Fiona Barton – The Book Diva's Reads

Book Giveaway: THE CHILD by Fiona Barton

Good morning my bookish peeps. There have been a lot of great books released so far this year and today we’re going to celebrate the paperback release on The Child by Fiona Barton. Some of you might recall, I reviewed this book last year upon its hardcover release and it was a recommended read. How are we going to celebrate the paperback release of this recommended read? With a book giveaway courtesy of the publisher, Berkley – Penguin Random House.

The Child by Fiona Barton

An NPR Best Book of the YearA Bustle Best Thriller Novel of the Year

“The Child is a perfect blend of beach read and book club selection. It’s a fascinating and fitting follow-up to [Barton’s] best-selling debut novel, The Widow. . . .[A] page-turning whodunit…A novel that is both fast-paced and thought-provoking, it keeps the reader guessing right to the end.”–USA Today

“Fiona Barton brings back reporter Kate Waters from the best-selling The Widow and delivers another winner with The Child….A truly engaging tale. Those who enjoyed The Widow will discover that Barton has only gotten better.”–The Associated Press

“An engrossing, irresistible story about the coming to light of a long-buried secret and an absolutely fabulous read–I loved it!”–Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

“Tense, tantalizing, and ultimately very satisfying…definitely one of the year’s must-reads.”–Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

The author of the stunning New York Times bestseller The Widow returns with a brand-new novel of twisting psychological suspense, now in paperback.

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 she’s at a loss for answers. As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier. A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found.

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. 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…

The author:

Fiona Barton, the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow and The Child, trains and works 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. Visit her online at fionabartonauthor.com and on Twitter @figbarton. Join the conversation using #TheChild.

Giveaway

To enter this giveaway, use the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway ends on Friday, March 16, 2018, at 11:59 PM ET and the winner will be announced on Saturday, March 17, 2018, by 10:00 AM ET. Please note that this giveaway is limited to US residents only, all non-US entrants will be disqualified. The book will be shipped to the winner by the publisher, Berkley.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2017 Book 220: THE CHILD by Fiona Barton

The Child by Fiona Barton
ISBN: 9781101990483 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9781101990506 (ebook)
ASIN: B01LZXZET4 (Kindle edition)
Publication date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: Berkley

The author of the stunning New York Times bestseller The Widow returns with a brand-new novel of twisting psychological suspense.

As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, 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 is the Building Site Baby?

As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby 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.

Forty plus years ago a newborn baby girl was stolen from a British hospital. Recently a newborn baby girl’s skeleton was found at a demolition site. Is it possible these two infants are linked? That is the premise presented in Fiona Barton’s latest psychological thriller The Child.

Kate Water is a journalist looking into the story behind the discovery of the skeletal remains of a newborn infant at a demolition site in metro London. The more she investigates into the remains found, the more she begins to think these remains just might be related to a missing newborn girl taken out of a hospital over forty years. While Kate delves into her investigation and the background of the missing girl’s family, we are introduced to several other women that are impacted by the discovery of the skeletal remains: first there’s Angela Irving, the mother of the missing infant; second is Emma Simmonds a former teen resident of the house where the body was found; and last, is Emma’s mother, Judith “Jude” Massingham. Angela is positive the body is that of her missing daughter Alice. Emma is fearful that the police will be knocking on her door at any moment. Jude is sure the discovery has no impact on her life until her daughter begins to have another emotional breakdown. The story of all four women intersect until finally the answer of exactly who the building site baby was and how she got there is uncovered along with a host of secrets kept hidden for years.

