I am a big fan of Barton's other books, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read her latest. I enjoyed this latest novel, although I found that it took me a little time to get to know the characters enough so that I wasn't getting them confused. What an amazing ending - this is a book that you'll enjoy reading, right up to the last words!

2.5 stars rounded to 3.0
Let me preface this by saying I haven’t read Fiona Barton’s first two books. I’m almost positive that if I had, I would have been more invested in the characters. The description says this one is a standalone but based on how many people have raved about this author and this book- I have to wonder what I’m missing.

SPOILERS AHEAD
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The premise of two girls gone missing in Thailand sounded like a exciting storyline (I’m thinking Liam Neeson in Taken). We meet Kate Waters a journalist who by coincidence- has a grown son in Thailand that she’s lost touch with.

We meet the families of the two girls and we learn that Alex’s first choice for this trip was her friend Mags. She backs out and is replaced by an acquaintance, Rosie who has no interest in seeing the sights - only the boys and the drugs.

The rest of the book felt very cliche with tired stereotypes. Once the girls turned up dead (which almost made this a DNF) in a hostel fire, we follow the investigation to try to find out how the girls ended up naked in the freezer. I kept hoping it was all a ruse and it wasn’t the girls...but sadly it was them. From there we have a corrupt government, mistaken identity, roofies, bickering parents, cheating, blackmail and a covered up death at the same hostel.

Kate’s son ends up being involved and she must be a mom instead of a reporter. The storyline jumps around and when we find out what really happened, it’s anticlimactic. I wanted more from these characters and was left disappointed.

This book gripped me from the first chapter. I love the way the chapters toggle back and forth through time, slowly unraveling the mystery behind what happened to Alex and Rosie, and the effective use of multiple POVs. Fiona Barton does a brilliant job of making you really care about the key players in her books. My heart was breaking for so many characters in this one, and I found myself wondering and torn over what I would do if put in the positions of either Alex's or Jake's mothers. Such a horrible yet sadly realistic scenario. Much like Barton's other books (The Widow and The Child), I thought about this book for days after I finished reading it. Bravo, Ms. Barton! I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

I received an ebook from Netgalley and I won a paperback copy from a Goodreads contest.

The Suspect is my first Fiona Barton book and I really liked it. I'd definitely read more books by this author. The Suspect is a slow building, suspense thriller about 2 girls reported missing in Thailand. It's a parent's worst fear to have their child go missing in a foreign country. I kept thinking about what would I do in that situation. I enjoyed reading the story and the different POVs in the book. It had me reading late into the night to find out what happened. It wasn't a 5 star Gone Girl type of ending, but I was surprised by it.

Very good read. Lots of twists and turns to this book. I was quickly absorbed. Characters are well drawn and believable. I was eager to see it all unravel and find out what the real story was with regard to the two murdered girls. Scary and fast paced.

Fiona Barton writes books that are exciting and suspenseful. They are hard to put down. This book did not disappoint. it was told with different points of views dealing with two girls that have gone missing in Thailand. I really enjoyed this book and will be adding it toe the collection of my branch library.

2.75/5 ☆
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.

Murder mystery/thriller has never really been a genre that I gravitate towards but when the synopsis for this book was announced, I was intrigued. I did not realize that this was technically a third in a series but I figured that I could read it as a standalone.
My biggest problem with this book was the writing style. I really cant stand first person narration, ESPECIALLY when there are multiple POVs. Like why? It took me almost 60 pages before I figured out who everyone was and what was happening. It took me quite a few days to finish this which is rather unlike me. I typically finish books in about 2 days. Besides the writing style, I wasnt at all engaged in the story. At no point did I really care what happened to the girls. I thought that the format of the story was disjointed.

I did like the portrayals of the grieving parents. I thought that their feelings were well explored.

All in all, this book didnt really work for me. :(

18-year-old Alex and Rosie are taking a trip of their lifetime to Thailand. They don’t know each other very well but hope to be good traveling companions. They promise to keep in touch with their families but now a week has gone by and no word from them. Kate Waters is a journalist who tries her best to always be the first reporter to nab any news relating to this disappearance. She’s a bit distracted because she hasn’t seen her son, Jake, in two years when he left to travel the world.

Maybe I’ve just read too many books of this type. Or maybe I’ve become a psychic or something. I just always seemed to be one step ahead of this author and knew exactly what was coming each step of the way. That’s not to say that this book didn’t have quite a few “big reveals”. I just knew what they would be before they were revealed. If I didn’t know this book wasn’t published yet when I read it, I would have thought that I’d read it before. I really have no explanation as to why I knew what would happen as I don’t think the author spoiled things in any way.

