The Suspect - February book club

Very good but was predictable you could pre empt what was going to happen. It was well written and thrilling would probably dissuade any children thinking of gap year though!! Not my normal kind of cosy book but will pass on to my sisiter sounds like her ideal lit.

Many thanks for the book. A great read, Fiona has a writing style that evolves into a fast pace. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will look to read other works by this author.

Another good choice by GN for us book club reviewers. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of gap year students and their families. The fact that the story went back and forth between the characters took a bit of getting used to, as did the diary like format of the chapter headings.
I think the main premise of the book was parental love and also how well parents actually know their grown up children.
There was a great feeling of a build up of suspense and although the characters weren’t drawn in great detail I empathised with their plight.
Thankyou Gransnet for another great read.
My question for Fiona Barton would be; what influenced her to write about Thailand?

I enjoyed this book especially the emotional ending and the moral dilemma this entails. Probably just me, but I couldn't feel the pain of both sets of parents, the writing just seemed to touch on their emotions and lacked some depth. In saying that I would recommend this book to others and like Annsixty it does not entice me to visit Thailand!

Just finished reading my copy. Brilliant. A real page turner . I’ve never had the desire to visit Thailand and a certainty don’t now! I’m sure there’s better parts of the country but I hope that my children never plan to go there- it would worry be sick.
Each chapter was written by a different character so it swapped backwards and forwards but I don’t mind this, I’ve read others like this and it wasn’t hard to follow the story.
Fiona did you visit Thailand to research?
Fiona where do you get your ideas for your novels from and how long does it take to write a book?
Please continue to write more. Thank you Gransnet for my copy.

I really enjoyed "The Suspect."Love the way it is written in short chapters,slowly unfolding the stories of the girls and Jake's time away from home.Kate's sudden and unexpected experience of being "the story" is an interesting slant.
The attitude of the Thai Police makes you realise how difficult it must be for any parent in the tragic position of the girls' parents.
I would like to ask Fiona if she has first-hand experience of Thailand.Also,will there be a follow up to the book?I would love to know what happens to Jake and Kate as they move forward.

Thank you Maggiemaybe?

You’re welcome, Nanabanana1.

Pssst, the application form for March’s book is now open, if you haven’t seen it.

Thank you for my copy of the book, which drew me in from the start. Anyone who has had experience of children or grandchildren leaving on gap-year adventures will have had the same dreads & fears running through their heads as those that are expressed here. Hearing each characters' voice by giving them their own separate sections meant that their thoughts and feelings were successfully investigated and relayed to the reader.
I enjoyed the insight into the world of newspapers and reporting, made particularly believable by the author's personal experience. Similarly, the sleazy backstreets and characters encountered in Thailand were also well defined and believable.
I would love to know if the author has had personal experience of Thai life and Police procedures, or is she just very good at research?
A very enjoyable book.

Another brilliant book club choice Gransnet! Many thanks for the opportunity to read. Here are some of my thoughts and my feedback to share with others.

Thanks all, Val

Emotionally charged and all too realistic, Fiona Barton’s exceptional third novel is a mix of police procedural, painful revelations and psychological exploration that combines every parent’s nightmare with another parents own moral dilemmas. Whilst the novel tackles the difficult decisions that we make to protect our children it is also a compassionate and perceptive study of the characters central to the drama and the lengths we go to in order to justify our actions. But for a journalist dictating the news agenda and also a mother, when does it stop being just about the story and being ahead of the journalistic curve and come down to the make or break decision as a mother trying to safeguard the future of a child?

Peak Silly Season in the world of journalism and there are slim pickings to be had. For Kate Waters, Senior Reporter at The Post and mother, the news that two eighteen-year-old students from Winchester travelling in Thailand before heading to university have failed to contact home for a week strikes a chord with her given her own son, Jake, went off radar following his own journey to the country two years previously. Once a gifted student with a bright future, Jake dropping out of university and taking flight has marked a growing disconnect with his family. Sketchy conversations and sporadic communication have further widened the gulf and sensing an opportunity to chivvy the missing girls out of living the high life in Bangkok and fulfilling her own need to visit the vicinity in which Jake went AWOL, Kate, senses an opportunity.

