Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme)'s Reviews > The Paris Widow

When Stella met Adam, she thought she had finally found a nice, normal guy—a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jetsetter lifestyle with him. But her secure world comes crashing down when Adam goes missing after an explosion in the city square. Unable to reach him, she panics.

As the French police investigate, it’s revealed that Adam was on their radar as a dealer of rare and stolen antiquities with a long roster of criminal clients. Reeling from this news, Stella is determined not to leave Paris until she has the full story. Was Adam a random victim or the target of the explosion? And why is someone following her through the streets of Paris?

O.M.G. There simply are no words for the pure perfection that was The Paris Widow. Okay. Okay. I’ll give it a try just for you. From the fast-paced, heart-pumping plot to the serious topics at play just below the surface, there simply wasn’t a thing not to love. The characters. The setting. The twists. Each step of the way, I was utterly spellbound. After all, there was intrigue, greed, dirty secrets, and one dynamite game of cat-and-mouse that had me flying through the pages.

While the plot was second to none, the characters pulled me in deep. Between the sweetest of sweet romances to a plucky, quick-witted narrator, I was overjoyed as I rode shotgun on this epic, suspense-laden tale. Even the bad guys were perfect. And then there were the handful to whom I gave the serious side-eye whenever they appeared on the page. All together, there wasn’t a persona involved who I didn’t look upon with suspicion—up to and including Stella herself.

Back to that plot to end all plots. On top of jaw-dropping twists and high tension action, there were plenty of thought-provoking themes. From what one should—or could—forgive in a partner to the dark art of black market smuggling, this would make one truly unforgettable book club selection. And while I didn’t have friends to bounce my own thoughts off of as I read, I’m sure that this psychological thriller will be living rent free in my head for the foreseeable future.

All in all, despite Kimberly Belle already being one of my tried and true auto-buy authors, she has outdone herself with this newest stunner. An addictive, unputdownable smash hit, it had a definite Zero Days feel. Not for the topic matter per se, but because of the edge-of-your-seat adrenaline rush that kept me up until three in the morning. So be sure to clear your calendar before picking up this novel. You’ll surely be ignoring chores, sleep, and maybe even your children. Needless to say, this one has easily made my list for best books of the year. Rating of 5+++ stars.

Thank you to Kimberly Belle, Park Row Books, HTP Books, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: June 11, 2024

Scroll down for my potentially plot spoiling trigger list.























































































Trigger warning: a bombing, smuggling, threatening messages, a shooting