The Suspect - Fiona Barton

Mystery

Rating: 6.5/10

Per the customary mystery trope, this story begins with a suspicious death that requires resolution.  Two American girls turn up dead in a hostel fire in Thailand. Our cast of key characters includes a tireless cop, an intrepid reporter and a grieving mother. The unexpected connection between them is the most interesting part of this story. And it’s not that interesting, trust me.

I guessed the killer early on in the book and found him/her to be the most excruciatingly boring villain I have come across in quite some time.  

Footnote: I know that writers are challenged to fit the publisher’s formula; short chapters, obvious clues, standard cast of characters…but that doesn’t mean it needs to be a snore!