I read and reviewed The Widow in 2016 and loved it, so when I was afforded the opportunity to read The Child I did not hesitate to shout YES! and it did not disappoint. Talk about a wild ride. The Child was fast-paced, engrossing and, yes I have to say it, suspenseful read up to the very end. Kate is an accomplished journalist and it was fascinating to travel along as she uncovered the truth behind this dumped baby. Emma is initially depicted as emotionally fragile and unreliable, but we quickly learn that although she may have some emotional problems she is anything but unreliable. Angela Irving has spent 40+ years grieving the loss of her infant daughter and feeling guilty for leaving her in a hospital room unsupervised. Again, she initially comes across as needy and fragile, but she is just as strong as both Kate and Emma. Jude, Emma’s mother, is initially portrayed as this strong and independent single mother, but we learn that looks can be deceiving as she is the neediest and most fragile of the bunch. With the presentation of these four women, we learn that all is never quite how it appears. These women all have their strengths and weaknesses, as do all humans, but they persevere in the face of adversity and prejudice. The Child is much more than a story of a missing child and the discovery of skeletal remains, it’s a story about relationships, family, and what we’re willing to do for family. Sometimes the family is related by blood, sometimes the family may be our work family, and sometimes the family might be our friends, but when push comes to shove the strong stand by family. This is also a story about secrets. The secrets we keep from our friends, our parents, our spouses, and sometimes we tamp down so deep that we try to keep hidden from ourselves. I enjoyed the characters, the storylines, and the action. Ms. Barton crafts psychological suspense thrillers that truly live up to the name; just when I thought I knew where this story was headed, I was yanked off into a new direction and then back again. It wasn’t until I hit about the 80% mark that I caught a hint of where the story was going and even with the confirmation it was still a bit of a shock (no, I won’t tell you what happens, read the book!). If you read The Widow, then you know you’ll want to read The Child. If you enjoy reading taut psychological thrillers or suspenseful reads, then you’ll definitely want to read The Child. I highly recommend The Child and look forward to reading more from Ms. Barton in the future. (If you couldn’t tell, I thoroughly enjoyed The Child and look forward to rereading it in the near future.)

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes via NetGalley. I was not paid, required, or otherwise obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Buy the Book

Available from BookDepository | Alibris

Shop Indie Bookstores

2016 Book #64: THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton

The Widow by Fiona Barton
ISBN: 9781101990261 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9781101990469 (ebook)
ISBN: 9780147525178 (audiobook)
ASIN: B00Z8VT8AE (Kindle edition)
Publication date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: New American Library

When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen… But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore. There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment. Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage. The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…

In 2006, a young toddler girl, Bella, disappeared from her front yard. The police investigation zeroed in on several suspects, including Glen Taylor. Now it’s 2010 and Glen has died, reporters and the police are trying to get Glen’s wife, Jean, to talk about what she knows in The Widow by Fiona Barton.

Jean met Glen Taylor when she was only seventeen years of age. She married him at age nineteen and fell into a life where Glen molded her into his version of the ideal, subservient wife. When Glen is questioned in a child abduction case and then arrested, Jean stands by her husband. Initially, she believes him when he says the pornographic material accidentally made its way onto his computer. He then confesses to being addicted to pornography. Throughout the arrest, trial and years after, Jean has stood by her man and protected his secrets. Now that Glen is dead, it might be time to release those secrets. Enter Kate Waters, a reporter determined to learn as much as she can about the wife of the man many assumed to be a pedophile and a child murderer. Kate appears to befriend Jean in an effort to get her to reveal all. Everyone wants to know why she stayed in a marriage with such a monster. People want to know if she knew what her husband did and if so, why she didn’t turn him in. Can Kate get Glen’s widow to talk and if so, will she finally be able to tell the world what happened to that missing child?

The Widow is a fast-paced and captivating read. Jean comes across as an unwitting victim of her husband and now she’s a victim of journalists . . . or is she? The more I read, the more questions I had about Jean, Glen, and the missing child. Jean comes across as a sympathetic character and it was easy to feel for her. Glen is highly skilled at manipulating his wife and the truth. He’s a man that is never at fault for any of his actions, and there’s always someone else to blame. This story delves into some dark areas, such as child pornography, pornography, and pedophilia without being gruesome or providing graphic details. The Widow is much more than a behind-the-scenes look at a dysfunctional marriage, it is a taut psychological suspense-thriller that provides enough twists and turns that the reader is never quite sure where or how the story is going to end. I enjoyed the gradual build of tension within the story. This story is told alternating between the past and the present, and I especially enjoyed how the author went back to the year of the crime and gradually moved forward to the present. Did I enjoy reading The Widow? Yes, so much so that even though I was dealing with another migraine episode I couldn’t wait to get back to this book. I didn’t read it one sitting simply because of the migrainus interruptus and that was the only reason I set this book down. Yes, you guessed it, I encourage you to grab a copy of The Widow to read. Reader be warned, if you start reading this in the evening you’ll probably end up reading all night.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not paid, required, or otherwise obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Buy the Book

Available at BookDepository | Alibris

Shop Indie Bookstores

Book Showcase and Giveaway: THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton

The Widow by Fiona Barton
ISBN: 9781101990261 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9781101990469 (ebook)
ASIN: B00Z8VT8AE (Kindle version)
Publication Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: New American Library/NAL

For fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, an electrifying thriller that will take you into the dark spaces that exist between a husband and a wife.

