Rating: 
Summary: Another good book by this talented author
Review: In his Florence apartment, someone murders renowned philandering portrait artist Aristide Pompasse. The body is discovered by tabloid reporter Connor Maguire who planned to write a tell all book about the infamous artist. Upon learning about his death, Aristide's wife Charlie returns from New York City, where she had started a fresh life without her domineering spouse five years ago, to her husband's Tuscan, France villa. Now she just wants to bury her memories of him by shutting down the estate quickly and re-crossing the Atlantic. However, before she can attain some peace, Charlie must contend with her husband's slew of mistresses all claiming a piece of the estate. Worse is Maguire who obviously wants something from the widow. As they yell at one another while together looking for Aristide's missing paintings, the danger and the passion mount. The story line of THE WIDOW emphasizes the romance much more so than the suspense until very late in the tale. The war of words between the lead protagonists is fun to watch as they are an engaging duo who seem both right and wrong for one another. However, anyone expecting a terse suspense-laden tale will be disappointed in Anne Stuart's latest novel. Those readers who relish a powerful love story with torrid passion and a dab of action will fully enjoy THE WIDOW. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: The ending is worth it! You will never guess what and who. Highly recommend!
Rating: 
Summary: Murder, Betrayal & Passion . . . .
Review: The Widow by Anne Stuart is superb. Romantic suspense at its finest. Aristide Pompasse was the world's greatest artist. He is renowned for his fabulous portraits all of which are worth millions. He is also notorious for having young mistresses. All of them reside at his estate. He allows no one to escape from his Tuscan villa. That is, until his young wife flees. Charlotte Thomas is the much younger, former wife of Aristide. She flees him and settles in Manhattan. For five years, she has been desperately trying to recapture her life - her soul. Hearing of her former husband's death sets into motion a series of events that changes her life. She is called back to Aristide's villa to settle his estate. Once there she encounters his formers mistresses and a mysterious man, Connor Maguire. Connor passes himself off as an insurance consultant. What he is really after is the biggest story of his life - the murder of world famous artist Aristide Pompasse. He is a reporter for the tabloid, THE STARLIGHT. He is there at the estate searching for Pompasse's diaries, hoping to find more skeletons carefully kept hidden. What he does find is a rumor of murder, missing masterpieces and of course, the artist's former wife and muse - Charlie. Charlie is cool, calm and controlled. An ice princess and the kind of woman that had never appealed to him. So why can't he keep his eyes and hands off of her? What is he so drawn to her? Amidst this temptation, danger awaits! Someone very calculating and dangerous is residing at the villa. Who hated Pompasse enough to kill? Everyone seems to have a motive . . . This is a highly recommended book. Ms. Stuart's carefully penned words set Pompasse up as the bad guy; a lecherous old man who had a weakness for seventeen year old girls and for controlling everything in his atmosphere. Blend in murder, betrayal and yes, DESIRE. Mix it all together and you have got on heck of an exciting read.
Rating:
Summary: Murder, Betrayal & Passion . . . .
Review: The Widow by Anne Stuart is superb. Romantic suspense at its finest. Aristide Pompasse was the world's greatest artist. He is renowned for his fabulous portraits all of which are worth millions. He is also notorious for having young mistresses. All of them reside at his estate. He allows no one to escape from his Tuscan villa. That is, until his young wife flees. Charlotte Thomas is the much younger, former wife of Aristide. She flees him and settles in Manhattan. For five years, she has been desperately trying to recapture her life - her soul. Hearing of her former husband's death sets into motion a series of events that changes her life. She is called back to Aristide's villa to settle his estate. Once there she encounters his formers mistresses and a mysterious man, Connor Maguire. Connor passes himself off as an insurance consultant. What he is really after is the biggest story of his life - the murder of world famous artist Aristide Pompasse. He is a reporter for the tabloid, THE STARLIGHT. He is there at the estate searching for Pompasse's diaries, hoping to find more skeletons carefully kept hidden. What he does find is a rumor of murder, missing masterpieces and of course, the artist's former wife and muse - Charlie. Charlie is cool, calm and controlled. An ice princess and the kind of woman that had never appealed to him. So why can't he keep his eyes and hands off of her? What is he so drawn to her? Amidst this temptation, danger awaits! Someone very calculating and dangerous is residing at the villa. Who hated Pompasse enough to kill? Everyone seems to have a motive . . . This is a highly recommended book. Ms. Stuart's carefully penned words set Pompasse up as the bad guy; a lecherous old man who had a weakness for seventeen year old girls and for controlling everything in his atmosphere. Blend in murder, betrayal and yes, DESIRE. Mix it all together and you have got on heck of an exciting read.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasant but not earth shattering...
