The Woman in the Window – A. J. Finn

What did she see?

It’s been ten months since Anna Fox last left her home. Ten months during which she has haunted the rooms of her old New York house, lost in her memories, too terrified to step outside.

Anna’s lifeline to the real world is her window, where she sits, watching her neighbours. When the Russells move in, Anna is instantly drawn to them. A picture-perfect family, they are an echo of the life that was once hers.

But one evening, a scream rips across the silence, and Anna witnesses something horrifying. Now she must uncover the truth about what really happened. But if she does, will anyone believe her? And can she even trust herself?

 

My thanks to Rebecca at Harper Collins for my review copy.

 

This will be my last review of 2018 – glad I get to finish with a five star cracker of a read!  The Woman in the Window is one of those stories you just want to finish in a single sitting.  It is chilling, tragic, unsettling, funny and just plain perplexing at times and I loved it.

Anna Fox has not left her home for months.  She suffers from agoraphobia and is terrified to step outside her front door.  Anna connects to the world through an online chat forum where she helps fellow agoraphobics to face their fears and chat to a friendly and supportive fellow sufferer.  Anna also plays chess, drinks far too much and spends a lot of time watching her neighbours.

Her new neighbours are causing her some frustration, she doesn’t know enough about them yet and so, with camera in hand, Anna is fact finding.  She discusses the neighbours with her husband – he and Anna are separated at present and he lives elsewhere with their daughter. It is clear that Anna misses them terribly but their relationship hit a rocky patch and they are currently not together.  This doesn’t prevent Anna from spilling the beans on the new neighbours when the couple have a catch-up chat.

The Russells have moved in over the road.  Father, Mother and a teenage son. Anna first meets the son who pops around with a gift from his mother. A few days later Anna meets Mrs Russell (Jane) and the pair spend an entertaining afternoon together before Jane has to head off.  The next time Anna sees Jane it is through the window of her home and Jane is being attacked.

Anna is convinced that Jane is dead and tries to report her suspicions to the police.  The detectives that come to call upon her have some good news – Mrs Russell is very much alive and there was no attack in her home. But the irrefutable proof they offer Anna that no crime took place shock her to the core and leave her doubting everything she has seen or done in recent weeks.  It also confounded the hell out of this reader.

The Woman in the Window is one of the books worthy of the “page turner” accolade.  It is the physical embodiment of “one more chapter” and is a thumping good read.  I will be recommending this to everyone for some time to come.

 

The Woman in the Window is now available in paperback, digital and audiobook format.  You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Window-J-Finn/dp/0008234183/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545940819&sr=8-1