The Woman in the Window - A. J. Finn

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

First Paragraph(s):

Her husband's almost home.  He'll catch her this time.
     There isn't a scrap of curtain, not a blade of blind, in number 212--the rust-red townhome that once housed the newlywed Motts, until recently, until they un-wed.  I never met either Mott, but occasionally I check in online: His LinkedIn profile, her Facebook page.  Their wedding registry lives on at Macy's.  I could still buy them flatware.

My Thoughts:

The Woman in the Window is one of the most anticipated and publicized debuts in a while.  I was not sure it could possibly live up to all the hype - and it did in most ways, for me anyway.  Before I started it, I knew that it had a 'Rear Window' vibe to it and that it was about a woman who saw the world through her windows and her online activity.  She didn't leave her house and was, in fact, agoraphobic.  I find that condition very scary, probably because I could pretty easily imagine myself falling into it.  Anxiety is something that I have experienced most of my life and I've had a panic attack more than once.  The descriptions of those in this book seemed very real.  I liked the references to Hitchcock and old black-and-white movies.  That actually made me want to take notes and seek out the films mentioned to watch at a later time.  The self-destructive behavior of Anna, the protagonist, was harder to read about.  Her thought processes as she excused herself for combining alcohol and prescription meds were so sad.  Some of the twists were anticipated by me (my mind loves plot puzzles to solve) and a couple were not.  I think this one would film quite well, if the script was a good one.  All in all, in my opinion, it deserved much of the hype.  I liked it a lot and will definitely be watching for this author's next book.  Recommended.

Blurb:

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.