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The Black Widow
In a chilling new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub, one woman looking for love online is entangled in a killer's terrifying scheme.
In the moonlight, shovelfuls of earth fall on a wooden crate at the bottom of a deep pit. Soon the hole will be filled and covered over with leaves, erasing all trace of the victim below, waking to the horror of being buried alive.
Newly divorced Gaby Duran isn't really expecting to find her soul mate on a dating site like InTune. She just needs a distraction from pining over her ex-husband, Ben, and the happy marriage they once had. And she's wise enough to know that online, the truth doesn't always match the profile. Almost everyone lies a little—or a lot.
But Gaby quickly discovers there is much more at stake than her lonely heart. Local singles are going missing after making online connections. And a predator is searching again for the perfect match. One who will fulfill every twisted desire . . . or die trying.
In the moonlight, shovelfuls of earth fall on a wooden crate at the bottom of a deep pit. Soon the hole will be filled and covered over with leaves, erasing all trace of the victim below, waking to the horror of being buried alive.
Newly divorced Gaby Duran isn't really expecting to find her soul mate on a dating site like InTune. She just needs a distraction from pining over her ex-husband, Ben, and the happy marriage they once had. And she's wise enough to know that online, the truth doesn't always match the profile. Almost everyone lies a little—or a lot.
But Gaby quickly discovers there is much more at stake than her lonely heart. Local singles are going missing after making online connections. And a predator is searching again for the perfect match. One who will fulfill every twisted desire . . . or die trying.
406 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2014
138 people are currently reading
1708 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Corsi Staub
82 books1,899 followersNew York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than ninety novels, best known for the single title psychological suspense novels she writes under her own name. Those books and the women’s fiction written under the pseudonym Wendy Markham have also appeared on the USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookscan bestseller lists.
Her current standalone suspense novel, THE OTHER FAMILY, is about a picture-perfect family that that moves into a picture-perfect house. But not everything is as it seems, and the page-turner concludes “with a wallop of a twist,” according to #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben.
Her critically acclaimed Lily Dale traditional mystery series centers around a widowed single mom—and skeptic—who moves to a town populated by spiritualists who talk to the dead. Titles include NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE; DEAD OF WINTER; and PROSE AND CONS, with a fifth book under contract.
Wendy has written five suspense trilogies for HarperCollins/William Morrow. The most recent, The Foundlings (LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER), spans fifty years in the life of a woman left as a newborn in a Harlem church, now an investigative genealogist helping others uncover their biological roots while still searching for her own.
Written as Wendy Markham, Wendy’s novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and her short story “The Elephant in the Room” is included in the Anthony Award-nominated inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.
She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.
Raised in Dunkirk, NY, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s 2015 Relay for Life and 2012 National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations.
Her current standalone suspense novel, THE OTHER FAMILY, is about a picture-perfect family that that moves into a picture-perfect house. But not everything is as it seems, and the page-turner concludes “with a wallop of a twist,” according to #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben.
Her critically acclaimed Lily Dale traditional mystery series centers around a widowed single mom—and skeptic—who moves to a town populated by spiritualists who talk to the dead. Titles include NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE; DEAD OF WINTER; and PROSE AND CONS, with a fifth book under contract.
Wendy has written five suspense trilogies for HarperCollins/William Morrow. The most recent, The Foundlings (LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER), spans fifty years in the life of a woman left as a newborn in a Harlem church, now an investigative genealogist helping others uncover their biological roots while still searching for her own.
Written as Wendy Markham, Wendy’s novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and her short story “The Elephant in the Room” is included in the Anthony Award-nominated inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.
She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.
Raised in Dunkirk, NY, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s 2015 Relay for Life and 2012 National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
February 26, 2020
"Some things," Carmen used to say, "just don't feel right until the sun goes down."
The Black Widow by Wendy Corsi Staub
Scary, SCARY!
This books puts the "c" in "creepy".
3.5 stars.
So this book, The Black Widow, concerns a serial killer targeting singles on a dating site. Nothing that has not been done before but this book was a good deal more creepy then your average mystery and bone chilling at times. I enjoyed it.
At no point during the book did I want to put it down. It does require a suspension of disbelief at some points but I found it enjoyable anyway.
This is a rather violent book..more so then I thought it would be. It is a good premise because in the age of the internet..a book like this will resonate.
