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Widow
County Judge Bertha Brannon’s life blows up when her partner of twelve years, police sergeant Toni Matulis, the love of her life, is killed during a domestic violence call gone bad. Bertha is still trying to accept what’s happened when she gets the first of several threatening phone calls. This is followed by one dangerous incident after the next, one dead body after the last. The police are no help, so Bertha starts her own investigation and learns that Toni was working on a case that no one wanted her to solve, a case of corruption that goes all the way to the top.
264 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 20, 2014
I spent a while contemplating this book before writing the review as it is difficult to explain why it is worth five stars without giving too much away. It is also too easy given the blurb, and indeed the title, to assume it is a sad and depressing book.... And yet it is the opposite. Bertha is a brilliant character and her pain and her ways of dealing with the pain (and the people in her life) are beautifully crafted. Toni, the dead partner, is real in the story through Bertha's pain but also through flashbacks and memories including a lovely scene where Bertha remembers Toni joining her in the shower. Grandma and her gullibility (or is she?) is a comic diversion through a tragic unfolding of Bertha's investigation of Toni's death. Along the way various characters tell Bertha (who is a judge) that her humanity in court put them on a path to a better life and this gives further insight into who Bertha is without stopping the narrative to "explain" anything. I found the ending a bit rushed and slightly disappointing but that could be because I didn't want it to end and I didn't spot the culprit. But actually in a way the "whodunnit" element is a joint lure to the growth in the Bertha character and her slowly coming to terms with the fact the she and Toni thought they had forever so didn't do the little things they should have done - find the time to make love more often or have the holiday they both wanted but kept putting off... This all felt very real to me. I would recommend this book as a good read and a thought provoking study of a sudden death and the impact on people left behind. It is also amusing in parts with grandma and with Bertha getting a rescue cat.
June 10, 2023
The body count keeps growing, all reality being lost and ~I wasn’t sold on the lead character. Sad, as I really loved Inside Me.
March 4, 2015
If there had been fewer typos and errors that should have been caught by a proofreader, I'd have probably given it a 5-star rating.
I loved the story and the characters and definitely recommend it to other fans of mysteries. Ok, maybe 4.5 and not 5. But still, I really enjoyed this one and will certainly seek out other offerings from the author.
I loved the story and the characters and definitely recommend it to other fans of mysteries. Ok, maybe 4.5 and not 5. But still, I really enjoyed this one and will certainly seek out other offerings from the author.
February 19, 2016
I enjoyed this book and the mystery behind who was responsible for Toni's murder and why. Throughout the story you have an idea of who is involved but there are a couple of twists that I didn't anticipate until near the very end of the story. I really liked Bertha and her grandma, and I hope there are additional stories with them in it. I seriously wanted to slap Toni's police partner from the moment we are introduced to him.
Overall the story was entertaining, although there were a couple of typos that threw me off because initially I couldn't tell if they were typos or dialect. Typos. Fortunately, not enough to get really annoying.
Overall the story was entertaining, although there were a couple of typos that threw me off because initially I couldn't tell if they were typos or dialect. Typos. Fortunately, not enough to get really annoying.
April 28, 2025
Oh a brilliant thriller. So much representation - here for it all!
The cat definitely made it a five start read! And Grandma!
Definitely check out those triggers - lots of deep stuff happening. Done so well!
Bertha's partner is killed in the line of duty - followed by threatening calls, dead witnesses and attacks on Bertha, she must follow the leads to finally have safety.
The cat definitely made it a five start read! And Grandma!
Definitely check out those triggers - lots of deep stuff happening. Done so well!
Bertha's partner is killed in the line of duty - followed by threatening calls, dead witnesses and attacks on Bertha, she must follow the leads to finally have safety.
November 12, 2014
Note: This ARC was provided by Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Widow by Martha Miller is a suspense thriller that follows the lead character, Judge Bertha Brannon, dealing with the death of her partner, police sergeant Toni Matulis, during a reported domestic violence call. While Bertha experiences grief and mourns the untimely death of Toni, she tries to handle caring for their daughter Doree and going on with their lives. However, Bertha begins to receive threatening phone calls, and even as she asks questions regarding what happened to Toni, she doesn't realize just how in danger her life is until bodies start piling up.
Okay, I have to be honest. It took me longer than usual to finish this book. It doesn't even hit the 300-page mark but it just felt SO lengthy because the story was dragged out much more than I would have liked. There were moments that I was bewildered that Bertha was taking so darn long to realize that something more was going on with regards to Toni's death. Yes, she would sometimes wonder about whether she was missing something or not, but goodness, it felt like forever before she put the other murders and the attempts on her own life together. When she started questioning the ambulance driver about the night Toni died, I thought that it was the beginning of her trying to unravel the mystery, but nope. Life went on and on and on...I felt so frustrated for more than half the book!
