Local Gone Missing - by Fiona Barton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Detective Elise King investigates a man's disappearance in a seaside town where the locals and weekenders are at odds, in this rich and captivating new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow.

Elise King is a successful and ambitious detective--or she was before a medical leave left her unsure if she'd ever return to work. She now spends most days watching the growing tensions in her small seaside town of Ebbing--the weekenders renovating old bungalows into luxury homes, and the locals resentful of the changes.

Elise can only guess what really happens behind closed doors. But Dee Eastwood, her house cleaner, often knows. She's an invisible presence in many of the houses in town, but she sees and hears everything.

The conflicts boil over when a newcomer who wants to put the town on the map throws a giant music festival. After a man disappears the first night of the festival, Elise is drawn back into her detective work and starts digging for answers. Ebbing is a small town, but it's full of secrets and hidden connections that run deeper and darker than Elise could have ever imagined.

Review Quotes

Praise for LOCAL GONE MISSING

"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, New York Times bestselling author of The Maid

"This compulsively dark mystery is a joy to read. Fiona Barton never disappoints!"--Lesley Kara, international bestselling author of The Rumor

"All the right twists and turns. . .Barton successfully spins and weaves the novel's various storylines with ease....As in any good thriller, there's more to the story than meets the eye....[R]eaders will savor untangling the intricate web Barton weaves."--USA Today

"Fiona Barton does it again in her new novel Local Gone Missing....an excellent read for fans of the mystery and suspense genre. Perfect for fans of Kerry Wilkinson, Harlen Coben, and Karin Slaughter." --Seattle Book Review

"Barton presents such an embarrassment of riches...Layers and layers of unlovely revelations about people who seemed perfectly nice."--Kirkus Reviews

"Barton's facility at creating plausible characters makes emotional involvement with them easy. Minette Walters fans will be pleased."--Publishers Weekly

"Barton skillfully pivots here from the globe-trotting reporting that drives her Kate Waters series toward domestic crime awash in village secrets. Readers drawn in by Elise's hawk-eyed detecting and hard-edged vulnerability won't see the final twist coming."--Booklist

"Barton writes with the pacing, plotting and richly drawn characters of the best English dramas on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery. Cue this one up."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A cleverly crafted puzzle that has emotional heft and social commentary as well as an intriguing web of mysteries."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"[A] compulsive mystery that will have you pushing your bedtime, promising to read just one more chapter."--E! Online

"Though Local Gone Missing's plot is wonderfully twisty with a sur­prising and satisfying conclusion, it's the characters who stand out. Foremost among them is the compelling and well-drawn Elise, who's struggling to adjust to life back on the force after returning from medical leave. Thanks to Barton's airtight plotting and impeccable characteri­zation, a minibreak by the sea will never seem relaxing again."--BookPage

"A captivating read. A first-grade suspense novel and highly recommended....Barton demonstrates, one more time, why she is considered a master of the craft."--Mystery Tribune

"Local Gone Missing is a great summer read, scratching the itch for a seaside location, musical get-togethers, crazy communities, and crime. While the pace is surprisingly fast and you can tear through pages pretty quick, you're going to want to slow down. Nuance and details matter here, both in the storytelling itself and in Barton's slippery way of presenting information. Puzzles within puzzles here." -- Criminal Element

About the Author

Fiona Barton is the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow, The Child, and The Suspect. She has trained and worked with journalists all over the world. 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. Born in Cambridge, England, she lives in England.