Book Review: The Woman in the Window

As someone who prefers thrillers to all other genres, I know I was one of the last bookworms to read this one. I’m both intrigued and skeptical of instant hits, particularly manuscripts that get turned into films within a year of the book’s release. They’re either really good or overly hyped, and for me, The Woman in the Window was the latter.

Former child psychologist Anna Fox lives alone in her New York City apartment paralyzed by agoraphobia and paranoia. Despite her fears of the outside world, she’s developed a habit of eavesdropping on her neighbors – the Russells – who are bad about leaving their curtains open. The dialogue throughout the book is limited to conversations with Anna’s basement tenant, her husband and daughter, and occasionally Alistair and Jane Russell’s son, Ethan. Anna wants to resume a normal life and not be held captive by her house (and her wine), but she very obviously experienced a life-altering trauma that prevents her from moving forward into the outside world.

Similar to the premise of The Girl on the Train, Anna is creeping on the neighbors one day and believes she’s witnessed a crime. She is convinced she saw Alistair Russell kill his wife, Jane. Thus begins her efforts to prove this happened despite wrestling with her own demons and inability to leave the house. Her efforts are made even harder when the police bring Jane Russell to Anna’s house to prove she didn’t die.

The summary has to stop there to avoid spoilers, but I admit this book frustrated me a good bit. It uses tropes that we’ve seen too frequently in thrillers like these, so by the time you reach the conclusion, the impact is lackluster. I listened to the book on Audible over the course of two days, and when I finished, I literally said, “Oh.”

There are two big reveals – one at the beginning of the third act and one at the close – but both I’ve seen before too often. Finn’s storytelling is completely fine, and it will carry you through without a ton of disinterest, but if you read thrillers on a regular basis, then The Woman in the Window gives you nothing new. I promise you’ve seen this stuff before.

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