Review: The Widow by Anne Stuart I like Anne Stuart's stuff. She writes a lot of different genres and I've hardly ever failed to be entertained by her writing. However, The Widow, misses the mark and comes in at just around average. It's not a hard book to get into. Ms. Stuart starts out with a murder and it goes from there. My problem was I had a really difficult time feeling sorry for the victim. The 73 yr. old Pompasse is a great 'artiste' but with a penchant for prepubescent models who he usually lured to his bed. As far as I was concerned a profligate child-molester had gotten his and good riddance. So I didn't have much of an emotional investment in finding out who the killer was. But, since I like Anne Stuart, I kept reading anyway. (G). The heroine, 30 year old American Charlie (Charlotte) Thomas, was once married to Pompasse, but managed to escape him five years before. They are now divorced and she is living in Manhattan where she has reinvented herself as a fairly successful restaurateur. Australian Conor Maguire, our hero and a tabloid reporter, poses as an insurance adjuster to gain access to Pompasse's Tuscan estate, La Columbala. He's hoping to dig up all the dirt on Pompasse, Charlie, Pompasse's harem of models and write a book that will make him a load of dough. Doesn't much care who he has to sleep with to get it either. He's a fallen hero. A burnt out war correspondent who, after his friend/mentor/lover is blown to bits before his eyes, just can't take it any more. Maguire is not my kind of hero, but I found myself (kicking and screaming all the while) liking him anyway. They reminded me immediately of a slightly younger Meg Ryan, (serious mode, not perky) and Maguire was Russell Crowe distilled into print. Charlie is supposed to be vulnerable, but her façade was just too cool and I thought too distancing. I like characters I can identify with, or at least understand. Charlie had simply frozen all her emotions and it was difficult to get close to her. It's not a stretch to figure out who the killer is since there's a limited number of characters and what you've got here, for all intents and purposes, is a cozy. Still, it was a relaxing summer read. Pleasant, but not earth shattering.
Rating:
Summary: This book saved my marriage!
Review: The Widow is both a romance and a mystery. What made it a special book was the relationship between Charlie and Maguire, watching each of them change through their relationship. The painter Pompasse is murdered and there are several suspects. Charlie was married to him and returns to their home, to see his funeral. Maguire is there to cover the painter's life, his scandals and his women. I liked The Widow because it was so different. I liked the relationship between Maguire and Charlie. I liked trying to figure out who killed Pompasse. The location, the characters are all very interesting. I found I had to read the book slowly to understand the true development and change of the relationship between Maguire and Charlie. Maguire seemed like a shallow person, until you really saw where his feelings came from. Charlie is hard to understand until you realize she really never had a father. Perhaps she was looking for him in her men. Maguire will change that. Enjoy this book for both the romance and the mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Different
Review: The Widow is both a romance and a mystery. What made it a special book was the relationship between Charlie and Maguire, watching each of them change through their relationship. The painter Pompasse is murdered and there are several suspects. Charlie was married to him and returns to their home, to see his funeral. Maguire is there to cover the painter's life, his scandals and his women. I liked The Widow because it was so different. I liked the relationship between Maguire and Charlie. I liked trying to figure out who killed Pompasse. The location, the characters are all very interesting. I found I had to read the book slowly to understand the true development and change of the relationship between Maguire and Charlie. Maguire seemed like a shallow person, until you really saw where his feelings came from. Charlie is hard to understand until you realize she really never had a father. Perhaps she was looking for him in her men. Maguire will change that. Enjoy this book for both the romance and the mystery.
Rating:
Summary: This book saved my marriage!
Review: While on a road trip in the wilderness, we had a flat and my husband was...shall we say...less than patient while spending 2 hours changing it on a gravel slope. Thanks to THE WIDOW, I didn't even notice the time passing, the mosquitoes, the sun beating down...I just thought I'd been swept away to a magical villa in Tuscany. The characterizations just sparkle in this one, and I couldn't put the book down as the layers of secrets and lies were slowly peeled away. Fantastic book, I can't recommend it highly enough. I never once said, "Honey, how's that tire change coming along?" and therefore we are as happily-ever-after as Maguire and Charlie.
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