Cover Image: The Suspect

The Suspect

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Member Reviews

I have loved the previous two books Fiona has written so this was a must read for me. Yet again she hasn't let me down. What a corker of a book. Bloody brilliant. Blew me away. Loved every second of this book, I lost myself into this story.

The Suspect is told through the girls holiday, the reporter and the detective. The book is packed with jaw dropping drama, drugs, lies, love, death and secrets. A real page turner you will not want to put down.

A case that just goes deeper and deeper. Characters with two sides to them. I absolutely loved it. I did feel sorry for the girls mothers and how the girls holiday, lives and freedom turned horribly wrong. A fast paced investigation into two missing girls. The ending will have you shocked too.  It's amazing what parents will do for their children.

A well deserved five stars from me. Highly recommend. A must buy. A must read. This story will not disappoint you at all, but will probably make you put your life on hold till you've finished it. Very impressed. Already looking forward to the next book!

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The only reason I have given this 4 and not 5 stars, is because I got to the end and realised I’d missed out on many points leading up to the last few sentences. I asked for help with the end from members of my book club and 3 of the 5 were more confused than me, and the other 2 had only partially understood the ending. I then had to skim read the entire book again in order to understand the reporter’s final thoughts. If the clues were that hidden, I felt that the majority of readers would also have missed out on the intricate parts of the book. Having said that, it’s a great psychological thriller and I did enjoy it.

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A brilliant read packed with suspense & intrigue. Brilliant plot & setting. Really makes you think about what you would do to help your child

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This is the 3rd book in the Kate Waters series by Fiona Barton. I have not read the previous books, but this can be read as a standalone as the characters and setting are well described.

I really enjoyed this story, and the way it was told between the newspaper reporter, the detective, one of the victims and the victim’s mother. This gave great insight to the different elements of the story and kept the pace up. The characters are interesting, although not always likeable. There were many twists and turns throughout and while some I did see coming, others I did not.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

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*5 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read with interesting characters. Shows that it is not a good idea to go away with someone who you do not know that well. Secrets kept from parents to save their children. Some people's lives are determined from their childhood.

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Fiona Barton always writes books in a different perspective, not on the victim’s side but on the suspect one, maybe to make the reader understand a little bit the grey zone, is not easy, but always refreshing when reading something different.
That makes the book an interesting and addictive read, with a twist in the end that no one will expect.
The Suspect is an interesting story, the reader will feel the anguish of the parents that their two girls had been missing during their trip to Thailand. On the other side, we have the view of Kate Waters, a journalist, who will have to decide what’s more important in her life, being a parent or a journalist… We will have the side of one of the two girls that’s been missing, Alex, she will tell the truth of their trip in a diary, with no sugar coated lies.
This is a book about parenting, of what’s most important in our lives; the kids, the job or ourselves… because in this story we will have each side’s point of view.
I don’t want to tell much about the story, but be prepared for a lot of characters, not all of them friendly or nice, but that’s what makes the story interesting and more human.
The story will absorb you from the beginning, but be prepared for a story that will test your values and your priorities, you will have to decide what’s more precious in your life, ready for The Suspect?

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Fiona Barton does it again with another exciting thriller. It is well written and a book you just want to finish quickly.

Alexandra is living the teen dream and traveling in Thailand. She has been looking forward to this and planning it for months. At the last minute, best friend Mags has to bow out as she doesn't have enough money to go.

Rosie, as acquaintance steps in and the girls, set off.

DI Bob Sparks and DS Zara Salmon receive a call from the frantic parents saying they have heard nothing from them and were waiting for a phone call on the day A level results were out. Reporter Kate is also looking into this, as her own son has not been in touch for months. She understands.

Emails between Mags and Alexandra begin to explain what has happened in the weeks they were away, and a story emerges.

Not wishing to spoil this is readers, I can only encourage starting and finishing this book in one go. You won't be disappointed.

I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased. My thanks to NetGalley for this opportunity.

