The Widow Catcher

I really enjoyed this book! I thought I knew where it was going, but was totally wrong.

I think it was very fast paced in some parts, but also a little slow in others.

Other than that it was an amazing book.

Celia Frost's life has changed. Ever since her husband had his heart attack she has been stressed. Her husband wants her to quit her job at the bank so that they can travel. She loves her job at the bank. She's not so keen on traveling across Australia in a motorhome.
Andrew a friend she's know for five years and a coworker suggests she should do something new. He tells her of a book club that is help at the town's celebrity's home. She decided to go.. all the women at the book club are older, feisty, gossipy and rather eccentric.
Celia is a down to earth character. Her worries and stresses are believable. The other characters add to her validity.
A good read.
Then she finds out the curse of the book club. Members of that club die.

Took me a short while to take to this but the more I read of this novel the more I liked it. By the end of the book I was wondering what other books had Jonelle Blake wrote.

Delia Frost is happy in her job at the bank and is not looking forward to quitting her job to travel around Australia in a motor home with her husband who is recovering from a heart attack. She wants to tell him that she doesn't want to go can't face it.
​Looking for a bit of time to herself decides to go to a book club she had been invited to which is run by a local celebrity. But the invitation is not random and she was selected ​by a serial killer to play her part in the murders of elderly widows. 

Finding herself caught in a web of blackmail and murder, Delia is now keen to leave this town as fast as she can. Except the killer doesn’t want to let her go.


This was a very enjoyable read with some very interesting characters.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellent tale and well told.

It’s the story of Delia, who works in a bank and her husband, Richard, who following a recent heart attack wishes to travel the country in a motor home he has recently been bequeathed. Unfortunately, Delia doesn’t share this dream and she’s also struggling with the fact that both her children have left home to go travelling, all of which has left her feeling a bit lost.

Then, a friend from work introduces her to a book club, old people start to die and Delia finds herself enmeshed in a serial killer drama.

It’s not really a whodunnit, although, there’s definitely suspense and it’s sufficiently well written that I got carried away with the storyline and characters and I pretty much read in one sitting.

Overall, it’s an easy to read, enjoyable suspenseful mystery with some great characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and the author for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

"Delia Frost never makes a fuss. It said so on my employment record." ...

Well, Delia Frost is making a fuss now and it makes for an enchanting story full of mystery and fun! Although we find out who the villian is a little too early for my liking, this book was a joy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC of The Widow Catcher.

Celia’s life was just how she wanted it. A husband and a job at the bank was perfect for her life. Then her husband has a heart attack. After realizing how short life really is, her husband wants her to quit the bank and travel with him. While that idea does not resonate well with her, she decides to talk to a coworker who tells her about a book club. Not just any book club though. The characters are very unique to what you would expect and they each help bring validity to the other. The author has done a great job in keeping the readers interest and also keeping us guessing. I did not expect how this book would end.

Thanks to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which reminded me somewhat of "The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires" but without the vampires! Certainly less gritty but still with plenty of mystery, bad deeds and opportunity to cheer on the female lead determined to make things right. As a parrot owner, I especially liked the scenes where Monty the African Grey made an appearance.
I will definitely be buying this for our staff fiction section.

This novel is more entertaining than suspenseful. Although there's a serial killer involved the story isn't scary. Delias struggle with the unwanted trip is somewhat ore interesting than the crimes.
For someone like me who is about her age her character is quite relatable.

#TheWidowCatcher #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and Jonette Blake for a copy to review.

