The Widow [Mass Market Paperback]

Carla Neggers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 20, 2007

Four days after Abigail Browning's wedding, her life changed unimaginably: her husband was fatally shot along the rocky Mount Desert Island coast. Was it a random act of violence, or could someone have wanted Christopher dead?

That's the question that has haunted Abigail, now a homicide detective, for the past seven years. Determined to find her husband's killer, she returns to the foggy Maine island after receiving an anonymous tip. Is it just another false lead, or can she finally prove that Chris was murdered?

Owen Garrison, the search-and-rescue worker who located Chris too late to save him, still carries guilt from that fateful night. As he helps Abigail unravel the mystery, they learn that the layers of deceit and lies are even thicker than they could have imagined. Now it's up to Abigail and Owen to keep pushing for the truth—and stop a killer from striking again….

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Neggers (Dark Sky) keeps the reader guessing "whodunit" to the end of her intriguing novel of romantic suspense. Seven years after Boston homicide detective Abigail Browning's FBI Special Agent husband, Chris, was shot dead on their honeymoon on Mt. Desert, Maine, 32-year-old Abigail returns to the resort island to try to find Chris's killer so she can move on with her life. The relentless detective risks both physical and emotional pain as she searches for the truth among the local people and the wealthy summer families who were her late husband's friends. A multitude of well-drawn suspects and the rugged Maine setting help offset some unrealistic initial interludes between Abigail and a potential new love interest, Owen Garrison, a neighbor who was the first to inform her of Chris's murder. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Readers have come to expect excellence from Neggers, and she delivers it here. The pairing of aristocratic spy Will with butt-kicking heroine Lizzie is inspired, and the multistrand plot is extremely absorbing. --Romantic Times BOOKreviews on THE MIST

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Mira; 1 edition (November 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325164
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325161
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, including SAINT'S GATE, the first in her new Sharpe & Donovan series, and SECRETS OF THE LOST SUMMER. Her work has been translated into two dozen languages. Carla is a founding member of the New England Chapter of Romance Writers of America and has served as president of Novelists, Inc. and vice president of International Thriller Writers.

Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Carla started writing at age eleven, when she'd climb a tree with pad and pen and perch on her favorite branch to spin stores. When she isn't writing, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, cross-country skiing and traveling. Carla and her husband, Joe Jewell, live on a hilltop in Vermont, not far from picturesque Quechee Gorge.

For more information and to contact Carla, visit her Web site: www.CarlaNeggers.com. You can also find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/carlaneggers or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/carlaneggers.

Photo credit: Julie Ireland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could have been better, December 31, 2007

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Widow (Hardcover)

THE WIDOW by Carla Neggers

December 31, 2007

Rating: 3/5 Stars

In THE WIDOW, Abigail Browning is a woman whose husband was murdered during their honeymoon. She has returned to the scene of the crime seven years later, after receiving anonymous phone calls leading her back to the island where they honeymooned. Abigail is now a detective, and is much more experienced than she had been when she was a young bride.

The story is set up through flashbacks and memories related to by other characters. While some readers may enjoy the story, I found it a bit convoluted, with too many characters giving a sense of a soap opera type of narrative. The ending seemed forced to me, although I was glad to finally find out "who dunnit". What I did like about the book was the near-gothic feel I got from the various story lines and the history behind the main characters, all who are tied up or related to the murder of Abigail's husband, as well as the death of another character's sister many years ago.

THE WIDOW isn't a bad read. However, readers shouldn't expect anything more than an average murder mystery on par with a TV series murder mystery.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous private investigative tale, October 9, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Widow (Hardcover)

In Mount Desert, Maine, FBI Special Agent Chris Browning and his wife Boston homicide detective Abigail are on their honeymoon when someone murders him. Seven years later, the homicide is unsolved and classified as a cold case by local authorities.

Thirtyish Abigail has not been able to find closure as long as her spouse's killer walks free. She decides she has waited too long so she resolves to return to the killing scene to investigate. She begins questioning locals starting with Owen Garrison, who had informed her that Chris was dead. Most of the locals offer nothing while the summer people offer less. However though emotionally dying with every step, Abigail refuses to back off even when someone tries to kill her.

THE WIDOW is a fabulous private investigative tale (Abigail may be a cop but she is on her own) in which the heroine seeks closure, but finds a myriad of plausible suspects instead. The Maine background adds to the feeling of New England stoic silence that seems to hammer at Abigail's inquiries. Though a romantic subplot with Owen seems more a throw in to fans of that genre, Carla Neggers provides a strong thriller.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful, April 25, 2007

By 

G. Greene - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Widow (Hardcover)

This is almost an old-time gothic romance, with murder, a mysterious caller, a wealthy hero, and an intrepid police detective set on an island. The characters are well-drawn, the plot twisting, and the ending not predictable. All in all, a very satisfying read, and the author ties up all the numerous plot lines. Well done!