TALKING TO STRANGERS by Fiona Barton

 5* Brilliant intro to this author, with a strong female-led cast of females. 

I'm not sure I was expecting to read this book in under 2 hours, but it was unputdownable. Starting it, I expected a simple murder and police procedural in small-town England, but got introduced to several female characters who each contributed to the denouement of the tale. 

I didn't expect that Kiki, a reporter, would pick up the mantle and run with it, pretty much solving the murder with all the things that were divulged to her. Yes, she's a reporter, so akin to an estate agent or salesperson, but she did have a kind heart, though she remained self-serving. What she went through personally, to benefit her career, was shocking, but sadly, had feet in today's dating world. But, she didn't let trauma bog her down; getting a wrongdoer to justice helped her get stronger and take charge, and saved the life of potentially countless other females.

The lead detective, whose name I can't recall, came across as vulnerable but also caring. I'm not sure that she and her team would have 'solved' the case had Kiki not inserted herself into several families. She seemed to spend a lot of time wondering what others thought of her, but that wasn't unreasonable given her time off work due to illness. Her DS came across as cold and intolerant of others, but strangely supportive and there for her. It's this relationship that made me suspect this book isn't a standalone. She redeemed herself from her failures by being impressively there for Kiki in the aftermath of the latter's trauma.

The horrors of online dating are a warning that females need to be careful, especially ageing ones. Kiki took on a misogynistic gang of men and found out their identities, doing justice not just for herself. That part of the tale was brilliant but cautionary - sadly, it likely happens in real life, with hook-up apps/dating sites/social media, etc., as they exist, aiding and abetting men.

I wasn't expecting much of no-backbone Annie, who always seemed to smooth over the troubled waters at home and pretend that a hug made everything alright, but her mother's love made her strong at the right point, and yet the same kept her blind. 

The ending, shocked me because the real killer hadn't just killed once, and was a bit of a side character, though toxic and part of the online dating group of psychos, and yet seemed inoffensive. But, ugh, that he got away with killing several times, worked, and yet was shocking in the sense that he manipulated justice being done and the closure of the case. It didn't spoil the tale but it did make me wonder how many more people would end up dying over the course of his life. We couldn't reasonably learn more but it both felt off, and yet not, that he'd manipulated things so that a certain person he detested got what they deserved, at least in his eyes, for wronging his family. 

All in all, this was an excellent tale.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Random House, for my reading pleasure.