"For the rest of the day I thought of kittens. Rainbows. Unicorns. Cheese platters. Sunsets. Walks on the beach. Wisteria in bloom. To picture these was to invite a smile, and I was thus able to smile at customers all day long. Yet, as the clock drew closer to five the images changed. No longer sweet kittens but vicious, feral cats. Storm clouds. Dishes piled in the sink."
I couldn't really categorize this book completely as a thriller, it was a mix of a dark comedy and a life questioning story. Delia is a 53 years old banker whose orderly life was subjected to a shocking change after her husband experienced a life threatening heart attack. Experiencing a near death taste Richard wanted to have a go trying everything he missed and start living. Delia agreed to quit her loved job and go around Australia in a 12 months trip with her husband.
Feeling the need to escape even for one evening from her monotonous demanding life, Delia attended a book club she was invited to by one of her colleagues hosted by an old time celebrity who lives in their town.
When book club members started dying one by one, Delia's involvement in this weird web gets deeper.
A fun enjoyable read with a very likable lead characters and a very chatty Gray Bird.

In a small coastal town in Australia elderly women are being found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Delia Frost is a bank teller who’s husband just recently survived a heart attack and decides to retire and go on a road trip across Australia in a motor home. Delia is not as excited about the trip as her husband is and decides to do something for herself before she leaves everything behind to travel. She accepts an invitation from one of her coworkers to a book club organized by a local celebrity. Since that meeting her life turns into a rollercoaster. She gets caught in the middle of a serial killer “conspiracy”. Will she be a next victim or a hero who helps catching a killer?
I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy, fast read with likeable characters and a hint of suspense and mystery.
Thank you to Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Finally, a mystery about a woman in her fifties without a sordid past , a drinking problem, or psychological baggage. Delia, is 55 and has a career in banking and a husband recovering from a heart attack. She finds herself becoming an amateur detective to detect why members of her book club start dropping like flies in mysterious ways. Her husband, of many years wants her to retire and go on a year long motohome trip across Australia., but she's not quite ready to do so. While the killer is revealed early in the book, his motives and background story will keep you guessing.
Great book for a mature, intelligent reader. Completed the book in one day.

Delia and her husband, Richard, attend a dinner put on by Delia's workplace. Delia works at a bank. At 53 years old, she does have seniority, there. It is announced that a new position will be opening up. Her boss suggests a lot of those at the dinner should apply. Yet, Richard had suffered a heart attack 6 months ago and has since retired. Since he inherited a motorhome from his uncle, he wants to live each day to its' fullest. This on a year-long motorhome trip. He plans to rent out their house to cover the trip's costs. Of course, this would also mean that Delia leave her job. She sort of wanted to apply for the new position....

Coming home to Richard each night (now that their grown children have moved out) is not Delia's idea of happiness. She likes her job and does not want to take the trip or rent out her home...

One day a coworker, Andrew, invites her to a book club meeting at a former film star's house. Delia goes, lying to Richard that she has a meeting at work. Karin (the home owner) is a bit strange and confined to a wheelchair. Delia also finds the others (5 elderly women) a bit odd as well.

Things get really strange when Delia is handed an envelope by Karin as she is leaving. Karin tells Delia to open the envelope at home.

WOW!!!

A totally, different kind of read. A great descriptive narrative

RECOMMEND!

Many Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a great read!

3.5 stars. Delia Frost is happy with her job and her life until her husband has a heart attack and decides they should travel Australia in an RV. She is invited to join a book club that she reluctantly attends. She gets drawn into a mystery that is either real or the figment of an elderly woman's imagination. This book dragged at the beginning and took almost 40% before I got into it. The writing style is kind of dry and I didn't really like the main character. But after the halfway point I was finally interested in finding out what happens. It all wraps up quickly but thankfully it was not a long book. It was entertaining and a good story, just a little slow.

This was a great mystery.

I kept turning the pages to see where this was going.

It also had some humor which I loved.

I read that this author's books are standalones, but I'd love to read more about Richard and Delia so I hope the author considers a sequel.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed reading The Widow Catcher. This is a murder mystery written in a unique story form. Delia Frost is a bank teller. Her husband had a heart attack a few months earlier and now wants to go traveling in a travel trailer that someone gave him. Even though this was Delia's idea, she really doesn't want to go. It means she would have to quit the job that she loves, and she really doesn't know how to tell Richard, her husband. When Andrew, another teller at the bank she works invites her to join the "book club" he goes to, things get out of hand real fast. It is held in a famous actress's house, and she is rather strange. She pulls Delia into the web of murder and blackmail before Delia even has a chance to say no. This is a really twisted story about family and betrayal and of course murder. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

A seemingly innocent book club gives way to a plot to kill. The main character, Delia Frost, fits perfectly into the story with her rule following traits and the way the author fits her into the book club plot helped to build up the suspense as to how much it will take for her to stray from her ingrained personality traits. This story was a bit of a slow burn for me since it does take a while to get to know Delia but after that it was more of a page turner and I wanted to find out what happened. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher.

