Talking to Strangers

Fiona Barton

Aug 2024 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Detective Elise King’s investigation into a woman’s murder is getting derailed by a reporter who insists on doing her own investigation in this nail-biting mystery from the author of Local Gone Missing.

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.

Ratings and reviews

This was a tensely wound and compelling tale told from multiple POV, which I always enjoy. Fiona Barton is a master storyteller and I quickly fell into her characters’ itchy/scratchy vortex. The insightfully observant narratives, banter, amusing snark and verbal exchanges, and perceptive inner musings kept the little pea in my brain whirling like a tornado. I now must amass her entire body of work so I can enjoy more of the same.

About the author

Fiona Barton is the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow, The Child, The Suspect, and Local Gone Missing. She has trained and worked with journalists all over the world. 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. She lives in England.