Review: The Suspect by Fiona Barton

Title: The Suspect
Author: Fiona Barton
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Berkley Books
Publish Date: January 22, 2019 (Today!)
Source: Publisher

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft, and frantic with worry. What were the girls up to before they disappeared?

Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth--and this time is no exception. But she can't help but think of her own son, whom she hasn't seen in two years, since he left home to go travelling.

As the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think..."

My Two Cents:

"The Suspect" marks the return of intrepid reporter Kate Waters. When two British girls disappear in Thailand, Kate is called in to report on what turns out to be a very sad story. What Kate doesn't realize is just how personally involved she will be in this particular case. Filled with Barton's trademark twists and turns, this makes for a good addition to the series.

Although this is the third book in the Kate Waters series, you really don't need to have read the other two books in the series in order to understand this one. The others are good thrillers so don't deprive yourself of the pleasure!

Kate continues to be a great character. In this book, she is really tested as she realizes that someone in her family might have been involved in the disappearance of the girls. We really get to see how Kate deals with stress and pressure in the face of the unimaginable. You really begin to care for her and want things to turn out okay for her.

The writing of the book was good. Barton is a master of giving clues a little bit at a time to keep you going. I also like that we got to see things from the perspective of Alex, one of the missing girls up until the day she disappears. This really added a lot to the narrative. The ending of the book felt a little bit rushed to me but not enough to really take away from my enjoyment of the book.