The Paris Widow

Stella and Adam have been happily married for four years. Adam is an antique dealer who often travels the world to find architectural antiques for his restoration construction company.

Stella used to be a air hostess and also loves travel, so decides to join Adam at the end of one of his buying trips to Europe so they can spend some time visiting their favorite places. On the last day of their three week magical and romantic vacation they are Paris, when it all goes wrong with an abrupt and terrifying halt. 

They are on their way back to their hotel after lunch in a small charming restaurant, when Adam dashes back to get his sunglasses that he left on the table. Suddenly Stella hears an almighty explosion and races back to find Adam but he is nowhere to be seen. After searching and asking everyone at the scene if they saw him, she eventually returns to the hotel but, after he has failed to appear within a few days, she starts to fear that he is dead. When the police arrive to question her, they tell her things she didn’t know about Adam and she begins to wonder who this man is that she married and loves so much. 

This is a terrific psychological thriller. Almost cinematic, it’s action packed, playing out like a high tension spy thriller filled with danger, betrayal, revenge and intrigue. Flashbacks to the past fill out the details of Stella’s and Adam’s former lives. While Adam has been hiding what he really does and is living a dangerous life, Stella is not squeaky clean either with a chequered past that she’s never told Adam about. She is however, a force to be reckoned with when it comes to finding out what happened to Adam, and not to be underestimated. 

Told from the point of view of both Adam and Stella, it’s easy to like both of them and hope that all will end well for them, even as more of Adam’s shocking past becomes clear. The plot is fast paced with short, suspenseful chapters and razor-sharp twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. It all makes for an enthralling cat and mouse game resulting in a terrific climax and an excellent page turner. 

With thanks to Harlequin via Netgalley for a copy to read.