The Suspect

Two 18-year old girls, Alex and Rosie, go missing while on holiday in Thailand. After their parents notify police, reporter Kate Waters jumps at the chance to cover the story. This time, however, the tables have turned on Kate. She discovers that her son who’s been living in Thailand may somehow be involved. What happens when her own family is thrust in the spotlight?

The story is told in short chapters and alternating POVs – the reporter, the detective, the mother, and one of the missing girls. The opening grabbed my attention, though I had a harder time staying engaged with this book versus the first two in the series. At about the 30% mark, the major twist (IMO) was revealed. I thought, huh. Now what’s going to happen for show more another 300 pages? The middle moved by slowly, but things picked up closer to the end.

I very much enjoyed The Widow and The Child, but something was a bit off about this one. The premise was intriguing, but the execution didn’t grab me, and I never warmed to the characters unfortunately!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Fiona Barton still has the touch in this latest Kate Waters mystery. We become a little more acquainted in Kate’s personal life while she is investigating a story of how two girls go missing during a trip to Thailand. During a series of plot twists, Kate becomes part of the journalist’s fodder and experiences what it is like from the other side – knocks on your door day and night, having to hide from the press, and looking over your shoulder all the time.

One of Barton’s hallmarks is that some of her characters are unreliable narrators. Sometimes you don’t find out who is unreliable until you have finished half the story, other times it is painfully obvious. THE SUSPECT is a tale that shifts your show more perspective on the reliability of a character multiple times. Are the good guys really good? Are you supposed to read between the lines of one girl’s email to her best friend, or is she just sharing her innermost thoughts?

Set in the UK with flashbacks of the girls’ trip to Bangkok, the story unfolds as Kate ingratiates herself with the girls’ parents and tries to uncover what happened to them. Once certain details come to light, Kate is removed from the case and becomes a pariah. The author leads you down a path that makes you certain you know the truth…then swiftly changes the course of your journey.

More sensual tension simmers between Kate and Detective Bob Sparkes, despite the fact that his wife is expected to die from cancer within a few months. His character is wonderfully written, full of conflict, regret and fatigue.

The parents of the missing girls are all rage and accusation, blaming each other even as they cling to the small hope that their daughters are still alive. They turn on each other like vipers, then close ranks against the journalists who seek to create a story out of their pain.

The seedy atmosphere of Bangkok’s underworld is a perfect setting. If I were a parent, I would never want my daughter taking a trip there, regardless of how many friends she had with her. Some other reviews note that there is really nothing good mentioned about Thailand; I feel that is to make the story a bit darker and have the actions of the characters appear insidious.

I’d be interested to see if Barton includes some of the characters from this book in a future one. This was definitely an enjoyable read. show less

It was supposed to be the best time of their life: Alex and Rosie fly to Thailand after their A-levels to travel and party. But then, things go completely wrong and now the two girls are dead. What happened in the burnt-down-guesthouse? And where is that English boy who might have seen them last and is obviously closely linked to the fire? The parents fly to Bangkok and reporter Kate Waters comes with them to cover the story. But what they find out isn’t what they had expected: Kate’s son Jake is the wanted English boy who is now on the run and prime suspect in the murder of Alex and Rosie.

Again, Fiona Barton could well entertain me with a plot with many twists and turns and a story full of suspense. The narrative does not follow show more chronology and is told from alternating perspectives which I found great since it provides a lot more depth for the characters on the one hand and keeps suspense high on the other. In the end, the case is solved without leaving any questions open.

What I liked most were actually the very different characters who seemed all quite authentic to me: first of all the two young women who could hardly be more different. Quiet Alex who wants to see the country and learn about the culture and Rosie just expecting to have a good time partying. That this combination wouldn’t work out too long is pretty obvious. The girls behave like typical teenagers do on their first trip alone far away from the parents, they are careless and easily fall prey to all kind of wrong-doers. Also their mothers are portrayed in convincing ways, especially Jenny who is very bitter after her husband left her alone with the daughter.

Most interesting of course is Kate whose role changes massively throughout the story: from the nosy reporter she herself becomes the target of the press and has to endure what is written about her boy without being able of doing anything against it.

Altogether, a perfectly pitched thriller that keeps you reading on and on and on to find out the truth about what happened in Thailand. show less

This was excellent - I had to stop myself from staying up late into the night to finish it. It is told from the perspectives of the mother of Alex, one of two girls missing in Thailand; the police involved once a UK post-mortem reveals Alex was murdered; emails from Alex to her best friend revealing what actually went on; and finally a journalist covering the story, who discovers to her horror that her elder son is a suspect. These different strands work well together and the ending was very satisfactory.

It doesn't make you want to visit Bangkok, though!

4.5 I devoured Fiona Barton's debut novel, The Widow. And her second book, The Child. And her just released third book, The Suspect? Yup, couldn't put it down as well!

