Review: The Suspect by Fiona Barton

Kate Waters is a professional at uncovering the truth and getting to the bottom of stories, yet this time, she’s not the one covering the story – she is the story. When two British teenage girls go missing in Thailand, the police are not inclined to take it too seriously – teens in foreign countries go missing all the time, only to reappear hungover and embarrassed. However, when Alex and Rosie are suspected of having been involved in a devastating fire in the foreign country, an investigation begins in earnest.

With Kate wading through the slowest time of year for journalism, she is keen to cover the story of the two girls, hoping for something newsworthy. However, when it is uncovered that Kate’s son may have been a witness to the fire, Kate’s professional interest evolves into a consuming need to find her child, and with him, the truth.

Fiona Barton has a unique talent for keeping her stories in the same universe, with familiar characters, yet able to be read as stand-alone novels. This aspect of her writing makes all of her novels feel personal – the reader becomes an insider into the world of crime, and crime reporting. Another strong skill which Barton brings to the party is the unexpected twist. Throughout the story, in which we’re given a peek into the world behind the newspapers and online articles, we accompany Kate as she meticulously pieces together the story of what happened – with facts as her fodder, she’s an impressive researcher.

While the first half of the book is somewhat slow (an unfortunate side effect of needing to build a narrative around a duo of teenage girls), the second half is like a shot of adrenalin – you’ve got to keep your wits about you, or you’ll miss something vital.

Barton’s story-telling is the type to make you want to avoid responsibilities (like your job) to finish the book. The reward for this dedication is that the ending is exactly as satisfying as you hoped it would be.

The Suspect by Fiona Barton is published by Bantam Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.