Fiona Barton writes well constructed crime dramas with a good dose of police procedure thrown in. Unfortunately on this occasion the thoroughness bogged the story down for me and I was underwhelmed by the end. Her female characters are way better than all the men which was a pity.

Really liked this story and I see it is the second featuring DI Elsie King. As so much has happened to her in book 1, I am definitely going to read Local Gone Missing #1..
This story features 3 women all looking for answers. Elsie is tasked with solving the case of Karen Simmons death, whose body has been found in Knapton Woods. It seems Karen had belonged to a dating agency and had been a bit of a good time girl. Kiki Nunn is a local reporter assigned to reporting fluff pieces for the paper. She thinks covering this murder investigation will be her ticket to more serious reporting. But as she does some investigating on her own she inadvertently prints clues and interviews that Elsie wants kept quiet. The third woman is Annie Curtis, whose eldest son was found murdered some 16 years previous in the same woods. A suspect, Nicky Donovan, was arrested in that case and he subsequently killed himself, but when Annie goes to visit his mother after the recent events have awakened her grief all over again, she finds Information that perhaps points at the fact that Nicky was innocent.
It’s a really good read and thoroughly engaging. Not hard to work out who killed whom but that doesn’t detract from the story at all, and proves that finding a murderer ends up hurting far more people in the end.
Highly recommend.

#TalkingToStrangers #NetGalley

The story of a murder told by three different women, who are all indirectly involved in one way or another. So many twists and turns and the final twist ...................... ...that was clever, didn't see that coming for one second! Really recommend this book!

DI Elise King is investigating the death of a middle-aged woman, hairdresser Karen Simmons, killed on Valentine’s Day. Her body was found posed in the woods outside the small town of Ebbing. Karen was known to meet men via dating apps to add some spice to her life while waiting for Mr Right to come along and Elise wonders if that was how she met her killer.

Journalist and single mother, Kiki Nunn had been interviewing Karen on the world of online dating before she was murdered. She is keen to be the first to find a break in her murder as she needs to make a name for herself if she’s ever to move on to a bigger and better media career. Although Elise warns her to be careful, Kiki is prepared to take risks to get a scoop by finding out who Karen was dating.

The plot unfolded from the point of view of both Elise and Kiki. Elise is still recovering from breast cancer, tentatively making her way back into her job, and is fortunate to have DS Caro on hand to help with those moments clogged by chemo brain and also to have her neighbour and friend Ronnie on hand to talk to at home. We also hear from a third woman, Annie whose young son was killed fifteen years before and his body found in the same location in Ebbing Wood as Karen. How this links in to the current murder is the most intriguing part of the plot.

I found the pacing quite slow to get going, but there were quite a few false trails and suspenseful moments as the killer came into view. Barton points a spotlight on victim blaming as the media and locals blame Karen for her dating habits. However, Kiki annoyed me by how disregarding of danger she could be in order to get a good story. The killer wasn't hard to predict and the ending not much of a surprise however, I enjoyed the read, and would be happy to see Elise back in another mystery.

Fiona Barton knows how to write a good thriller!
This story is told from the point of view of three women which makes a refreshing change .
The detective is DI Elise King who has her own personal issues , a reporter Kiki Nunn and Annie the mother of a murdered boy .
The writing is excellent and the main strands are finely woven together perfectly.
Karen Simmons is found dead in the woods on Valentine’s Day and Elise King is investigating the death .
How did she get to the woods and who was she with ?
This is an intriguing and compelling read and I look forward to more in the DI King series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers .

This novel is told by three women linked to hairdresser Karen Simmons. When Karen’s body is found in woodland, journalist Kiki Nunn hopes this story will be her big break into the national press. DI Elsie King is the lead investigator, after returning to work following a cancer journey. Annie Curtis, the third woman, had had her marriage torn apart after a terrible bereavement. While the police seem to be confirmed that the murderer is local, Kiki sets out to write a definitive piece to highlight one woman’s search for love. A twisty thriller which will engross you from beginning to end.

A body is found in the woods and the local reporter knows the victim as she had interviewed her recently. The action goes between her and the detective assigned to the case, plus wondering whether there is a connection to a historical unsolved case
I found the characters really fascinating and the storyline fast paced. A compelling read

My thanks to Poppy of Ransom PR for the tour invite and to the publisher for the copy to review. I’ve read and enjoyed previous books by Fiona Barton – The Widow, The Child, The Suspect, and although I haven’t yet read the book, I had a Q&A on the blog with Fiona for the first Ebbing book featuring DI Elise King (Local Gone Missing). Not having read the first book wasn’t an issue at all and I feel that Talking to Strangers could easily be read as a standalone.

