Thank you so much to NetGalley and Fiona Barton for this arc to review.

As with every book by Fiona Barton this book was brilliant.

Worth every single 5 star!

Di King and Kiki Nunn are a great combination for solving the murder at the centre of the story!

The story develops around the murder of Karen as we explore all the individuals on the periphery of her life and with each revelation to story unfolds.

Bringing the past and present together it’s kept me up all night waiting to reach the end.

It’s full of twists and turns and is a very emotional read.

I totally enjoyed the book from beginning to end and would strongly recommend

This was an excellent book, I really enjoyed it. The central part of the story is the death of a local woman who had been active on various dating sites. Her murder brings back into focus the death of a young boy in the same woods 15 years ago and the stories become intertwined.
Some absolutely horrendous characters are featured and small town life is portrayed very well. Plenty of red herrings as to who was guilty of what and a couple of real surprises.

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton
Having read Local Gone Missing by the same author I was interested to read this new offering. The book centres on DI Elise King, or Elsie as some mistakenly call her. She is recovering from treatment for cancer and is finding that her memory is not functioning with its usual clarity. She is investigating the murder of Karen Simmons on Valentine’s Day and there is a link to dating websites and singles group.
Kiki Nunn a journalist who is struggling as a single mum and determined to get a scoop on the story begins her own investigation. The murder victim has been discovered in woods which were once the location of the murder of a young boy and so we meet the family who are still trying to cope with their loss.
The novel is a police procedural but we also have the perspectives of the bereaved mother of the long dead boy and the journalist Kiki. The journalist seems so wrapped up in her desire to make a scoop that she inevitably puts herself in danger as she enters the somewhat dubious area of online dating and men who pretend to be different people online and who place no value on women as people.
It is a gripping story and you are keen to find out exactly what happened on the night of Karen’s death. It also deals with the difficult subject of blaming the victim for their attack because of the way in which they dressed or behaved. I will be recommending it at my various book groups and would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

Returning to work after her cancer treatment and still getting herself organized Detective Elise KIng finds herself thrown into the investigation into the murder of Karen Simmons, a local woman. Her body was discovered in the woods.
Karen was well known in the town ,in her forties and looking for love.
Elise is not the only person looking into the murder however.
A local journalist, Kiki Nunn, has a personal interest as she met Karen and her group of singles when looking to expand her social life.
Is the killer someone Karen met locally or online?
It seems Karen was on many dating sites making the townspeople divided. Some of the opinion she was to blame for her own death using these sites whilst others protest at society`s violence against women.
This is a gripping read and very relevant to the world today.
Thoroughly enjoyed this, another great read from Fiona Barton.

I found it a bit hard to get into this one and become involved in the storyline. The twists weren't that surprising and the characters were a bit boring, Elise was probably the best one though. Made men look pretty scummy but also women a bit dumb and desperate. Not the best.

Wow this book had me from the off alth'ough you will need to have your wits about you to keep abreast of all the sub-plots and character pieces.

DI Elise King is recovering from breast cancer when a woman is found dead in the woods in her hometown of Ebbing. Aided by DS Caro Brennan they begin finding out more about their victim hairdresser, Karen Simmons. The strong and tenacious reporter Kiki Nunn helps move the storyline along and is key in avoiding an overly dark and depressive police procedural. What the author gives us is one of the best examples of the genre with plenty of great characterisation to back up a great well-paced plot.

I thoroughly recommend this book and look forward to the next book in this series.

Wow wow auto approved for this....Thanks a million to the publishers

FROM THE COVER📖
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...

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As is always the case with Barton’s writing I was drawn in and engaged in the story. This was a wonderful follow up to Local Gone Missing, makes a great second outing for Elise King, I am glad I read the first book before I started this one as it definitely made me feel more invested with the characters however even know this is the second book featuring Elise, there are no links between the plots so this can be read as a stand alone . The story is told from the different, but overlapping, points of view of the three women; all of whom are solidly drawn for me, the strongest aspect of this book was the characters. I really liked them and connected with them. There was some mention to both Elsie and Kiki’s back story from the first book which made me invest in them more it was great to see how they developed. The characters are good, I like Elise as she’s a fighter in more ways than one and I like how DS Caro Brennan has her back now she’s returned to work. Kiki can be admired in many ways, she’s brave and gutsy but equally she can be annoying. I also really liked Annie she was portrayed very well, Barton does a very good job of demonstrating the impact of serious crimes on families via Annie’s perspective. Fiona Barton writes effortlessly and really took me inside the lives of the main characters. The characters are well written, the dashing back and forth between them works well, it reveals their backstories as well as those of the victim Karen and other characters.

Told in a mixture of first person POV and third person POV there is much weaving of two time frames together, and it is done extremely well, with a collection of people portrayed so realistically ; I got Broadchurch vibes big time in parts.


It’s a multi layered story which is well paced, with short sharp chapters and changing points of view, which kept me invested and also deepened the mystery. There is so much more to it than just a murder. The story stretches wider and wider. It’s a ‘meaty’ police procedural which includes several topical issues dealt with via three points of view. There is great care taken in how Elsie’s character in adjusting to life after cancer the author really captures the feelings around being ill and how you can lose part of yourself to it. There is great inner monologue from all three characters on what it feels like to be aging as a woman and how society views woman of a certain age as well as woman place in society we a whole.
It’s especially good, challenging and thought provoking on the victim blaming culture and the online dating scene. The latter element highlights its potential dangers and it becomes quite raw in places. This storyline is powerful and very current and explores violence against women and the dangers of online dating, not just the well-known apps but the more clandestine sites, where people hide behind aliases and practices are riskier.

