Liked it . Due to health issues cannot not but will write a proper review at a later time
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mineA more extensive review will follow

The pacing of this book was relentless. Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger, leaving me desperate to know what happened next.

I really enjoyed the different perspectives of this book and it kept me guessing as to who committed the murder throughout. I really grew to the characters too, which really added to the book and meant that I thoroughly enjoyed the read of it. I think this is the first I have read from Fiona Barton, and I can't wait to see any more that she does in the future!

Bit slow to get going but after that I was gripped until the end. A good psychological thriller with lots of suspense. It was fine as a stand alone but I want to read the first book in the series to see how Detective Elise King’s character develops throughout the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This is the second book in the Elise King series. It could easily be read as a standalone book, but the first book was really good too. As Elise is getting back to work, a local woman named Karen is murdered and found in the woods; Karen was a regular on dating apps and even had a little singles club that met in local pubs. As Elise tries to solve the crime and find out who murdered Karen, she finds her old nemesis Kiki Nunn, a reporter, is in her way once again. Kiki had met with the singles group that Karen ran getting a story on online dating and now Kiki tries to go undercover to try to help solve the murder. As it turns out the woods where Karen’s body was found is where another murder had taken place years before of a young boy. Are these murders somehow related there were lots of twists in this book and I really enjoyed the epilogue.

This was a good read, I really enjoyed the way. The author told the story, the characters were well written and interesting. I will definitely read more books by this author.

Talking to strangers is a gripping and chilling thriller.

The cast of characters was rich and cleverly woven together, making the question of whodunnit quite complex. I really enjoyed the interplay of the journalist and policewoman leads, and the strong female characters. The threads between the current day and historical crimes added extra complexity to the story. The exploration of the seedy underbelly of online dating made for a particularly discomforting premise.

The writing was engaging and I breezed through the story. A great read for anyone looking for an intriguing and twisty thriller.

Thank you Random House UK for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Amazing edge of your seat story you won't be able to put down this is a thriller which will keep you turning the pages long into the night

Brilliant 5 ⭐
When Karen Simmons is murdered on Valentine’s Day, Detective Elise King wonders if she was killed by a man she met online. Karen was all over the dating apps, leading some townspeople to blame her for her own death, while others band together to protest society’s violence against women. Into the divide comes Kiki Nunn, whose aggressive newsgathering once again antagonizes Elise. A single mother of a young daughter, Kiki is struggling to make a living in the diminished news landscape. Getting a scoop in the Simmons murder would do a lot for her career, and she’s willing to go up against not just Elise but the killer himself to do it.
I really enjoyed it. I was gripped from the start.

Detective Elise King’s investigation into a woman’s murder is getting derailed by a reporter who insists on doing her own investigation in this nail-biting mystery from the author of Local Gone Missing.

When Karen Simmons is murdered on Valentine’s Day, Detective Elise King wonders if she was killed by a man she met online. Karen was all over the dating apps, leading some townspeople to blame her for her own death, while others band together to protest society’s violence against women. Into the divide comes Kiki Nunn, whose aggressive newsgathering once again antagonizes Elise.

A single mother of a young daughter, Kiki is struggling to make a living in the diminished news landscape. Getting a scoop in the Simmons murder would do a lot for her career, and she’s willing to go up against not just Elise but the killer himself to do it.

Told by alternating narrators, Talking to Strangers draws the reader into the search for answers by Detective Elise King and reporter Kiki Nunn.

As the story unfolds, we are unable to figure out who has killed the young woman. Many clues are dropped, like bread crumbs, and mixed in with the murder mystery is an old case from years before: the death of a young boy.

I liked following each woman’s voice as we gradually come to know the answers. But then, unexpectedly, an epilogue reveals that nothing was quite what we thought.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in the series of Detective Elise King and i thoroughly enjoyed it. There were loads of characters to be suspicious of the twists especially at the end were fantastic!
The chapters are told from multiple pov and the chapters where short and snappy which is always a plus for me as it keeps me engaged more and I found myself saying ‘just one more chapter’ a lot 🤣.

If you’ve read any of Fiona’s books before I would definitely recommend and if not I’d still say give it a go as it can be read as a stand alone as well as a series

Found this book difficult to get into and have to admit to not enjoying it as much as its predecessor or other Fiona Barton books. I’m not sure why it didn’t work for me, I just struggled to engage in the plotline I think and wasn’t taken by the characters either.

