A Melbourne stay-at-home mother who realizes her husband, John, never arrived on his flight from London. She discovers he quit his job months ago and had been living a secret life on Belport Island.

Christian White is widely praised for a massive plot twist that many reviewers call "jaw-dropping" and "fiendishly clever". It forces readers to re-evaluate the timelines and everything they thought they knew about the characters.

Abby has a fascination with amateur taxidermy , which adds a grisly, gothic layer to her practical, no-nonsense personality. Critical Reception

Critics from The Age and ABC News Breakfast highlight White as a "master of misdirection". While some readers find the central twist "infuriating," most agree it is a powerful exploration of grief and the corrosive nature of secrets. The Wife and the Widow by Christian White | Goodreads

An island local and true-crime enthusiast who works at a grocery store. She begins to suspect her husband, Ray, is involved in a brutal murder at the island's docks after he starts acting strangely and disposing of his clothes. Why It Stands Out

Belport Island is described as a "ghost town" in winter—harsh, isolated, and claustrophobic—which serves as a silent character in the mystery.

The novel follows two women whose lives collide through secrets left behind by the men they love.