Book Synopsis:
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…
My Review:
As a huge fan of Fiona Barton you can imagine my excitement when I was invited onto the blog tour for her latest book Talking With Strangers. Once again, the author has written an absorbing, thought provoking read that I found hard to put down.
The story follows the investigation into the murder of a middle aged, single lady who had a real zest for life. I really liked the descriptions of her, especially that she didn’t let being single slow her down in any way. We learn more about the investigation from a variety of angles and through the eyes of three main characters. We have DI Elise who is assigned to work the case but has just recovered from breast cancer and still has a slightly foggy brain from the chemotherapy she received, Kiki a reporter who interviewed Karen about the dating app she uses and is now hoping to score a big break by reporting on her murder and Alice who sadly lost her son in the same location 15 years ago. I really liked all these women and enjoyed following them throughout the book. They seemed very real which made me warm to the quickly as I wanted them all to succeed. The author does a great job in describing their feelings so I understood what the three were going through as the investigation continued so I could emphasise with how they were feeling.
The story does start off a bit slow as the author sets the scene but soon becomes very intriguing indeed. The book covers some quite serious topics at times including the public’s reaction to a murder investigation and victim blaming which is sadly common in these cases. People’s assumptions about dating apps and the people who use them is also explored which I found really interesting, especially as a lot of the prejudice that is discussed in the book is the same as those often found in the media. There are a few trigger warnings in this book so do check them before reading.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it other people who like crime fiction. I did guess a few of the twist early on, despite numerous red herrings, but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all as I wanted to keep reading to find out if I was right. This is the second book featuring DI Elise but it isn’t part of a series and can be read as a standalone.
Huge thanks to Sophie Ransom for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld Publishers for my copy of this book. If you are a fan of police procedurals than I highly recommend this book.
About The Author:
Fiona Barton’s debut, The Widow, was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and has been published in 36 countries and optioned for television. Her second novel, The Child, was a Sunday Times bestseller. Born in Cambridge, Fiona currently lives in Sussex and south-west France.
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.
While working as a journalist, Fiona reported on many high-profile criminal cases and she developed a fascination with watching those involved, their body language and verbal tics. Fiona interviewed people at the heart of these crimes, from the guilty to their families, as well as those on the periphery, and found it was those just outside the spotlight who interested her most . . .
Over The Rainbow Blog 