When Kate travels with the parents of Alexandra O’Connor and Rosie Shaw and matters take a swift and far darker turn, the media frenzy intensifies and the British police soon follow.. Trusted police ally, DI Bob Sparkes, seeking a distraction from his wife’s impending death from cancer finds himself investigating the case under the remit of Hampshire and is frustrated by his struggle to get answers to his inquiries, the reluctance of the Bangkok police to cooperate and their incompetent investigation. As the parents of the girls soon realise that the Alex’s cheery Facebook posts were concealing a more depressing truth, the shocking (but not wholly unexpected) news that Jake is caught up in the events hits journalist, Kate, like a sucker punch.

The narrative is made up of three perspectives, “The Reporter” (Kate Waters), “The Mother” (Alex’s mother, Lesley O’Connor) and “The Detective” (DI Bob Sparkes) each providing their own views and emotions on the unfolding situation, developing revelations and at times makes for painfully raw reading. Soon Kate is more than just the reporter, she is also a mother whose child is in jeopardy and fears the extent of their involvement in a significant crime. Throughout these three narratives short excerpts from Alex’s saddening journal chronicle the insalubrious conditions and her plight, and emails home to best friend, Mags, reveal Rosie’s increasing risky behaviour.

Whilst the slow and steady pace may prove a disappointment for some readers, the novel is imbued with tension and Barton’s construction of multiple points of view and short chapters pays dividends in keeping the reader absorbed in the drama as revelations inform action. Throughout the entire novel two timelines combine, with the present day action and steady unwinding of revelations emotionally locked into the reality with snippets of Alex’s heartbreakingly sincere journal of actual events, and this spurs the action ever onwards until the sordid truth. Barton charts how the fluctuating revelations can forge alliances and enmity and how opinions can quickly shift with each incremental development.

Whilst ultimately the final sting in the tail may be a little too contrived and uncomfortable for some, there will be very few readers who can keep up with the authors sequence of twists and spot the seemingly innocuous detail that changes everything. Kudos to Fiona Barton for delivering a thoroughly absorbing analysis of a headline straight off the front page and turning the tables on a dogged journalist and mother who finds her family at the centre of the storm.

Having listened to both of Fiona Barton’s first two novels on audiobook it has taken reading her latest effort to appreciate her gift as a storyteller and ability to put humane and fully conceivable characters on the page. For lead protagonist and journalist, Kate Waters, who comes under the intense scrutiny of her fellow hacks and finds herself treading a fine line between being honest with herself and the “blurred margins where the consequences wait” in this third outing, each instalment has added layers to her character. Barton excels at depicting Kate’s interpersonal relationships from her championing, fondness and banter with office son, Joe Jackson, to the mutual admiration and soft spot that she shares with DI Bob Sparkes.

Multi-perspective, hard-hitting human drama that leaves the reader pondering the extent of the remorse felt by young adults getting in over their heads. Set extensively in Thailand the novel is infused with the colour of the seedier underworld that lies in wait for vulnerable teenagers no longer under the watchful eye of a parent and Fiona Barton excels in giving a realistic and at times harrowing insight into every parent’s worst nightmare.

Apologies if seems a little lengthy!

Enjoyed the book very much. Thanks for my copy.

Thanks for sending a copy - read it in more or less one sitting, staying up till 2 this morning! I'm not a huge fan of multi POV novels but it was perfect for this drama.

As the book went on and we read more of Alex's gradual isolation out in Thailand I could feel the tension as she was left alone with no one to trust. Of the mothers of the missing girls I couldn't quite get to grips with Jenny.

I would certainly want to read another of Fiona Barton's books.