I wanted twists and this book meet all my expectations. I will be purchasing this for my book shelf i loved it so much.

I received a complimentary copy of The Widow Catcher from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Great novel! With an older heroine, this book is in a league of its own. Believable characters, events and motivations blend well to create one well written novel with a great storyline. Well worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved Delia! She’s an amazing character and has enough quirks to make her likeable but not so many as to make her a caricature, which can sometimes be a trap for authors. Well paced and structured, this book offer the reader a challenge! I thought I had everything worked out but it turns out I didn’t. Blake constructs dialogue beautifully and paints a vivid picture of the settings of the story. I hear we may be seeing more of Delia and I can’t wait to see what she gets up to next.

Delia's life is perfect. She loves her job and life is good in general. But her husband has a heart attack after which he wants Delia to stop working and go with him to Australia to explore and enjoy life. Delia isn't too happy with this arrangement, but how can she say so without hurting his feelings?
In the meantime, Delia is invited to a book club meeting arranged by a local celebrity. She goes along, thinking that it will be one of the few good things left to do in this town before leaving. The book club is attended by widows, each one more weird than the next.
And Delia gets an envelope.


This book was amazing and had exactly what I love in a thriller. Fast-paced and tight, it keeps the readers on edge right till the end.

I'd love to read more books by Jonette Blake. Thanks to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for a free copy of this book so I can read and review. This was a very interesting story. I really liked Delia's personality. I wanted everything to work out for her. I thought she was a great wife, mom, sister, friend and employee. I liked their bird, Monty and I thought it was a funny element. The identity of the killer is revealed earlier than I would have preferred, but, the reason was revealed at the end and it was shocking. This is a new author for me and I plan to read more from her. This was an excellent, entertaining story. I highly recommend it.

❤️ Review time! ❤️

I enjoyed this quick paced read. It reads almost like a cozy but is a little more dark than a normal cozy. It is told from one point of view and has quick chapters. It kept me interested even though about 60% percent into the book you know what's going on and who done it. I recommend to anyone that likes cozy type thrillers.

Delia is a mom, wife, and Head Teller at a bank. Her husband wants to go on holiday and she's dreading it. She doesn't want to leave her job. Her co-worker invites her to a book club, and it's all downhill from there. Something sinister is going on and people around the book club are dying. Delia plays along with the host of the book club to try and figure it all out in secret but is caught up right in the middle.

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

A great read. I loved the lead character - I love how she was portrayed and how the villain took advantage of her personality. She kept to her principles throughout the book and even at the end showed good strength of character.

The writing was good and drew a person in, making you not want to put the book down until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.

Twists, turns, suspense and good characters. I enjoyed this book, well written, good storyline and made a change after trying to read some books I gave up on. I finished this and really enjoyed the story and writing style. I would like to read more by Jonette

The book was very well written and flowed well. The plot was great. Everything I thought it would be from the description . Interesting and exciting

This book was well written but there were lulls in the book which could have easily distracted readers giving up at those points. I SAY STICK WITH IT, the pacing picks up and you are on the edge of your seat. I really loved the twist

This is a delightful cozy. Nothing gruesome and ixnay on the sex, drugs and rock and roll lol (usually my thing, but sometimes you need a palate cleanser).

The main character is fun - she's bright, tired (I get it) and trying her best. Her family is quite wonderful. Our mystery is entertaining.

Yes, I knew the *who* of things quite early, but I also didn't care. I was along for the ride.

Fun read!