Books set in England

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The best crime novels set in England

Local Gone Missing

The new, completely gripping must-read crime thriller for 2023

'I absolutely loved this smart, twisty novel' Sunday Times bestseller SHARI LAPENA 
 
'A dark and twisty read' Sunday Times bestseller NITA PROSE 
 
Everyone watches their neighbours. 
Everyone lies about their friends. 
Everyone's a suspect when a local goes missing. 
 
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. 
 
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. 
 
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... 
 
Perfect for fans of Broadchurch, L.J. Ross and Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope novels. 
 
Readers can't put down Local Gone Missing! 
 
'Like all Fiona Barton's books, this one is simply a must read.' FIVE-STAR Reader Review 
 
'A fab, twisty-turny mystery' Sun 
 
'I absolutely loved this book and raced through. Brilliant story and brilliant writing - I highly recommend!' FIVE-STAR Reader Review 
 
'I was completely swept up in this story of a seaside town full of dark secrets - the ending was masterful. I loved it!' KATHERINE FAULKNER, author of Greenwich Park 
 
'This was an absolute page turner. Loved it from start to finish!' FIVE-STAR Reader Review 
 
'Tense and full of reveals and twists. A compulsively dark mystery. Fiona Barton never disappoints!' LESLEY KARA

Fiona Barton is a brilliant storyteller, a master of plot and character. I absolutely loved this smart, twisty novel!

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

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...

Elise King is a successful and ambitious detective - or she was, before 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 in their fancy clothes, 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 cleaner, often knows. She's an invisible presence in many of the houses in town but she sees and hears everything. 
 
The conflicts in town boil over when a newcomer wants to put Ebbing on the map with a giant music festival, and a teenage girl ends up dead because of drugs. When a man also 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 myriad secrets and hidden connections that run deeper and darker than Elise could have ever imagined.

The additive and clever must-read crime thriller

The Suspect

Fiona Barton shows why she is a breakout star in the crime thriller genre with this story of a journalist's race to discover the truth about the disappearance of two teenagers on their gap year - but also about her own family . . .

Utterly engrossing…I lived inside this book for two days—and I’m still thinking about it. Superb!

Shari Lapena, bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR

A fast-paced whodunnit with heart, characters I feel I know and a deliciously dark twist. Superb writing, often blackly funny, and a scene that made me cry into my pillow.

Gillian McAllister, Sunday Times bestselling author of EVERYTHING BUT THE TRUTH

A terrific read - I loved The Suspect. Rich story-telling, beautifully paced and with characters that linger long after the final page. Readers are in for a treat.

Renée Knight, bestselling author of DISCLAIMER

Intelligent, insightful and compelling. A clever, twisting whodunnit that delivers an emotional punch. I loved it.

C. L. Taylor, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE MISSING

Fiona Barton is a master of ‘just one more chapter’ and kept me reading late into the night, unable to look away. The Suspect is a wonderfully human thriller, with characters I believed entirely and a crime that got right under my skin.

Holly Seddon, bestselling author of TRY NOT TO BREATHE

Fiona Barton has done it again. A stylish, beautifully written and perfectly pitched thriller that will have you racing to the denouement

Cara Hunter, author of Sunday Times bestseller CLOSE TO HOME

Wow, Fiona Barton really knows her stuff; The Suspect is utterly authentic, terrifyingly plausible and an absolute heartbreaker.

In The Suspect, Fiona Barton has created a beautifully crafted and intricate novel where we see every situation from every perspective until her final twist of the kaleidoscope when everything suddenly makes sense. The characters in this beautifully written novel will stay with me for a long time and the tension created by the twists and cliff-hangers made this a breath-taking and heart-pounding read.

An utterly compelling and emotional read full of suspense and intrigue. I didn’t want it to end.

Fiona Barton has taken a nightmarish scenario and woven it into a dark and twisty tale that sees tenacious journalist Kate Waters at her puzzle-solving best. This is a novel with real heart and a thoroughly surprising and thought-provoking ending.

WHAT IF IT WAS SOMEONE YOU KNEW? 
 
'Utterly engrossing . . . I lived inside this book for two days - and I'm still thinking about it. Superb!' Shari Lapena, bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR 
 
'Intelligent, insightful and compelling. A clever, twisting whodunnit that delivers an emotional punch. I loved it.' C L Taylor 
____________________ 
 
'The police belonged to another world - the world they saw on the television or in the papers. Not theirs.' 
 
When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing on their gap year in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft and frantic with worry. 
 
Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth - and this time is no exception. But she can't help but think of her own son, who she hasn't seen in two years, since he left home to go travelling. This time it's personal. 
 
And as the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think . . . 
____________________ 
 
WHAT AUTHORS ARE SAYING: 
 
'Perfectly pitched . . . will have you racing to the denouement.' Cara Hunter, bestselling author of CLOSE TO HOME and IN THE DARK 
 
'A fast-paced whodunnit with heart, characters I feel I know and a deliciously dark twist. Superb writing, often blackly funny, and a scene that made me cry into my pillow.' Gillian McAllister, Sunday Times bestselling author of EVERYTHING BUT THE TRUTH 
 
'Fiona Barton is perceptive, empathetic and a talented writer' Daily Express 
____________________ 
 
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING: 
 
'Really is unputdownable' ***** 
 
'I was gripped from the first page' ***** 
 
'Drew me in right from the start' ***** 
 
'The Suspect blew me away' ***** 
 
'I will be recommending this book to all my friends' ***** 
 
'The best book I have read in ages' ***** 
 
'Enthralling and full of suspense and twists' ***** 
____________________ 
 
Read Fiona Barton's other tantalising thrillers: THE WIDOW, THE CHILD, LOCAL GONE MISSING and TALKING TO STRANGERS.

