Wow this was a disturbing book but in the best way! You know you are in for a ride when it starts off with "Sometimes I wish my husband would die. Do you ever feel like that?"....That just draws you in wondering what am I going to be reading. If you want a book that will keep your attention and take you for a ride, then this book is for you!

Thanks NetGalley and HH Tisevich for allowing me to read this ARC.

I read this book in one sitting.. The characters were all interesting and a little complex. The way the author pulled the storyline together with the big twist was great! This was my first book that I have read from this author but I will definitely be following her from this day forth. She had me rooting for the villain from the very beginning, I loved and hated her. Any author that can do that for me deserves a 5 star rating. Great READ!

"It is going to be an uncomfortable ride, I can promise you that. But it is an honest, no-holds-barred story that you will relate to on a level you won't want to admit."

Well, sorry to tell you Betty Lou Abbott, but I thankfully don't relate to you at all. Yikes!

I'm not going to talk much about the plot because I don't want to spoil anything this slim novel (under 200 pages) has to offer. Betty Lou Abbott (Betts, for short) was one of the most delightfully despicable characters I have come to read in quite a while. She's a perfect example of the unlikeable narrator that you just can't stop reading about because McKinney took time to make her interesting. Intelligent, cunning, manipulative, and maybe a wee bit deranged. Spending time in her head had me chortling one minute and being horrified the next. I really enjoyed the twists and turns this story took. All in all this was a fun afternoon of reading and I always appreciate when my reading time is well spent! Thank you Ms. McKinney! 4 stars!

A short, sharp suspense story with some gorgeously noir undertones, The Widow of Weeping Pines kept me guessing till the last page. In fewer than 200 pages, the author crafts and intriguing mystery and a set of compelling, inextricably linked characters, all of whom have questionable motives. I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and HH Tisevich for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I did not enjoy this book. There were too many holes in the plot, Betty Lou Abbot was a completely unlikeable character, The ending made no sense.

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. I gave it a 4 stars. I enjoyed it was a short book wasnt really expecting the ending but it wasnt nothing that has never been done before either. I would of liked to hear the cops pov a little more though you hear from betts alot

the widow of weeping pines - amanda mckinney

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

thank you @netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

this was a short, fast-paced psychological thriller. the book started off strong and i was intrigued from the very beginning. it was told from different points of views and alternated between past and present. i love a good thriller and this one had me wanting to read quickly to find out what would happen next! as with every good thriller, i did not see the twist coming but unfortunately, the ending was a miss for me. certain things that happened throughout the book were never addressed by the end and in my opinion, added no value to the plot. I also felt that the ending was rushed, wrapped up too quickly and left me with many unanswered questions.

I want to start off by saying I really enjoyed this authors writing style! The first line of the book sucked me right in & I read it in one sitting. I enjoyed that it was a shorter novella and had quick chapters, always a plus for me! As much as I do enjoy a quicker read, I do wish this story had a bit more to it. Overall, I think this is absolutely worth the read & a fun thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Widow of Weeping Pines.

I was intrigued by the premise, though it didn't sound like anything new: a woman suspects her fiance of cheating. But she's no ordinary woman, and she's got plenty to hide.

The novel is short, the cast of characters small and compact, and the quick chapters enhances the uncomfortable tension among the few characters.

I like the way the author writes; straight forward, no flowery prose, just right to the point.

I like Betts' tone; she's obviously hiding something but doesn't pretend she's not or that she hasn't done something bad She's bored with her life, she's annoyed, and she doesn't like cheaters.

Sadly, because the novel is short, character development is weak and most of the characters not Betts is easily expendable.

Everyone is despicable, murderous and terribly unlikable, but I think Ian is worse. He stayed with Betts even though she planned to murder her first husband.

There's a soap opera twist that isn't hard to suspend disbelief because you know the story is going to go off the rails soon so psychologically, you're prepared for whatever comes next.

I did like the ending. I do love when a woman gets the upper hand in a way.

First time reading this author and she does not disappoint. The story centers around Bett. the widow, and all that happens in the aftermath of her husband's death. Fast paced and engrossing ...waiting for the ends to meet was beyond thrilling.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC for an honest opinion.

This short novel is not short on twists and turns.

Betty Lou Abbott—Betts—is living in the mansion left to her by her late husband in a small, cloud-covered town in which she is decidedly unpopular among the locals, particularly Detective Nicholas Stahl. Stahl was mentored by Betts’ husband, who had been a father to him during his rough youth. Stahl thinks the fact that Jack didn’t leave him anything in his will and his death was suspicious, even if Jack did have heart problems.

There is also the mysterious and beautiful Carmen, who had become a bestselling author in LA. Why would someone that successful return to this backwater town and start using Betts’ off-the-books counseling services?

NetGalley provided a copy of this novel, which as I mentioned, a very quick read.

I must admit I have mixed feelings about this book. On the plus side, it kept me quickly turning the pages— short chapters and different POVs really worked for the story. And it grabbed me from the very first page. However, there was very little character development or depth to the characters. If it had been a longer book, perhaps this may have been different. Also, there were tense plot threads in the book (for example, a possible murder-suicide) that were never resolved or addressed. Were these simply red herrings? Maybe it’s just me, but I would have liked these plot points to be further developed.

