Black Widows - by Cate Quinn (Paperback)

About the Book

""I had the right husband-and the wrong wives." -One of Blake Nelson's widows The Dry meets The Handmaid's Tale in this fascinating story of wife and death. Against the wishes of his family and the laws of the elders of the Mormon church, Blake Nelson has adopted the old polygamous ways and lives alone with his three wives, miles from anywhere, in rural Utah. Blake and his wives kept to themselves--and kept most folks out. That is, until his dead body is discovered. Black Widows is told in the three voices of Blake's very different wives, who hate each other, and who sometimes hated their husband. Blake's dead. Did his wife kill him? And if so, which one?"--

Book Synopsis

"While Quinn writes with spirit on weighty subjects like domestic abuse, polygamy and religious cults, her primary and most poignant theme seems to be female friendship."--New York Times Book Review

"An absolutely thrilling novel. I devoured it over a weekend, unable to put it down. It's a clever and completely original take on a domestic thriller."--Alex Michaelides, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Silent Patient

"Original, informative, suspenseful--the big three in a literary slam bang."--New York Journal of Books

Blake's dead. They say his wife killed him. If so... which one?

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.

For fans of The Wife Between Us and The Dry comes a chilling murder mystery that takes a domestic thriller's classic question--"Did his wife kill him?"--and twists it into an completely new type of suspense.

Review Quotes

"Black Widows is a brilliant joyride in the company of three unforgettable women, sister-wives with nothing in common except their dead husband. Completely compelling and vividly told, the story plays with your loyalties and makes you question what counts as moral behaviour. This is a hugely enjoyable and original mystery with real heart, and I loved it." -- Jane Casey, author of The Burning and How to Fall

"Black Widows is a tense portrayal of an unconventional family and the secrets each one of them carries. With the murder of their husband, three sister wives must contend with their own pasts while suspecting the others of the crime. Quinn masterfully paints each woman with a different brush, making her unique, compelling...and suspicious. As tensions unravel and secrets are revealed, you will race to the end, watching the puzzle assemble into a picture you never imagined." -- Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

"Black Widows is an absolutely thrilling novel. I devoured it over a weekend, unable to put it down. It's a clever and completely original take on a domestic thriller. A whodunnit set in a Mormon household, a question of which wife killed their mutual husband, it's told from the alternating perspectives of each of his three wives - and manages to be more than the sum of its parts: at once a fast-paced thriller and also a fascinating examination of Mormon culture and an extremely complicated and deadly marriage. Highly recommended." -- Alex Michaelides, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Silent Patient

"Everything about this book--the plot, the characters, the telling--is strikingly original. And highly recommended. Brilliantly imagined, compellingly told, a tale of survival against the odds, told with insight and compassion. The voices of the three wives will stay with the reader long after the book is finished." -- Chris Hammer, international bestselling author of Scrublands and Silver

"I loved this book. It's both a fascinating glimpse into a hidden world and brilliantly twisty crime novel. Three wives, three motives, three utterly compelling stories." -- Elly Griffiths, author of the Dr. Ruth Galloway mysteries

"It's a great hook and a tremendous read--I thoroughly enjoyed this. The tension ramps up all the way to the end and I loved the relationship between the wives." -- Harriet Tyce, international bestselling author of Blood Orange

"It's unusual to read a story that reveals a completely different life, but that's exactly what Black Widows does. A thrilling tale which twists and turns along an immersive desert landscape, with a surprising Thelma & Louise style ending that makes you feel proud of the sisterhood." -- Araminta Hall, author of Our Kind of Cruelty

"Oh my God, THIS BOOK! Mormon man--three wives, living survivalist lives--is murdered. Each wife is a suspect. I could NOT put it down!!! Utterly compelling, nuanced characterisation, such atmosphere. I LOVED it!" -- Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of The Break and Grown Ups

"Part page-turning whodunit, part desert domestic noir, Black Widows is a sly, contemporary crime masterpiece. I loved it." -- Adrian McKinty, New York Times bestselling author of The Chain

"Quinn gives her readers an exquisite murder mystery, taking us through uncharted territory of off-the-grid, modern-day intentional communities. Black Widows is a steady, slow boil you'll be happy to immerse yourself in." -- Christina Dalcher, international bestselling author of Vox and Master Class

"The marriage thriller given a wicked new twist. Claustrophobic, intense and absolutely gripping Black Widows announces the arrival of a major new talent into the halls of domestic noir." -- Eva Dolan, author of the Zigic and Ferreira series

"Three wives. One dead husband. A cast of perfectly flawed, all-too-relatable characters. This wildly unique and stunningly intricate novel takes hold of you from the very first pages and never lets go. For anyone in need of the perfect thriller, look no further than Black Widows. Cate Quinn has masterfully woven a story that unites gorgeously vivid details with a pulse-pounding chase to find the truth behind Blake Nelson's demise. Quinn's tale weaves through the barren deserts of Utah, to the ragged corners of Vegas, and back to the Homestead with such exquisite descriptions one can see the scorched red earth and taste the dry air as the chapters fly by. Hats off to Quinn for creating a deliciously scandalous thriller that shines with unexpected rays of humor, and still manages to conclude with a deeply satisfying ending. Easily my favorite thriller of the year." -- Gina LaManna, author of Three Single Wives and Pretty Guilty Women