TALKING TO STRANGERS

4 stars out of 5

With three narrators, this one didn't strike me as an entry in a series, which usually highlights a central figure. The book is, in fact, the second featuring Detective Elise King (I read the first one as well), but here, the other two got what seemed to be just as much page time. The other two are Kiki Nunn, a journalist looking for a story that will catapult her to fame and fortune, and Annie Curtis, whose young son was murdered 16 years ago.

Early on, Elise is called to a wooded area where the body of local hairdresser Karen Simmons is found leaning against a tree - clearly a murder victim. Kiki, of course, smells her big break, so she jumps in with both feet and a cell phone to annoy the heck out of Elise. Annie's perspective is important because the place where Karen is found is the exact same place where her son was murdered all those years ago - and she's still got unanswered questions.

As expected, the story follows the murder investigation - and the private lives of the three narrators - showing the impact on all of them. All have a vested interest in seeing the case through to the end, albeit for very different reasons (some of them surprising), winding through a dark world of online dating.

Admittedly, it was a bit of a struggle for me to keep the various characters straight, but in the end everything got resolved (well, almost everything - leaving a bit to make readers eager for the next installment. Count me in!

Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton (Berkley, August 2024); 400 pp.

LOCAL GONE MISSING

4 stars out of 5

Call me crazy, but I'm sniffing the start of a new series "starring" detective Elise King. If I'm right, I'm certainly interested in reading the next one - even though this one is a bit too close to a cozy mystery to suit me (more on that later).

Set in the small by-the-sea town of Ebbing, England, Elise lives is on medical leave from the police Major Crime Team following cancer surgery, but she stays in touch with her capable partner, Caro Brennan. One evening, in the middle of a town festival that a town bigwig forced on the locals against their will, two teenagers overdose on drugs and a local man - Charlie Perry - goes missing. Elise isn't supposed to be on the job, but she gets roped in by way of friends (in particular, her neighbor Ronnie). She soon learns that although Charlie is quite popular in the community and has an almost middle-aged daughter, Birdie, in a full-time care facility, he has more than a few secrets that he's trying hard for years to hide.

Readers meet other characters along the way, including community house cleaner Dee Eastwood, who because of her work is privy to all kinds of secrets (and, not surprisingly, has a few of her own). Chapters move from the present to the past and back again - constantly - a technique of which I'm not fond but which the author does very well in this instance (well, I'm not any fonder of it than I used to be, but in this case it was far less confusing than it too-often is). 

For her part, Elise tries hard to investigate and avoid ruffling feathers of those who insist she shouldn't be back on the job - most of the time successfully. Near the end, she feels well enough to convince her supervisor that she can handle a return, by which time she and Ronnie have a pretty good handle on what's really going on - and the ending brings a bit of a surprise as well as "outs" a bunch of secrets and wraps things up nicely.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it, but I must say it tromps on the edges between being a police procedural and a cozy. Mostly, that's because Elise's neighbor Ronnie is obnoxious, pushy and won't take no for an answer (nor can Elise bring herself to utter that word to her friend) - a hallmark of just about every cozy I've ever read. I can't, for instance, imagine any professional police officer, even one off duty, allowing a civilian to be so fully involved in a department investigation except in a cozy. On the other hand, I will give the author kudos for her handling of the cancer issue; readers and the story's characters certainly feel empathy  toward Elise and what she's going through, but at no time is she treated like a victim (nor does she behave like one except for the occasional - and totally understandable - lapse into a temporary blue funk). Bottom line? An entertaining read - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton (Berkley, June 2022); 383 pp.

THE SUSPECT

4.5 stars out of 5



Although this book has recurring characters from the author's first two terrific books - The Widow and The Child - it's billed as a standalone. There's a reason for that; reading through this one, I literally forgot any familiarity with the central character, journalist Kate Waters, until very near the end. In fact, both she and detective Bob Sparkes appeared in those two earlier novels. I mention this to make it clear that readers who may have missed the first two should feel comfortable starting here (although I highly recommend reading those first simply because they're great - I gave both well-earned 5-star ratings).

This one is excellent as well; as proof, I'll note that I was happy that the few TV shows I watch with regularity were in reruns for the Christmas holidays so I could keep my nose in the book with fewer interruptions. At the same time, I must admit I enjoyed it a teeny bit less than the first two (emphasis on teeny). Timelines and perspectives jump all over the place in this one, although they're easy to follow; in the beginning, two girls take a time-out before heading to college to visit Thailand (why they picked that country escaped me, but if they'd wanted to get themselves in trouble fast, they certainly picked the right place). Now their parents have reported them missing, and Kate is all over the story - no doubt feeling a sort of kinship with the parents because her own son Jake abruptly left home to head out to "find himself" two years earlier and hasn't been seen by them since. 