I was a big fan of Mary Higgins Clark's "Loves Music, Loves to dance" which had the same premise, only with personal adds. It is quite an older book now but it was great and this book reminded me of that one only I liked that one better and this one does not really have a pool of suspects. It is not really that kind of book. It is not a who done it, that I must stress. We know kind of pretty early on .
Mini Spoiler..kinda spoiler:
There are a few "twists". Is that really a spoiler? EVERY book these days has a twist or two..or three.
But a few of these twists..one of which will be discussed below with a spoiler warning....well..it got pretty twisty..! I actually thought to myself "good job"! So at least the writer was clever about that, unlike some other books.
OK, here we go! But without a doubt the standout twist and scene and one I do not think I will ever get forget, is:
SPOILERS START NOW:
The cat food scene with Ivy.
The image of that creepy moving cat food is not one I think I will ever get out of my mind. It is pretty cool and to the the author's credit, that she can make a simple scene involving something as harmless as a plate of cat food into a genuinely terrifying moment.
In spite of how well written this one is I did not love it..was a bit to creepy for me..I like my creepy book moments a bit more subtle..however I did enjoy it and would recommend. And if you do choose to read it, let me know what you thought about the cat food scene!
Recommended to all fans of creepy dark horror/mysteries.
The Black Widow by Wendy Corsi Staub
Scary, SCARY!
This books puts the "c" in "creepy".
3.5 stars.
So this book, The Black Widow, concerns a serial killer targeting singles on a dating site. Nothing that has not been done before but this book was a good deal more creepy then your average mystery and bone chilling at times. I enjoyed it.
At no point during the book did I want to put it down. It does require a suspension of disbelief at some points but I found it enjoyable anyway.
This is a rather violent book..more so then I thought it would be. It is a good premise because in the age of the internet..a book like this will resonate.
I was a big fan of Mary Higgins Clark's "Loves Music, Loves to dance" which had the same premise, only with personal adds. It is quite an older book now but it was great and this book reminded me of that one only I liked that one better and this one does not really have a pool of suspects. It is not really that kind of book. It is not a who done it, that I must stress. We know kind of pretty early on .
Mini Spoiler..kinda spoiler:
There are a few "twists". Is that really a spoiler? EVERY book these days has a twist or two..or three.
But a few of these twists..one of which will be discussed below with a spoiler warning....well..it got pretty twisty..! I actually thought to myself "good job"! So at least the writer was clever about that, unlike some other books.
OK, here we go! But without a doubt the standout twist and scene and one I do not think I will ever get forget, is:
SPOILERS START NOW:
The cat food scene with Ivy.
The image of that creepy moving cat food is not one I think I will ever get out of my mind. It is pretty cool and to the the author's credit, that she can make a simple scene involving something as harmless as a plate of cat food into a genuinely terrifying moment.
In spite of how well written this one is I did not love it..was a bit to creepy for me..I like my creepy book moments a bit more subtle..however I did enjoy it and would recommend. And if you do choose to read it, let me know what you thought about the cat food scene!
Recommended to all fans of creepy dark horror/mysteries.
April 15, 2015
One thing is for certain .. online dating sites should scare the devil out of anyone who reads this book.
This is basically the story of a woman who has descended into a world of madness and can't tell the difference between what's real and what isn't.
She's abducting men she meets online to replace the husband that isn't there anymore .. nor her son who is also not there. Or are they?
Hey ... I thought the cat was real!
I've read a lot of books by Wendy Corsi Staub and never been disappointed. This is right of up there with the best of them.
This is basically the story of a woman who has descended into a world of madness and can't tell the difference between what's real and what isn't.
She's abducting men she meets online to replace the husband that isn't there anymore .. nor her son who is also not there. Or are they?
Hey ... I thought the cat was real!
I've read a lot of books by Wendy Corsi Staub and never been disappointed. This is right of up there with the best of them.
January 19, 2016
Good book and well written. Not one of my favorite Staub novels but enjoyed it nonetheless. Staub never disappoints.
May 16, 2015
This one took a while to "grow on me". When I picked it up I was looking for more of a "police procedural/thriller". Instead what I got (after the opening sequence) was quite a bit about the angst of some of the characters.
As the book progresses however it does grow into the said thriller emphasizing the inter-action (mostly unknown to the participants) in the 3 women of the story. Two of these women have gone through similar traumas in their lives but have to handle them with different handicaps. The third woman is a police officer.
