The Woman in the Window

A Novel

By: A. J. Finn

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times Best Seller - soon to be a major motion picture starring Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, and Gary Oldman

"Astounding. Thrilling. Amazing." (Gillian Flynn)

"Unputdownable." (Stephen King)

"A dark, twisty confection." (Ruth Ware)

"Absolutely gripping." (Louise Penny)

For listeners of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade's most anticipated debuts, to be published in 36 languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: A twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.

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, mother, their teenaged 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.

Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, The Woman in the Window is a smart, sophisticated novel of psychological suspense that recalls the best of Hitchcock.

Bonus: Includes an interview with author A. J. Finn.

©2018 A. J. Finn, Inc. (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Narrator Ann Marie Lee delivers the tightly wound heroine with precision... Lee makes Anna's struggle to remain sane in an insane world moving and believable." (AudioFile)

A solid 2.5 stars, Slower than molasses

Along with a lot of other reviewers, I find myself scratching my head in wonderment at the glowing pre-release reviews. The main character is hardly sympathetic. The pacing is exceedingly slow. The twists and surprises are so heavily foreshadowed that nothing is surprising. It was a slog to get through this.

The Woman in the Window: Helpful hints

At times predictable, at times I was kept guessing. I enjoyed the work more after I sped the narration up to 1.25.

Slurp, glug, sip, drink...

I'm glad I finished this book , but there were times I thought I wouldn't because of the overuse of a thesaurus (like my review title) , and because if he eliminated every time alcohol or a drug was mentioned the book might literally be half as long.
Now that I know that this was his first novel I can honestly say I would try listening to another when he finishes it... I imagine he will only get better.

Unforgettable

AJ Finn has knocked it out of the ballpark with his debut psychological thriller, "The Woman in the Window."

A woman living a reclusive life fights to escape her past while maintaining her sanity. My empathy for this woman increased as the story unfolded, and eventually I was right there with her.

This isn't the usual suspense thriller where the author dumps the storyline and mystery upfront, and the reader is introduced to 30 characters in the effort to figure out "whodunit." As strong of a thriller as this is, it is equally a drama with intense and intricate character development. The atmosphere of the novel is as haunted as our woman in the window, and I was captured in chapter one.

Ann Marie Lee. Remember that name. This narrator delivered the finest performance since Zach Villa's reading in "The Life We Bury." Her character-consistent narration does nothing but enhance the reader's experience.

Brilliantly written and performed.

Absolute Perfection!!!

I listened to this book when it was first published back in 2018 but am just writing my review.
This book was absolute perfection! It is rare that I listen the entire day to a book but this one i did. I couldn't turn it off!
Non stop action and i was constantly on the edge of my seat!

The narrator, Ann Marie Lee is absolutely perfect! They could not have chosen anyone more appropriate!

Narration

After seeing this on the best seller list and seeing stellar reviews, I was really excited to read this. But the voice is so monotone, I can’t stay focused. I have persevered through the first 7 chapters and I’m calling it quits.

Irritating Narrator

I enjoyed the story overall, but had a hard time stomaching the narrator. It feels like there are constant, unnecessary flourishes and extra words that really make the story DRAG on when you are listening. The narrator was a bit dramatic and soap-opera-y and I found myself wishing I had a paperback copy to narrate the second half on my own. Finally finished the book today and the story is solid, but the narrator really took the wind out of its sails.

A cliché I like

I think the unreliable (usually alcoholic) narrator POV is becoming cliché. I feel like I have read a million of books in this style… but lucky for me – it’s a cliché I like!

This story, like most, was an intriguing and mysterious page-turner.

Took me 4 weeks to get into it

I do understand I go through typically 2-3 books per month, all psychological thrillers so eventually and naturally they’re going to stop shocking you... but geez it took forever to even get into this book! I’m still a bit confused. Good twist but pretty predictable. If you can hold on the first 4 hours it’s kinda worth it but just hard to compare to Gillian Flynn type addiction.

Kept my interest the entire ride!

I really liked this book. I thought the narration was great as well, and at times a little spooky and chilling. This book kept you on a roller coaster of who done it, and although a few of the twists were pretty obvious, there were a few shockers too. I liked the way the author put in a lot of old black and white movie quotes throughout, showing that Anna is mentally unstable, and her grip on reality may not be exactly as tight as she thinks it is. The author did a great job of taking us on a ride, and although some complained of the beginning being slow, i thought it was a great build up, and i was interested throughout! it was well thought out and clever, two thumbs up!