Book review - Chris Brookmyre's Black Widow skilfully takes a simple idea and turns it into an exceptional novel

It’s a long time since I read a Chris Brookmyre novel.  For some reason I can’t remember I stopped getting them from the library and Brookmyre fell off my reading list. By chance I saw Black Widow and was immediately attracted by the plot line, so here goes….

Dr Diana Jager is a talented surgeon who has ended up in professional exile working at a hospital in Inverness following her being publicly identified as “Scalpelgirl” – a blogger that highlighted tales of professional misogyny sent to her by other female surgeons.  After being unmasked, she was dubbed “Bladebitch” and ostracised by her former colleagues. Lonely and isolated, Jager meets Peter Elphinstone, an IT technician at work and after a whirlwind romance they are married.  Everyone says they are the ideal couple.  Six months later, Peter’s car is found in a river near a notorious blackspot, with no sign of the body.  Police that visit Jager to break the news, finding her cold and distant.  They also notice that the house smells strongly of bleach.  They start joining the dots and, well it looks obvious what the good doctor has done! 

Interestingly, the story begins at the end – a trial for murder and recounts Jager’s story, interwoven with Jack Parlabane’s narrative, which flashes back and forwards through the investigation as well as the police patrol who investigated the crash report.   Black Widow moves along briskly, with character switches and flashbacks that keep you on your toes.  Brookmyre effortlessly narrates from different character’s points of view and weaves a sophisticated story that makes you just want to keep reading.

Final verdict – a really simple idea that’s turned into a sophisticated story with lots of clever red herrings.  It’s bang up to date, looking at how the internet makes people vulnerable to hate campaigns, malicious acts spread through the web and other sinister aspects of technology that I won’t go into as it will spoil the many surprises in the novel.  Highly recommended – and not just a flash in the pan, I’ve also bought his previous book Dead Girl Walking, which looks equally intriguing.  Enough said? 

Romancrimeblogger