Janet Maslin in The New York Times said, "A book that's as devious as this novel will delight anyone who's been disappointed too often" and that it holds up "pretty well, but there are problems" with writing that "is serviceable, sometimes bordering on strange.

The film was originally set for a theatrical release on May 15, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic was sold to Netflix, which began streaming it on May 14, 2021.

[15][16] Set in San Francisco, it is a thriller about a young woman writing the biography of a celebrated crime writer.

[18][19][20] In February 2019, an article in The New Yorker on The Woman in the Window alleged that Mallory had been "an unreliable narrator" about some of his personal biography, including falsely claiming to have had cancer and misrepresenting his academic credentials, amongst other things.

[7] The article also describes claims that Mallory stated his brother committed suicide and his mother died of cancer; both were alive as of 2019.

[7] In response to his explanation, The Guardian wrote "His account would not explain instances where he inflated his professional experience to smooth his rapid advance up the ranks of publishing" and "that Mallory was helped to rise with such speed, on the back of unchecked claims about his experience and competence, is not only depressing for those working honestly in the industry, but also deeply infuriating.

"[23] Author Karin Slaughter, who worked with Mallory at William Morrow, noted that "he was extremely professional and he was really one of the best advocates I could have had.

The story also quoted Harvard Law School's intellectual property expert Rebecca Tushnet who explained that there are many "well-worn tropes in thrillers," and Stuart Karle of Columbia Journalism School who stated that "great fiction builds on prior works in terms of both language and sense of place.

"[26] In addition, the director of 1995 film Copycat, Jon Amiel, also noted similarities from The Woman in the Window to his own movie.