There are some good twists, there’s tension and suspenseful moments. However, it isn’t too hard to figure out the end big reveal but it’s still an addictive read. As always Barton plots are unique and are unlike that I’ve read before. There was a few little bug bears for me in terms of the fall out and how it effected the characters perhaps this will be explored more in the next Elsie King book, I really do hope there is another.


From the very intriguing opening to the twisty ending this a solid four star read

I really enjoyed this book. A woman using dating apps is found murdered in the local woods, could it have been someone she met on the apps or is the killer closer to home? And is there a connection with a little boy who was murdered in the same woods many years ago?

I enjoyed how this story unraveled, and the surprise ending. When I got to the last quarter of the book I couldn't stop reading as I wanted to see how it ended.

Three women. One Killer.
Talking to strangers has never been more dangerous...

When the body of Karen Simmons is found, journalist Kiki Nunn thinks it may be her big career break, as she had interviewed the victim the week before her death.
She told her about her online dating and admitted some were creeps.
The police focus on local suspects but Kiki sets out to write a story about Karen's search for love. Though the truth leads her into danger.

I always find Barton's writing draws me in and engages me in the story. The characters had interesting backstories and it was lovely to see DI Elsie King back. Another intriguing novel by the author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for this gifted review copy.

Kiki is struggling to make a career as a reporter, and hopes that the local murder of a dating website-using hairdresser will be her big break. This novel marks the return of DI Elise King, and is a twisty and engrossing crime thriller. Highly recommended.

Karen Simmons goes on dates. Karen Simmons ends up dead. And Kiki Nunn is the journalist who Karen had confided in, a week beforehand, and told her all about the dating obsession that she tried so hard not to let rule her life. After all, it was a bit of fun and, if men could do it, why couldn't she? Except it did become an obsession and someone out there didn't like Karen as much as she'd thought ....

Kiki delves deeper into the world of online dating, as well as bating the investigating police officers in an attempt to stay ahead of the game and in many ways succeeding - but at what cost? Is there a link to another body, a child's, found in the same location a dozen years before?

There is much weaving of two time frames together, here, and it is done extremely well, with a collection of people portrayed so realistically it sometimes takes a moment to adjust to their fictional setting; at one point I found myself jumping ahead with where I thought the story was going and feeling desperately sad. Was I right? You'll have to read and find out for yourself but for me, an immensely satisfying read.

Two women are highly invested in finding the killer of Karen Simmons. DI Erica King has retuned to work following treatment for breast cancer and is finding running a murder investigation quite hard to do. Kiki Nunn is a journalist who has been delegated to writing clickbait copy and she sees this as an opportunity to get back to 'proper' journalism.

What I liked about this book: Erica is a sympathetic character who you root for throughout. Her back story is a little different to what we are used to with lots of police procedurals. I also liked the way her DS had her back. The issue of online dating and what can happen to unsuspecting women was dealt with in a sensitive manner.

What I wasn't so sure about: There were aspects of the plot which I didn't find quite believable in that characters took an unexpected turn. There were too many characters who 'growled' a response, or even grunted. What's wrong with saying?

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who enjoy police procedurals. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC. 3.5 stars

Thanks to publishers, NetGalley and the author for arc in return for an honest review

This is the type of book that keeps me up at night and I’ve no hesitation in recommending it. I loved it, loved the personal problems, loved the twists and loved/hated the portrayal of the world into online dating and forums into same. Some people are horrible

A woman’s body is found by a couple walking in the woods.
A Police detective and a journalist race against time to find the culprit before another woman is subjected to the same fate.
There were some interesting characters in this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve always really enjoyed Fiona Barton’s books, so was very excited to read this new one. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. It’s a complex and extremely well written book that deals with some hard hitting topics.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. This is a twisty and compelling read with likeable and fasinating characters - I really enjoyed it.

This was a good read that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. For the most part we follow the case of Karen Simmons who is found dead in woodland, however as the book progresses there are hints at a link to past crimes. I enjoyed the aspect of different timelines as it helped to make the plot more exciting. The plot does lose momentum about halfway through but then Barton picks it back up again and there are some fantastic twists that come towards the end.
For me, the strongest aspect of this book was the characters. I really liked them and connected with them. At first, I did find it confusing remembering who was who but once this was embedded I enjoyed getting to know the varied characters, follow them during the plot and learn more about their lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked everything this author has written and this was no exception. Fast paced page turner thriller that will have you hooked until the final page.

An engrossing story with a number of strands to keep the interest going. The online dating world is explored by journalist Kiki who seems to take extraordinary risks for the sake of a scoop. The other major character, Detective Elise King, is recovering from cancer and there is a lot of time spent discussing her feelings of inadequacy and not coping. Despite the two women seeming very different it was at times hard to distinguish whose POV I was reading and I kept returning to the start of the chapter to check.

There's rather a slow start but it becomes more compelling as the story progresses.

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton is an excellent story about women and how they deal with the trauma in their lives. There is the policewoman Detective Elise King, the aggressive reporter Kiki Nunn and the mother, Anne Curtis who all have to deal with events in their lives., cancer, rape and murder.
There were times reading this storyline that the mounting tension gave me goosebumps as you realised what was happening. There were so many men in the story that you wouldn’t want to spend any time with, let alone be in a room with them. Some of the man were not so obviously rapists or voyeurs when you first read about them.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Highly recommended