The Child - Fiona Barton

The Child

By Fiona Barton

  • Release Date: 2017-06-27
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 394 Ratings

Description

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 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

Reviews

  • Amazing read

    5
    By danie10
    One of the best books I’ve ever read, I could not put it down
  • The Child

    4
    By Jburkes3
    I really enjoyed this book, even though it is written in the first person which is not my favorite style. There are quite a few characters to remember when each chapter begins with just a first name. The story is a little slow at the start, but hang in there - it gets better and better until you can't put it down!
  • The Child

    5
    By jennid22
    This book was amazing! I read the entire thing within 24 hours because I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to read The Widow! Fiona Barton is truly remarkable.
  • Good plot horrible dialogue

    3
    By takemyheartandpleasedontbreakit
    I was so distracted by the bad dialogue. It sounds so stilted- and there's a ton of dialogue. Contractions are not used where appropriate, making conversations distractingly unrealistic. Truly someone should have caught this- it feels like reading a translation!
  • Great read!

    5
    By Allieinlombard
    This was a real page turner and an awesome value.
  • Less creepy than The Widow

    5
    By rokinrev
    (Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher Penguin, as part of a giveaway for the OTHER Fiona Barton book,The Widow, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. I am voluntarily reviewing this. This, like every review I post, is not influenced in any way by how I received it) After reading The Widow I wasn't sure if I even wanted to tackle this book. The Widow was "creepy". This one is a sad convoluted tale of the same reporter but in an entirely different context. A baby skeleton is found during a tear down in a section of London. It affects many lives as secrets are searched out and stitched together by Kate Waters, who is positive that there is more than " meets the eye" in what that baby can tell them of the past in what was a fairly closed community, and the answers that come from fallible humans are going to surprise a lot of people, and anger others. This book was very hope filled, and I highly recommend it,
  • Great twist

    5
    By Camila Fischer
    I couldn't put it down! What a great twist this book had in the end! Well worth the reading. Truly recommend this book.
  • Excellent!!

    5
    By carocross
    Fantastic story!! Unexpected. Would be a great movie
  • The Child

    5
    By Terrie2234
    Fantastic read! Waited for this to come out after finishing “the Widow”, ALSO a great book. Each one is getting better…cannot wait for your next!
  • Another brilliant novel!

    5
    By hajuba1
    Couldn't put it down... A cleverly crafted, thrilling mystery. I hate that I've finished it!