A devoted husband, responsible father and do-good lawyer dies in a hotel room fire. Suddenly, the lives of his young wife, teenage daughter and ex-wife are flipped upside down.

Red flags are raised when payments from his law firm are abruptly terminated. Is this an opportunistic move by his partner and former best friend? Or is there more to the story? Independently, the three women do some digging and begin to question his seemingly good disposition.

Widows-In-Law is not your typical over-the-top thriller. While these resourceful women are thrown into a ring of high stakes corruption, their actions don’t seem unrealistic. I appreciate that no one turned into Liam Neeson taking out armed and dangerous men in each chapter. Rather, they relied on astute detective work, careful planning, and most importantly, each other.

I have to be honest; I did not judge this book by its cover, but I did judge it by its name. I hate the title. I thought I was in for a very contrite, basic beach read that would ultimately feel like a waste of time. However, I found Miller’s narrative to be a much more compelling story than any of James Patterson’s recent books.

Miller develops three very likable and capable characters that realize the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The group dynamic evolves through the pages as they discover much about the deceased and themselves, making for an entertaining read.

Pick up this one and enjoy all the twists and turns.

Verdict: Read it. 3.5/5 Stars
Length: 304 pages
When: You grow tired of the James Patterson book machine and want a new beach read author
Quote: But why had Steve looked at her like that? Although atrophied from disuse, Lauren’s street-honed antenna set her nerves on end.
Also Try: The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Algers (We just found out there will be a TV adaption of this book starring Rosamund Pike from Gone Girl)!!! (B2C review)

Buy Widows-in-Law by Michele W. Miller