I enjoyed this book although I felt that around the middle of the book the pace slowed but it did pick up again very quickly. I'll certainly try and read more of Fiona's books.
After reading this, I'm so glad not to have a teenage family member going to Thailand on a gap year!

I'd like to know if Fiona visited Thailand before writing this and what made her choose this subject for her book.

Just finished this completely. The outline of the story was a bit more better in the second half than the first. There's no easy way to tell a dark tale.

I enjoyed the story being told by Alex because that is where the crux of the tale was but the emotional connection was missing from the characters for me.

Fiona writes in a tell manner and this fell flat for me several times and what amazed me there was obvious errors in the book - DID ANYONE ELSE NOTICE? - which left me thinking I had an unedited issue.

I would like to know how long it takes to write her novels?

Thank you for allowing me to review this book

I am actually enjoying reading this book. I've not yet finished it as it came whilst I was away on holiday, but I'm 3/4 of the way through it. The book pulled me in right from page one and although I'm looking forward to finding out how it ends, I don't really want it to end!

I would like to ask Fiona if her characters will continue to be portrayed in any future books. e.g. Will Kate be featured in another investigative story relating to another character. As I've not reached the end of the book I'm still unsure which of her characters it will be feasible to feature again. For me the book was also a brief insight into journalists and their efforts to be first with a story.

This is not a book I would have chosen but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it though I agree with Jishere that there were one or two mistakes. The storyline gripped me from the beginning because I could imagine being in the parents' position.I liked the short chapters which helped the story to be fast moving and I liked the constant change from Thailand to England and the variety of characters ,professions and ages. I didn't particularly feel drawn to any of the characters so my questions to Fiona are who did she enjoy writing about most and which character she found most complex.I would like to read her other books now.

Thank you for giving me chance to read this thrilling book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The book follows the story of Alex and Rosie (two teenage girls) who have gone missing while travelling through Thailand. Becoming extremely concerned, Alex’s parents contact the police and a search begins to find out what could have happened to them.

The story is graphically told from different perspectives – the girls’ parents, police detectives, reporters and Alex (before being reported missing). Many months ago, the son of Leslie (a reporter) had also gone missing in the same country, and while being sent out by her newspaper to report the story, she hopes to find out what has happened to him.

Consisting of short, sharp, punchy chapters, the book kept me enthralled with the characters and what had happened to them. As each short chapter finished, you were left in suspense wanting to find out more before the next chapter started, adding tension and drama.

The tale is an emotional roller-coaster as events unfold – Alex discovering that the holiday with Rosie isn’t turning out as she hoped; the girls’ parents becoming more worried as time goes on, and Leslie becoming increasingly concerned about her missing son Jake.

Characters are rounded and well-drawn by the author, a thrilling story which makes you desperate to know what happened, and has a twist in the tale with a surprising ending.

I would like to ask the author where her ideas for stories originate, are any characters based on people she knows, and how long (approximately!) it takes to research and write her books.

This book was rather a slow starter; it seemed to meander somewhat and I struggled to relate to the characters. The story went back and forth, which initially I found frustrating, but I am pleased I stuck with it: it was more than a simple story about two missing children and in the end the tension and suspense built, making it a good mystery. I would be interested to find out about the author's research for this book and her experiences of Thailand.

I finished this book last night. It didn't grip me as much as I was hoping it would. I have read Fiona's previous books and enjoyed them. I was surprised at the lack of emotion from the parents after losing their daughters especially when they were in Thailand. I liked Kate's character and seeing it change when she realised thst she was part of the story this time and not the one writing the story.
Did Fiona go to Thailand herself, maybe on a gap year ?
My eldest daughter went in the year 2000 as part of a year away and had a wonderful time. I'm not sure I would want to see her go now.
Thank you once again for my copy of the book.

Thank you GN for another good choice I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I was away from home when it arrived and read it over the past two days. The short snappy chapters made this a suspenseful read. Relayed in chapters headed The Reporter, The Detective and The Mother, there are also emails from Alex, one of the girls, to her friend Mags back home, giving the true picture as opposed to the Having a wonderful time posts on Facebook.