Kate Waters is the reporter who investigated the crimes in the first two books. She's on the case again in The Suspect. (But each book can be read as a stand alone.) Like hundreds of other young people, Alex and Rosie decide to take a gap year trip to Thailand. One of them is quite dutiful in keeping in touch with her parents. When that communication stops, her parents immediately contact authorities. The bulletin crosses over Kate's desk and she sees a story. And it makes her think about her own son, Jake. He left to travel two years ago. She hasn't seen him since and his show more communiques are sketchy.

I was happy to see Kate return in this latest. She's clever, dogged and determined to get the story. This time, the story may have found her.... Kate is not above manipulation, but does have a conscience. We get to know Kate a bit better in this latest offering. Barton herself has a rich background as a journalist. Her plots and descriptions benefit greatly from this experience.

The Suspect is told from four points of view. E-mails from Alex slowly detail what is going on in Thailand. (These were so hard to read). From Kate in chapters headed The Reporter, from The Detective on the case, and from Alex's mom in The Mother. The depiction of the parents' angst was gut wrenching. Barton also explores the impact this crisis has on the marriages of the parents and the relationships between child and parent.

As a reader, we are privy to what's going on across the board. Barton deliciously ekes out the story - each new chapter reveals a little more. Cutting back and forth between characters only serves to heighten the tension and draw the reader in further. The 'whodunit' vacillates between a few choices, but as the book progressed, I had my suspect nailed down. Barton throws in a nice little twist at the end - one that was presented to the reader earlier on. that I didn't catch.

I quite enjoyed The Suspect and am looking forward to Barton's next book - and hopefully Kate's next story. show less

The Suspect – Perfectly Pitched Thriller

What would you do, if your son is accused of murder in a foreign country, you are a working journalist and you know the pack will tear him to pieces. This is the test that journalist Kate Waters has to face when her son, Jake, is accused of double murder in Thailand. This is a situation that all mothers would fear.

Alex O’Connor has just finished her A levels and is waiting for her results before going off to University, she has been saving up to spend the summer touring Thailand which has always been her dream. Her friend Mags drops out as she cannot afford to go and neighbour Rosie offers to take her place, and they go to Thailand.

Jake Waters has dropped out of University and has gone show more traveling and the occasional email and telephone call to his parents to let them know he is still alive. But he has secrets and is telling his parents a story, while other things are going on, some of which he is not proud of. He cannot tell his parents and he has nobody to turn too, until he meets Alex and Rosie in Bangkok.

When Alex and Rosie have not been in touch especially on results day, the O’Connors contact the police and report their concerns. Kate Waters picks up the story and interviews them and highlights their story. When two girls’ bodies have been found dead, the families of the girls, Kate and the rest of the British press pack fly out to Bangkok.

When Kate finds out her son was in hospital in Bangkok and seemed to be central to the story, while being professional on the surface, she had gone to pieces inside. She wants to find the truth, to show her son in the best light, while the police and the press are pointing fingers at him.

This is a wonderfully written and perfectly paced thriller, that hooks the reader and early and keeps them like bate waiting for the fish to bite. Such a compelling story, that many parents of teenage children travelling will recognise the feelings of distance, that lump in the stomach if anything happens to your child. The story is irresistible, you just want more, you will feel like a punch-drunk boxer by the end, but The Suspect is worth it. show less

Troubled British youngsters take center stage in Fiona Barton's psychological thriller, "The Suspect." The author devotes alternating chapters to such characters as "The Reporter," Kate Waters, a driven journalist who goes after hard-hitting stories with fierce intensity. Then there is "The Mother," Lesley O'Connor, who allows her eighteen-year-old daughter, Alexandra, to travel to Thailand with an acquaintance, Rosie Shaw. Lesley prays that the girls will stay safe and urges Alex to keep in touch. At first, Alex appears to be excited and happy, but when she drops out of sight, her parents become desperate for word about her whereabouts. A third key player is "The Detective," DI Bob Sparkes who, along with DS Zara Salmond, takes his job show more very seriously. Sadly, his beloved wife, Eileen, is gravely ill, and she is never far from his thoughts.

Barton also devotes chapters to Alex's experiences, which turn out to be far more upsetting than she had expected. To save money, Alex and Rosie check into a dive where wanton behavior is the norm. In this filthy and disreputable place, Alex, who is more level-headed than Rosie, is mortified when her wild and reckless roommate indulges in heavy drinking, drug use, and intimate encounters with men she barely knows. It is painful to observe vulnerable and inexperienced females needlessly placing themselves at risk.

Barton analyzes each individual's thoughts, fears, conflicts, and regrets. Kate, whose twenty-two-year-old son, Jake, is also in Thailand (quite a coincidence), is remorseful about the fact that she may have driven him away. He was a promising student who fled England because he was unable to cope with the pressure to succeed academically. A number of factors make this book a standout: the author's insightful exploration of what drives human beings to behave foolishly; the insensitivity of reporters who have no qualms about invading the privacy of grieving families; an unflinching look at how conflict and tension can wreck relationships; and the questionable choices we make to protect ourselves and those we love. "The Suspect" is a sad and thought-provoking cautionary tale about young adults who confuse freedom with the license to ruin their lives. show less