‘The Suspect’ is largely set in Thailand and addresses some of the issues which arise when two teenage girls ‘go missing’ from a Backpackers Hostel.
The structure of the book is interesting as the story is told through the voices of one of the Girls (Alex O’Connor), her Mother (Lesley O’Connor), the Detective assigned to the case (DI Bob Sparkes) and a Fleet Street Reporter (Kate Waters). The narrative switches between voices and timelines with each of the main characters being deeply involved in on-going events in very personal, and different, ways.
The style of writing, where the story unfolds through different voices on different timelines, generally does not appeal to me, but in this instance I feel this approach really works. It helps build the plot layer by layer and, for me, draws the reader into engaging with not only the girls and their families as they wrestle with tragic events, but also with how these events impact on the personal, as well as the professional, lives of the Detective and the Reporter. The narratives from all four perspectives rapidly become equally engrossing.
The story switches between the UK and Thailand. There are interesting insights into the Thai way of life, both the unspoken ‘sleazy’ side as portrayed by the ready availability of alcohol, drugs and sex and the public ‘smiley’ side as portrayed by the Thai police in dealing with the aftermath of events. There are a few unexpected twists in the plot although the ending is (almost) predictable.
The ending raises interesting, and important, moral questions and I would be interested to see how the outcomes affect Kate Waters in the longer term. Hence, one of my questions for Fiona is whether indeed she has plans for another novel featuring Kate and/or DI Sparkes? I have not read either of the earlier books (‘The Child’; ‘The Widow’) but I would be interested in finding out more of the backstory to these characters, so I will try and read them sometime in the near future!
I would also like to ask Fiona about her personal involvement with Thailand. Have you visited there? Lived there? And in particular, where did you get your inspiration for the way you portrayed the Thai police and their handling of the ‘missing persons’? Many thanks.