Book Review: The Suspect by Fiona Barton

Description:

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— 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…

Review: 3 Stars

I picked this book up thinking it was a stand alone but it was actually the 3rd book in a series. Now I haven’t read the previous 2 so I was less invested in Kate as the reporter. The premise was interesting enough but the writing style wasn’t for me. The book is definitely longer than it should be and it especially feel this way right around the middle since nothing is really happening. It’s tempting to stop reading at this point. The story is a little sad no doubt but is a good one all the same. The beginning is interesting enough and the climax is good too. The story is fairly predictable but there are some very good surprises in there. 

The writing style is good and I’d definitely read more by this author. The characters are well defined and you can feel for them. I do not know how correct her account of Thailand is, but I’ll treat it as fictional and that makes it ok for me. 

My quibble with this book is how Alex and Rosie do not get along at all. I mean why would you go on a trip that too overseas with someone you don’t really get along with? They keep arguing all through the book and that was annoying. I also do not think that the detective’s side story added much to the plot overall. 

For those that are fond of procedural Detective stories, this will probably deserve a higher rating. 

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley, #TheSuspect