The book is rather long for a thriller at over 400 pages. I can’t say I raced through it. I did care about the journalist Kate, but the young girls and their parents could be aggravating at times. Unfortunately, my commitment to the book did start to wane by the end. The ending was a bit ambiguous, too. While it wasn’t a bad book, I didn’t feel it was as good as the author’s first book, “The Widow”.

Two girls go missing in Thailand where a reporter's son is also staying. We follow the reporter, the mother of one of the girls and the detective along with emails written from the missing girl. These emails show the truth of their vacation in Thailand because everyone lies on social media.

This is a very fast paced book. Right when I think I've figured things out there is a twist. The only problem I had was that the mother's POV seemed useless. It disappeared in the middle and I really didn't miss it.

The Suspect by Fiona Barton, the third in the reporter Kate Waters series, was a great book; thrilling, suspenseful, and tragic. Told from the point of views of the Reporter, the Detective, the Mother, and one of the missing girls, this book was evenly paced and at no point did I want to put this book down.
Alex and Rosie are two 18 year old female Brits who go to Thailand before starting University. After Alex's parents do not hear from her on a scheduled phone call they begin to worry and involve the police. Shortly afterward the news is alerted to the case and Kate Waters, always on the lookout for a good story, gets involved. This story in particular attracts Kate because her own estranged son has been in Thailand for 2 years after he left college abruptly.
Although this book is the third in a series, it can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed Fiona Barton's first two books immensely and she does disappoint in this one.

This was an unpredictable read that gives the reader a few surprises which a good thriller just do. I took one star off simply because her first two books were mind blowing and this one didn't have that affect on me. Nonetheless, she's a fabulous author and this book is still worth reading.

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this AR in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Berkley Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kate Waters and Bob Sparkes return in The Suspect to help solve the missing persons case of two 18 year-old females traveling in Thailand. Their families did not hear from the girls in over a week and have even set-up a Facebook page to help in their search. As the search continues, Kate can’t help but think of her own son who left two years ago to Thailand and hasn’t since returned. Think there is a connection between these two? Oh, you just wait and see…

What I liked about this book is that you can jump in without having read any of Fiona’s previous books. I feel like that’s hard to come by with these type of novels. If you enjoyed watching the movie Taken and following the story of Amanda Knox, you will love this book. I enjoyed Taken and I also enjoyed watching the Amanda Knox documentary on Netflix, so this was a solid read for me. It took me awhile to get used to the many multiple viewpoints, but was completely hooked around 40% of the way through. Some parts of the story were a bit unrealistic, but it didn’t take away from the revealing twists throughout the story. It’s a nail-biter speaking as a mother myself. With that being said, I’m definitely going back and reading the other two as soon as possible.

4/5 Stars

Thanks to Fiona Barton, Netgalley, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel.

Journalist Kate Waters travels to Thailand to investigate the disappearance of two young British girls. Complicating matters is the fact that her own son is also traveling in Thailand and has stopped communicating with her. Will she locate him and what will she discover if she does? Can she find out what has happened to the girls?

Having read and enjoyed Barton’s earlier novel, The Widow, I had high hopes for this one, and it did not disappoint. I was drawn into the story very quickly, and had a hard time putting the book down until it was done. Some of the plot points did not come as a big surprise to me, but others did. Overall, a well-crafted and well-written mystery. Highly recommend!

Note: while this novel is technically the third featuring Kate Waters, it is easily read as a stand-alone.

3.5 Stars! Intriguing premise, short chapters & a suspenseful mystery!

Can you enjoy a book even if you don’t connect with the way a book is written? Fiona Barton is an author that I always find myself a little excited to read but I wouldn’t necessarily say that I enjoy the way she narrates her stories though. I find the narrative a little bit indifferent and challenging but I wouldn’t say that it hinders my reading experience all that much though. If so, it’s minimal and it definitely doesn’t stop me from picking up her next book offering. Weird I know!

THE SUSPECT by FIONA BARTON is a slow-building suspenseful crime thriller that takes you on quite the intriguing journey that clips along at a nice swift pace. I was immediately intrigued within the mystery here and the short chapters definitely helps to move this story forward quickly. I absolutely love short chapters because they make me feel like I have to read just one more chapter.

FIONA BARTON delivers an entertaining and interesting read here that is told through multiple perspectives with chapter headings labeled “The Reporter”, “The Mother”, “The Detective” and “Bangkok Day ?” from Alex, one of the missing girls. I really enjoy and love this format but I felt like there was something missing though to make me really connect and feel for these characters. I found Alex’s perspective the most interesting and would have liked to have read more of her story.

Even though I didn’t love this one I was still entertained and thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this novel.

