The Women In The Window

Book - The Women in the Window

Author - A.J. Finn

Pages - 415

Genre - Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Fiction

Synopsis

Dr. Anna Fox has locked herself in the comfort of her New York City home for the last ten years. Her indulgences are old movies, spying on her neighbor, and an endless supply of wine.

One fine day, the Russels, the family of three, mother, father, and their teenage son move across the street. One seemingly usual night, the inevitable happens. Anna witnesses a murder.

And soon, her whole world goes spiraling out of control. Anna starts losing faith in all her senses. What is real? What happened? Is she sane? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

Parade

And so the scene is set. A.J. Finn wastes no time jumping to the main plotline. Anna struggles with her reality. She is a very delusional character and gets tossed around because of her flaws and fears.

After a few pages, Anna's lifestyle becomes quite irritating. She wastes her life in the four walls of her house. You cannot do anything to make her come around but turn to the next page, finger-crossed. But soon, the book picks up the pace when the new neighbours move across the street. Things happen one after the other in quick successions. You will immediately lose yourself in the pages. There is a murder, with the charm of the old detective novels. Who is the murderer? Why was that person murdered?

Hold up!

We are reading a psychological thriller! Where are the devious depths of the human minds? Well, say hello to Anna's alcoholism and paranoia. Anna is not sure of what she saw. Was the murder a projection of her imagination? Now, Ann not only has to prove that she was right in what she saw but also find the murderer. You can do nothing to help but read on and hope that she will find the light at the end of the tunnel with her sanity.

Analysis

A. Narration

The book has short chapters and even smaller sentences that make it an easy read. A.J. Finn's protagonist talks in metaphors and references to movies that Anna watches in her free time. The movies are somewhat of a reference to the plot. His writing is very witty. Anna's frustration and confusion become yours as well as the story develops. A.J. Finn has not shied away from pushing the reader at the cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter. The book is like a Japanese garden. It reveals itself slowly as you tread further and thus done full justice to the genre. You can gobble the book in a two-three sitting because you will keep turning the pages.

B. Character Arc The detailed and powerful description of a situation or the scene creates striking imageries. The description of Dr. Ann Fox's pains and flaws are very well put together. Just enough to make it realistic. Neither too sugar-coated nor undercooked. The other characters are also given proper arc, noticeable through the lens of the binoculars, online data, and small interactions with Dr. Ann Fox. Overall, there is cohesion between the characters, their dialogues, and the overall plot.

C. Cons

The familiar tune of the book may pull you back some time. Still, there are enough twists and turns to make it an original "Finn" story.

Verdict

The Woman in the window is a fast read with a slow-burn plot. Still, it is a very immersive read. This book is like slowly climbing a hill and rolling down on the other side. So, cosy up and give this book a read.