Dark, fast-paced novella that you will be able to read in a couple hours.
Betts is a widow, therapist, and wannabe novelist. Her husband, Jack, died several years ago and now she is engaged to Ian whom she suspects of having an affair with one of her therapy clients. Her dead husband’s friend, Nicholas, is a detective who is re-opening the case of her husband’s death.
The chapters are short. You don’t know who to trust or who to believe. The story moves quickly with a few short sex scenes. Great read for an afternoon on the beach.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

"The Widow of Weeping Pines" is gripping and suspenseful, and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Amanda McKinney has crafted a story that is complex and multi-dimensional, with secrets that keep you guessing until the very end. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted mystery with complex characters and a twisty plot.

Not on my list of favorites. It felt like the object wasn’t to tell a story but rather to see how weird the characters could be while still being somewhat believable. McKinney is a good writer but this wasn’t her best effort.

“Sometimes I wish my husband would die. Do you ever feel like that?”
Now that’s an opening that will hook a reader into finishing a book in one sitting!
Betty Lou or Betts as she likes to be called is a “therapist” with more than a few issues of her own. She’s jealous of her handsome, wealthy husband, she’s revengeful, angry, manipulative, anxious and has murder on her mind. If you choose to read this one you’re in for a wild ride.

The Widow of Weeping Pines is was quite the psychological thriller. Therapist and struggling author Betty Lou Abbott has a secret, one she keeps locked in the basement of the historic mansion she inherited from her late husband. Her fiancé, Ian, also has a secret: he is having an affair with one of Betty Lou’s clients. She thinks so, anyway.

The premise really drew me in here. I usually love a dual POV with a mystery because I find it lets readers feel like they know more than the narrators at some points in the book.

Overall I found the book really fast paced, quite chaotic but really interesting - as I couldn't predict some of the twists and turns. I didn't love how short it was (it's only 150 ish pages - so comes in as a novella) and found the length resulted in the story feeling a bit rushed. I think it is a series though - so I will definitely pick up book #2.

Rating: 3.5⭐

EXCERPT: Betts
Sometimes I wish my husband would die.
Do you ever feel like that?

ABOUT 'THE WIDOW OF WEEPING PINES': Therapist and struggling author Betty Lou Abbott has a secret, one she keeps locked in the basement of the historic mansion she inherited from her late husband. Her fiancé, Ian, also has a secret: he is having an affair with one of Betty Lou’s clients. She thinks so, anyway.

As Betty Lou’s life becomes intertwined with the beautiful, successful Carmen Marquis, her intention to expose the affair turns into a dangerous obsession. Especially when she learns there is more to Carmen than meets the eye.
Caught in the middle of this cunning pair of women is Nicholas Stahl, a crooked detective who is determined to prove the truth—that one of them is a cold-blooded killer.

Two women—one crazy, one ill—and both have secrets they would kill for.
Two men—one innocent, one ruthless.
All four will leave you wondering who you can trust.

MY THOUGHTS: From the opening lines to the very last word, Amanda McKinney had me hooked. This is probably the craziest, most compelling, rollercoaster ride of a novella that I have ever had the pleasure to read. I picked it up and didn't put it down till I finished it.

Anxiety, anger, manipulation, jealousy, revenge, even murder - but no remorse.

Don't read about The Widow of Weeping Pines, just read the book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#AmandaMcKinney #NetGalley

I: @amandamckinneyauthor #HHTisevich

#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #mystery #suspense #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Set in small, Southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries peppered with steamy romance She lives in Arkansas with her handsome husband, two beautiful boys, and three obnoxious dogs.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to HH Tisevich via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Widow of Weeping Pines by Amanda McKinney for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I was pulled in from the first line. The author excels at the use of tone and voice to propel the story forward when the reader might otherwise tap out due to lacking believability. Loved.

This one kept me on the edge of my seat till the twisted end! I didn’t see that coming! This is a dark psychological thriller full of domestic suspense and mystery. It’s a page turner with plot twists and troubled characters. I really enjoyed it.

