The Suspect (by Fiona Barton)
My favorite thing about suspenseful thriller stories is that I can’t stop reading or listening. There are so many moving parts to a story that it unexpectedly takes me in different directions with complex characters. My experience with The Suspect by Fiona Barton is no exception.
Kate Waters is a journalist. And, she’s pretty good at her job. Two 18-year-old girls, freshly graduated from high school, decide to take a gap year backpacking in Thailand. They arrive in Bangkok and immediately, things do not go as planned. When their parents do not hear from them as scheduled, they contact the police in London and the embassy in Thailand. Kate Waters covers the story. Ironically, her son left home two years ago to spend time in Thailand. There is some tension there as she and her husband don’t hear from him very often.
Narrated by the cast of Susan Duerden, Fiona Hardingham, Nicholas Guy Smith, and Katharine McEwan, the audiobook version was an excellent listen. The story has many characters; the journalist and her coworkers, both sets of the girls’ parents, the two missing girls, the friends they make in Bangkok, a best friend at home in London, the woman who runs the hostel the girls stay at in Bangkok, and the detective in London. Fiona Barton knows how to create a story that is rich with secrets and suspense. She also wrote a story that is deep with emotion. I was unexpectedly teary-eyed about the detective’s personal life. It’s been too long since I’ve read a book by Fiona Barton. I’m so glad I borrowed this one from my local library through the Libby app.
The Suspect is book three in the Kate Waters series. The previous books are The Widow and The Child. I’ve read them both and definitely recommend!
As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.
