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

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.