Josh's Reviews > The Woman in the Window

Anna Fox suffers from Agoraphobia, a condition which essentially means she can't leave the confines of her home without suffering a sever panic attack or dose of anxiety. The traumatic event which crippled Anna is a mystery that slowly unravels in spectacular fashion as the novel progresses. To pass time, she watches (spies on) her neighbors, often making up stories to accompany their comings and goings, between this, online chess, and watching black and white film noir, she spends her time online counselling her fellow sufferers on message boards/forums. It's a unique existence she's managed to eek out from the ashes of her former life and one that's largely kept her sane. Until she witnesses a murder across the street.

The Woman in the Window is subtle suspense with ever lurking danger omnipresent; it's a case of reading and waiting for the sand to run out. Anna's life on the surface is normal within context, however the picture soon looks fractured; the pieces don't fit the puzzle. When the murder and her own personal trauma collide, the result is plotting perfected.

Anna for her part is an interesting character who has flaws but is still endearing. Author A.J. Finn makes her pop off the page and read 'real'. Her home, integral to the story, reads as a character in its own right and provides the reader a well defined imagery of Anna's world and those that frequent it - invited and un alike.

My rating: 4/5 stars. This is a great book for those who enjoy character centric novels and has the added bonus of paying homage to classic film noir.