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The One-Star Widow: A Darkly Comic Crime Novella
She could forgive the affair. She could forgive the hidden millions. But one-star reviews were personal.
Jennifer Flanders is a prolific self-published mystery author and an amateur detective of extraordinary confidence. She has exposed a murder at a Napa vineyard, investigated a suspicious death on a weight-loss cruise, and hunted a vegetarian stalker through an Aspen ski resort. The police may dispute every conclusion, but Jennifer knows what she knows.
Her greatest enemy is Magnolia, the anonymous reviewer methodically awarding one star to everything Jennifer publishes.
Then Jennifer uncovers her husband Gordon's affair, his concealed fortune, and a betrayal far closer to home than she ever imagined. When Gordon is found dead in circumstances too embarrassing for a respectable obituary, the authorities call it natural causes. Jennifer calls it murder.
The One-Star Widow is a darkly comic crime novella about marital betrayal, wounded vanity, online reviews, and the mortal danger of giving the wrong author one star.
Jennifer Flanders is a prolific self-published mystery author and an amateur detective of extraordinary confidence. She has exposed a murder at a Napa vineyard, investigated a suspicious death on a weight-loss cruise, and hunted a vegetarian stalker through an Aspen ski resort. The police may dispute every conclusion, but Jennifer knows what she knows.
Her greatest enemy is Magnolia, the anonymous reviewer methodically awarding one star to everything Jennifer publishes.
Then Jennifer uncovers her husband Gordon's affair, his concealed fortune, and a betrayal far closer to home than she ever imagined. When Gordon is found dead in circumstances too embarrassing for a respectable obituary, the authorities call it natural causes. Jennifer calls it murder.
The One-Star Widow is a darkly comic crime novella about marital betrayal, wounded vanity, online reviews, and the mortal danger of giving the wrong author one star.
141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2026
About the author
Duncan Whitehead
28 books315 followersAward-winning writer Duncan Whitehead was born in England and is the author of the best-selling and award-winning GORDONSTON LADIES DOG WALKING CLUB Trilogy. The series, inspired by the quirky characters and eeriness in the real-life Savannah neighborhood in which he once lived, is a humorous mystery that boasts an assortment of characters and plot twists. The first book in this series won the 2013 Reader's Favorite Book Award for Comedy.
He has also written over 2,000 spoof and comedy news articles under various aliases for a variety of websites both in the US and the UK. Duncan now resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and has written further novels, including the four-book FOREST PINES MYSTERY SERIES and a stand-alone comedy, THE RELUCTANT JESUS, which won the 2014 Reader's Favorite Book Award for Comedy.
The final and fourth book in the FOREST PINES SERIES was released in December 2023, written after a four-year hiatus from writing. He is the author of the parody A COZY MYSTERY…WITH ZOMBIES!, which was released in January 2024. He has recently completed his next book, a comedy and parody entitled MURDER, SHE HOPED, and has commenced work on his next comedy/mystery, THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT FLETCHER'S END.
Duncan is well known for his charity work and kindness to animals, children, and old people. His charity, 'Habitat for Hotties,' where he finds housing for retired Hooter's waitresses, was recently voted the least likely charity anyone would ever donate to. He has donated several organs to puppies and kittens and, to help save the planet does not leave a carbon footprint, as he only wears slippers. In February 2040, he invented time travel and now spends much of his time in either the future (where he has won the lottery an astonishing 117 times) or the present day. Attempts to return to 1985 and write The Harry Potter series of books have thus far failed.
He has also written over 2,000 spoof and comedy news articles under various aliases for a variety of websites both in the US and the UK. Duncan now resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and has written further novels, including the four-book FOREST PINES MYSTERY SERIES and a stand-alone comedy, THE RELUCTANT JESUS, which won the 2014 Reader's Favorite Book Award for Comedy.
The final and fourth book in the FOREST PINES SERIES was released in December 2023, written after a four-year hiatus from writing. He is the author of the parody A COZY MYSTERY…WITH ZOMBIES!, which was released in January 2024. He has recently completed his next book, a comedy and parody entitled MURDER, SHE HOPED, and has commenced work on his next comedy/mystery, THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT FLETCHER'S END.
Duncan is well known for his charity work and kindness to animals, children, and old people. His charity, 'Habitat for Hotties,' where he finds housing for retired Hooter's waitresses, was recently voted the least likely charity anyone would ever donate to. He has donated several organs to puppies and kittens and, to help save the planet does not leave a carbon footprint, as he only wears slippers. In February 2040, he invented time travel and now spends much of his time in either the future (where he has won the lottery an astonishing 117 times) or the present day. Attempts to return to 1985 and write The Harry Potter series of books have thus far failed.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
August 25, 2026
Duncan has done it again - quite differently
I’ve read previous Duncan Whitehead novels & love his tongue in cheek prose, however this one made me question whether or not he was writing about authors he knew or being serious. After a few pages, I was literally laughing out loud.
The heroine, Jennifer Flanders was obviously delusional about most things in her life. She was older, but still a turner of billionaire heads, and though men from 9 to 90 were sexually interested.
In One-Star Murders, Jennifer Flanders reveals her insanely named characters from her cozy mysteries. She also shares requisitioning alluring covers from Fiverr, designed to entice readers, mainly sex-starved Tinder-swiping singletons and sexually frustrated housewives.
As you get wrapped up in Jennifer regaling you with her favorite subject (Herself), suddenly she gets involved with a true murder mystery.
One-Star Murder humor was fun & the plot thickening was perfect.
I’ve read previous Duncan Whitehead novels & love his tongue in cheek prose, however this one made me question whether or not he was writing about authors he knew or being serious. After a few pages, I was literally laughing out loud.
The heroine, Jennifer Flanders was obviously delusional about most things in her life. She was older, but still a turner of billionaire heads, and though men from 9 to 90 were sexually interested.
In One-Star Murders, Jennifer Flanders reveals her insanely named characters from her cozy mysteries. She also shares requisitioning alluring covers from Fiverr, designed to entice readers, mainly sex-starved Tinder-swiping singletons and sexually frustrated housewives.
As you get wrapped up in Jennifer regaling you with her favorite subject (Herself), suddenly she gets involved with a true murder mystery.
One-Star Murder humor was fun & the plot thickening was perfect.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review