Told from multiple perspectives — we have a murder in a small town and a predator on the loose — and the investigation takes place over 17 days in 2020.

I have enjoyed this author's work in the past -- and this time was a great book too!

The pacing of this book is really good with intriguing chapters and characters, for me though the ending and the identity of the murderer were predictable for me by the middle of the story.

It is a fast-paced read, with moments of intensity that allow you to get lost in the mystery and the lives of the characters and how they are interconnected.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Told from different perspectives, DI Elise King who’s working the case; Kiki a journalist determined to look into this case and get the big scoop first by walking in Karen’s shoes. And Annie, on hearing the news of the dead woman in the park,, bringing back her worst nightmare, that was a reality…

Another great read from Fiona Barton, a definite should read with a final twist to end.

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Realistic storylines
- Plots that cover the dangers of online dating
- Adrenaline fuelled reads

With thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

The murder of local hairdresser, Karen Simmons, on Valentines Day in the small town of Ebbing. DI Elise King has her work cut out for her finding this killer. With help from investigative journalist Kiki.Nunn, the 2 women with unearthed so much more than they ever expected.

Fiona Barton books are always so interesting, with well fleshed out characters and storylines. This was a fast read, with plenty of potential assailants in the mix. A small town, where everyone knows everyone’s business, surely it can’t be that hard to get the killer. I had an inkling of who the killer was going to be early on and I was proved to be right which makes a change for me. Nonetheless I really enjoyed this murder mystery. It was nice to have Elise back in another story.

Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy to read. Publishes on August 15th.

I really enjoyed this book, I found it realistic which made it all the more dramatic and exciting. Thankyou netgally for the early release of this book

This is no ordinary police procedural as the murder of hairdresser Karen in a small town where pretty much everyone knew her led to several more gruesome historical discoveries and the unearthing of many secrets that had been kept hidden for years. Detective Elise, newly returned to work after treatment for breast cancer is in charge of the investigation, and journalist Kiki Nunn is a thorn in her side, often getting vital information before the police. The story centres on the dangers of online dating and ‘Talking to Strangers’ as the title suggests. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged, along with an unexpected ending. There are several different voices speaking in the book and it was occasionally a little confusing, but overall this is a good story with an important message.

I enjoyed this and was gripped from the start, however I struggled to bond with some of the characters. Not my favourite book by this author, but a one I'm sure people will absolutely love

5* Brilliant intro to this author, with a strong female-led cast of females.

I'm not sure I was expecting to read this book in under 2 hours, but it was unputdownable. Starting it, I expected a simple murder and police procedural in small-town England, but got introduced to several female characters who each contributed to the denouement of the tale.

I didn't expect that Kiki, a reporter, would pick up the mantle and run with it, pretty much solving the murder with all the things that were divulged to her. Yes, she's a reporter, so akin to an estate agent or salesperson, but she did have a kind heart, though she remained self-serving. What she went through personally, to benefit her career, was shocking, but sadly, had feet in today's dating world. But, she didn't let trauma bog her down; getting a wrongdoer to justice helped her get stronger and take charge, and saved the life of potentially countless other females.

The lead detective, whose name I can't recall, came across as vulnerable but also caring. I'm not sure that she and her team would have 'solved' the case had Kiki not inserted herself into several families. She seemed to spend a lot of time wondering what others thought of her, but that wasn't unreasonable given her time off work due to illness. Her DS came across as cold and intolerant of others, but strangely supportive and there for her. It's this relationship that made me suspect this book isn't a standalone. She redeemed herself from her failures by being impressively there for Kiki in the aftermath of the latter's trauma.

The horrors of online dating are a warning that females need to be careful, especially ageing ones. Kiki took on a misogynistic gang of men and found out their identities, doing justice not just for herself. That part of the tale was brilliant but cautionary - sadly, it likely happens in real life, with hook-up apps/dating sites/social media, etc., as they exist, aiding and abetting men.

I wasn't expecting much of no-backbone Annie, who always seemed to smooth over the troubled waters at home and pretend that a hug made everything alright, but her mother's love made her strong at the right point, and yet the same kept her blind.

The ending, shocked me because the real killer hadn't just killed once, and was a bit of a side character, though toxic and part of the online dating group of psychos, and yet seemed inoffensive. But, ugh, that he got away with killing several times, worked, and yet was shocking in the sense that he manipulated justice being done and the closure of the case. It didn't spoil the tale but it did make me wonder how many more people would end up dying over the course of his life. We couldn't reasonably learn more but it both felt off, and yet not, that he'd manipulated things so that a certain person he detested got what they deserved, at least in his eyes, for wronging his family.

All in all, this was an excellent tale.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Random House, for my reading pleasure.

Don’t Talk to Strangers sang Rick Springfield!

It’s Valentine’s Day 2020 in Ebbing, and Karen Simmons is looking for love on a night reserved for couples. But it’s slim pickings at her local pub that night, so a depressed and lonely Karen heads home alone.

The next day, Karen’s body is found in Ebbing Woods – still wearing her red dress from the night before – suffocated, propped up against a tree. Why did Karen go out again after she got home? Who was she meeting? Most importantly, who killed her, and why? And Karen’s isn’t the first murder to occur in those woods…

The second book in the series is set a year after the events of the first and can be enjoyed as a standalone. I feel horrible saying this because #1, Local Gone Missing, was one of my top reads in 2022, but unfortunately, Talking to Strangers was average by comparison. The first half moved at a snail's pace, and even though the plot did pick up after that, it wasn’t by much. I kept finding other things to occupy my time, and it's never a good sign when you’d rather do the vacuuming over reading a book. I think two POVs investigating/researching Karen’s murder was one too many, as things tended to get repetitive. Annie’s POV was the most intriguing. My second complaint is that the mystery was pretty predictable, and the epilogue came as no surprise – the myriad of subtly placed clues that the first book contained were absent from this one. I preferred the secondary crime involving online dating apps and misogynous men. That plot was tense, emotive, informative, and disturbing – several times I wanted to punch my kindle screen imagining it was these disgusting men’s faces. If I didn’t already loathe dating apps, I would now. Also, I’d never heard of cyber flashing and immediately checked my Apple AirPlay privacy settings – so thanks for the info, Fiona Barton.