Anyway, it was a quick, tense read with a very interesting twist. And it did keep me reading into the night. So you may want to give it a try if you have a couple of hours free one afternoon.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Amanda McKinney, and the publisher HH Tisevich for gifting me the digital copy of this book! I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!!

Wow! Amanda has made a loyal reader out of me. The storyline was full of plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. I am usually very cautious about reading thrillers that have a character that portrays mental illness or domestic issues as they all seem to be the same but Amanda delivered! This storyline was unlike the typical female lead with a mental illness questioning her sanity or not. The character development was phenomenal. I found myself hating Betts at time and then rooting for her the next. Really wish this book would go on forever as I did not want the story to end! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Super intense and quick read. Plot keeps you guessing. I usually can figure out books fairly quickly, but I missed several of the plot twists within this book.

The Widow of Weeping Pines sounded intriguing and exactly like the kind of psychological mystery book I typically really enjoy. I wanted to like it…I tried to like it…but this book ultimately didn’t work for me. I disliked all of the characters who felt like archetypes for this genre, most especially the main character Betty Lou, aka Betts. The question of how she was able to string so many people along as a therapist, wife, daughter and friend while simultaneously being an unqualified professional and all-around truly awful human being required suspension of disbelief, despite the author trying to resolve it mid-book, when Betts earlier diagnosis as a sociopath was revealed (I might have inserted that into the story earlier). The book’s supporting characters were also either unlikeable, flat or unfathomable. For example, Ian the fiancé knew Betts planned to kill hubby #1 & stayed with her anyway, all the while reviling her. Just why??? At the end, when she actually killed all the remaining characters, I honestly didn’t care.
This would normally would have been a one-star for me, but got another one because it was just barely interesting enough for me to finish and was also a mercifully short book.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

If you have like 2 hours and some change to kill and you're looking for a quick and twisty read, highly recommend.

I am not well versed in thrillers, but I had a really fun time reading this. I picked it up at 11pm thinking "oh I'm just gonna read for an hour and then sleep" and finished the whole thing. It's short, which is nice so it didn't actually take that long to read but I was also wide awake after finishing it so I would not recommend reading it before bed. (It's not horror so it's not scary by any means, but it's disturbing and fast paced enough to have you staring at your ceiling for a little while afterwards). I really like the author's writing style, she managed to keep the pacing throughout the story even utilizing flashbacks and time jumps. You aren't bored for a second. The MC is pretty unhinged so you get to see most of the story from her perspective which I loved.

There were some minor plot holes, and some "oh that's convenient" moments. Some actions that I didn't understand and a typo near the end that is so unimportant and irrelevant to the story but it bugged me so much lol ~ Spoiler but not really ~ in the copy that I received the characters were supposed to be eating spaghetti and as they are having dinner and conversing there's the line "I stabbed a piece of egg". And I'm like "BUT YOU ARE EATING SPAGHETTI" - unless some people put eggs in spaghetti idk. Maybe they fixed it haha.

Overall, SO fun. ** Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review**

Quick and gripping read with great characters and atmosphere. I had not read this author before but will be looking for her work in the future. Recommended for those who love mystery/suspense novels. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

THE WIDOW OF WEEPING PINES
By Amanda McKinney


“Sometimes I wish my husband would die. Do you ever feel that”. That is the books opening line and I found myself unable to put this book down. I spent the whole day devouring it as I just had to know what was going to happen and where the whole story was going to wind up.

Betty Lou (“Betts”) is a therapist in the very small town of Weeping Pines. She moved to this small town from New York with her husband Jack, who decided after being a successful doctor he wanted to retire and move back to where he grew up. She doesn’t like being in Weeping Pines as the town is too small for her and she finds herself not liking where she is - and finding out the locals don’t like her either. To keep herself busy and bide her time, she opens up her own therapist's office in her basement.

Then…her husband has a heart attack. She suspects one of her patients is having an affair with her fiance. A local detective enters the mix (Nicholas) hellbent on finding out what really happened to Jack.

The author had me guessing this whole book and it was honestly such a page-turner. I never saw the twists coming - and in my opinion - is the mark of a great author and storyteller. My mouth went agape more than once. I didn’t want this book to end and I cannot wait to read another Amanda McKinney book.

The Widow of Weeping Pines is a deliciously twisted story of horrible people and unreliable narrators. This novella is told form multiple points of view, and every character has secrets and ulterior motives. Highly recommend for fans of Kiersten Modglin and Colleen Hoover's Verity.

Thank you to Netgalley and HH Tisevich for the e-arc in echange for an honest review.

I loved this story! My only complaint is that it was too short!

“Sometimes I wish my husband would die. Do you ever feel like that?” That is the opening line of the book, and it had me hooked! How many of us have ever had that thought, no matter how fleeting? But what separates us from Betts, the main character, is whether we act on that thought.

Betty Lou Abbott is a licensed doctor of psychology who provides therapy in her small town of Weeping Pines. She is a recently widowed, functioning alcoholic, who is engaged to Ian, who may or may not be having an affair. Betts, as she prefers is writing her first great novel in her spare time. There are so many layers to this story its just like peeling an onion!

Be prepared for plot twists, mystery, suspense, psychological drama and an unexpected ending!!

Highly recommend!!