Fiona’s former career as a journalist clearly comes through in her writing. Whilst the previous series had journalist Kate Waters as its main character, here the spotlight is on Elise, a detective and journalist Kiki Nunn with the occasional POV from Annie, a bereaved mother.

The victim, hairdresser Karen Simmons came across as …..erm, let’s say, ‘a larger than life character’, and the story delves into the murky and sometimes dangerous world of online dating which Karen had frequented. Single mother Kiki is desperate to boost her stagnant career, she is being assigned the least interesting stories for her local paper and is always on the hunt for an exclusive story. I took a long while to warm to Kiki, not only was she doorstepping people in her quest for that ‘exclusive’ but in doing so I felt at times she was withholding valuable information from the police. Elise’s sergeant Caro certainly had the measure of her.

Set in 2020 over a period of around 17 days, there are some superbly drawn characters here that give the story substance and depth, as hateful as some of them are. Elise King’s current health issues were sympathetically alluded to whilst Kiki’s struggles as a single mum were much in evidence. Both women come into contact with some really awful men whose presence on the dark web adds a sinister undercurrent – heaven help anyone who swipes their dating profile!

I very much enjoyed Talking to Strangers. It had such an addictive and interesting plot and I was so invested in the whole story that I just wanted to keep reading. There is more to the story than just one death and with a historical angle that Elise becomes involved with, there are plenty of surprises and revelations. I had my suspicions about so many people and surprised myself by guessing who was responsible at least partly correctly. I do love a good quote and one of my favourites was …“it’s like getting a tin without a label out of the cupboard for your dinner. You think you’re getting peaches, but it turns out to be dog food”.

I had already bought a copy of Local Gone Missing, and I’m now keen to bump this up the book pile to find out the beginning of Elise’s story. Fiona Barton is an author to recommend and Talking to Strangers is most definitely one to read.

Amazing, Fiona Barton carries on her tradition of writing engaging, immersive prose! Read this, and read all her other books...and thank me later!!!

Talking to Strangers is exactly what you expect from Fiona Barton. It was a solid police procedural. The characters are well woven together and the plot has some surprises but not anything that comes from completely out of the blue. There are very strong female characters and the story is told through multiple viewpoints so you get to know them well. Half the fun is guessing the killer. And the clues were laid out so that I could. Still a very fun read.

Fiona Barton is a good read just for the atmosphere alone! I am in Texas in the US and it is HOT! I love feeling transported to the seaside towns and woods in her stories. The fact that her stories are always good is just icing on the cake! In this one, we have Karen. Karen loves online dating and ends up dead in the woods. Are the two connected? That is for DI Elise King to figure out. We met Elise in the previous story, Local Gone Missing, although this can be read as a standalone. We also have Kiki, a journalist hoping to jump-start her career and Annie, whose son was found murdered in the same woods sixteen years ago. The story is told from all three POV's. I love Elise, a single mom and cancer survivor. I also enjoyed the peek into the sleazier side of online dating. I did correctly guess the killer, but that did nothing to diminish the story! I look forward to more from this series!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Fiona Barton and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

When the body of Karen Simmons is discovered in a woodland setting journalist Kiki Nunn is horrified to discover that she has recently interviewed this woman as part of her investigation into the pitfalls of finding love in mid life. With the police focusing on finding the perpetrator, Kiki starts her own search into Karen's death and in doing so opens herself up to danger.

Told in a three person narrative we get to meet again with Detective Inspector Elise King who heads the police investigation with her usual skill as she picks up all the hidden nuances of a complicated investigation. We also get to know Annie a rather sad woman who is mourning her own loss, and together with Kiki Nunn, who is a force to be reckoned with, we are thrown into a compelling story with lots of twists and turns which kept me guessing, until an ending I didn’t see coming.

Whilst this is now the second book featuring DI Elise King in her role as lead detective it is perfectly possible to read Talking to Strangers as a standalone story. Fast paced with never a dull moment, and with a plot which is both exciting and insightful, the story had me gripped from start to finish.

What a brilliant writer of psychological thrillers and crime novels Fiona Barton is! This book has a very contemporary feel, dealing as it does with abusive relationships and misogyny, and the writing is excellent. What is particularly impressive is the way the murder is viewed from the point of view of both the police and an investigative journalist. I loved it!

I know I’m in for a good read when I pick up a book by Barton, and this certainly didn’t disappoint. This book reintroduces us to DI Elise King, who featured in Barton’s last book, Local Gone Missing, though it equally works as a standalone.

