An enjoyable read complete with all the twists and turns you'd expect from a good political thriller. That said, it was a little drawn out for me and lost some steam midway through.

Whilst it is quite a page turner it drags on a bit and the denouement ending is a little disappointing. Not as good as his Sam Bourne books.

Read my full review here :http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-3rd-woman-book-review.html

The 3rd Woman is a solid mesh of murder mystery and political thriller, with just a slight sci-fi sort of edge to it. The very near future, as Jonathan Freedland imagines it, sees the United States of America so crippled by debt that it's had to sell off some of its sovereignty and accept the military presence of its largest debtor - China - on its home soul. It's not all that far-fetched, and the speculative aspect largely stops there, although Freedland does take some liberties with the future of social media.

Madison Webb is your typical journalistic heroine, an obsessive loner who can't resist the puzzle of a good mystery, especially when it's a murder so close to her heart. She's damaged goods - there's a whole subplot dedicated to the mystery of what her mother's illness is hiding - and she's not above using anyone or anything in her pursuit of answers. She's not necessarily likable or sympathetic, but she is someone with whom the reader can empathize.

While I understand it's a genre convention, I felt it was a shame that the entire story is told solely from her perspective. It really denies us any deeper insights into the whole political situation, which was (admittedly) the primary draw for me. We do get bits of context throughout the novel, revealing the new racial tensions and potential for civil unrest along the West coast, but I wanted something a bit deeper. It's not necessarily a complaint, just an observation on my own particular interest in the tale.

As for the murder mystery, it's well played out with plenty of red herrings, double crosses, and twist developments. Although motives are always suspect in these kinds of stories, the political aspect, the fear of the Chinese oppressors, and the pressures of a mayoral political campaign certain add to the tension. It all gets a little bogged down towards the end, especially with the resolution of that family mystery, but for the most part it works.

Even if The 3rd Woman isn't quite as speculative or as political as I anticipated, it's a solid mystery, with a good cast, propelled along by a well-written narrative that races along, but still takes time to provide all the details.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

I admit that I generally found the narrative engaging and it was hardly a chore to finish this mystery/thriller. However, while the story begins fairly well, it gets increasingly more difficult to take seriously. The denouement was just too far fetched for me. Yes, I suppose that stranger things can happen in life, but one hopes that good fiction should not have to depend on the quip we sometimes find ourselves saying, "If this was a novel, it would be totally unconvincing."

They could not stop her! So was the news in on it? Was the call that Howard made to the commander because the news sure didn't want Madison going down that path until the commander said it was okay? Scary thoughts of what could happen if that happened to the US, stay strong and be your amazing selves.

I found this book hard going from beginning to end . I wanted the author to get on with it for most of the time. The concept was interesting but that only gets the reader through the opening chapters. I cannot really say this is an author i will be following

In compliance with FTC guidelines,I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
This book is set some time in the future, where power has shifted from the USA to China. I think part of what kept me intrigued with the story was the possibility that this could happen one day. There were some annoying bits, such as the political aspect, but it was good to see people get their comeuppance in the end. All in all this book kept me hooked, the story line twisting and turning, never sure where it's heading next.