I will say that in an odd way I went through this book and actually felt some sympathy or at least sadness for the antagonist who commits heinous, even unforgivable acts. I can only 5recommend you try it yourself if it sounds interesting to you and see if you react the same.
So, for me 3 stars the book actually didn't draw me in until halfway through.
As the book progresses however it does grow into the said thriller emphasizing the inter-action (mostly unknown to the participants) in the 3 women of the story. Two of these women have gone through similar traumas in their lives but have to handle them with different handicaps. The third woman is a police officer.
I will say that in an odd way I went through this book and actually felt some sympathy or at least sadness for the antagonist who commits heinous, even unforgivable acts. I can only 5recommend you try it yourself if it sounds interesting to you and see if you react the same.
So, for me 3 stars the book actually didn't draw me in until halfway through.
March 1, 2015
This is a book that should scare you if you use Match.com or some other dating web site. Who knows if they woman you are talking to online is really who she says she is or if she has some ulterior motive for messaging you? A crazy woman is using an online dating service to find men that are Hispanic in order to get preggers by them. A great story and premise, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Wendy Corsi Staub does it again. Thanks for making my rainy weekend fabulous!
January 10, 2015
Very entertaining!!
April 11, 2015
The Black Widow in the third book in the Social Media adult mystery/thriller series. However each book features its own characters and mystery. So this could definitely be read as a standalone.
There are many third person narrators including Gaby, Alex, Ben and Ivy.
All of their stories are intertwined. Gaby is divorced and has joined the dating site InTune. Alex is also on that site but uses is for different purposes. Ben is Gaby's ex-husband. Ivy is searching for her missing friend.
I think that this book uses the multiple POVs very well. However I am not a huge fan of POVs changing mid-chapter without any indication (putting stars or the narrator's name).
The premise of the book centers around an online dating site. A bunch of men using this site go missing. Will any of them survive?
I enjoyed the mystery in this book. However, unlike most mysteries we find out the identity of the killer very early on. The interesting part is that we get to see things from his/her point of view.
The story is creepy and chilling. We know who the guilty party is. But throughout the book we learn why he/she does these things. The biggest part of the mystery is that we don't know who will figure things out or when.
There are two detectives, but also various other characters in the book are trying to piece together the facts.
The ending was definitely the most interesting and the best part of the book. There were lots of interesting twists and turns. And I enjoyed the epilogue. This book would be good for anyone who likes a good creepy mystery.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Harper for allowing me to read this book.
August 12, 2016
Not a very good example of Wendy Corsi Staub's work. I've enjoyed many of her other books but not this one. Although the premise sounded interesting, I didn't particularly like any of the characters and the ending was too pat.
March 28, 2021
Round up to 4.5 stars. So, so creepy!
April 16, 2021
Round up to 4.5 stars.
November 15, 2017
Reviewed by Heather
Book provided by Edelweiss
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
The Black Widow is set up to play out like scenes from a thriller you would go see in a movie theater. I was completely amazed by this story. At first I couldn’t figure out why there are so many characters but as the story gets deeper, it all comes together very nicely. The whole time I was reading, I could see the story come to life in my mind. The details are amazing. At the switch of nearly every chapter, author Wendy Corsi Staub leaves readers guessing and needing to read more to get their fill.
I’m not a big fan of books with a ton of characters because it is so hard to keep up with what is going on. At first, I thought it was very scattered and I was so aggravated with having to keep up with each character. However, I don’t think The Black Widow would have been such a great book had it not been written this way. It didn’t take long at all for me to fall in love with this book. In the end, all of the characters play a major role in the story. All of them have a purpose.
The Black Widow is absolutely thrilling. I was trying to guess what was going to happen next throughout the entire book and I never expected it to end the way it did. One specific character, Alex, kept the story interesting in a crazy kind of way. She may be the antagonist but she is my favorite character. I know I may be the only one that absolutely loves her but she is a very strong character and keeps the reader intrigued.
After reading The Black Widow, I will forever think differently about online dating!
Book provided by Edelweiss
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
The Black Widow is set up to play out like scenes from a thriller you would go see in a movie theater. I was completely amazed by this story. At first I couldn’t figure out why there are so many characters but as the story gets deeper, it all comes together very nicely. The whole time I was reading, I could see the story come to life in my mind. The details are amazing. At the switch of nearly every chapter, author Wendy Corsi Staub leaves readers guessing and needing to read more to get their fill.
