The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

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Blog Review: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 📚🪟

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

  • Alcohol abuse 🍷

  • Prescription drug misuse 💊

  • Murder / violence 🔪

  • Parental neglect 🥀

  • Mental illness (agoraphobia, depression) 🧠

My Take: A Page-Turning, Wine-Soaked Hitchcockian Ride 🍷🎥

Some books are “put down, come back later” reads. This is not one of them.
The Woman in the Window had me hooked from page one — a woman, stuck in her house, spying on her neighbors, mixing wine with prescription meds… oh yes, we’ve got a deliciously unreliable narrator here.

As soon as you realize Dr. Anna Fox isn’t exactly in a healthy mental space — and she’s throwing alcohol and sedatives into the mix — you know the author can take this story absolutely anywhere. And I’m here for it.

Bonus points for moments that made me actually laugh out loud (whether or not A.J. Finn intended it). Like when Anna tries online dating, only to slam the laptop shut after seeing her basement tenant David’s profile. Comedy gold.

Also, the constant name-dropping of Hitchcock and noir classics? Yes please. Every movie mentioned is a gem, and as a film buff, I soaked it up like… well, like Anna with a nice glass of merlot. 🍷

🚨 Spoiler Alert: Full Plot Summary & Ending 🚨

Dr. Anna Fox, once a respected child psychologist, now lives alone in a New York City brownstone, crippled by agoraphobia after a horrific car accident. She spends her days:

  • Watching Hitchcock and old noir films 🎬

  • Spying on her neighbors through her window 🪟

  • Chatting in online support groups

  • Overindulging in red wine and psych meds 🍷💊

She still “talks” to her husband Ed and daughter Olivia… except we later learn they died in that same accident, and these conversations are all in her head.

When the Russells move in across the street — Alistair, Jane, and their teenage son Ethan — Anna is intrigued. Ethan seems shy and vulnerable, and Anna quickly takes him under her wing. She also meets a woman she believes is Jane Russell… only to later discover she was actually Katie, Ethan’s biological mother.

One night, Anna is sure she witnesses “Jane” (Katie) being stabbed to death in the Russell home. But here’s the kicker: the woman presented as Jane Russell is alive and well, and everyone — police, neighbors, even her tenant David — thinks Anna imagined the whole thing thanks to her booze-and-pills lifestyle.

The truth? Katie was murdered, but the killer wasn’t Alistair. It was Ethan. Ethan harbored deep resentment toward Katie for neglecting him during his childhood due to her drug addiction. That simmering rage finally boiled over, and he killed her.

When Ethan realizes Anna suspects him, he attacks her in a tense, violent scene that had my heart racing. She barely survives, but in the end, Ethan is caught.

Six weeks later, Anna steps outside for the first time since the attack — sober, self-aware, and ready to face the future without her imaginary conversations.

✍️ My Review Score: 4/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Why not five? This book could’ve lost about 100 pages and been tighter. Too many small, unnecessary details slowed down the pacing for me. But the unreliable narrator, clever Hitchcock parallels, and twisty ending still make this a must-read psychological thriller.

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