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Fiona Barton is a journalist that writes mystery novels. As a reporter, she worked for publications like The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph. She won the National Press Award during her stint at The Daily Mail.
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Order of Kate Waters Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Widow | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Child | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Suspect | 2019 | Description / Buy |
Order of Elise King Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Local Gone Missing | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Talking To Strangers | 2024 | Description / Buy |
The author reinvented herself in the late 2000s when she abandoned journalism. Barton went to Sri Lanka with her husband to train journalists. Later on, she volunteered her skills to journalists in other parts of the world, particularly reporters who had to contend with threats and exile.
During this period, Barton’s mind started concocting a story. As a journalist, she had covered several high-profile crimes. She had interviewed the guilty parties and their families. Still, she was most fascinated by the people outside the spotlight, individuals somewhat removed from the heart of the crimes in question but deeply affected.
She would often ponder their thoughts and considerations during those contentious moments, especially the wives of the accused. She wondered what they knew of the suspect’s actions and how that information had changed them.
This train of thought was responsible for the author’s fascination with crime fiction. Even as a child, she was drawn to the secret lives of the people around her. She knew that the random strangers she met on the bus or in the supermarket were never what they seemed to be.
When she was young, Barton took great pleasure in inventing stories about them. As an adult, those stories became ‘The Widow’, her debut novel. The book was an incredible success, gaining traction in dozens of countries around the world.
That success was all the push the author needed to write ‘The Child,’ her second novel. Like ‘The Widow,’ ‘The Child’ was inspired by real life. Barton saw a scrap of paper that spoke about the remains of an infant and used the premise in the book.
The response to ‘The Child’ was just as positive. By that stage in her life, Barton had to admit that she had successfully transitioned from journalism to publishing.
The journey wasn’t easy. Even though journalism allowed Barton to hone her skills, instilling in her the discipline she used to write her novels, she had to unlearn some of the lessons it taught her. That included front-loading her stories.
Fiona Barton Awards
Barton has been nominated for a Macavity Award.
Best Fiona Barton Books
Sometimes, Barton becomes so thoroughly immersed in the lives of the fictional characters she creates that their journeys leave her shaken, especially during writing sessions that force her to see the world through the eyes of vicious characters. Barton’s best books include:
The Widow: Jean played her part. When people started throwing accusations at her husband, she stood by him, playing the dutiful wife, saying all the right things. Despite the harassment, she stood her ground.
But everything has changed. Jean’s husband is dead. She doesn’t have to pretend, not anymore. She can finally emerge from the shell that has kept her hidden for so many years.
Even though her husband is gone, people still have questions. They want to know more about his crimes, the ones they heard about and those that went unnoticed.
Jean is willing to talk. She knows a lot, and she has no reason to maintain her silence. However, Jean is slowly realizing that she can make the truth whatever she wants.
The Child: Kate Waters is back. The crime journalist is investigating a new case. The remains of a young baby have been discovered on a building site. Forensic experts can’t shed any significant light on the matter because the victim is a tiny baby.
The only significant clue is the site of the burial. The original house was demolished a long time ago. The plastic bag holding the body told the forensic team that the baby was buried in the 1970s.
The case got a paragraph in the newspaper. It wasn’t enough to capture the attention of the public. However, for three people, that paragraph matters.
It has reminded one woman of the worst occurrence of her life, a memory she would rather forget. For another woman, the case is a threat, a warning that her secret is about to come to light. For a third woman, the case provides an opportunity to uncover the truth.
When Does The Next Fiona Barton book come out?
Fiona Barton doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Talking To Strangers and was released on August, 27th 2024. It is the newest book in the Elise King Series.