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I love this series! I was really chuffed to get an e-copy in exchange for an honest review and I wasn't disappointed. It's lovely to get a chance to catch up with characters that you know and love and Kate Waters and Bob Sparkes are two of my favourites. Kate is a reporter, which is what sets this apart from all the other suspense/detective novels around. She is a strong female character with balls and personality. Bob isn't the typical troubled, alcoholic detective but a caring, family man who loves his job. This may actually be my favourite so far as Fiona Barton has involved the personal lives of both main characters in the main storyline, not just as investigators. I won't give any more away, it would be too easy to spoil!
I can't wait for the next instalment.

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This was a compelling read about two students on a gap year who suddenly disappear in Thailand when their parents do not hear from them over a period of time. The police are informed and Kate, a reporter decides to cover the story as it is August and there is not a lot of news.
However matters. escalate rapidly as the story is told in flashbacks to Alex and Rosie’s experience, in Thailand staying at Mamma’s guest house and in the present via sections entitled the Mother , the Reporter and the Detective so we see what is happening from their points of view.
All these characters have their own issues to cope with. Lesley’s daughter is missing abroad. Kate is investigating the story but suddenly it moves much closer to home when,Jake her older son, becomes involved. Living In Thailand after dropping out of university, Jake suddenly appears in the narrative and Kate becomes part of the story rather being the independent investigative journalist.
The Detective has problems of his own with a seriously ill wife to contend with during the investigation.
This is part of a series but it is not necessary to have read the earlier books to enjoy this one as it works well as a stand alone.
The threatening atmosphere of the guesthouse in Thailand is described brilliantly.
However I did not really warm to many of the characters in the book. I felt sorry for Alex but I kept thinking why don’t you just ring home to sort out your problems. Rosie was not particularly likeable- she just seemed selfish and rather spoilt. Jake really annoyed me too.
One of the themes seemed to be parents’ inability to see their children’s faults including Rosie’s mother and even Kate herself. In fact by the end of the book I had rather lost my fath in her honesty and integrity.
There are lots of twists and turns before the mystery is solved and the reveal when it comes is not particularly unexpected but just sad.
An enjoyable read but not advisable for any parents whose children are on a gap year in Thailand!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I hadn't realised that this was part of a series. I have previously read 'The Widow' but not 'The Child' which I shall now be adding to my TBR pile.
This was a great thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked.
Would recommend.

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My Review: Reading books by Fiona Barton is like putting on a comfortable pair of slippers – it’s so easy to get into the story and forget everything else that’s going on around you within the first few pages.

The Suspect is Fiona’s third book featuring the wonderful journalist, Kate Waters and Detective Inspector Bob Sparkes and whilst this book can be read as a standalone, I absolutely love digging deeper into Kate and Bob’s personal life stories and getting to know and understand them better with each book.

Once again the author has narrated the story between the three central characters; the Journalist (Kate), the Detective (Bob) and the Mother (Lesley) which I thoroughly enjoyed and ensures the story remains fast paced and gripping throughout each chapter.

The Suspect centres around 18 year old Rosie and Alex who take a gap year travelling to Thailand and fail to contact their parents when they said they would and after a week are officially reported as missing. Kate is assigned to this case as an investigative reporter and as a mother herself with a son living somewhere unknown in the Far East, Kate’s determination to find the girls and uncover the truth becomes a personal mission based on her own feelings and emotions.

The Suspect is a really addictive page turner with several twists and turns which kept me glued to the pages. Highly Recommended.

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Thoroughly enjoyed reading this fast paced thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. It's a story of two missing friends who have travelled to Thailand and then gone missing. The police are not taking it seriously so the parents go to the newspaper and journalist Kate Waters gets onto the case, not letting on that she has lost contact with her son who could be anywhere.

The characters are all interesting, the story keeps you interested and wanting to know what happens next and I will be looking to read more from this author.

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Captured my attention from the start and didn't disappoint. The worry and anguish of the parents for their daughters, who have disappeared on a trip to Thailand was portrayed extremely well , in my opinion. The search and investigation for the missing girls uncovers several different scenarios. Journalist Kate Waters, is reporting on the investigation, but has an ulterior motive as her son has not been in touch and he is also in Thailand. Lies and deceit throughout from some not so likeable characters kept the intrigue ticking over. An unexpected conclusion.