Gradually, bits and pieces of what happens to the missing girls are revealed and the story isn't pretty (nor, in some respects, does it seem totally believable - hence my ever-so-slightly lower 4.5-star rating). And as readers might assume early on - and Kate learns soon thereafter - they have a connection with Jake. Exactly how they're linked  is for Kate and her detective friends to find out, and it may not be what Kate wants to learn. There are a number of twists and turns before the final chapter (and there's a bit of a surprise near the end that could, I suppose, come back to bite in a future book). Overall, it's quite an enjoyable book that I highly recommend, and I once again thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The Suspect by Fiona Barton (Berkley, January 2019); 412 pp.

THE CHILD

5 stars out of 5

Note to readers: I read this book some time ago; the review has been held until today at the request of the publisher.

If I weren't already a huge Fiona Barton fan after reading The Widow (also a 5-star-worthy novel, IMHO), I sure would be after reading this one. Given that I have at somewhat of a life other than reading, I expected it would take a few days to wade through. In fact, it was so engrossing that I polished it off over just two days (granted, on one the only TV show worth watching was "Big Bang Theory" and on the second, I was so close to the end that I lugged my Kindle to bed to finish - something that happens once in a blue moon. But you get the point.

More than anything else, this is the story of three women, starting with Kate, a print journalist who needs a great news story to revive a career that's increasingly giving up ground to the newspaper's online reporters. Then there's Emma, a home-based book editor who's dragging a boatload of emotional baggage, including semi-estrangement from a seemingly uncaring mother. And finally, there's Angela, who is unable to come to grips with the loss of an infant in the early years of her marriage despite having a couple of other children and a saint-worthy patient husband. Actually, I'll add a fourth woman; Emma's mother, Jude, plays a significant role here as well.

The story begins as a construction worker turns up the skeleton of a baby in the process of demolishing old buildings. Clearly, the infant was buried there years earlier, making identification a challenge. Ever the nosy reporter, Kate smells a big story, but the lack of available information means she'll have to do some digging of her own before she can get the major scoop she's hoping for. 

Somehow, she convinces her reluctant editors that finding the bones is just the tip of the iceberg, and she - together with a newbie reporter who she's been ordered to take under her wing (a totally forgettable character who adds almost nothing to the story, I must say) - sets off to investigate on her own. That connects her to Angela, whose newborn baby was taken from the maternity hospital shortly after birth and never found. Needless to say, Angela is convinced that the bones belong to Alice, her stolen baby girl.

Kate then begins to explore the neighborhood where the bones were found, locating and interviewing some of the people who used to live there. It is then that she meets Emma, who grew up there - thus bringing the Kate-Angela-Emma triumvirate to full circle.

Anything that happened in that neighborhood from that point on will stay in that neighborhood as far as I'm concerned - divulging much else would be giving away too much. Little by little, the pieces come together as long-hidden secrets are revealed and the mystery of the bones is solved. Admittedly, the ending seems a little too pat (and with one exception, expected), but the whole thing was very entertaining and worthwhile nonetheless. Many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for offering me an advance copy to read and review. Highly recommended!

The Child by Fiona Barton (Berkley, June 2017); 384 pp.

THE WIDOW

5 stars out of 5

This is nothing short of a wicked good book. That said, though, I'm having a tough time calling it a "psychological thriller" as advertised. Yes, there's plenty of psychological stuff going on - and yes, the story is so gripping that it was an almost impossible book for me to put down - but it certainly didn't keep me on the edge of my recliner biting my nails.

It is, ultimately, an inside/outside look at the evolution of a codependent, dysfunctional married couple as seen through the eyes of Jean Taylor, the widow, plus police investigator Bob Sparkes, Kate Waters, a reporter, and single mother Dawn Elliot. As the story builds, the chapters shift to and from the various perspectives (a technique that's exceptionally well done here, IMHO). 

At the start, it's 2010 in London and Jean has just watched her husband, Glen, die after being hit by a bus. Four years earlier, Glen was accused of kidnapping and murdering Bella, Dawn's young daughter. Although he wasn't found guilty, he - and his wife Jean - since have become the targets of vicious media attacks. Enter Kate, who's out to land the real story by hook, crook or whatever else it takes. Almost behind the scenes, the detective - who led the original investigation - is trying his best to prove his fervent belief that Glen is guilty as charged.

From the get-go, it's pretty clear that Glen is at best no innocent bystander; nonetheless, his wife is vehement in her belief that he did nothing wrong (Tammy Wynette would be proud). As the story moves along, it is almost remarkable to watch the changes in all the characters as new details are revealed from past and present investigations and recollections from the characters themselves. That progression, in fact, is the real story here - and the writing of it is superbly crafted.

Oh yes - a couple of extraneous tidbits: If it's London, apparently every situation calls for tea. But beans on toast? Seriously? Kidding aside, I highly recommend this book and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy for review. It's a winner!

The Widow by Fiona Barton (Penguin Grouop USA LLC, February 2015); 336 pp.