Multiple perspectives have become fairly common in crime fiction but this is an author who uses them to the best advantage. Clearly too, the author knows what she’s talking about. From her years as a reporter, she has presumably dealt with real life disappearances, fears, misery, recriminations and blame; and the dog eat dog nature of the press pack in pursuit of a headline grabbing story.

The third of Fiona Barton’s crime novels featuring journalist Kate Waters, this was my first encounter with her writing. I now look forward to reading The Widow, The Child and whatever comes next after this one. I would certainly recommend it to readers who enjoy crime, mystery and suspense novels.

Finally, two questions for the author.

1. I confess to feeling more than a twinge of sympathy for damaged Jamie as he faces the full force of the law; and more than a flash of dislike for plausible, entitled Jake, off on his ski-ing trip before resuming his law studies. By the end of the book I had rather lost my faith in Kate’s honesty and integrity too. And I wondered why the Detective, Bob Sparkes, failed to pursue his concerns at the end. Loyalty to a friend? Sheer exhaustion after the death of his wife? Leaving the door open for a future story?...Given that this is the author’s third book featuring Kate Waters, I’m hoping for more; and that justice will ultimately prevail!

2. As a fan of Lee Child’s work, I was interested to see his endorsement on the cover; I also noted DS Salmond’s expressed liking (p.353) for Jack Reacher. Coincidence? Or a kind of quid pro quo among authors?

I have just finished The Suspect. I enjoyed the book and although the story went from Thailand to the Uk and between Protagonists I found it easy to follow. I would have liked to have discovered more about Jake and what he had been doing over the last two years. The book focuses mainly on the story and we don’t get to know the characters particularly well, or their back stories. However I enjoyed reading the book and would certainly read another by Fiona. Now off to start the new Elle Griffiths. I highly recommend her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and thought the favoured modern structure – told from different viewpoints and at different times and locations in the individual chapters – worked very well here, revealing the story in a way that certainly kept me guessing. I’m rarely good at anticipating twists and missed them all this time as per usual, but they were believable, as were the characters.

It’s obvious that the author has had plenty of experience of the way journalists work, and I’d take it as read that she either knows Thailand, or has really done her homework. I bet the Thai tourist board and police force wouldn’t be happy with the way it’s depicted, but the portrayal of backpacker central was well done and I’m assuming accurate, which leads me to thank all that’s holy that I don’t have any children or grandchildren of gap year age right now!

I have a couple of minor quibbles. As others have said, there were one or two surprising errors in the typescript – for example, the sentence “I went to see Jamie Lawrence earlier” is duplicated on page 328. There were a couple of spoilers relating to earlier books in this series, which is a bit annoying if you intend to read them out of order (I haven’t read The Widow yet). And I found Jamie far too eloquent when he’d supposedly been drinking heavily (on page 196 for example, where he waxes lyrical to Alex about his troubled past before passing out). I don't quite get the bit about the stain on the trousers either, but that's probably just me.

But those small details aside, I would recommend the book to anyone, and look forward to reading more from the author. Could I just ask what sort of crime she has in mind for Kate and Sparkes in the next book?

I quite enjoyed this book.
Although, not so keen on jumping backwards and forwards, story wise.

I didn’t suspect the killer until nearly three quarters of the way through the book.
So, well done Fiona Barton.
It had me gripped at times, but got a bit confused with the jumping back and forth. Especially if I hadn’t picked it up for several days. Had to reread it occasionally to get my bearings back.

The Suspect. What a good book. So topical with children doing their gap year and all a bit worrying! I could not put it down. I have to say it has put me off Thailand a bit!

Thoroughly enjoyed the clever twisting plot. All books these days seem to go back & forth so I am kind of used to it. An interesting and gripping read.

I did quite enjoy the book although in parts it was quite slow and sometimes predictable. It didn’t completely grab me so it took me a few sittings to finish it.