of their personalities. And there weren’t too many characters that could overwhelm the reader.

The plot is the classic “whodunnit,” but I found the entire premise of two widows solving two murders to be a little far fetched.

To me, An Ambush of Widows was excruciatingly long winded and I almost quit reading at the 50% point. I managed to finish it. However, I was disappointed since there were no surprises, no twists, and the outcome was as I expected. Not the best mystery novel for me, but I’m sure there are many other readers that would disagree. One disappointing star.

I received a digital ARC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

You know the phrase "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"? Well that is dead Henry's wife Kristen to a tee! Henry has had her back since she was a foster child in high school and now that someone has killed him, she is out for revenge! Add in Adam's wife Flora who is starting to learn that her husband may not be the sweet, dedicated man she thought she knew and we have a fierce group of widows. They are called an ambush. Of note: a group of tigers is also called an ambush. It is with this slight of hand type humor that the dreadful story of deceit, revenge, and family is told. I pretty much loved the entire book. I was invested in the characters, I wanted to know what had happened to the men, and I wanted revenge just like Kristen. What I didn't love was how it came together at the end. If felt incredibly flimsy and instead of feeling like a twist, it almost felt like the author got to the reveal portion of the book and wasn't quite sure where it was going so grasped at a way to tie it all up. Did I miss hints earlier in the book? I don't think so. And the connections that appeared seemed fabricated at the last moment instead of already being part of the ongoing story. Thankfully the disappointment at that point was overshadowed by the darn good plot and character development up until then.

This one started off promising and drew me in, but the plot became too convoluted, characters were hard to like, and I lost interest. A DNF for me.

I wasn't super hooked while reading this book, but the concept intrigued me. Two men go missing, and their widows are in disbelief. How were these murders connected when the men didn't even know each other? Or did they? Were their wives being kept in the dark? If so, why? How many secrets were being kept, and what was the reasoning for them? I think the book wrapped up nicely and there were a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I think the book was well written and I would read more of Jeff Abbott's work.

As always, Abbott's thriller hit the spot! I carried it from room to room, reading everywhere I landed! The plot unraveled slowly from chapter to chapter, always leaving a cliff hanger dangling before me. Compassion for the two widows changed to disgust back to compassion as the story unfolded. Characters are as well drawn as if seeing them in a movie.

This one gets a two thumbs up from me!

This psychological suspense story follows two widows as they track down who killed their husbands, together. Flora and Kirsten do not know each other. They live vastly different lifestyles, yet they are suddenly brought together by tragedy - their husbands have been found murdered together. What is the link? According to the police, there is none. There is no explainable reason why those two should’ve been in an abandoned warehouse together, where they would be shot in cold blood.

Frustrated by the lack of developments, Flora and Kirsten take it in their own hands to figure out their husbands’ secrets. But, in the shadows, a hit man lurks, watching the women get closer to finding the truth. He has one last hit to pull off and it’s proving to be his most frustrating yet - Kirsten. Why Kirsten and not Flora? So many secrets! So many surprises! I did enjoy this book, it was certainly entertaining and fun to play detective alongside fellow amateur ones - Kirsten and Flora.

Kirsten North is waiting for her husband to come home from his business trip to New York when she gets an anonymous phone call: “Your husband is dead in Austin.” She goes onlne and discovers that 2 men were shot to death in a warehouse in Austin, and one of the men was unidentified. In a panic, she flies to Austin, to see if that was indeed her husband. Flora Zhang knew her husband Adam was keeping secrets and had been distant lately. But she had no idea why he would have been in that warehouse with Henry North, whom as far as she knew, Adam didn't even know. Flora and Kirsten team up to try to solve the mystery of why their husbands were in the warehouse, how they knew each other, and who would want them dead.
This book was non-stop action from start to finish. There were so many twists and turns that you were never sure who the finger would be pointed at next. I loved it. I loved the way it ended, so there can be a sequel. This is definitely a must-read!

This was my first time reading Jeff Abbott, and it will definitely not be my last. The writing style and entire story sucked me in right away. Two husbands found dead in a warehouse in New Orleans. But they didn't know each other... or did they? The widows are trying to figure out exactly what is going on and who killed their husbands. Was it the mistress? Or the hitman? Or the homeless man? Or someone else entirely? I didn't mind that a few chapters went back into the past, it actually helped the story along. It all came together in a WTF moment and it wasn't one I really saw coming, which I like. A thriller book for anyone who loves the genre.

An Ambush of Widows is an awesome enough title to entice a reader perusing the shelves of their local Barnes & Noble or corner bookstore to at least stop and pause. Widows fighting back against injustices happened upon them to avenge their husbands' death makes for a great underdog story. The title alone drew me in to see what Jeff Abbott's latest thriller would entail.

Enter Kirsten who receives an anonymous phone call from someone who's told her her husband, Henry, is dead in Austin, Texas. Kirsten is immediately confused because the caller was calling from her husband's cell and he wasn't supposed to be in Austin. His business trip was elsewhere. Kirsten boards a plane to Austin from New Orleans unaware of the stranger following her with a plan to end her existence as well.

Enter Flora Zhang who's husband, Adam, is found dead with Kirsten's husband. The two don't appear to have any business dealings or reason to have even known each other. Adam Zhang is a rich cofounder of a successful venture capitalist firm while Henry North is a cybersecurity expert who's business is fledgling at best.

The shared interest in finding their husband's killers lead Flora and Kirsten into dangerous territory where there is really no one they can trust.

