Local Gone Missing: The must-read atmospheric thriller of 2022

Description

Everyone's a suspect when a local goes missing. Detective Elise King uncovers a web of dark secrets in her seemingly sleepy seaside town, in this rich and captivating new crime novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Widow. Everyone watches their neighbours. Elise King moves into the sleepy seaside town of Ebbing. Illness has thrown her career as a successful detective into doubt, but no matter how hard she tries to relax and recuperate, she knows that something isn't right. Everyone lies about their friends. Tensions are running high beneath the surface of this idyllic community- the weekenders in their fancy clothes, renovating old bungalows into luxury homes, and the locals resentful of the changes. A town divided, with the threat of violence only a heartbeat away. Everyone knows a secret. This peaceful world is shattered when two teenagers end up in hospital and a local man vanishes without trace. Elise starts digging for answers, but the community closes ranks, and the truth begins to slip through her fingers. Because in a small town like this, the locals are good at keeping secrets... Everyone's a suspect when a local goes missing.

Fiona Barton's debut, The Widow, was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, and has been published in thirty-seven countries and optioned for television. Her second novel, The Child, and her third, The Suspect, were both bestsellers. Born in Cambridge, Fiona currently lives on the south coast in West Sussex. 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. While working as a journalist, Fiona reported on many high-profile criminal cases and developed a fascination with watching those involved, their body language and verbal tics. She interviewed people at the heart of these crimes, from the guilty to their families, as well as those on the periphery, and found it was those just outside the spotlight who interested her most...

Fiona Barton is a brilliant storyteller, a master of plot and character. I absolutely loved this smart, twisty novel! * Shari Lapena * In the community of Ebbing, Fiona Barton has created a town full of suspense and a cast of characters with so many reasons to keep secrets buried deep. A dark and twisty read. * Nita Prose, bestselling author of THE MAID * Tense and full of reveals and twists. This compulsively dark mystery is a joy to read. Fiona Barton never disappoints! * Lesley Kara, bestselling author of THE RUMOUR * 'I am a huge Fiona Barton fan and she just keeps getting better! I was completely swept up in this story of a seaside town full of dark secrets - the pace was perfect, the characters so skilfully drawn and the ending was masterful. I loved it!' * Katherine Faulkner, bestselling author of GREENWICH PARK * A fab, twisty-turny mystery * The Sun *