The Woman in the Window (2018) by A.J. Finn (pen name of Daniel Mallory) is a twisty, Hitchcockian thriller that pays homage to classic suspense while delivering modern psychological chills. The story centers on Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic child psychologist who spends her days isolated in her Harlem brownstone, drowning in wine and old noir films while spying on her neighbors. When she witnesses a brutal crime through her window—a stabbing in the seemingly perfect Russell family’s home across the street—no one believes her.
Finn masterfully plays with unreliable narration, as Anna’s grip on reality frays due to medication side effects, alcoholism, and trauma from a past accident. The novel’s claustrophobic tension builds through red herrings, gaslighting, and eerie parallels to Rear Window and The Girl on the Train. A shocking third-act twist upends everything, forcing Anna—and the reader—to question what’s real.
Despite controversy surrounding the author, the book became a #1 bestseller and was adapted into a 2021 Netflix film starring Amy Adams.
