The Grass Widow by Vanessa Edwards

The Grass Widow by Vanessa Edwards
Published 11 April 2025

📝 Review Note:
This review is provided as part of the Virtual Book Tour hosted by Zooloo’s Book Tours which runs 8 September until 14 September 2025. Follow along with the Book Tour Schedule.

Thank you to Vanessa Edwards and Zooloo’s Book Tours for including me on this book tour and for providing a copy of the digital edition of this gripping psychological thriller to read and review.

As always, this review reflects my honest thoughts.

About the book

Leonie wants petty revenge on her married ex-lover Hugh.

Hugh’s wife Amanda wants something more than her perfect house and philandering husband.

Amanda’s new gardener Simon wants a lot more than a job manicuring the rose beds of the rich.

A death in an apparent accident brings Leonie and Amanda together in an unlikely alliance.

Can they find the truth before someone else dies?

About the Author

Vanessa Edwards lives in London with her border collie Elvis.

After reading Philosophy at University College London, she qualified as a solicitor and practised as a lawyer and legal translator in London, Brussels and Luxembourg. She took early retirement from the law and turned to her lifelong dream of writing crime fiction.

Her debut novel, The Grass Widow, is a gripping domestic suspense full of adultery, murder, and intrigue. Originally published in 2023 by Troubadour Publishing, it has now been re-released as a self-published edition. Her follow-up, The Matchmakers (2024), combines true crime and London noir, offering a modern twist on a historic murder case.

You can find her at vanessaedwardswriter.com

and on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter)

My Review

The Grass Widow isn’t just another thriller for me — it’s one of the standout reads of my year. Sharp, engrossing, and beautifully written, it had everything I crave in this genre and more. From the very beginning, I was hooked by Leonie’s simmering desire for revenge, Amanda’s yearning for something more than her perfect but hollow life, and Simon’s unsettling presence as the new gardener. Every character was flawed, fascinating, and utterly compelling, and I found myself completely invested in how their tangled lives would collide.

At 394 pages, this is a longer book than many thrillers, and yes, it may be a touch wordy in places — but not once did my attention drift. The pacing was spot on, the tension built so cleverly, and the story pulled me deeper with every chapter. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next, yet I also didn’t want it to end. That’s such a rare and wonderful balance to find in a book.

What impressed me most was how layered the story felt. It wasn’t just about shocking twists or a straightforward whodunnit — though it certainly delivered those — but about the why. The psychology of betrayal, revenge, dissatisfaction, and survival gave the novel an emotional depth that made it stand out. I was constantly asking myself what I would do in the same situation, and that made the reading experience even more gripping.

The so-called “accident” that sets events spiralling was such a clever turning point. By the time I reached the final act, I was reading with my heart in my mouth. The atmosphere, the pace, and the emotional intensity all came together brilliantly, and the conclusion felt both satisfying and haunting. I finished the book feeling breathless, already wishing I could go back and experience it all over again.

This is exactly why I love reading thrillers — that all-consuming sense of being transported, the thrill of a story that won’t let you go, and the joy of discovering an author who clearly knows how to craft a gripping, intelligent, character-driven novel. Vanessa Edwards is definitely an author I’ll be following closely, because if The Grass Widow is anything to go by, her future books are going straight to the top of my reading list.

Without hesitation, this is a five-star read for me, and one I’ll be recommending to everyone.

#VanessaEdwards #TheGrassWidow #ZooloosBookTours
#BestRead2025 #FiveStarRead #recommendedreading #bookreview

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DISCLOSURE: I received an advance or review copy of this book. As always, my thoughts are honest and my own.
DISCLOSURE: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley/Zooloo’s Book Tours. As always, my thoughts are honest and my own.
DISCLOSURE: I purchased this book myself. As always, my thoughts are honest and my own.

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