When 40-something Karen is found dead in local woodland, there is lots of chatter and speculation as she was well known to be looking for love and active on online dating sites. Elise leads the police investigation - but journalist Kiki also takes an interest, having met Karen as part of her research into online dating for an article that she hoped would reinvigorate her career. And there is someone else who takes an interest in the case - Annie, whose son was murdered in the same woods sixteen years previously.

The book is set over the seventeen days it takes to find Karen’s killer from the perspective of all three women. There is an intriguing juxtaposition between Elise’s role in ensuring the police undertake a thorough investigation, and Kiki’s very different search for the truth in order, initially at least, to secure a headline. But can these two women help each other - and draw the strands together in a case that proves to be more complicated than anyone expected?

This is a book that builds as the days tick by. There is no shortage of suspects and plenty of secrets and surprises as the search for the truth takes some unexpected turns. And with the seedier side of online dating exposed, it makes for shocking, if all too believable reading at times. Another gripping read from Barton!

I wasn't sure when I began reading Talking to Strangers but I soon got drawn in to primarily this tale of how women today have to cope with online dating and the dangers it can bring. The story is told from three different points of view: the mother of a child who died in the woods some years ago, a lonely detective who is recovering from cancer treatment, and a single mother journalist. Set on the south coast in a village, the body of a 40 something woman is found early one morning. The race is on to find out who she was with the night before, after leaving the pub drunk. There are lots of twists and turns and the author deals empathetically with a number of delicate issues, not least date rape. I did guess early on who the murderer was but that didn't spoil the overall enjoyment of this book. I hadn't realised it was the second in a series. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK/Transworld for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Love a book with twists and turns and this had it in bucketfulls. Great book and kept you guessing as to how it would all turn out in the end.

Karen hasn't given up on love and is still searching. When she's murdered, the victim blaming begins…

Told in 3 POVs, D.I. Elise King's, Journalist Kiki Nunn's, and Alice's, a mother who suffered a loss.

It's a bit of a slow burn, but it's a great read nonetheless. It covers some difficult topics but is twisty and enjoyable. I will also read the first book in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the free copy.

This is the second book in this series about Detective Elise King and it was as good as the first. It can be read as standalone, but to know the back story on Elise it’s best to read the first one.

There has been a body found in the woods, local woman who’s been on the dating apps has been murdered, but who’s the killer. Never trust anyone, even your neighbours. The chapters also tell the story from the side of a journalist Kiki, the chapters flow to father and a short and easy to read. Really enjoyed it, 4,5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

I have to be honest, I have been the biggest fan of this writer since her astonishing debut , ''The Widow' launched her into my book shelves,and ever since she has been a must buy author.

So this was a huge opportunity to catch up with the protagonist of ''Local Gone Missing'

Elise King is still in the small coastal town of Ebbing, navigating her life as a detective , a single woman and a cancer survivor.

This time, she shares the narrative with reporter, Kiki, and mother Anna, as the missing, then murdered local woman, Karen Simmons, pulls all three of them together, each sharing their unique perspectives on this pivotal event.

Anna is the mother of a murdered child, Archie, found in the same woods as Karen, Kiki has possibly the last eveidence of Karen in the form of interviews regarding data in an internet age and Elise is finding her stride after having shared a work space with her ex in the previous novel.

The way that they, and the public at large view Karen reflects so well on the perceptions of women in modern society, and in turn bounces back on them as individuals and professionals.

For Anna, about to celebrate another of her children's impending marriage means not talking about the missing child, the one whose death is left unresolved and mouldering in her consciousness.

For Elise, her role as a quasi-spinster is unsettling-who and what does she want to be? As a detective and as a person there are certain perceptions of her to be dedicated to her work and that should entail certain sacrifices-but does it really? How does she move forward from trauma when she is constantly dealing with the fall out of others?

For Kiki, she starts as a journalist looking into internet dating, which is where she and Karen cross paths, but her death and the way that locals spin her death as sad, pathetic and almost deserving-this is reflected over and over, in the way men berated her as 'easy', 'promiscuous', 'asking for it' , openly and unashamedly, is hypertension inducing and so realsitc. It's not heavy handed, it's the instinctive way a lot of men who have met her online dating have regarded her as disposable, gradeable and forgettable.

Karen is the cautionary tale for those who dare step out and look for a connection on their own terms. It's also how we spin a tale to suit the victors-the parade of 'if onlys...' really reflect on the way Fiona's previous role as a journalist gives a truthfulness to how the general public like to box off and categorise.