What Jeff Abbott does best here is maintain a cast of characters that are all potential suspects. Flora could potentially have had her husband killed for his money, Kirsten could have assumed her husband was cheating the reason she arrived to Austin before news even broke of her husbands death. There's also Adam's partner in the business who could have simply wanted a bigger stake in their wildly successful firm. A couple mobsters, contract killers, and clients are thrown in for good measure.

Just to be clear, I enjoyed reading An Ambush of Widows. It was an easy, fast paced whodunit read that kept me entertained. I've been slowly reading a few books that initially caught my attention, but this one maintained my attention. I cared enough about this mystery to see who wanted these two men dead. I believed it couldn't be as simple as that.

Ultimately, finding out whodunit pushed me towards finishing this novel. I hate to say that neither widow stood out for me. Kirsten is sort of a badass and the smarter of the two, yet she did nothing for me. Flora has every luxury at her fingertips, but slips into the role of being a sad woman who's hurt by a husband who isn't who she thought he was. Newsflash, none of us are who any of us think we are... I hope that sentence makes sense. My point is that our significant others are capable of harboring secrets that we'd never imagine.

Do I recommend this title? Sure. I've read a few of Abbott's other novels and their all great, fast reads. I enjoyed An Ambush of Widows. Overall, the plot was intriguing and captivating. The characters were not really people I ever cared too much for... but hey. We can't all get what we want.

Copy provided by Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley

An Ambush of Widows by Jeff Abbott is a wild story.

"Kirsten gets a call that her husband has been killed. She rushes to Austin, TX to find out what happened and who her husband was meeting in Austin. Her foster brother, Zach, , who works for the New Orleans mob, flies in to help her. Kirsten teams up with the other widow, Flora Zhang, to find the connection between their husbands. Why were they together and who wanted them dead?"

There are a lot of familiar plot elements here - kids in foster care, hiding a body, the mob family, a hit man. so many secrets and long awaited revenge. But Abbott mixes them up in a way that I have never read before. The story is a crazy mix of reveal after reveal - Kirsten and Zach's story. Who was Uncle Larry and Aunt JJ? And Teddy? What was the connection? So many surprises. The ending is more crazy action especially when you realize how the pieces fit together. Nice resolution and epilogue.

Definitely a book you should add to your summer reading list.

I have been reading Jeff Abbott’s writing for years and he has never disappointed me. An Ambush of Widows is no exception. As always, his characterizations are what make his books intensely readable. Every character feels so alive and the situations they get themselves into are fraught with tension. Jeff Abbott is a staple in the mystery world, as well as on my to be read pile.

3.5 Stars

This is a slow burner, but in the very best possible way...it was like putting a puzzle together...slowly, piece by piece...then eventually you begin to see the bigger picture. I also loved how the two female leads were strong women (even though at first Flora didn't seem to be)...who decide to work together to find who killed their husbands and why....and the killer is after them as well! All the characters were well developed and I really felt for Kirsten and Flora.

Even though I figured out who was responsible (hence the half a star removed) I really enjoyed this book. The writing was engaging and fresh and the plot was absorbing. This is my second book by Jeff Abbott, the first was Never Ask Me and now I am going to have to get more for my reading shelves.

An Ambush of Widows by Jeff Abbott is a well-written and engrossing read with well developed characterizations. Well worth the time spent reading.

I really enjoyed this book: the premise of 2 men being killed together when they supposedly didn't know one another in a place no one knew they owned. When the two widows join forces, they try to unravel the reasons why the men met and what the purpose would be.

As fun as the story is, the characters are really entertaining. Who's a good guy, who's a bad guy and how do those boundaries blend? Everyone has layers and dimension and ulterior motives. I really enjoyed how they worked with one another as each step forward brought certain risk.

There are some clever comments which added a nice icing to the cake.

Let me tell you............

I COMPLETELY FREAKED OUT when I was approved to read An Ambush of Widows, prior to the release date!!!!!!! I have always been a huge fan of Jeff Abbott, so this literally MADE MY DAY!!!

An Ambush of Widows is a tale of two women with only one thing in common, both of their husbands have been murdered. Buckle up butter cup, you are in for a wild ride. The suspense and thrill I felt while reading this novel was mind blowing! I literally flew through without even so much as a bathroom break.

As always, Jeff Abbott, does not disappoint. I will forever be a fan. I feel as though I am very critical when it comes to giving a 5 star review, however, anything short of five stars would not be justified.

An Ambush of Widows needs to be on everyone's list ! I will highly recommend this novel to friends and family!

I was given this book by Net Galley for an honest review.—
Once again Abbott write a winner!
Two widows try to piece together the reason their husbands were together and murdered together.
Kristin gets a call telling her that her husband is dead in Austin —- but why was he is Austin when he said he would be elsewhere?
Floa thought her husband was having an affair until he was murdered and everything starts to point to her.
Why wee these two men together? Why were they murdered? Who murdered them?
This was a great book,

Two men murdered in an abandoned warehouse, no apparent connection between them. Why were they murdered? There are all sorts of twists and turns in this book that will keep you engaged. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Wowza, now this is a thriller! Excellently written, unputdownable, fast paced, and full of thrills! The author really knows how to do character development in a manner that makes you need to be a part of the story and learn everything! Unique, engaging, riveting, and so much more! Plumb full of twisty turns, chilling chills, thrilling thrills, shocks, and tension! A must read for my fellow thriller lovers! Highly, highly, highly recommend!

Will buzz around platforms and use low Amazon reviewer number!

Jeff Abbott gives us another terrific twisty story. Loved it! An Ambush of Widows will keep you reading non-stop until the final page.