Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
Rating: ★★★★

The author of the stunning New York Times bestseller The Widow returns with a brand-new novel of twisting psychological suspense.

As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby?

As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss.

But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn—house by house—into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women—and torn between what she can and cannot tell…

THE CHILD is an intriguing mystery surrounding the discovery of a decades old baby skeleton at a construction site. Given the premise, I figured it would also be an emotional read, and it was that. The story is told in alternating perspectives of four women, the investigative reporter (who we first met in THE WIDOW) and three others whose lives will be upended by the discovery.

Journalist Kate Waters is looking for her next big story when the baby’s remains are found. Kate’s investigation leads her to the unsolved disappearance of a baby from a maternity ward in 1970. Could they be related? Kate wants answers not only for her story, but also for the grieving family who’s been in limbo for over 40 years. I think Kate’s character has grown over the course of two books. She sees the humanity in this story, and not just a sensationalized headline for her publication.

I enjoyed Fiona Barton’s first novel, and THE CHILD I liked maybe a bit more. I loved how all the pieces came together in this haunting family drama. It’s a perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and women’s fiction. Unsettling and touching.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.