I’m not a big fan of books with a ton of characters because it is so hard to keep up with what is going on. At first, I thought it was very scattered and I was so aggravated with having to keep up with each character. However, I don’t think The Black Widow would have been such a great book had it not been written this way. It didn’t take long at all for me to fall in love with this book. In the end, all of the characters play a major role in the story. All of them have a purpose.
The Black Widow is absolutely thrilling. I was trying to guess what was going to happen next throughout the entire book and I never expected it to end the way it did. One specific character, Alex, kept the story interesting in a crazy kind of way. She may be the antagonist but she is my favorite character. I know I may be the only one that absolutely loves her but she is a very strong character and keeps the reader intrigued.
After reading The Black Widow, I will forever think differently about online dating!
January 4, 2016
What do singles do when they are suffering the pangs of lost love? In the world of online connections, dating sites proliferate, and sometimes the singles find new love…for a while, anyway.
How does Gaby Duran end up joining such a site, and what does she think when she realizes that her ex-husband Ben is also using the same InTune site?
Her mind travels back to times when they were happy and in love, with their beautiful baby Josh…and then the tragedy of his loss. Could any marriage survive?
Meanwhile, an alternate story follows a woman who calls herself Alex Jones, who has conversations in her head with her “husband” Carmen Rodriguez. Her story unfolds in bits and pieces, and we begin to see that she is anything but sane. Where would her craziness take her? Why is she picking up a certain type of male through her InTunes site—Hispanic single men—and spiking their drinks. What does she do with them in her cellar? And what happens to them when she has finished with them?
After several men of this type turn up missing over a period of months, the police, with the help of Gaby and another woman whose friend is missing, begin to uncover the clues leading to a very strange scene in the forest.
Because the alternating narrators added to the intensifying suspense, I could not stop reading. The Black Widow was a page-turner, and while it was not readily apparent how far this woman would go to achieve her goals, I was glued to the pages to see what would happen to the characters I was rooting for. 4.5 stars.
How does Gaby Duran end up joining such a site, and what does she think when she realizes that her ex-husband Ben is also using the same InTune site?
Her mind travels back to times when they were happy and in love, with their beautiful baby Josh…and then the tragedy of his loss. Could any marriage survive?
Meanwhile, an alternate story follows a woman who calls herself Alex Jones, who has conversations in her head with her “husband” Carmen Rodriguez. Her story unfolds in bits and pieces, and we begin to see that she is anything but sane. Where would her craziness take her? Why is she picking up a certain type of male through her InTunes site—Hispanic single men—and spiking their drinks. What does she do with them in her cellar? And what happens to them when she has finished with them?
After several men of this type turn up missing over a period of months, the police, with the help of Gaby and another woman whose friend is missing, begin to uncover the clues leading to a very strange scene in the forest.
Because the alternating narrators added to the intensifying suspense, I could not stop reading. The Black Widow was a page-turner, and while it was not readily apparent how far this woman would go to achieve her goals, I was glued to the pages to see what would happen to the characters I was rooting for. 4.5 stars.
February 26, 2015
One thing I know is that after one reads Wendy Corsi Staub's latest book there will be fewer people signing up for online dating sites. There are a lot of strange people on those sites, a number of good people but a lot of predators too.
Gaby Duran has been persuaded by her cousin , Jaz that is time for her to forget her ex..Ben and try to meet someone new. What she doesn't know yet is that her ex-husband , Ben has also signed up for the same site...' InTune' . Gaby and Ben still have strong feelings for each other but the loss of their child, Josh pushed them apart. Then there is Carlos Diaz looking to take advantage of someone...and there is Alex Jones, who may not being playing with a 'full deck'. She lost her husband and her son in a car crash. And now she is 'crazy' to find a sperm donor for a new son. She doesn't want a new man in her life....just his sperm.And several young handsome Hispanic men have disappeared over the last few years??
Staub's main characters will cross paths because of the online dating site and you won't put down the book until you have finished " The Black Widow" !
