I hate to compare books to each other, but I have read many thrillers better than this one. I was left unimpressed by this and not interested in what else the author writes, which was disappointing.

Two girls disappear while on holiday in Thailand...then their bodies are found. This brings in The Detective, The Reporter, and The Mothers. Told in alternating chapters that include these three and interludes in the voice of one of the girls, this is a suspense/mystery story that is filled with shocking revelations that will impact everyone. I could not stop reading!! Actually the third book in the Kate Waters (The Reporter) series, but that doesn't really matter. This is a standalone title with some minor references to the other books that are irrelevant to the plot. This book is filled with plot twists and surprises. The action is swift and the characters are engaging. I loved it and will now check out books 1 & 2.

This is the third book I've read in the Kate Waters series and it has become my top fave from the author. Barton has a way to keep you guessing up until the very end. I especially felt a huge connection with Kate in this one. The author really delved more into her personal life and how the case of the missing girls made her emotionally invested because of her son. There are multiple points of view and all were engaging with distinct voices. These books can be read as stand-alones, so no problem to read out of order.

A twisty novel which will astonish many readers. The variety of storytelling devices include past and present, two settings in (the UK and Thailand), and three points of view. Readers definitely need to do some close reading to keep up, but it will be rewarding for police procedural fans. The two main characters, a journalist and police officer, know each other from previous cases, but this can be read as a standalone. Death and family dynamics (particularly motherhood) are rooted in the story, but an examination of media is also key.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the e-galley. I listened to the audiobook for this review. My ratings and reviews are my own.

CW: drug use, abuse, and selling; death; mental illness; stalking

I received a free ARC from MetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed the author’s other books and was eager to read this. I think it works well as a read alone, but you will definitely better recognize the characters and certain references made if you read her first book. I thought the plot was pretty good. It had a good amount of twists, although a couple of things I expected. It was a pretty quick read but enjoyable. 3.5

What a great addition to the Kate Waters Series. Fiona Barton is a wonder author. This novel was absolutely superb! Very suspenseful and well written. This was a novel that I couldn't put down.

Oh boy, do I love a Kate Winters-centered book, and The Suspect delivers! Fiona Barton is one of my favorite authors. She knows exactly how to write suspense with a mix of real life situations that captivates my imagination and keeps me wanting to read more. I love this trilogy! I cannot wait to read more from Fiona Barton!

While this kept me reading and the ending was twisted just enough to satisfy, the pace was a little slow and I thought it could have been trimmed a bit. But it was a good domestic psychological suspense and I'll read the next book by this author.

Readers of Lisa Jewell and Lisa Scottoline's domestic suspense novels may want to give this a try.

Also, I don't recommend many psychological suspense thrillers for book groups, but this one had enough content about dubious decisions and morals to spark a good discussion.

I didn't enjoy this volume of Barton's work quite as well as her previous works. The premise was interesting, but the resolution was so-so.

Two teenage girls from England head off to Thailand for an adventure of a lifetime. However, things go wrong, things are not as they appear on the surface, a fire erupts at the hostel where the girls are staying and they either disappear or die.
Their families are thrown into the national spotlight and Kate Waters, a London journalist, investigates the situation, knowing that her son is also in Thailand and has apparently disappeared. Are the situations connected and if so how?
This is a fantastic story that I. read fast and enjoyed tremendously because of numerous surprising twists and turns.
Highly recommended.

Fiona Barton has some great books and this was no exception! Kept me interested through the entire novel, and kept me guessing!

The suspect
🚨 Book Review 🚨 I remember being 17 and making such horrible decisions in life. My senior year of high school was a major blur so this story resonated with me in a way.

“When two eighteen-year-old girls (Rosie and Alex) 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?”

I liked this book. I didn’t love it but the story kept my attention up until I predicted the ending. I wasn’t able to warm up to any of the characters but they all fit together in a jagged puzzle so I understood the need for so many moving parts. The most exciting piece of the plot id when the reader is thrown back in time to the events leading up to the disappearing of each girl and being able to really see what happened and why.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. . All thoughts and opinions are my own

This was my first Fiona Barton book, and it wasn't quite what I was hoping for. This book was okay. It didn't quite live up to my hopes of a thrill giving mystery that kept me engaged from page one. Instead, there were plenty of times I felt bored and waiting on something to happen.

Having missed the first two books in the series, it was simple enough to follow along as the reporter becomes the parent on the periphery of the tragedy.

I have always been a fan of Barton's work so when I was given the opportunity to review The Suspect I was looking forward to it. I am a huge fan of the characters that have continued on from her prior novels, The Widow and the Child. The Suspect continues with Kate Waters as the Journalist investigating a case where two girls have traveled to Thailand and end up missing. Kate can't help but think of her own son in Thailand who has been out of touch.

The story takes the reader on a travel to Thailand where Kate works on piecing together what happened, which isn't an easy task considering that the Thailand police are not very helpful. The Suspect is split between messages that one of the missing girls, Alex, writes to her friend at home via email, the Detective, and the Reporter, along with the Mother of Alex. The one thing I appreciate about Barton is when she splits her chapters to different narrators it is never confusing or a difficult transition for the reader.

I felt like the story was not easily solved and kept my attention. However, I do feel like the ending was a bit quickly resolved and left me wondering and with questions that were alluded to but never truly resolved. In some ways it makes you wonder of the risks a mother is willing to take to protect her child, and also how easily sins of the past are forgiven and swept under the rug.

All in all, Kate and the Detective are still amazing and well written characters. Alex also is a great character but the rest, like Rosie, leave much to be desired. Still I am a fan of Barton and look forward to her next chapter in Kate's life and story. Until next time, Happy reading!

I have enjoyed all of Fiona Barton's books. The thriller aspect is one of my favorites and this one did not disappoint. Great read and will tell my customers about it at the store.

This was just okay. I didn't dislike it, but didn't like it either. Unfortunately, I never connected with any of the characters, and I was never curious as to what happened.

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 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.

This is the third book I’ve ready by Fiona Barton. It’s also her third with the characters of Kate Waters and inspector Bob Sparkes. It’s not necessary to have read the first two books to enjoy The Suspect.

As Alex and Rosie are off in Thailand, having what everyone appears is a wonderful time, they are instead suddenly missing. What unfolds in this book is the story of what is actually happening and the panic and search that is happening back home in the UK.

I enjoyed the alternating points of view, from The Reporter, Detective, Alex and parents perspective and voice. We learn early on about Kate’s son, how he too went off to Thailand and while he isn’t missing in the same sense, he has gone off on his own, and his parents don’t really know what he’s doing. This may later on be a conflict for Kate, and her ability to research and tell the story of the missing girls.

DI Sparks is going through his own personal hell, his wife is very ill, and every moment away from her is grueling, and fills him with grief.

The parents, very naive about what two recent high school graduates may be doing on holiday away from home. The girls very diverse, as they find out when it appears one has plans to travel and sight see and one has plans to party and have sex. Still how did things go so wrong so quickly?

This book was a quick read, and kept me turning pages and waiting to see what odd coincidence or revelation would show next. I always like Kate and DI Sparkes. In this book I adored Alex and was hoping good things for her. I was appalled at the lack of a real police authority in Thailand, I worry how real this is. My heart ached for the parents as the not knowing and then the knowing both can rip you up inside. I found them sometimes annoyingly ignorant at times, but still, imagine the pain. I really enjoyed this book, thanks so much to Berkley for the early copy. If you enjoy a good mystery, grab this one up.

I tried to read this book a few times and kept putting it down for another book. It just didn't grab me like her other books have.