*This was a Traveling Sisters read*

Expected Publishing Date: January 22/19

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Eye-catching, intriguing, mysterious, and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: I really like the title of this book and how it played obscurely into storyline.
Writing/Prose: I am not going to elaborate on the writing because I wasn’t able to connect and fully enjoy it. I read this with my Traveling Sisters and I was the only one that felt this way.
Plot: Interesting, intriguing, predictable, fast-paced, and entertaining.
Ending: Satisfying but I have questions and wonder what is next in store for Kate.
Overall: There is something about her books that I just find so appealing and readable. Would recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Fiona Barton for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel.

Readers of The Suspect by Fiona Barton will be happy to see the return of Journalist Kate Waters and Police Detective Bob Sparkes. Although this is the third book in the series (The Widow and The Child were books #1 and #2) this thriller can be read as a stand-alone book as well. Kate Waters finds herself in the middle of the story when she travels to Thailand to investigate the disappearance of two travelling teenage girls. She soon realizes that her son who has been living in Thailand may be mixed up in whatever happened to the girls. As the parent of two teenagers myself, I found this story compelling -- it's every parent's worst nightmare!

Thank you NetGalley for access to an eARC in exchange for a review.

The premise here is strong and emotionally gripping. Two eighteen year old girls, Alex and Rosie, take a gap year excursion to Thailand, where they have now gone missing. Reporter Kate Waters does everything she can to get involved with the story, while dealing with her own emotional scars from her son, who has been missing for two years.

This novel takes four perspectives: “the reporter,” Kate, “the mother” of one of the missing girls, Lesley, “the detective,” Zara Salmound, and interspersed are excerpts from emails Alex sends to her best friend. The novel would have been stronger had each character taken a stronger, more unique voice. For the first portion of the novel, I had to keep double checking which character was narrating to clarify my understanding.

Regardless of that weakness, the plot here is incredibly strong and difficult to put down. After a few wrong guesses, I had the plot figured out for the last quarter of the novel. However, the doubt was still strong enough to keep me gripped into reading without taking a breath or a break. I recommend this novel for those interested in mysteries set in interesting settings.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4, for strong plot weakened by character development and voice.

Review to be posted at steffireadsabook.blogspot.com closer to publication.

3.5 STARS

Two eighteen year old girls traveling alone to an  exotic Thailand destination might mean trouble and it does...

I was immediately drawn into the story of these teens- Alex and Rosie, who traveled to Thailand for their "gap" year from college. The parents and one of the girls closest friends had been keeping up with Alex through phone calls and Facebook posts, until they suddenly stopped. I thought the chapters with the posts gave the story interest and Alex's posts to her bestie added some information she withheld from her parents (we all know teens do that).

Who lets their teens go to Thailand without a responsible adult around?   insert - FEAR

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but the story did lose steam in the second part. Once I figured out the villian (nothing too surprising), I was ready to wrap it up, but it continued on.... which caused me to lose a bit of interest.

This is a heavy police-procedural with an intriguing setting that you may be able to solve before the villian is outed.  Try it for yourself and see if you can point to the villian!

Thanks to the publisher/NG for my review copy! Blog post closer to publication date.

Thanks to Transworld Digital and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.



This is told from multiple POV's, it includes Alex's mother, the reporter (Kate), the detective and emails and posts from Alex's POV as well. It all starts with an odd phone call to the reporter from her son Jake who is Thailand, but she doesn't quite get what he is trying to say and she doesn't get to speak to him. The mother is worried because she hasn't heard from Alex in days, and her Rosie's mother is worried as well, because she hasn't heard from her either. Soon the detectives are involved and everyone is wondering about the two girls.

I made this shorter than usual because there is a lot that is slowly revealed, in fact I edited out some that I had revealed after looking at the synopsis of the story. To be honest I wasn't thrilled when I saw that it would contain several different POV, but this one really flowed, you knew who each person was and their relation to the story so it worked really well together. This is one where you barely get to know the main characters, because it almost felt like an aftermath type of story. You do get chapters from Alex so you get a glimpse on what was really happening and you find out some things before the detectives or the parents do. Instead of being told as it happens you find as the story unfolds. I have read all of Fiona's books and I will continue to do so. I just love the way she tells a story.


It grips you right from the start and you never sure if you should be on the edge of your seat and your never sure who did it. I guessed and was wrong at least once well twice if I am honest. I was right with my last guess, but hey you might figure it out quicker than I did.


The suspect is available for pre-order and will be released Jan 22.

The Suspect was great! I liked the exotic location and having the girls go missing there added to the suspense. I was a little confused by the big reveal at the end. I think I'll go back and read Barton's other books to see what I'm missing.

This was a fast paced story that wouldn't let go. The characters came alive and you cared. I would highly recommend this book for bookclubs and any mystery lover.