Taking place over the course of 17 days, after the shocking murder of 45-year-old hairdresser, Karen Simmons, Talking to Strangers is a gripping and compelling read! It’s the second book featuring Detective Elise King and I read the first one, Local Gone Missing, a couple of years ago but it works perfectly well as a standalone crime thriller.

Set in the town of Ebbing in Sussex, the story is told from the points of view of Elise King, journalist Kiki Nunn and a former resident of the town, Annie Curtis.

DI Elise King is very good at her job but still recovering from breast cancer and struggles to focus at times and keep all the strands of the investigation under control. She has an understanding colleague, DS Caro Brennan, who has her back and encourages and supports her during the weeks of the case.

When Erica (Kiki) Nunn’s news editor boss, Miles, tells her that a body has been found in Knapton Wood, she’s horrified to discover that she interviewed the victim, Karen Simmons, who ran a singles group called the Free Spirits, the previous week for an article and learned all about her dating life. She’s hopeful that she can write a story for Sussex Today about the murder that will get her recognised by the national press.

Annie Curtis and her family left Ebbing 15 years ago after a traumatic event in their lives. Karen used to cut their hair and Annie is shocked to learn what has happened to her.

The small town element of the story is interesting – a lot of people know Karen and have their own opinions on her dating behaviour. There’s lots of gossip and some rather misogynistic comments from local men. The storyline is very current with its mention of online dating and how people behave today.

Over the two weeks of the investigation, there are breakthroughs and dead ends and moments when it feels like nothing is going to be resolved, but slowly and surely, with the input and hard work of several characters, things start coming together!

The short chapters moved the story along well and I was keen to read just one more chapter before I put the book down! It was very gripping. and tense at times. and I was really engaged in the investigation. I enjoyed the way that we learnt key facts about the case from various characters but, frustratingly, this information wasn’t always shared!

Overall, this is a brilliant police procedural and I really enjoyed it. The story was well paced and intense and had some great twists and turns and shocking revelations. I read it over a couple of days and didn’t want to put it down! I’ll definitely be checking out the author’s other books: The Widow, The Child and The Suspect.

Would highly recommend this book, it is a must read , loved it from start to finish. Have read other books by this author and they just get better and better , so many twists and turns and brilliant characters you just can’t put the books down , right to the end you are surprised, just loved this book

I can't believe it took me so long to pick this up because once I started, I couldn't put it down! I absolutely loved it!! It's so relevant and relatable with the online dating and single and thriving vibe. I got completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop until I'd found out what had happened. It's written from multiple povs which also all gave extra dimension and perspective and it all just worked really really well. Absolute must read

Kiki Nunn is a journalist who has been reduced to writing 'women's interest' stories. Her latest piece is about middle aged women who are enjoying the single life, dating and meeting men online. However, this piece she is working on is about to take a dramatic turn - one of the women she interviewed has turned up dead in the woods and it's Kiki who has the most useful information for the police, as she had only recently met with the victim and talked in depth about her sometimes successful, but mostly disastrous current dating history. DI Elise King is in charge of the case and feels like she needs to prove herself after recently returning to work after undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She quickly realises that she needs to keep on top of Kiki and her determination to get a big break with this story. Finally we meet Angie who lost her son Archie a few years earlier. His death was also linked to Knapton Wood where the body has just been discovered. This is obviously a shock for Angie who is still grieving and it brings back all of the memories from her son's death. Each chapter follows one of these women as the investigation continues.

The concept behind this story is just brilliant. It's 2024, and a large proportion of dating is done online or via dating apps and this requires a lot of trust. Anyone can be anyone online, you can show people what you want them to see, tell them what you want them to hear and you can play whatever role you like. In most cases the worst case scenario would be a fake photo but what happens if you are that person who picks the wrong profile and ends up in trouble?

I loved the way that one murder investigation was explored through three different perspectives and especially the fact that it was three women. It gave a totally different feel to the story to see how the three characters were involved in the investigation and how it affected them depending on their personal circumstances - one from the POV of the police, one from a journalist and one from a member of the public who had been involved in an investigation in the past. There are some dark topics covered (including rape) but they are all important issues to explore and it's the kind of story that really makes you think about the way you perceive other people and their actions. It's very realistic and at times quite disturbing but I was hooked from the first page and it was incredibly entertaining to read.

