The Woman in the Window

Likened to blockbusters by Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn, and Ruth Ware—and billed as the breakout book of 2018—Finn's debut lives up to the hype. The title, also the name of a 1944 film noir, refers to both the protagonist, Dr. Anna Fox, and the horrific scene she witnesses from her kitchen window. An agoraphobic and former child psychologist, Anna spends her days in her Harlem brownstone drinking Merlot by the case, watching old black-and-white mysteries, and spying on her neighbors. Her latest obsession is the new family across the park, the Russells. The trio—a husband, wife, and teen son—remind Anna of her own husband and young daughter, who no longer live with her. Anna's peeping soon reveals what she's positive is a murder and hasty cover-up. But no one—including the police—believe the ravings of a hermit who consistently mixes prescription medication with large doses of alcohol.