Cate QUINN : Black widows

Polygamist Blake Nelson built a homestead on a hidden stretch of land — a raw paradise in the wilds of Utah — where he lived with his three wives : Rachel, the first wife, obedient and doting to a fault, with a past she'd prefer to keep quiet. Tina, the rebel wife, everything Rachel isn't, straight from rehab and the Vegas strip. And Emily, the young wife, naïve and scared, estranged from her Catholic family.
The only thing that they had in common was Blake. Until all three are accused of his murder.
When Blake is found dead under the desert sun, all three wives become suspect — not only to the police, but to each other. As the investigation draws them closer, each wife must decide who can be trusted. With stories surfacing of a notorious cult tucked away in the hills, whispers flying about a fourth wife, and evidence that can't quite explain what had been keeping Blake busy, the three widows face a reckoning that might shatter all they know to be true. 

 

This is not the kind of novel I would usually read, but I heard a very warm recommendation on a youtube video, so here it is.

The story takes place in an environment I don't know much about (Utah, deserts, polygamists, those who don't like polygamists, sects and so on) but I felt hooked and had a hard time putting the book down when I needed to. This is a big book but it reads very easily. Each chapter is narrated by a different wife, which gives you a different look on the situation and a different grasp on each character. Three women in the middle of nowhere, with a good reason to get rid of their husband, who did it ? 

And who are they, those women, where do they come from ? When did the husband come from ? Was he trying to fix a situation or was he trying to become the founder of a new sect ? Why did he choose them specifically ? Is Rachel really the stern wife she seems to be or does she have reasons to be this way (does she know how to not be this way) ? Is Emily really a bit crazy or is she faking it ? Is Tina ready to do jump onto any opportunity to get a fix ? Is the past really dead ?

The good cop/bad coop duo who is investigating the case will have a hard time finding who did what !

The end let me down a bit, hence the missing half star, but I may be a bit demanding. Honestly, it's a really good suspense and you'll really grow to love these women - highly recommended !