A what? Yes, I think The Paris Widow is a Domestic Thriller. What is that and will you like it? Find out in my Review of The Paris Wife by Kimberly Belle with spoilers and the ending explained!
The Paris Widow: Jen’s Quick Take
- It’s a Domestic Supense + a Thriller, so a Domestic Thriller
- Fast paced and set in Paris (no surprise)
- Requires some suspension of disbelief, but overall, a fun, page-turning book that’s perfect for summer reading
- Most Goodreads readers are enjoying it. The ones who didn’t found the ending rushed and the premise improbable.
- I put it on my list of Books Like Black Doves!
- Published by Park Row on June 11, 2024. 304 pages. Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review
- I read this book in May 2024
- More by this author: it’s my first Kimberly Belle, but this kind of book seems to be her lane. Her highest rated book (besides this one) is Dear Wife (2019)
Review of The Paris Widow: Jen’s Analysis
I can see the appeal of a Domestic Thriller.
Some readers find Domestic Suspense too slow-paced, too murky and confusing, and stuck in a suburban milieu that’s familiar to many of us.
So:
- take some of the elements of a Domestic Suspense (a wife feeling gaslit, betrayed, and/or lied to by a partner)
- combine that with the super-high stakes of a thriller (international setting + high body count + assassins/diplomats/criminals)
- and you get a Domestic Thriller.
The tricky part (for me) is quickly transitioning the wife from a normal (confused and hurt) woman to a fearless ass-kicking action heroine.
In The Paris Widow, Stella enjoyed a lavish European vacation with her antiques dealer husband, Adam. They are hours away from boarding their flight from Paris back to Atlanta, when Adam vanishes. After that, she learns that Adam has been keeping a LOT from her.
Stella doesn’t know who to trust. I did like that at one point, the book has her trusting the wrong person. (Even though me, a thriller reader, is yelling, “NO, STELLA!”) But she refuses to give up on her husband or stop trying to find him.
Overall, if you can overlook some improbable stuff (which is usually the case in any political-type thriller that has a civilian main character) and a bit of an info-dump at the end, I thought The Paris Widow was a lot of fun and would make a great summer pick!
Similar books to try:
All the books on my List of Books Like Black Doves!
The Weekend Away by Sarah Anderson
Spoilers for The Paris Widow and The Paris Widow Ending Explained
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Please feel free to leave all questions and comments below. Spoilers are fine!
thanks for this review. very helpful.
Anytime. Let me know if you try it!
Jen, I look forward to all of your newsletters! I really appreciate blog posts like this where you describe your reaction to the book and then give similar titles. You are my book recommendations guru!
Hi Lori, So good to hear from you and hope you are doing well! Thanks so much for the kind words!