The Woman in the Window

*Photograph is a screenshot from my Audible app*

Title: The Woman in the Window

Author: A.J. Finn

Genre: Mystery/Psychological Thriller

Published: 2018

Obtained: Audible/Amazon

Anna Fox was once a child psychologist, but is now a recluse with a drinking problem and Agoraphobia. Anna passes her lonely time by spying on her neighbors with her camera while mixing her medications with red wine. One day, Anna sees a dangerous incident in her neighbor’s house and her life begins to spiral out of control. The story whittles down to what did Anna really see and why doesn’t anyone believe her?

This was a super fun read! Initially, I was slightly creeped out by the main character, Anna Fox, who spends her days spying on the neighbors through her window. But, as the story unfolds, I began to warm up to her. Anna is a child psychologist who suffers from severe Agoraphobia mixed with a drinking problem. She is separated from her husband, who is the primary caregiver for their daughter; their daily phone calls help Anna get through her house-bound, merlot-fueled days. One day, Anna sees an appalling scene unfold across the park in her neighbor’s home. Not only does Anna struggle to find a way to help, being unable to leave her house, but she also struggles to determine if what she saw was real…given that she often mixes her medications with copious amounts of alcohol. The story barrells on in a psychological whirlwind. What really happened? Who’s to blame? It’s a page-turning thriller right up to the very end.

The Woman in the Window was the best psychological thriller I have read in some time. I will say, however, that I am tired of reading female protagonists who are unreliable due to drinking habits; it feels overdone. Anna is a character full of interest—her past is a story that unfolds slowly over the pages and keeps the reader hooked in order to discover her truth. The trauma in her past with the Agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) along with her pill popping, obsession with old thriller flicks and background in professional psychology would have been enough, I think, to convince the reader that she may be a questionable witness. On the other hand, her steady flow of red wine had me uncorking my own bottles as I read.

If you’ve read enough psychological thrillers, one of the plot elements will probably seem fairly obvious. Luckily, this element of the story is not the big twist that will keep you turning those pages faster than Anna gulps down that Merlot. Truthfully, even if I had guessed the final twist and the ending of this novel, I would have continued to read it. Finn writes beautiful prose. This was a pleasant surprise for me as a reader. I was not anticipating the poetic-like passages in The Woman in the Window. Not only is the novel suspenseful, but the sequence of words is alluring and elegant. Once I learned that the main character was a recluse, I shuddered with claustrophobia—I was afraid that the house would be too confining and could, potentially, dull the story down. I was pleasantly surprised by this too. It created an uncomfortable, suspenseful feel to the story that clung to me even when I put the book down for the evening.

The other characters in the story were well developed and memorable. I enjoy those characters that have that love-to-hate feel to them (like Dolores Umbridge); I felt that with a few of these characters. As Anna grew more paranoid throughout the story, I could feel myself analyzing the other characters—trying to pick them apart. They were each distinct—from the members of the Russell family to the detectives working the case. Each character had memorable aspects to them and I retained those details in case they were needed as the mystery unfolded.

Lastly, I loved the way Finn intertwines the story with Anna’s love for old thriller films. The films she watches alone often correlate, in some form, with the actual plot of the novel. As a reader, and someone who thoroughly enjoys and is familiar most of these old films, I found myself equating the film plots with Anna’s story and trying to figure what clues the author was dropping along the way. Despite a reminiscent feel of Rear Window, the tidbits of plot and dialogue from various other classic movies created a refreshing spin on this type of book.

While I can argue that this novel may not be a revolutionary or new storyline, I can argue that it is strikingly unique to others in the same genre. Finn manages to breath new life into a classic plot. I was enthralled while reading and ate up each page in desperation for answers. Finn works with a limited setting, confined primarily to Anna’s house, and with a handful of characters. Yet, he creates a spine-tingling story that evokes the reader to stick with Anna until the very end. I give this book a 4.5/5 for Finn’s prose, character development and creativity with the plot. It was a fun, electrifying read that I thoroughly enjoyed from cover to cover. Of course, I have to suggest a Merlot to pair with it, as it is the main character’s drink of choice; I wanted to pour myself a glass of red each time Anna did—if only to let her know she wasn’t drinking alone. My wine of choice for this book is the Merlot by Josh Cellars. This is a smooth and soft red that balances the bumpy, more thrilling parts of this book.