I devoured this book. It built up to an amazing end!! Just read this book already.

I must say, I enjoyed The Child much more than The Widow. Barton's writing and character development in this novel is spot on...

For the first third of the book and I not idea what was going on, or how it could all relate. Unfortunately, but about 60% into the book I had figured it out, although it did not take anything away from continuing to finish.

I loved Kate's character in the book from her need to succeed in the new age of reporting to her family life and dealing with her kids.

The relationship between Emma and Jude was so interesting to read, especially reading from both side. Although their relationship was messed up, I enjoyed that layer to the novel.

Would highly recommend this novel, a real page turner!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy...it still makes me so happy when I receive an acceptation email!

Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review!

The Child brings back journalist Kate Waters, first seen in Fiona Barton’s The Widow. When a baby’s skeleton is found at a construction site, the lives of three women are affected. Kate Waters seizes the story and tries to figure out where the tiny body came from.



Delightfully British with well written characters, The Child is another treasure. Kate’s interaction with her coworkers are dead on, as Barton illustrates how print journalists must cope with 24 hour online news media. The women’s family dynamics are integral to the story; giving the reader the backstory slowly and tantalizingly. Each woman gets to tell her story – there are changing points of view throughout and we see firsthand what Kate, Emma, and Angela are going through. Emma’s mother, Jude, is also part of the dynamic. I found Jude to be annoying and narcissistic; she was easy to loathe. Emma and Angela were both dealing with their own mental issues as well, and at times all of the angst became overwhelming. That didn’t deter me from continuing to read – but at times I wished there was a bit less whining and a little more action.

Kate is an expert reporter, adept at the art of manipulation to get her story. As a matter of fact, almost every character manipulates someone in some way. Barton is a master of keeping a dark story hovering just above the despair line, tempering the distress with hope.

Some reviews have noted that the plot twists were easy to spot- not for me! I had a feeling that these women were going to be intertwined somehow (for plot purposes, of course), but could not predict what was going to happen until Barton gave the Big Reveal. I was appropriately shocked and enthralled. Everything came together in a satisfying way and I felt that there was room for Kate’s character to grow, possibly to be featured in another book.

Barton’s insight into the female psyche is peerless, and knows how to illustrate the seamy side of the human condition perfectly. I’ll be eagerly awaiting her next work.

An essential page turner. I got this book from Netgalley in return for a true review. Writer Fiona Barton has done an excellent job in creating a crime thriller which does not let the reader down in the slightest. You can not guess the twists in this one before they come. If you are passionate you will know what is coming only a chapter prior it does and not before. She has kept the ending precise, unlike the stories which lose their pace by the end. I would definitely recommend it to my closest, and to anyone asks for a compelling story. This makes me want to read The Widow, another creation of Fiona which has great reviews.

Spoilers:

I was thrilled when I read the part when Joe and Kate are talking about DNA. Before this part I was thinking to myself it would be awesome if DNA tests were, in fact, correct and I was on the edge when Joe said what he said about DNAs. Because I got the signal that the story building up in my head was this one. Genius author Fiona, even when you let your readers try and guess the ending, it is at the very end and it is so rewarding.

This novel is captivating from the first page. It takes the reader on an emotional odyssey with the many characters who interface with the back story of "the child". Excellent choice for a book club because of the many twists in this creative plot.

While I enjoyed The Child, I don't think it measured up to her previous book, The Widow. I had most of the resolution figured out before I was halfway through, and the mystery of a long-dead child just wasn't as riveting. It was definitely worth a read, though, and I'll keep getting excited about Fiona Barton's books!

This felt a little clunky with its pacing. Objectively, I could tell the writing was good, but it just felt like it did not flow. I also figured out the answers to just about everything fairly early (62% through the book, according to my Kindle), so there wasn't that much to look forward to after that. I did like all the main POV characters, except one, which gave me an added incentive to want her to be a villain. Anyway, I have to call it a "meh," but I still will buy it for my library.

This book is about how secrets can haunt you? The author keeps you guessing and weaves the reader into the main character s lives

Absolutely loved it. Highly recommend you read!! My first read by this author and definitely won't be my last.

I was immediately captivated by Fiona Barton’s new novel, The Child. Maybe you read her first novel, The Widow, which was one of my favorites from last year, now here’s an equally creepy and mysterious new novel for you. You will devour this one!

Here’s the synopsis:

As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby?

As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss.

But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn—house by house—into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women—and torn between what she can and cannot tell…

I am eagerly awaiting Fiona’s next story!

This is a phenomenal book if you enjoy mysteries. I love it when I can't figure out the mystery in a book until the very end, and this is like that. Throughout reading this I guessed a lot, was wrong quite often on what I thought was going on, and then was satisfied at the ending when I found out there was even more to it than I had originally thought. So...it's a great book.