Gaby Duran has been persuaded by her cousin , Jaz that is time for her to forget her ex..Ben and try to meet someone new. What she doesn't know yet is that her ex-husband , Ben has also signed up for the same site...' InTune' . Gaby and Ben still have strong feelings for each other but the loss of their child, Josh pushed them apart. Then there is Carlos Diaz looking to take advantage of someone...and there is Alex Jones, who may not being playing with a 'full deck'. She lost her husband and her son in a car crash. And now she is 'crazy' to find a sperm donor for a new son. She doesn't want a new man in her life....just his sperm.And several young handsome Hispanic men have disappeared over the last few years??
Staub's main characters will cross paths because of the online dating site and you won't put down the book until you have finished " The Black Widow" !
April 23, 2015
Not nearly as compelling as some of Staub's other works. I'm a huge fan but find some of her books have been hit or miss in the last few years. Doesn't include your usual wide range of characters and suspects (the killer is known from the get-go on this one), and pretty much floats along in a predictable mode.
March 2, 2015
What is there to say that I haven't already said in the past? I absolutely love Wendy Corsi Staub's books! A very talented writer with intriguing and thrilling stories. If you have not read her books, then I suggest you buy them all and read them as soon as possible – you won't be sorry!
July 30, 2015
I used to love Wendy Corsi Staub. Unfortunately, for me, her last 5 books have been long-winded and boring. This one was no different. It didn't have the slow building suspense that I enjoyed in earlier books.
July 28, 2017
In 'The Black Widow', freshly divorced Gaby reluctantly joins a popular dating website InTune in order to try to forget her ex-husband Ben after suffering a painful loss. Aware of the dangers of meeting strangers online, she takes precautionary steps to ensure her safety. Unfortunately, many others fail to do the same and they're falling victims to someone who won't stop till she gets what she wants..
The story was told from different characters' respective perspectives in third-person narrative. The characters were Gaby, Ivy (the boss of one of the victims) and Sully (a policewoman). The world of online dating was written realistically, from how the predator was able to lure her potential targets to how with just one click, lots of damning evidence can be erased. It's so easy to have a mark on your back and it's just as easy for the perpetrator to cover their tracks. In short, the subject was compelling and realistic.
Perhaps the best thing about this book was the fact that a woman was the criminal for a change. She was an incredibly intriguing, complex character who had a dark and mysterious past which was gradually revealed over the course of the story. She was undoubtedly intelligent, methodical and single-minded - a convincing villain on every level. At the same time, she was very much human. She was vulnerable though she didn't appear that way.
The possibility of Gaby and Ben getting back together was frustrating mainly because they were initially unable to communicate honestly and openly about the past. Gaby was especially tiresome as she kept holding back her feelings (both negative and positive), jumping to conclusions and being indecisive about whether she wanted to be with Ben again. Her jealousy when she realized he was seeing other women was irrational albeit understandable. On the other hand, Ben was mature and patient.
The events leading up to the pivotal scenes in which the crime aspect was the main focus were well-thought-out, coupled with the right pacing. Every single character played his or her own role; all of them felt like actual people rather than mere cardboard characters. This book didn't just serve as a platform to deliver the message about the importance of staying safe and being careful when interacting with people online; it also highlighted heavy subjects such as loss and forgiveness very well indeed.
Overall, 'The Black Widow' was an engrossing and thought-provoking read that would make anyone think twice before joining an online dating website. It was dark at times yet it showed that it's possible to see the light once again.
The story was told from different characters' respective perspectives in third-person narrative. The characters were Gaby, Ivy (the boss of one of the victims) and Sully (a policewoman). The world of online dating was written realistically, from how the predator was able to lure her potential targets to how with just one click, lots of damning evidence can be erased. It's so easy to have a mark on your back and it's just as easy for the perpetrator to cover their tracks. In short, the subject was compelling and realistic.
Perhaps the best thing about this book was the fact that a woman was the criminal for a change. She was an incredibly intriguing, complex character who had a dark and mysterious past which was gradually revealed over the course of the story. She was undoubtedly intelligent, methodical and single-minded - a convincing villain on every level. At the same time, she was very much human. She was vulnerable though she didn't appear that way.
The possibility of Gaby and Ben getting back together was frustrating mainly because they were initially unable to communicate honestly and openly about the past. Gaby was especially tiresome as she kept holding back her feelings (both negative and positive), jumping to conclusions and being indecisive about whether she wanted to be with Ben again. Her jealousy when she realized he was seeing other women was irrational albeit understandable. On the other hand, Ben was mature and patient.
