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Book Summary and Reviews of The Suspect by Fiona Barton

The Suspect by Fiona Barton

The Suspect

by Fiona Barton

  • Readers' Rating (3):
  • Published:
  • Jan 2019, 416 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The New York Times bestselling author of The Widow returns with a brand new novel of twisting psychological suspense about every parent's worst nightmare...

When two eighteen-year-old girls 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?

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, whom she hasn't seen in two years, since he left home to go travelling.

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...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. Alex's thoughts often contradict what she says on Facebook and in e-mails to her parents. Why do you think this is? Do you think the author is making a statement about social media culture? Why or why not?
  2. Discuss the relationship between Kate and the families in Part One of the book. How does this relationship change after Kate learns who the possible survivor is?
  3. Examine Kate's relationship with her fellow journalists before and after she learns about the possible survivor and suspect. Do you think she is unfair to them? Do you think they are unfair to her? Why or why not?
  4. It is a common perception that journalists often need to detach themselves from a situation in order to do their jobs. At one point, when ...
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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Barton is a stunning storyteller. Her career as a journalist has helped make this story terrifyingly real. Every turn of the plot feels authentic and very scary." —Library Journal (starred review)

"The exceedingly twisty tale...will test Kate, and her painfully conflicting loyalties, to the limit. Barton's many fans will be rewarded." —Publishers Weekly

"[A] tense, character-driven exploration of expectations and independence." —Booklist

"Utterly engrossing...I lived inside this book for two days—and I'm still thinking about it. Superb!" —Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

This information about The Suspect was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Fiona Barton

Fiona Barton is the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow and The Child. She has trained and worked with journalists all over the world. Previously, she was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards. Born in Cambridge, England, she currently lives in southwest France and England.

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Read-Alikes

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