This book was extremely easy to read, writing was clear and engaging, the pace was also good, so it was a hard decision to give it 1 star. The plot was, however, chaotic, and pretty much all characters were unlikeable. Still, the biggest issue is how mental health in this book is terribly misrepresented. That is my main reason why it could not be redeemed.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!
I liked this book for being fast paced, short, and captivating. The characters were a tangled dramatic mess and it was hard to figure out who was telling the truth & when. I liked the varying perspectives with a heavier focus on Betts POV. Only having 5 characters helped the story to be easy to follow. Each of the characters was complex with clear, and not so clear intentions. I loved how short the book was overall, and the ending both cleaned it up and left more questions.

The widow of weeping pines
I'm not really into murder. Mysteries for the most part, but this book is most definitely an exception. It has twists and turns much like the country roads, hillside's ,and Cliff shores described in the books landscape. Never really quite sure who to sympathize with in this book and there were a lot of creepy things I found myself relating to anyways, I never would have I also very much liked the length of this book. There are some books that you want on and on, but this one was very good. Everything ended up neatly wrapped up in a nice little package. I recommend this book even to those who don't think they like murder mysteries.

Quite the little psychological thriller this one. I absolutely will be adding this series to my TBR.

I was hooked the first chapter and remained invested the whole way through. This novella is written as a multi-timeline and limited dual-perspective view that I consumed in one sitting. Mostly told from our Main Character “Betts” (with a few random but important chapters from the Detective) we go go one heck of a dark ride.

The story slowly unfurls and leaves you questioning EVERYTHING. I could NOT for the life of me pin down this story (my favorite kind of read). I was surprised more than once and the mystery level was perfection. Not really heart thumping or breathe faster- kind of thriller, but a definite mind bender.

Heads up on the adult language and minor spicy 🌶️ scenes if you’re uncomfortable with reading this. I found it to be a minute amount so it didn’t detract from the story for me.

Well that was interesting… disturbing on many levels, though. If a town could have as many psychos in it as possible, this would apparently be it. It felt like a little too far fetched at times and hard to believe, the way it ended up, and not a little like the worst of humanity ended up in the same place. But it had me guessing nonetheless.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are mine.

This was a quick, fun read. Betty Lou’s husband, Jack, dies and she is left in a town she hates. She gets engaged and starts and illegal clinic in her basement, but is Betts really the crazy one? As she tries to figure out if her fiancé is having an affair, or if the detective is really out to get her, her life gets out of control.

I devoured this fast-paced read. The main character Betts was relatable, despite her many issues. I loved the twist at the end, and instantly needed more once it was over. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

A super fast read because you cannot put it down, not just because it’s short. The opening sentence “Sometimes I wish my husband would die” reels you in from the get go.
   The character list is small and dynamic but the book is really all about Betts. Betty Lou Abbot is full of herself, a little crazy, running an illegal office in her house and on the radar of the local detective.  She is convinced her dentist fiancé is having an affair with a client and he is less than wonderful as a human but she tolerates him in spite of it all. As I said…….lots of craziness going on which makes it wildly enjoyable.

This book had my head spinning. It definitely left me wondering what was going on for most of the story and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

You come into Betty Lou's life shortly after her husband dies. You realize soon that his death is a bit mysterious and you begin to wonder what happened. Did he really die of a heart attack? Who can you trust? I didn't know until the very end, and those are the best thrillers.

The Widow of Weeping Pines was a fast paced and suspenseful read. I was immediately pulled into the story. The MC was slightly unlikeable but I felt myself rooting for her at the same time. I enjoyed the unreliable narrator and misdirection throughout the story.
There was a twist near the end that was somewhat hard to believe and I had a little confusion about the ending but overall I really enjoyed the story and can’t wait to read more by Amanda McKinney.
I will be posting this review on Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon.

Widow of Whispering Pines is one of the more interesting books I have read for a while. Told in different perspectives, it is about a woman, Betts, who is moving on with her life after her husband’s heart attack. Nickolas is a detective out to prove that she murdered her husband for the money. Enter Carmen, who Betts believes is having an affair with her fiancé. Four people – four different stories - which one is telling the truth. This author does a stand up job on character and plot development, and the ending was totally unexpected. Excellent read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Fast and easy read that had me from page one. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the writing style. Not my favourite thriller but i still really enjoyed.