REVIEW: THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW, BY A. J. FINN

 

It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

My Thoughts: In the beginning of The Woman in the Window, we see only a glimpse of Anna’s life. We learn that she hasn’t left her house in ten months; that she takes a lot of medication and drinks too much; that she watches a lot of black and white movies like Vertigo and Rear Window; and that she meets other agoraphobic people in forums online. Plus, Anna watches the neighbors through her windows.

As we walk through the rooms of Anna’s house along with her, she narrates her passage for us; we can visualize the beauty of it all, with lots of space and lovely rooms. But it is also a very lonely place for someone who is virtually locked within those walls. Mostly what we notice about her home is the absence of the people she loves…and no explanation for their absence.

Slowly her story unfolds, and it will be a long while before we start to learn what happened to her. Flashbacks reveal bits and pieces as we rapidly turn the pages.

Then, as the story continues, we watch through her window with her, and what she sees will change everything for her. Now many people are harassing her; the cops do not believe her; and she is losing her grip more and more.

Even as I knew that she could be every bit as delusional as everyone thinks, another part of me did not really believe that. There were numerous creepy and suspicious characters, and since nothing is quite as it seems, anything is possible. It will be a long while before Anna puts the pieces together. How will she finally discover the truth? What will happen to her in the end? I felt breathless and thoroughly engaged as the intense moments near the end brought the story to a riveting and unexpected conclusion. 5 stars.***