The Self-Made Widow by Fabian Nicieza

´I don´t care if it´s a stranger or a friend, we look for evidence and we follow that evidence to whatever the truth bears out´.

I spend every month an impressive amount of time reading - maybe thousand of pages worth - crime novels. From locked-rooms to innovative crime plots, nothing leave me indifferent. And on the side, I enjoy discovering new authors and their creative takes on crime. 

While spending a well-deserved vacation in the middle of the German countryside, The Self-Made Widow by Argentinian-American screenplayer and comics creator Fabian Nicieza added more suspense to my quiet retreat.

As Molly´s husband unexpectedly dies, it just seems to be the predictable end of a life struggle of a weak heart. But as the courageous Andrea, a four-time mother with a husband that may not be a stranger of Molly´s husband failures, and the curious journalist Kenneth Lee are tracing the circumstances of the crime, there may be more to the medical condition. Stubbornly, they will team up with other characters to figure out what really happens. 

It is the kind of crime novel placed in a claustrophobic place of West Windsor, a township in New Jersey, where everyone knows about everyone, without really being aware of the genuine nature of their so-called friends. Carefully observing the characters and their intentions, with the accuracy of the screenplayer, the author is constantly fuelling the curiosity with new elements about the very flawed characters. No one seems to be ethically fine in this book, even Andrea´s cohort of small children do have some mischievious intentions.

I personally enjoyed exploring this book - it is the second installment in the series, but for me it worked very well as a stand alone - although the many details may be overwhelming. 

Rating: 3.5 stars