I will say this for the book: I liked that I wasn't able to figure everything out. While it was obvious that there was more than one player in the whole conspiracy, learning who all the players were by the end of the book made what felt like an excruciatingly long read slightly worthwhile. I was particularly surprised by one particular character but I can't say why because then that would spoil the book for those who are planning on reading it upon its release in a few days. ^.^
If you're looking for romance, you won't find it here, though the love story of Bertha and Toni is an interesting one and Bertha's wanting to get answers and justice for Toni once it was clear that what happened was cold-blooded murder shows just how much love these two shared. If you're after a good mystery, then you may want to give Widow a whirl because, at the end of the day, that particular aspect stood up quite well in the book. All things considered, I'm giving Widow, which may or may not be the first in a series, three stars out of five.
Widow by Martha Miller is a suspense thriller that follows the lead character, Judge Bertha Brannon, dealing with the death of her partner, police sergeant Toni Matulis, during a reported domestic violence call. While Bertha experiences grief and mourns the untimely death of Toni, she tries to handle caring for their daughter Doree and going on with their lives. However, Bertha begins to receive threatening phone calls, and even as she asks questions regarding what happened to Toni, she doesn't realize just how in danger her life is until bodies start piling up.
Okay, I have to be honest. It took me longer than usual to finish this book. It doesn't even hit the 300-page mark but it just felt SO lengthy because the story was dragged out much more than I would have liked. There were moments that I was bewildered that Bertha was taking so darn long to realize that something more was going on with regards to Toni's death. Yes, she would sometimes wonder about whether she was missing something or not, but goodness, it felt like forever before she put the other murders and the attempts on her own life together. When she started questioning the ambulance driver about the night Toni died, I thought that it was the beginning of her trying to unravel the mystery, but nope. Life went on and on and on...I felt so frustrated for more than half the book!
I will say this for the book: I liked that I wasn't able to figure everything out. While it was obvious that there was more than one player in the whole conspiracy, learning who all the players were by the end of the book made what felt like an excruciatingly long read slightly worthwhile. I was particularly surprised by one particular character but I can't say why because then that would spoil the book for those who are planning on reading it upon its release in a few days. ^.^
If you're looking for romance, you won't find it here, though the love story of Bertha and Toni is an interesting one and Bertha's wanting to get answers and justice for Toni once it was clear that what happened was cold-blooded murder shows just how much love these two shared. If you're after a good mystery, then you may want to give Widow a whirl because, at the end of the day, that particular aspect stood up quite well in the book. All things considered, I'm giving Widow, which may or may not be the first in a series, three stars out of five.
December 17, 2014
Full disclosure: Martha is a friend of mine, and I am mentioned in the acknowledgements.
Bertha Brannon is not your typical lesbian heroine--a lithe, blonde 25. She's middle aged, tall, African American, and carrying some extra pounds. Bertha is also a judge and long term sober. As the bodies start to fall, she turns to her friends--retired cops for help--all of whom are in their 70s and 80s. These wily guys help guide and protect Bertha as she struggles to unmask the perpetrators of the conspiracy around her.
Readers first met Bertha in "Nine Nights on the Windy Tree" where she uncovered substantial family secrets. In the follow-up, Bertha has been leveled by the death of her partner of nearly two decades, which she is certain was not just a domestic violence call gone wrong, but cold-blooded murder.
Bertha has to contend with her partner's moody and preoccupied teenage daughter, an antisocial cat, and her horny Grandma--who while residing in a nursing home, proves time and again that old don't mean dead.
It's an enjoyable read that advances quickly, like visiting old friends. I'm sure many will be curious to know how Bertha has fared since the last book. Also it's a breath of fresh air to spend time with characters who are underrepresented in most mainstream fiction.
Bertha Brannon is not your typical lesbian heroine--a lithe, blonde 25. She's middle aged, tall, African American, and carrying some extra pounds. Bertha is also a judge and long term sober. As the bodies start to fall, she turns to her friends--retired cops for help--all of whom are in their 70s and 80s. These wily guys help guide and protect Bertha as she struggles to unmask the perpetrators of the conspiracy around her.
Readers first met Bertha in "Nine Nights on the Windy Tree" where she uncovered substantial family secrets. In the follow-up, Bertha has been leveled by the death of her partner of nearly two decades, which she is certain was not just a domestic violence call gone wrong, but cold-blooded murder.
Bertha has to contend with her partner's moody and preoccupied teenage daughter, an antisocial cat, and her horny Grandma--who while residing in a nursing home, proves time and again that old don't mean dead.
It's an enjoyable read that advances quickly, like visiting old friends. I'm sure many will be curious to know how Bertha has fared since the last book. Also it's a breath of fresh air to spend time with characters who are underrepresented in most mainstream fiction.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews