Book Review: The Child by Fiona Barton

Book CW: Child abduction; Death of a Baby; Rape, Rape drugged; sexual assault; child abuse; paedophilia (a young teenager); sexual crime ring; consent issues; child grooming; grooming; mental illness from trauma; parental negotiate. 

People are the worst.

When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore.

For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her.

For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered.

And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth.

The Child’s story will be told.

This is the second book by Fiona Barton and the second following old school reporter Kate Waters, now on to another case. I did review the first one. This time the body of a baby is found. This book deals with just as heavy subjects as the last book (hence the content warnings). I think pretty well, revalent to real-world events so not a great book for escapism.

Because we've given three POV almost from the start, you know there's a reason why we're hearing these two women. Obviously, Kate Waters is a reporter and slowly come across the other two and their connection to the baby. Once again, I wouldn't call this a thriller, because it's mostly characters reflecting back and there's no urgency to what is going on, besides the slow death of Journalism. Kate is the only one whose present day is the big factor of this story. This for people who like fictional crime cases and exploration of characters dealing with consequences far after the fact.

This deals with lots of characters including ones who are very unlikable. I don't think I really connected to these characters as people, which is not an issue for me. Maybe if I had that would have added stars.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, as read by Finty Williams, Steven Pacey, Adjoa Andoh, Clare Corbett and Fenella Woolgar. This book had a bigger cast with three main voice actors, Clare Corbett is back the Kate Waters character I think. The cast was good, and distinct from each other.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Journalist Ethics. Once again a well-crafted novel; I am planning on listening to the next book in the series, I'm curious about how that will go with it being set in another country from these ones.

Finished reading 5th January 2020, Reviewed 8th January 2020.

Book Review: The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell

Wet suites are so in.

Imagine that you live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people's houses. You've known your neighbors for years and you trust them. Implicitly. You think your children are safe. But are they really? On a midsummer night, as a festive neighborhood party is taking place, preteen Pip discovers her thirteen-year-old sister Grace lying unconscious and bloody in a hidden corner of a lush rose garden. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?

This book is also known as just 'The Girls', that is a bit generic so probably why they changed between countries.  This is the second book I've read and reviewed by Lisa Jewell.

There was a lot of characters to keep up with; there being a gang of kids and their respective parents. The POV changes focus staying in third person with letters from Pip to her father mixed in.

The setting is a bit interesting as it takes place in a private park, which we rarely leave, that connect the flats to each other. Also a strong sense of community as lot of the characters have know each other for decades and from childhood. With strain of new comers adding a flare.

In the start it was a bit confusing when "the sisters" were being discussed as there are two lots of sisters. I don't know if this because I listened to the audiobook and I wasn't listening at the right speed for me. Another audiobooks note is that there's is reference to pictures, that do appear in the novel, which I acquired the ebook of to check these. The Map is the only one that usefully but you don't need them for the story so the audiobook is a fine way to consume this story.

There's was two mysteries under running this story and we only get underwhelming solutions. Lots of red herrings and suspects. Some of it was weird and like hur? It works through and was okay. I wasn't that invested in some of the characters but I did feel for Pip's mother coming into this environment. 

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for plastic bags. This was alright thriller and enjoyed listening to it.  I think I prefer Then She Was Gone better. But if you like Lisa Jewell's other works you should like this at least.