Synopsis:
Jody Asher had a plan. Her charismatic husband, Martin, would be a political icon. She, the charming wife, would fuel his success. For fifteen congressional terms, they were the golden couple on the Hill. Life was good. Until he wasn’t.
Martin’s secret affair with a young staffer doesn’t bother Jody from a personal perspective. But professionally? It’s a legacy killer. A reporter is investigating and it’s a scandal in the making. Martin’s indiscretions threaten to ruin everything Jody has accomplished.
And then Martin suddenly dies. For Jody, Martin’s unexpected death is her chance to change the narrative. But the stubborn reporter won’t let go of the story.
As the balance of power shifts both in the Asher household and on the Hill, it’s time for Jody to take control. And there’s nothing the ruthless widow won’t do to secure the future to which she’s entitled.
Even if she has a secret of her own.
A husband with secrets. A wife with no limits. The Widow is a riveting novel of marriage, privilege, and lies from bestselling author Kaira Rouda.
Review:
Kaira Rouda is a former magazine editor and society columnist, as well as a recognized business leader and community service volunteer. She launched the first walk-in emergency shelter for unhoused families in Central Ohio, and later created Real Living, the first female-focused residential real estate brand, in twenty-two states before selling it. Her first published book was Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs. She then turned to penning fiction, including Best Day Ever, The Favorite Daughter, and The Next Wife. Rouda lives in Laguna Beach, California, with her husband, Harley Rouda, who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing California’s 48th District, from 2019 to 2021, and four adult children.
In fact, the impetus for The Widow was her husband’s Congressional service. Rouda spent nearly two years in Washington, D.C. and found it to be a “fascinating, historic, turbulent, powerful and interesting city.” Like so many other authors, she knew it would make the perfect setting for a “fun political thriller.” Inspiration struck when Rouda learned about the Widow’s Mandate, a long-standing practice that has faded somewhat with the election of increasing numbers of women. Customarily, when a member dies while serving in Congress, the spouse serves out the remainder of the term. For example, shortly after Sonny Bono’s fatal 1998 skiing accident, his wife, Mary Bono, won a special election to serve the rest of his congressional term, and won several subsequent regular elections, eventually serving for fifteen years. Cindy McCain was appointed by the Governor of Arizona to serve the remainder of Senator John McCain’s term following his 2017 death. Historically, Rouda observes, “for women hoping to serve in Congress, the best husband has been a dead husband. That’s a great inspiration for a suspense author.”
The book opens with the first of “Mrs. Asher’s Little Tips for New Congressional Spouses,” which appear between chapters. Written in Jody Asher’s voice, the blurbs offer insider information about how to navigate Washington, D.C. society events, Congressional protocols, and expectations. They are designed to help wives of newly elected officials avoid embarrassment and make life in the city more enjoyable. Jody instructs wives about daily life in Washington, D.C., explaining, for instance, that their husbands’ time “will be scheduled down to the minute. I’m not kidding.” And identifies the staff members with whom the wife must become acquainted in order to make their family life run smoothly. For instance, the Chief of Staff can “make your life miserable if he wants.”
Rouda says that when her husband was elected, they were scrambling to secure housing, attending orientation sessions, and feeling “completely overwhelmed.” But they were assisted by caring, experienced spouses and Rouda included the tips as an homage to those helpful women. In addition to being highly entertaining, the gossipy, over-the-top tone of those snippets offers insight into the psyche and agenda of Rouda’s main character, a woman who delights at and is very accustomed to being in charge, with her place in society and at her husband’s side secure, never threatened — a symbol of the power she wields.
In Part Two, Rouda introduces excerpts from “A Guide for New Members of Congress” from Mimi Smith, who has been a friend to both Jody and her husband, Martin, for more than twenty years. They all met in law school, and she is, by Jody’s admission, “a political animal, more connected than even we are,” who runs a highly respected think tank with her husband, Spencer. Mimi is a strategist and advisor who has guided the Ashers throughout Martin’s career. She is glamorous, savvy, and formidable. Her advice is offered in a straight-forward, unflinching, and experienced manner. Of course, as the story proceeds, Rouda reveals that Mimi has her own shocking agenda. And that Jody admires, respects, and fears Mimi because of her ability to make or break careers. But she does not trust her.
