From the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow comes a twisting novel of psychological suspense—as seen in People, Entertainment Weekly, Time, USA Today, Bustle, Good Housekeeping.com, HelloGiggles, The Boston Globe, PureWow, The Dallas Morning News, and more! “The Child is a perfect blend of beach read and book club selection….[A] page-turning whodunit….A novel that is both … book club selection….[A] page-turning whodunit….A novel that is both fast-paced and thought-provoking.”—USA Today
As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers human remains, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who has been found at the building site?
As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A child was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss.
But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn—house by house—into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women—and torn between what she can and cannot tell…
An NPR Best Book of the Year
A Bustle Best Thriller Novel of the Year
more
Slow build, but then very engrossing.
Great read, love Kate, having also read The Widow…she was the glue that pulled the story together…loved the twists and turns, and the surprise ending.
Not great, but interesting.
First of all, this book is definitely for UK readers…many terms I did not understand living in the US. Secondly, I thought it took way too long for the characters involved to figure out what really happened, and the ending was not a surprise at all. Third, I thought some of the ‘investigation methods’ used by one character were very far fetched. It wasn’t a terrible book, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Scattered plot lines with predictable ending based on genetic coincidence.
This author is an award winning journalist, and it shows in her novel writing skills. I usually find female authors, or Creative Writing 101 authors as too descriptive, but this author is great, describes the necessary aspects of a scene or situation without dwelling on things like, “the large clear brook funneled through the moss-covered rocks cascading into a pool of sand filled muck.” Can’t stand that kind of writing and this woman avoids it perfectly.
Interesting story line, well written. Kept me interest and a twist in the plot.
I cannot imagine the agony of parents losing a child but to have a newborn removed from the hospital room is truly incomprehensible. This story involves many interesting characters and twists.
Fiona manages to keep the reader looking for the solution right up until the final chapters.
Very well written, compelling story with vivid characters.
Takes too long setting up story, drags out!
Nothing here for me, didn’t like the characters, didn’t like the story. Sorry I downloaded it. If I get a book I read it all the way.
This is a pretty good book. A bit predictable though. It is easy to figure out what happened about half way through. Still good though. Well written.
“The problem is that a secret takes on a life of its own over time. I used to believe if I didn’t think about what happened, it would shrivel and die. But it didn’t. It sits in the middle of a growing tangle of lies and fabrications, like a fat fly trapped in a spider’s web.”
Oh, this quote is what makes The Child such an engaging story. Four POV’s present multiple secrets and plenty of avenues for this mystery to go…and where it went? Didn’t even cross my mind!
Remember Kate Waters, the crime reporter from Fiona Barton’s The Widow? Well, she’s back and digging deep in The Child as she investigates the recently found remains of an infant. Generally, I don’t care for detective fiction, but Ms. Barton’s characters and storylines work for me. Maybe because she was Kate Waters once upon a time, doing her very own exploring into the lives of others to find hidden truths. Whatever it is, it has created a thrilling and palpable story that readers can effortlessly invest themselves in. Admittedly, I had to take notes on the four separate characters during the first half of the book but then I stopped because I didn’t need to anymore. I knew them and could feel the change of energy and emotion each time the POV changed. Keep doing your thing Ms. Barton, it’s working!!
My favorite quote:
“I’ve always thought that’s a funny saying. Let sleeping dogs lie. Because sleeping dogs always wake up eventually, don’t they?”
Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of The Child. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Authors: Fiona Barton
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Pub Date: 27 Jun 2017