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PR Isfeld

Reading: Talking to Strangers
Reading: Talking to Strangers

“I like my villains clever, deep, and driven by pure evil.”

–Fiona Barton

Sussex hairstylist Karen Simmons, the victim in Fiona Barton’s Talking to Strangers, is a regular part of her small town’s singles’ scene. When her body turns up in the woods after her latest night out, Detective Inspector Elise King takes the case. In the first book in Fiona Barton’s series,  the Inspector had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she’s still battling the emotional and physical consequences. That puts her in no mood to deal with Kiki Nunn, a feature reporter looking for a way back into investigative journalism.

When Kiki decides to investigate the Band of Brothers, a group of misogynists who give each other tips on coercing women into sex, she has no idea of what that will mean for her own life. Karen’s death also stirs things up for Annie Curtis, who is still mourning the murder of her son in the woods 16 years ago. As the investigation progresses, she’s forced to face the thought that the police might have arrested the wrong man.

The story alternates between the points of view of the three women, and Barton does an excellent job of tying up all the loose ends by the end. Although it deals with serious themes including adultery, victim blaming, misogyny and sexual assault, the engaging characters make it hard to put down, even when the overall feel is bleak.

The bottom line: definitely worth a read on a hot summer weekend.

Captives
A psychological mystery that explores the aftermath of a brutal abduction and the secrets that haunt the survivors.

Three years ago, Samantha Gilchrist and her friends Amanda, Kaylee and Maria forged an unbreakable bond when they survived a brutal kidnapping in Kandahar. Sam wrote a best-selling memoir about their ordeal and moved on to a great new career as a journalist and a happy relationship with Dave, a handsome intelligence officer she met in Afghanistan. Still, she can’t help wondering about the reasons behind their capture.

On their way to Maria’s remote Gatineau cottage to commemorate the anniversary of their escape and rescue, Sam and Kaylee hear news reports about a missing Afghan diplomat. Then, they think they see Ali, their former interpreter and the mastermind behind the hostage-taking, who was supposed to have died during their rescue. When Amanda’s lifeless body is found the next morning, the friends’ suspicions lead them down a dangerous path that uncovers dark secrets and hidden motives.

The narrative alternates between the present day and the version of events presented in Sam’s memoir, as she and her friends struggle with their grief over the loss of Amanda and lingering trauma and jealousy over their differing fortunes in the aftermath of the kidnapping. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, Sam starts to question everything she thought she knew about her friends, her lover, and herself, not just in the past, but in the here and now. 

Full of suspense, complex characters, and unexpected twists, Captives will cause fans of mystery and psychological thrillers to make irresponsible decisions about their sleep. 

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