Fiona Barton | THE SUSPECT

Plot (via Goodreads):

When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing on their gap year in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft and frantic with worry. 

Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth – and this time is no exception. But she can’t help but think of her own son, who she hasn’t seen in two years since he left home to go traveling. This time it’s personal.

And as the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think . . .

Review:

The Suspect features a plot that is literally ripped from the headlines, yet twisted in a way that only Fiona Barton can pull off. After reading The Child, I had some really high expectations regarding this tale. While I loved the return of Kate Waters, my expectations with her character were completely exceeded as we got more of an inside look into her personal life.

I think this one started off really strong and to the point, quickly throwing the big mystery in the readers face with an unrelenting and haunting story that I can assure you must be every parents nightmare. I loved the synopsis to this one and was quickly hooked, but a few things hindered me from enjoying this one. Throughout, I would say this was a solid three star read for me as for some reason, I just wasn't feeling the police procedural part nor did I really like the chapters featuring Zara. The chapters featuring Alex and  Rosie were much more interesting and faster paced. While I didn't enjoy this one as much as The Child, I will say that it definitely gave us some answers to some questions regarding Kate Waters and did give one hell of an ending that was chilling and fantastically executed. So while this one wasn't my favorite in the Kate Waters series, I will definitely continue reading Fiona Barton and eagerly await the next chapter.

Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5