The Widower
On sale
20th May 2021
Price: £18.99
‘The Widower seethes with atmosphere – I read the first half slowly, almost unable to bear the thrumming tension, and the second half at full pelt. Haunting and heart-wrenching, this book is reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier’ – Observer
He promised, until death do us part.
When bossy, loving, sensible Kate dies suddenly, her little sister Rose dutifully returns from a carefree life abroad to help Kate’s widower and the two children Rose has never met. But she is unsettled to see no trace of her warm-hearted sister in the remote, dilapidated house, nor in Kate’s cold, distant partner, Evan.
After stumbling across a message that only her sister could have left for her, Rose’s unease around the circumstances of Kate’s death turns to open suspicion, but she knows better than to ask the grieving widower for answers.
Determined to discover the truth of her sister’s terrible last days, Rose has no choice but to keep looking. Eventually, she senses, the dark house will give up its secrets. But she is not prepared to admit that whoever threatened Kate’s life might now be coming after her…
Praise for Christobel Kent and her novels:
‘A highly superior slice of domestic noir’ Mail on Sunday
‘Spooky, gripping and affecting’ Louise Doughty, author of Apple Tree Yard
‘Echoes of Christie and du Maurier’ Sunday Times
‘Beautifully tense’ Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go
‘Gorgeous evocative writing’ Erin Kelly, author of He Said She Said
He promised, until death do us part.
When bossy, loving, sensible Kate dies suddenly, her little sister Rose dutifully returns from a carefree life abroad to help Kate’s widower and the two children Rose has never met. But she is unsettled to see no trace of her warm-hearted sister in the remote, dilapidated house, nor in Kate’s cold, distant partner, Evan.
After stumbling across a message that only her sister could have left for her, Rose’s unease around the circumstances of Kate’s death turns to open suspicion, but she knows better than to ask the grieving widower for answers.
Determined to discover the truth of her sister’s terrible last days, Rose has no choice but to keep looking. Eventually, she senses, the dark house will give up its secrets. But she is not prepared to admit that whoever threatened Kate’s life might now be coming after her…
Praise for Christobel Kent and her novels:
‘A highly superior slice of domestic noir’ Mail on Sunday
‘Spooky, gripping and affecting’ Louise Doughty, author of Apple Tree Yard
‘Echoes of Christie and du Maurier’ Sunday Times
‘Beautifully tense’ Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go
‘Gorgeous evocative writing’ Erin Kelly, author of He Said She Said
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Reviews
A highly superior slice of domestic noir
A creepy, slow-burning novel in which tension can change in just seconds.
Christobel Kent returns to the eerie, estuarine turf she trod so mesmerisingly in her Sunday Times best seller, The Crooked House ... There are echoes of du Maurier's Manderley in the brooding house, dead wife and ratcheting-up of tension.
The Widower seethes with atmosphere - I read the first half slowly, almost unable to bear the thrumming tension, and the second half at full pelt. Haunting and heart-wrenching, this book is reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier
A gratifyingly spooky and tense thriller that is drawing comparisons to Daphne du Maurier.
The very definition of a page-turner, I defy you to read it at anything less than break-neck speed.
If you wanted a masterclass on how to pace a narrative of suspense, this would be it. Thrilling, heartbreaking, unputdownable.
Christobel Kent's subtly satisfying novel illustrates how easy it is for people to talk themselves into an abusive relationship; that it doesn't seem likely is precisely what allows it to be overlooked.