I enjoyed spending time with Elise, Kiki and company; just wish the main crime and pacing had been more to my liking. I will continue to read the series because I loved the first book, this author, and the recurring characters.

I want to thank NetGalley UK, Random House UK Transworld Publishers, and Fiona Barton for the e-ARC.

UK Release Date: 15 August 2024.

#TalkingToStrangers #NetGalley
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.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld Publishers Bantam for giving me an advance copy.

The book title should also include the word 'dating' as the story highlights the dangers. The search is on for the killer of Karen, a single woman in search of love on the local dating scene, who is found murdered in local English woodland.

Ms Barton tells the story mainly through three different points of view (all female) and showing how complex the relationship can be between a local, keen reporter, Kiki, and the DI, Elise, who tries to solve the case. In fact, Kiki annoyed me with her conduct but perhaps that is the author's intention?

The third narrator, Annie, is the mother of her young son murdered in the same woodland years earlier.. She like to return to the scene.

Whilst various men (and possible suspects) were introduced to the story, Elise eventually succeeds, but no more spoilers!

I really like Fiona Barton's work and look forward to her next book.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK for the chance to read and review.

Wow, what did I just read!
This is first Fiona Barton book I've read and I'm blown away!
What an excellent writer! The story sucks you in right away and what a great story it is, from beginning to the end. With many unexpected twists.
Karen's murder shocks small town, solving the murder leads to many surprising places, uncovering local secrets and bringing back buried trauma.
DI Elise King is a good solid character, I did not realise this was book 2 of the series, but didn't feel like I've missed anything by not reading the first book.
This is completely stand alone story. I loved the police investigation part clashing with media (Kiki) who sometimes mess things up for the police.

It kept me guessing till the very end. I will now search for more books by this author!

A good read from this author but not one of my favourites. I found it hard to get into the storyline and gel with the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC.

My thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Talking To Strangers’ written by Fiona Barton in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Kiki Nunn is a journalist for Sussex Today and Elise King a Detective Inspector with the Major Crime Squad. Although working individually, they’re both after information that helps put a name to the person who killed Karen Simmons and left her body in Knapton Wood. They also need to know if this murder is connected in any way to what happened to Archie Curtis in the same area sixteen years before.

‘Talking To Strangers’ is a superb thriller told mainly by Kiki and Elise as they search for clues whilst having to deal with the problems in their own private lives. It’s a superb story that’s been skilfully written and has kept me fully engrossed from the moment I opened page one. As well as searching for a murderer, the plot explores the loopholes in online dating and the topical problem of women’s safety when out alone at night. The story becomes tense as the number of suspects increases and the drama, suspense and twists and turns keep me enthralled although unable to guess the identity of the killer. When I reached the final chapters I believed Elise and Kiki had found who they were looking for but I wasn’t expecting the epilogue which was a bit of a shocker and totally unexpected. This is an outstanding thriller with brilliant characters and I’d give it far more than five stars if I could.

Talk about twists and turns! This is the second book in the series following DI Elise King. This book has two other narrators, but Elise is the star in book one and two. This can be red as a stand alone, but the first book is also very good nd I recommend both. This had me guessing till basically the very end of the book. It had a few different sub plots which were also very twisty. I highly recommend.

Another great book by Fiona Barton.

When local hairdresser Karen is found murdered and dumped in a wood, can the police solve the case before her killer strikes again?

Meanwhile local journalist kkki is also very interested in the case and goes on her own journey to catch the killer

A great read that had me hooked from the start

4 stars

I’ve enjoyed every Fiona Barton book and this was no different.

Di King and reporter Kiki Nunn are thrown together from different ends of a murder case, one that might relate to a previously solved case some years ago.

The murder of Karen creates upheaval in a small town, she was a wild forty-something woman out on the dating scene to have a good time. There’s lots of characters, plenty of red herrings and enough to keep the reader interested.

Thoroughly recommend, thanks to the author and published for an advanced copy.

Karen, a forty-something single woman in search of love and active on the local dating scene, is found murdered in woodland. Subsequent events are told from three viewpoints:
Elise – a competent detective inspector whose recovery from serious illness is making her forgetful;
Annie – whose 6-year-old son was murdered in the same woodland 16 years earlier;
Kiki – a journalist, who interviewed Karen about her singles club a week before her murder.
All three narrators are naïve and vulnerable, unable to spot the obvious, whereas seasoned crime readers are likely to join the dots very early on.
This is a fluently written police procedural that highlights the difficulties and dangers of dating, in this case focussing on single women in their forties. Fiona Barton fans will enjoy her latest crime novel.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Fiona Barton is one of my favourite writers, and this book lived up to my expectations. Well written, tightly plotted, I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review.
I had the pleasure of reviewing Fiona’s debut book the widow which went on to have amazing success. So I was excited to read another thriller from her and it didn’t disappoint!
Unpredictable, dark ,unsettling and thought provoking.
Written in alternate narratives to ensure the reader gets an insight into different mindsets in this plot .
Fast paced and compelling this will have you second guessing everyone.
A fantastic book that explores the modern dating world and the ever present risk to women’s safety .