CHILLING CULTS

BLACK WIDOWS by Cate Quinn (£12.99, HB, Orion)

In nature, the female black widow spider is notorious for turning on the male after mating, and may even kill and eat him for good measure. While these women don’t go quite that far, it’s clear that each of three polygamous wives has excellent reasons for bashing their shared husband to death with an axe. But which one was responsible for Blake’s grisly death and dismemberment?

Set in a grim homestead in the arid Utah desert, the story unravels the realities of life for women in the branch of Mormonism that accepts polygamy. Desperate poverty, isolation and truly awful food are among their manyis also a riveting murder plot, and a delicate analysis of the relationship between ‘sister’ wives who have to live together, despite all the attendant jealousies and privations. An amazing achievement.