Right away when you begin reading this, you know that there is something strange going on, but it isn't immediately clear what is at the heart of it all. I liked the way the author combined many different story lines to create a complex book with a lot going on in it. Her characters are strong and memorable and the past meets with the present in just the right way to make the book work.

Fiona Barton takes a strong plot and makes it that much stronger by using well-designed characters and a descriptive setting that makes it easy to imagine being there, right alongside the action. The relationships she creates are believable and last in the memory of the reader long after the last page has been read.

Highly recommended for those who love mysteries.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Fiona Barton, author of last year’s popular debut The Widow, is thankfully at it again with The Child. Fans of psychological thrillers will devour this well written tale that opens with the discovery of a newborn’s bones at a construction site, and ends by revealing surprising connections between the books’ three main narrators.
Kate- the ambitious reporter who first latches onto the story- is determined to learn what happened to the “Building Site Baby”, and before her investigation is over, she will have looked into many dark corners, crossed paths with some undesirable individuals, and exposed more than one shameful secret- for better or worse, the truth will come to light.

I liked this one better than The Widow.

A baby's skeleton is found in the ground during a construction project. It's a newborn that has been there for a long time.
Angela lost her baby.
Kate is the reporter who decides to cover this story.
Emma has serious mental health issues and thinks this story will expose her to the world.

I loved how the stories were told separately, leaving one to wonder how they could possibly all tie together. As we learn more about Angela and Emma we wonder how are they connected. It took me until almost the very end to go Ah Hah, I got it.

Fiona Barton is a very good writer, she is accessible and smooth to read. This was an excellent book!

Wow! That just about sums up this incredible new book. Just as good as Fiona's previous bestseller The Widow, this book is breathtaking in its pace and style. The characters are very well drawn and the book keeps you guessing right until the very end. I read the whole thing in three days as I couldn't put it down. Fantastic

Thank you, Berkley Pub, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
Where do I start? This book was absolutely, heart pounding, kept me on the edge of my seat, thrilling. I feel like it’s been a lot time since I have read a 5-star book, until now. This is my first Fiona Barton book, and now I must rectify that and purchase “The Widow”
The multiple narrators, the insane twists and turns, and the vile people you learn of in this book, make it a page turner, that I read well into the wee hours of the morning, because I could not put it down. Normally I can’t read certain topics that are discussed in this book, but it was done with tact, and I had no issue finishing the book. I urge you all to read this, I promise you will not regret it. I also promise, it will leave you with your heart pounding.

The Child by Fiona Barton is a wonderful mystery read with some great twists and turns.

A baby’s skeleton was found in a construction site and was named as the “Building Site Baby”. Reporter Kate Waters decides to investigate the story. The book is narrated with different POV’s , Angela whose baby was kidnapped at the maternity ward ,Emma who is hiding a secret for a very long time and Jude , Emma’s self-involved mother. During Kate’s investigation, more mysteries are unearthed and secrets’ revealed. Will Angela finally figure out what happened to her baby a long time ago and will Emma’s secret destroy her marriage?

I liked this book much better than Fiona Barton’s first book The Widow. The characters were complex and well developed. Some twists and turns with a surprise ending. I would definitely recommend this book with a 4 star rating.

Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

I had a hard time getting into this book, it wasn't until about halfway through that it really started to flow and then in the last third it all came together with a whirlwind. I was able to quickly piece things together and figure out the ending. However, it didn't take away from the story.

This is the second book my Ms. Barton and I find that I don't really like the characters in her book. There are some really sketchy and creepy people!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The setting is London, where a baby’s skeleton is found during the demolition of some old homes. It’s determined that the baby was buried sometime in the 1980’s, and a reporter decides to investigate. The story is then told from multiple viewpoints, and there are some intricate plot weavings . However, this book seemed to go on so much longer than necessary. I thought this of Fiona Barton’s first book, The Widow, which had a plot twist but took an interminable time to get there. Having my suspicions about who the baby belonged to, I kept reading. Must admit also that I love the English dialog, and learned a new word or two (my favorite being fug to indicated a warm and stuffy atmosphere).

While it was interesting, I could have put it down at any point. There is so much unnecessary detail that my mind started to wander. Overall, not bad, but make sure you have a lot of time to read this one. It’s a mystery, but I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller as it was so easy to figure out.

The characters are rich and intensely drawn in this story. The movement between points of view keeps things fresh, but the speed at which the story actually develops is slower than a snail's pace. It's a worthy read because it's clear the storyteller is immensely skilled, but it's not a quick read like some of the novels it's been compared to.

Reporter Kate Waters reports the story of the discovery of a baby's body long ago buried in the yard of an old house. But her investigations set off a series of events and revelations that prove to be much more of a story than Waters had imagined.

This was an fast-paced, engrossing tale filled with heartbreak and secrets. Very enjoyable mystery.