I've read and enjoyed all of Fiona Barton's previous novels so was looking forward to this one. It is a novel exploring the aftermath of a woman, Karen Simmons, being found murdered in the local woods. We then follow detective Elise King, and also journalist Kiki Nunn as they each explore what has happened and who killed Karen. There is also another character whose son was murdered in those woods years earlier and she feels undone by another murder in the same place. I found parts of this book so gripping and engaging but other parts felt like they dragged a little bit. I did enjoy all the reveals and the way that Elise and Kiki were investigating in such different ways and we the reader found out more than they each knew. I enjoyed this one and hope there are more books featuring these two in the future.

A riveting crime thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. I always enjoy Fiona Barton her books are thought provoking with plenty of detail

This is the second book in the ‘Elise King’ series by author Fiona Barton. I have not read the previous book in this series but that did not spoil my enjoyment of this one.

‘Talking to Strangers‘ is a very good read and left me wanting to catch up on the first book. A gripping thriller that focuses on the difficulties of dating aps. Karen Simmons is found murdered on Valentine’s Day and Detective Elise King is tasked with investigating her tragic death. It’s discovered that Karen had been using dating apps which prompts speculation and judgment within the small town. Some locals blame Karen for causing her own death while others protest against the violence that women so often face in society.

There is a conflict and multi layered relationship between Detective Elise King and journalist, Kiki Nunn. Kiki is relentless and is fighting to save her career so will stop at nothing to get the story on Karen’s murder. There is a friction between Elise and Kiki which adds another layer to the story. Both are searching for the truth, determined and ready to push to their limits.

The story is fast paced, full of suspense and lots of dead ends. Good fascinating characters who are well developed and a small town with dark buried secrets. This novel is not just a mystery but explores the issues of society.

A page turner and an entertaining read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Talking to Strangers. It’s a gripping, thought-provoking and suspenseful read, and, even though I guessed a few things, it still took me by surprise.

The story is told from the perspectives of three strong women whose lives are affected by the murder of a local woman. The first is DI Elise King, in charge of solving the murder. Just back from receiving cancer treatment, she is still struggling to settle back on the job. I don’t know how I missed the first book in this series, because I really liked the character of Elise King and I am already looking forward to reading more about her. I liked her determination, not only in her job, but in her life, too.

The other perspective is Kiki Nunn, a journalist who knew the victim because she was writing an article about dating in your forties and was interviewing her and her group of singles. She needs an exclusive article that will get her out of writing boring articles for the local newspaper and get her national, even if this may mean putting herself in dangerous situations. I didn’t always like her character because she didn’t always behave morally, but I guess that was part of her job.

And then there is Annie. This murder brings back memories of the murder of her young son, a few years earlier, in the same woods as this murder. The grief and the sadness rush all back as she still wonders why her son was killed.

Last but not least, there is Karen Simmons, the victim. We meet her briefly in the beginning and then through the stories of those who knew her. All she ever wanted was to fall in love, but the men she met didn’t always want the same thing. Was she killed by one of the men she met online?

I love Fiona Barton’s writing style. The pace, the twists, the suspense kept me glued to the pages and I am already looking forward to reading more from this author.

Talking To Strangers by Fiona Barton is a marvellous mystery thriller with twists and turns that are so unexpected.
The publisher’s blurb is excellent:
“Three women. One Killer.
Talking to strangers has never been more dangerous...

When the body of forty-four-year-old Karen Simmons is found abandoned in remote woodland, journalist Kiki Nunn is determined this will be the big break she so desperately needs.

Because she has a head start on all the other reporters. Just a week before Karen was killed, Kiki interviewed her about the highs and lows of mid-life romance. Karen told her all about kissing strangers on the beach under the stars, expensive meals, roses. About the scammers and the creeps...

While the police appear to be focusing on local suspects, Kiki sets out to write the definitive piece on one woman's fatal search for love. But she will soon learn that the search for truth can be just as deadly...”

Three different perspectives of three women that take you on their journey through a myriad of uncertainties that doesn’t always lead where you expect. Well developed storyline with believable characters. The issues surrounding online dating also is a major feature that gives an interesting depth to the plot.
Recommended read.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from Random House Uk Transworld publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TalkingToStrangers #NetGalley