It is the determination and character of the three central women who refuse to let societal tropes define them and how they live their lives, whilst acknowledging how we can be susceptible to playing on them, that drives home the tragedy of Karen's life and death.

Even as Kiki goes deep into the world of dating, she is ever conscious her role as a single parent of a young daughter, balancing worlds as herself and a role model

She is almost ashamed of herself for her determination to bring Karen back to life in order to promote herself from side bars to the front page.

The gripping murder investigation is page turning fiction at its best with a firm foot in the reality of middle aged women trying to be unapologetically themselves, The short, sharp chapters bounce back and forth, reminding me of the women in a Greek chorus, singing the tale of a woman just looking for love, in all the wrong place.

The presumption is that talking to strangers can lead to unwanted consequences, but those closer to home are more likely to be the culprit .

A gripping and wryly humorous novel that had me laughing to myself as well as feeling deeply sad and angry for the fate of Karen-was her name deliberately chosen to reflect the generic social construct of women who expect to want it all, I wonder?-and very much invested in Elise and Kiki's growing relationship.

EXCERPT: I'd counted on being home and in bed by ten-thirty, but Karen's wine buzz was fading fast and she had a little weep in the car. I couldn't just leave her at the door. So I ended up staying for a coffee while she slipped off her heels and she told me why I was a fool not to do online dating.
She'd hit the jackpot on week one, apparently. 'We danced on the beach,' she said with a watery smile. 'A bit of a cliche, I know, but nothing beats kissing for the first time under the stars, does it?'
I nodded. 'Nothing wrong with a good snog,' I muttered, wondering if I would ever have one again. I looked at my watch - I needed to leave. I'd have to pay an extra hour to the babysitter as it was. But Karen was in full flow.
'He was wonderful. A little older than me, separated and ready to try again. Mina thought it was all going a bit fast - she didn't want me to get hurt. But I really thought this was it. God, I even started reading articles about fertility in your forties.' And she fell silent.
'What happened?' I prompted gently.
'His wife,' she murmured. 'She came back. And he said he had to give it another chance. Just my luck, really. Still, I haven't given up. There is someone out there for me. Whenever I feel a bit down, I go online and read all the amazing love stories that have resulted from people meeting on apps and look at photos of their beautiful weddings. It'll be my turn one day. And I've met some nice men along the way.'
'And some horrors, I bet?' I tried to lighten the mood.
She laughed and moved on to the man in the world's worst toupee - 'Why do they even make them in ginger?' - and the one who'd brought his mum on the date. 'He said she didn't get out much. She drank us under the table and went home with a darts player.'

ABOUT 'TALKING TO STRANGERS': 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, the creeps, the man who followed her home the other night...

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...

MY THOUGHTS: Fiona Barton's experience on reporting high profile criminal cases and her fascination with watching those involved, observing their body language and verbal tics, shines through in her latest novel, Talking to Strangers.

Her characters are crafted with care; we all know a Karen, an Annie, a Henry, but it is Gav who broke my heart in this story, and I closed the cover for the final time wondering what would become of him.

Talking to Strangers is not a thriller. It's not fast-paced and full of action. It is more a character study of the people involved. One household has so many secrets, and I quote - it's like a network of tunnels too close to the surface. Making the crust shiver with tension. People living with the ever-present risk of the whole thing collapsing in on itself. And burying them.

Barton shows how easy it is to assume, because someone is a little different, guilt - and the devastating consequences that assumption can have.

The story is narrated from three points of view: Detective Elise King, recently returned to work following her cancer treatment; journalist Kiki Nunn, looking to claw back her lost reputation; and Annie, mother of three. The chapters are short and punchy, easily read. But Barton had my head spinning with theories, possibilities. I was nearly right - but that's like nearly winning the lottery.

The final plot twist is a real sucker punch. My jaw hit the floor and bounced a few times before returning, rather bruised, to its correct place. This is something Fiona Barton is rather good at and why I always look forward to reading her books.

Although this is the second in the Elise King series, each book contains a complete mystery and is easily read as a stand-alone.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TalkingtoStrangers #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: What spurred me on to write were the voices and images, collected over a thirty-year career in news journalism, still clamouring to be put on the page – and the irresistible lure of a secret.

Irresistible because secrets expose the suspicion and fear we have about how little we really know other people.

We may pretend otherwise, but we all have hidden thoughts we don’t want anyone to know, things we’ve done that would change the way people feel about us or parts of our lives that we would rather forget.

And for most of us, our fabrications or omissions are so inconsequential that being found out would be mildly embarrassing at worst. But for some of us, our secret threatens to destroy everything.