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I couldn’t put this book down, but I did find it a little predictable. Thanks to NetGalleyfor the ARC

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I read the first book in this series, The Widow several years ago now but somehow I missed the second book, The Child. And in fact I was only aware of this one because the publisher offered me a copy. It goes to show how hard it can be sometimes, to keep up with new releases and track a series. Having really enjoyed The Widow and liked this one as well, I am definitely going to have to go back and check out The Child.

Journalist Kate Waters gets the heads up that two young girls have gone missing over in Thailand. They’re supposed to be on the trip of their lives after high school, before getting on with the rest of their lives. It has been meticulously planned and facebook and social media and texting allow the girls to check in every day. When a few days go by with no word, when the girls were supposed to contact their parents to open their school results and their social media has gone dead, the alarm is raised.

This brings in Detective Bob Sparkes and he and Kate have always had quite an amicable working relationship. Kate perhaps feels attached to this case because her own son has dropped out of Uni and disappeared to the other side of the world (Thailand also, to be exact) to ‘find himself’. They hear from him rarely and I think this sort of thing is Kate’s worst nightmare. And something she probably this about every day.

This escalates from a missing person case where mostly people are trying to reassure the parents that kids do this all the time. They get distracted, forget to update their social media. Probably just took off somewhere on an adventure and forgot to inform anyone. And that is probably something that might’ve been the case years ago but in this day of social media where you can basically update your life in real time and communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world in seconds, it’s more difficult to believe. There aren’t too many places you can’t get wifi these days and even remote places in Thailand provide the perfect instagram opportunities. The reality of the girls’ disappearance is far grimmer.

There’s a large portion of this book devoted to the Thai police’s deliberate incompetence in an investigation which results in the UK having to step in and basically take over and start everything from scratch. This just delays everything, means that crucial evidence is probably lost and gives the parents of the girls even more distress. It seems like the Thai police are bought and paid for and they’re willing to write off foreigners as easy come, easy go. Without the dedication of Kate Waters (who ends up personally connected to the case when it seems as though her son may be involved somehow) and Bob Sparkes, it seems as though the parents would never have gotten the answers they needed to help.

Which makes me wonder how often something does go wrong overseas for travellers and how it might just be easier to write it off as an accident or this or that and close the case, rather than highlight the dangers of travelling to what is a highly popular tourist area. Lots of people go to Thailand from all over the world – it’s famously cheap, there are many beautiful beaches and there’s also a lot of interesting cultural stuff as well.

Kate is a journalist who becomes the story in this and I found that part to be very well done. Because of her experience, she’s able to recognise the tricks her colleagues are pulling on her in order to get her comfortable and try and get the story. She suddenly gets to experience what it’s like to be relentlessly door knocked and having people invading her privacy and printing things about her family. Digging into her son’s past – in fact they dig up things about her son that Kate and her husband don’t even know. They’re forced to recognise that much of what he’s told them has been a lie and they really have no idea what he’s been up to the entire time he’s been overseas. Likewise much is made of the ‘social media life’ – where you can make everything look perfect, portray that you are having a fabulous time, that everything is amazing so that all the people at home are envious and don’t realise that the reality can actually be very different. This is what happens with the two girls – because one of them has so many #livingthelife posts, her parents don’t realise that things are going wrong until she completely disappears. It takes time to gather the information they need, because no teen on holiday ever tells their parents what’s really going on!

I really enjoyed this, especially the multiple view points. I felt that way of telling it gave such a good overall picture and the reader was never really left waiting for other characters to finally stumble on things. I also liked the swerve and the way in which Kate was forced to examine her career and what it’s like to be on the other side of a press barrage. I appreciated her professional relationship with DS Sparkes and how that was tested once it became clear that Kate’s son was somehow connected but also how they worked through it, both realising that their jobs are somewhat easier when they cooperate, trade information and work together respectfully.

I honestly need to keep better track of this series! Time to go back and read The Child.

