Jess Montgomery

This was nice, but it could have been better. I read this for book club, and I found that most of us in the group felt that this novel needed something to make it better, but we couldn't put a finger on what. Things are slow to start, and the two main characters, Lily and Marvena, take a long time to come into focus. These are two strong women, but for much of the book, they don’t have much personality. They simply react to the things that happen to them, at least at first, though they improve in second half of the novel. This historical fiction book touches on a lot of social issues from that time, including anti-German violence, sexism, poverty, mining safety, unions, corrupt officials—all sorts of interesting topics. The mystery is compelling and well-plotted. Many of the characters, especially the side characters, are well fleshed-out.

I've been thinking a lot about this since I finished reading it, and I think one of the biggest problems with it is that it doesn't give enough attention to the "bad" guys. It focuses on people's relationships and friendships, sometimes with great nuance, but the people who are mean are flat and almost cartoonish in their simplicity. I'm not asking for every villain to have some sort of traumatic origin story, but I know that in real life, most people are complicated. Even bullies. That sort of oversimplifying might merely be annoying in other novels, but it's disastrous here because of the novel's political focus. This book looks at many political issues, and the biggest ones—miners' safety, fair wages, and unionization—drive the plot. How can there be tension between two opposing sides if we never hear both sides? The heroines want safety, and money for laborers, and all sorts of good things. Good for them. But I have to say, if they're opposing people who believe otherwise, would it hurt to explain their side as well? Or does the author trust her readers so little, that she's afraid we'd side with them? Does she think we'll say safety is bad? Or are there other factors at play? I'm sure these people had reasons that made sense to them, and it would have helped us to understand their side of the issue. It would have helped us understand what the heroines were up against. It's too bad the readers missed out on all that.… (more)

Loosely based on actual events, The Widows tells the story of Lily Ross, the first woman sheriff of Bronwyn County, Ohio, in 1924. When Lily's husband, Sheriff Daniel T. Ross, is murdered, Lily takes over Daniel's job until a new sheriff can be elected. However, once she starts investigating her husband's death, she realizes she has a logical mind, a knack for investigating, and the courage to confront and deal with the bad guys. Unfortunately for Lily, many of these bad guys are family members. Set in the Appalachian foothills where most men worked long, hard days in unsafe mines and often died young in horrific accidents, Lily's life gets tangled up with Marvena, another widow who advocates for unionization. The book's first half is slow as the author sets up the background and introduces the characters. Still, the second half moves faster and has more than a few surprise twists that drew me into this powerful story of hardship, resilience, and standing up for what you believe in.… (more)

The Widows by Jess Montgomery is a 2019 Minotaur publication.

"The Widows" is a historical fiction novel set in the Appalachian region of Ohio in 1924. The novel is centered around Lily Ross, whose husband, Sheriff Daniel Ross, is killed in the line of duty. Lily is determined to find out who killed her husband, so it was fortuitous that she was asked to take Daniel's place as acting sheriff.

But Lily's plans are complicated by the appearance of Marvena, a woman who shows up looking for Daniel, claiming he had been looking into the disappearance of her daughter. It is obvious that Marvena has a history with her husband, something he never told her about. As acting sheriff, Lily needs to see if she can locate Marvena's daughter, but she also wants to know more about her connection to her husband...

I got more than I bargained for with this novel! The author did a fabulous job with time and place, through her vivid descriptions. The characters are well-developed and sympathetic. I liked Lily and Marvena- though they were very different, they came together for a common goal, and I enjoyed watching them forge a real bond, despite some awkwardness.

The mystery is suspenseful, if a bit slow at times, but the ending really took me by surprise.

Overall, I liked that the story was inspired by the first real-life female sheriff of Ohio. The story is well-researched with a great deal of depth, and stayed with me for days after completion. Thankfully, this is the first book in a series, so there will be more adventures for Lily in the future and I'm very much looking forward to reading about them!

If you like historical fiction, mysteries, and strong female characters- you'll want to give this one a try!

4+ stars… (more)