Dear Great Book Guru,  For the last few weeks my friends and I have been trying to see as many of  the Oscar nominated movies as possible. Our favorites have included I, TONYA  and THE SHAPE OF WATER but we have a few more to see.   While on our way to one of the shows, someone mentioned a new literary thriller that uses classic movies to frame its story.  Does it sound familiar?   A Movie Maven

Dear Movie Maven, I just finished  THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A.J. Finn- and it is indeed an homage to many  noir movies of the past, especially Hitchcock’s REAR WINDOW  but also SHADOW OF A DOUBT, VERTIGO,  and SUSPICION plus George Cukor’s terrifying GASLIGHT.  Anna Fox is a child psychologist who spends her days and nights spying on her neighbors. Because of an earlier traumatic event- which we gradually learn about- she suffers from agoraphobia.  Fueled by alcohol and heavy medication, Anna is a very unreliable narrator.  When a new family moves across the street from her, she takes an obsessive interest in their lives and soon sees and hears things she and the baffled reader must question.   However, there is no question this is a fascinating thriller... and highly recommended!