As the story begins, Martin Asher is, at fifty-five, still handsome and charismatic. He serves as Chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, serving his sixteenth term. Jody is planning the lavish and costly upcoming wedding of their daughter, Charlotte. At the outset, Jody acknowledges, through her first-person narrative, that she is intent on controlling Martin and will use unscrupulous means to do so. Martin has not been feeling well, and Charlotte is concerned about him. Things are about to get much worse for Martin, who has been scrambling to secure funds to pay for the wedding, and learns that a reporter is chasing a story about his ties to lobbying firms. Max Brown, an investigative reporter with the Washington Times, claims he has evidence that Martin is taking payoffs . . . and plans to run the story. In his first-person narrative, Martin assures his benefactor that he will pay all the money back.
Meanwhile, Charlotte’s future father-in-law plans to back Martin’s opponent when Martin runs for re-election. And Martin’s indiscretion with a young, beautiful intern in his office who is just a few years older than Charlotte – and was placed in his office by Mimi — is about to have serious repercussions, especially when he makes matters worse by telling her that he will provide her with an excellent recommendation, but she needs to find another position. Martin frets that he has secured his own political demise and knows that, if he has, Jody will extract revenge. Jody is determined to find a way to save his career, reputation . . . and her lifestyle.
Martin and Jody met in law school and married because their goals aligned. Jody had a dark past about which Martin was not fully aware until after he married her, and he ponders whether he would have married her anyway. He also oversold himself to her. “We both were posers, not at all what we appeared. That was our superpower. Together we wanted to be more than what we’d come from. We wanted power and prestige.” As Jody notes, “What’s love got to do with anything inside the beltway?” But now everything they have worked to accomplish is in jeopardy. Mimi wisely warns that if the intern story breaks, Martin could actually lose the upcoming election. “Sex scandals eclipse all others in this town.”
And then Martin dies suddenly, and his death opens an avenue for Jody to come into power in her own right. She is ready to seize the opportunity. At first, Jody does not care about Martin’s seat, but a bit of googling reveals the Widow’s Mandate. She makes up her mind that she is not going to resume practicing law to support herself. Rather, her thirty years as “an important public servant” should be rewarded. “The fact is: whoever is serving, their spouse is, too, without most of the perks or thanks,” Rouda notes. JOdy declares, “There is nothing else I want to do. No other job interests me. I want this one. And I will get it, earn it. The people will love me, like they loved Martin,” she tells herself. And she will be able to figure out Martin’s tangled financial dealings, and discover who was actively working to derail his career. Mimi agrees to help her, but Jody must first convince the party leaders who have already selected a young woman to run for Martin’s seat. The machinations, manipulations, double-crossing, and deal-making begin in earnest, and make for a titillating story.
The Widow succeeds in part because Rouda has crafted a convincing story about the cutthroat ways that business is conducted in the nation’s capital. She admits that she drew upon her personal experiences to believably depict “the settings, the traditions, the backstabbing.” She injects surprising plot twists and revelations that keep the story moving at a steady pace, heightening reader interest in seeing just how far beyond ethical norms Jody will go and how things will play out for her.
But the real strength of The Widow is Rouda’s characters, especially Jody. She is not simply narcissistic and power-hungry. She is self-aware, and that aspect of her personality, revealed in a narrative that crackles with honesty from a woman who knows exactly who and what she is, elevates the story. Jody admits that she is unable to experience the full range of human emotions and lacks empathy for others, including her own daughter. Charlotte understands her mother, accepts her, and does not make excuses for her. She shares with Mimi that Jody has “often apologized to her for her inability to show emotion and feel true love.” Thus, Jody is fascinatingly despicable and, in key moments, surprisingly sympathetic. After all, the ability to emote is deeply satisfying and a person who lacks the capacity to feel must lead a miserable, unfulfilling life. Her story is riveting as she strives to secure a future for herself that she deems suitable and befitting what she has already accomplished with Martin. She is extremely clever, and surprisingly good at reading other people’s emotions and ferreting out their agendas, even though she utterly lacks compassion for them and is ruthlessly conniving. But her opponents are formidable. Can she be skillfull outwitted and played?
The Widow is a captivating tale of intrigue, corruption, and the corrosive nature of ambition and unbridled power, at the center of which is a woman who is mesmerizingly cold and calculating. Rouda says she would enjoy writing another book set in Washington, D.C. and after devouring The Widow, readers will be hoping she does.
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