8/10

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Another masterpiece by Fiona Barton. So interesting when you follow Kate a reporter in one role yet on the other hand you follow her emotional journey as a mother whose son Jake has been away from home. I really liked the fact that you follow the story from different perspectives, the detective, the journalist, the parent and the girls. Brilliant storyline with a few twists thrown in for good measure 💜

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Alex & Rosie go to Thailand to see the world before starting college. The plan had been to contact home to get their exam results so when no contact is made their parents begin to worry.

Kate is an investigative journalist. When she hears about the girls, she is immediately interested and wants to cover the story- not least because her eldest son went to Thailand & the family have not heard from him in a long time.

Bob is a detective. He is looking in to the girl's disappearance but he also has his own demons as his beloved wife begins to lose her battle with cancer.

The story switches from character to character. We see what went on in Thailand before the girls disappeared & then we see the narrative unfold from the point of view of the parents, the police & the journalist.

I found the first half of the book dragged but just as I was wondering if I could face any more the pace picked up & I was keep to read it to the end.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

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3.5 Stars
This book follows the story of two girls who go missing in Thailand where they were on a dream holiday after finishing exams. The alarm is raised by their parents when the girls don't ring home at the agreed time to get their A Level results.
Following one past and three present narratives, the story unfolds well and we find out what happened on the girls fateful trip.
It was interesting to use the three separate perspectives - The Mother, The Detective and The Reporter - and I recommend it as a pretty easy read with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, but I would not recommend this to any parent who has a child who is in or wants to go to Thailand!!

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Two girls, Alex and Rosie, go travelling on a gap year to Thailand and are then found murdered, Kate, a journalist who hasn’t seen her son Jake in two years since he left to go travelling in Thailand, wants to be the first journalist to get an exclusive story. Little did she realise that Jake could be involved in the case. What happened to the girls, what are the Thai police covering up and where is Jake? The chapters are told from the different characters points of view . The plot cleverly unfolds with each chapter and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. A gripping read and one which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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The Suspect is a mystery novel set in Winchester and Bangkok, and is the third in a series about dogged journalist Kate Waters, but you don’t need to have read the earlier books to follow this one, I hadn’t and don’t feel I missed much.
It’s had very mixed reviews from my GR friends, and I am somewhere in the middle - interesting premise and good writing, but a rather plodding and unsurprising plot, and highly unlikeable characters.

Two English teenagers head out to Thailand on their gap year, excitedly posting on social media about their adventures. When they stop reporting back to their anxious parents, DI Bob Sparkes is called to investigate, and Kate picks up the story for her newspaper. The story is from the points of view of the despairing mother, the detective, distracted by his wife’s terminal cancer, and the journalist, whose own son is also missing in Thailand, as well as flashbacks as to what was really going on in Bangkok. I can’t say any more without spoiling it.

It’s been interesting reading opinions from mostly American reviewers, saying they would never let their children go off somewhere so dangerous, compared to the British view that a gap year is a fairly typical rite of passage for middle class school-leavers, and that Thailand would be one of the safer destinations.
It’s only a few months since English backpacker Grace Millane was murdered here in New Zealand, and that was front page news for weeks, so this book felt very relevant, especially as I work in Travel Medicine and see a steady stream of young people from both here and Europe, heading off to SE Asia, many hopelessly naive: they earnestly ask about typhoid injections but their eyes glaze over when you bring up safe sex and overdoing the partying.

I don’t much like series with journalists as main characters as they inevitably sacrifice ethics and humanity in their quest for the story, so the way this turned around on Kate, as the vulture becomes the carrion was an interesting take on it, but it didn’t make me like her any better, especially when it becomes clear she’ll sacrifice all her principles to protect her spoiled, selfish, cretinous child.

I thought the denouement was a bit obvious, with too many hints about what had actually happened too early on. I felt desperately sorry for poor sensible Alex, saddled with a hedonistic brat as a travel companion, without the confidence or experience to know when to give up. The girls’ fate is revealed early, but I still kept hoping for a different outcome.

Overall I enjoyed this enough to read more from this author, but with so many other good thrillers out there, I would recommend this mostly for people interested in the backpacker plot (and to parents of wannabe backpackers - but only before you let them buy a ticket!)

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. The Suspect is available now.

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