The events leading up to the pivotal scenes in which the crime aspect was the main focus were well-thought-out, coupled with the right pacing. Every single character played his or her own role; all of them felt like actual people rather than mere cardboard characters. This book didn't just serve as a platform to deliver the message about the importance of staying safe and being careful when interacting with people online; it also highlighted heavy subjects such as loss and forgiveness very well indeed.
Overall, 'The Black Widow' was an engrossing and thought-provoking read that would make anyone think twice before joining an online dating website. It was dark at times yet it showed that it's possible to see the light once again.
February 20, 2024
The Black Widow by Wendy Corsi Staub serves as a cautionary tale about dating apps. The book is the third instalment in the Social Media series but reads well as a standalone. There are numerous characters and the author jumps from one to an other without benefit of new chapters, which makes the mystery more intense. There is a predator lurking on a dating app. Who is the predator and who will be the victims? Nothing is as it seems because not everyone tells the truth in their profile. This is a game of cat-and-mouse that gets more frightening with every page. The police get involved after several people disappear but they don’t know where to start because their profiles have been erased from the dating app. This is a thriller written for today’s world. Creepy best describes The Black Widow and the author has written it in such a way that the tension only keeps building. There are so many questions and so few answers until the end when all is revealed. Highly recommended.
November 20, 2022
This kept me on the edge of my seat. Some of the characters’ actions didn’t make a lot of sense, but a psychotic person doesn’t often make sense. In this case, the disillusioned one is a female and apparently a lot older than she looks. The motives of the villainous woman are beyond any reason, and she almost kills off one of the best characters, who is trying to reconnect with the wife who couldn’t deal with the SIDS death of their baby.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2023
Alternately tells the POV of a divorced couple, Gaby and Ben, and a serial killer, Alex. All of them have suffered the death of a child and they will chillingly become intertwined. Alex kills in one of the most terrifying ways I've come across in a serial killer book. I enjoyed both the story, and the writing, and found the plot unique. However, it was all predictable and while an interesting story it wasn't thrilling. I'll read the author again, though.
July 29, 2025
The black widow was a psychotic woman who trolled for men on an online dating site. In the beginning I didn’t know if the killer was a man or a woman because her name was Alex. I am not sure if the author did that on purpose or if it was just me reading too fast. Finally the pronoun “she” was used referring to Alex and then I got it. The reader also didn’t know how things would fall in place for her to be caught. It was a good page turner.
May 21, 2020
Something about W.C. Staub novels are incredibly readable. I've always had great luck with her stuff. Granted, they can be melodramatic, but she really has a knack for dialogue, plot pacing, and realistic character development. All her domestic thrillers are super engrossing. And right now, I need engrossing books to get me through the pandemic nicely distracted.
August 23, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. While it did seem to drag at places - the pacing slowed too much - overall it was a great story and worth hanging on until the end. The ending was surprising as well, which is always good. I would have liked more police procedural elements to this, as well as the ending not being somewhat rushed, though.
September 16, 2023
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. The idea was good, but the more I think about it, the more boring this book becomes. It seemed to drag along , unfortunately. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. And the ending… awful. It wasn’t a horrible book, and I’d try another book from this author, but this particular one really missed the mark.
August 24, 2025
That was such an interesting story. I figured in the beginning the main character was hallucinating & seeing things based on the cat. But wasn’t sure what else was real vs fake.
Good ending, so sad that she didn’t few she could say something about her diagnosis. If she had then none of the other stuff would have happened.
Good ending, so sad that she didn’t few she could say something about her diagnosis. If she had then none of the other stuff would have happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2017
It was good with a plot that moved along although got pretty easy to figure out. Listening rather than reading made some of the transitions difficult to pick up. The reader could have done a better job of making them clear as the story line jumped from character to character.
February 16, 2018
WOW!!! Excellent suspense! So many twists and turns despite a very sad and serious plot theme. Not everything is what you are lead to believe as you read along. The topic of mental illness is real And serious. Though this plot exploits the very worst of scenarios.....how do you know ????
February 24, 2025
The narration is not my favorite, particularly because her Spanish pronunciation is SO bad that it distracts me from what is happening in the story. I am also not a big fan of the intonations she uses for supporting characters.
March 2, 2018
This was very dark compared to Wendy Corsi Staub’s novels and a bit too dark for me. A good story though.
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