Two husbands – both with secrets.

Abby and her handyman husband Ed live on fictional Belport Island, off the coast of Tasmania with their two children. The island is a tourist destination in Summer, but in the off-season the holiday houses are empty, and business is slow. Kate, living in Melbourne, is ready to greet her doctor husband, John, who is returning by plane from an overseas conference. He doesn’t arrive. Kate’s search for her husband takes her to Belport, and both she and Abby discover that both their husbands have secret in their lives.

“Home was a small weatherboard beach house full of things that didn’t work: sticky windows, rattling pipes, and electrical outlets that buzzed dangerously whenever something was plugged in.”

“At the end of the pier sat the old ferry terminal, a dilapidated weatherboard structure that had been abandoned and condemned a decade earlier when a state-of-the-art terminal was built around the corner in Elk Harbour. The waves and salty air had stained the walls of the building pale green, and its roof was Jackson Pollocked with bird shit.”

“Everyone wanted to talk about the murder, but Abby chose not to engage. It would only make her feel anxious – or worse, lead her to reveal her worries. … If she lost focus, even for a second, Bobbi’s words were waiting for her like a pile of dirty dishes. Someone knows something. Was she that someone?”

~Quotes from “The Wife and the Widow” by Christian White

• Better Reading: “Brilliant and beguiling, The Wife and the Widow takes you to a cliff edge and asks the question: how well do we really know the people we love? Both Kate and Abby are excellent characters who have strong character arcs, both starting from a point of weakness with their men, but quickly showing resilience, intelligence and strength. The secondary characters are all well drawn and I particularly liked John’s father, Fisher as his character developed.”
• Readings: “Brilliant and beguiling, The Wife and the Widow takes you to a cliff edge and asks the question: how well do we really know the people we love?”