When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen…

But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.

There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.

Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.

The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…

How well can you really know someone? What secrets live within a marriage? These are two of the questions at the heart of Fiona Barton’s stunning debut novel, a haunting psychological thriller with one of the most fascinating unreliable narrators in recent fiction. Certain to cause a stir in literary circles on both sides of the Atlantic, THE WIDOW is drawing comparisons to recent thriller successes Before I Go To Sleep and Gone Girl. The sales teams at Penguin behind The Girl on the Train and The Silent Wife are comparing THE WIDOW to both.

The subject of heated auctions in more than twenty countries around the world—including Germany, France, Brazil, and Spain—that have been covered in both Publishers Weekly and The Bookseller, THE WIDOW will be published in January in the UK by Transworld (British publisher of The Girl on the Train).

A British journalist who has worked for the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph among other UK publications, Barton recently shared the inspiration for THE WIDOW: “As a journalist, I spent a lot of time in court. In the big cases—notorious and terrible crimes that led the news—I would find myself watching the wives of those standing in the dock and wondering what they really knew, or allowed themselves to know.” Kate Waters, the reporter in the novel, is a composite of several journalists Barton has known, including herself. “I have been where Kate’s been—on the doorstep, interviewing difficult subjects, minding interviewees at hotels.”

In THE WIDOW, Jean Taylor is the wife of a man who may be a monster. Though never convicted, Glen Taylor was the prime suspect in a horrible crime that captivated people across England and had camera crews camping out on the Taylors’ front lawn. Now, a week after Glen’s death, journalist Kate Waters shows up at Jean’s door, like so many others before, seeking answers—and the scoop of a lifetime. Though Jean kept quiet during the media circus surrounding the trial, she is finally ready to break her silence.

The desperate search for answers—both in the past and the present—takes shape through the interlocking narratives of the widow, the journalist, and the detective who never forgot the case. Each has a story to tell, but some might be more truthful than others. Their stories converge in a shocking ending that will leave readers everywhere eager to share and discuss THE WIDOW.

Read an excerpt here.

Advance Praise for Fiona Barton’s THE WIDOW:

Barton “tells her tale with a realism and restraint that add to its shattering impact.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

“The most anticipated book of 2016. . . . Fast-paced, gripping and dark—this is one book that is destined to be HUGE next year.”—Glamour (UK)

“Shades of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.”—The Sacramento Bee

“The ultimate psychological thriller. Barton carefully unspools this dark, intimate tale of a terrible crime, a stifling marriage, and the lies spouses tell not just to each other, but to themselves in order to make it through. The ending totally blew me away!”—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Fiona Barton’s THE WIDOW is a fast-paced, heart-stopping debut. Jean Taylor—the widow—is heroine and anti-heroine, naïve and savvy, dominated and dominating; in short, utterly compelling. Sure to thrill fans of The Girl on the Train and The Husband’s Secret, I raced through this in one nail-biting sitting.”—Catherine McKenzie, international bestselling author of Hidden

“A marriage is a public union, but can also act as a wall hiding an inner world of secrets. Fiona Barton’s THE WIDOW grabs hold of this insight and runs with it, twisting all the way to the end.”—Andrew Pyper, #1 international bestselling author of The Demonologist

“Stunning from start to finish. I devoured it in one sitting. The best book I’ve read this year. If you liked Gone Girl, you’ll love this. Fiona Barton is a major new talent.”—M. J. Arlidge, international bestselling author of Eeny Meeny

“Dark, compelling and utterly unputdownable. My book of the year so far.”—C.L. Taylor, international bestselling author of Before I Wake

Enter to win one print copy of The Widow by Fiona Barton. This giveaway sponsored by the publisher, NAL/Penguin and is open to US residents only (sorry). The giveaway ends on February 24, 2016, at 11:59 PM ET. The winner will be announced on February 25, 2016.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy the Book

Available from BookDepository | Alibris