The Child

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER from the author of THE WIDOW.

Clever and compelling. You'll love The Child.

I loved this gripping story that kept me guessing to the end. Barton treats her broken characters with such compassion that I wanted to reach into the pages and hug them.

Fiona Barton has outdone herself with The Child. An engrossing, irresistible story about the coming to light of a long-buried secret. An absolutely fabulous read - I loved it!

Tense, tantalising and ultimately very satisfying . . . definitely one of the year's must-reads.

This expertly executed thriller, full of gritty authentic detail, is made even better by a killer twist that will catch you off guard.

A gripping book you won't be able to put down.

Barton kicks the novel's suspense into a new gear, and you won't be able to put it down until all the secrets have been shared.

Compelling, mawkish and macabre with abundant twists and turns to keep the interest levels high.

A killer hook and fascinating characters made The Widow last year's must-read. Fiona Barton's second novel, The Child, is even more tense.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, AND RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK 
 
'Clever and compelling. You'll love THE CHILD' Clare Mackintosh, author of LET ME LIE 
 
******** 
 
When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it's impossible to ignore. 
 
For one woman, it's a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her. 
 
For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered. 
 
And for the third, a journalist, it's the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth. 
 
The Child's story will be told. 
 
 
******** 
 
'An engrossing, irresistible story about the coming to light of a long-buried secret. An absolutely fabulous read - I loved it!' Shari Lapena, author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR 
 
'Tense, tantalising and ultimately very satisfying . . . definitely one of the year's must-reads' Lee Child 
 
Read Fiona Barton's other tantalising thrillers: THE WIDOW, THE SUSPECT and LOCAL GONE MISSING. COMING SOON: the brand new compelling standout thriller TALKING TO STRANGERS is available to pre-order now.

The Widow

A loving husband or a heartless killer...she'd know, wouldn't she?

Feted as this year’s The Girl on the Train

The ultimate psychological thriller. Barton carefully unspools this dark, intimate tale of a terrible crime, a stifling marriage, and the lies spouses tell not just to each other, but to themselves in order to make it through. The ending totally blew me away.

Stunning from start to finish. I devoured it in one sitting. The best book I've read this year. If you liked GONE GIRL, you'll love this. Fiona Barton is a major new talent.

Dark, compelling and utterly unputdownable. My book of the year so far

C. L. Taylor, author of THE ACCIDENT and THE LIE

A book you’ll drop everything to whip through

A complex, intriguing heroine and a dark, unsettling story makes this a real page-turner.

She tells her tale with a realism and restraint that add to its shattering impact

‘A brilliant, enthralling debut’

A terrifically chilling exploration of the darkness at the heart of a seemingly ordinary marriage, the life of quiet desperation behind a neat suburban door. Gripping and horribly plausible

Gritty, emotional and so believable

Next year’s The Girl on the Train

The Widow is generating a huge buzz

A highly enjoyable first novel... Gripping

A creepy, but gripping, read that will keep you up all night

Fiona Barton is perceptive, empathetic and a talented writer...this is a promising debut from a talented writer.

A strikingly strong story, executed with fierce professionalism and rings true from page one... This has bestseller written all over it.

Just amazing. A mix of Patricia Highsmith with the very best of Ruth Rendell. This is going to be a huge hit

A gripping crime thriller... It's a chilling, twisting tale.

Strong female leads give this haunting thriller added bite. The Widow is deserving of its accolades.

The Widow is feminist, weighty and scarily plausible. It will haunt you.

THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, AND RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK 
 
'If you liked GONE GIRL and THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, you might want to pick up THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton. Engrossing. Suspenseful' Stephen King 
 
We've all seen him: the man - the monster - staring from the front page of every newspaper, accused of a terrible crime. 
 
But what about her: the woman who grips his arm on the courtroom stairs - the wife who stands by him? 
 
Jean Taylor's life was blissfully ordinary. Nice house, nice husband. Glen was all she'd ever wanted: her Prince Charming. 
 
Until he became that man accused, that monster on the front page. Jean was married to a man everyone thought capable of unimaginable evil. 
 
But now Glen is dead and she's alone for the first time, free to tell her story on her own terms. 
 
Jean Taylor is going to tell us what she knows. 
 
 
***** 'The book really got under my skin and had me turning pages at a rate of knots, unable to tear myself away.' 
***** 'An utterly addictive read that I couldn't put down.' 
***** 'Clever twists and turns . . . kept me on my toes until the end.' 
 
Read Fiona Barton's other tantalising thrillers: THE CHILD, THE SUSPECT and LOCAL GONE MISSING - out now.

Fiona Barton

A disturbing mystery that grips like a serpent.

This novel hits home. And it hurts. Tapping into very real fears faced by all women at some time in their lives, it delivers a terrifyingly real and addictive story.

Another fiendishly plotted crime novel from Fiona Barton, highlighting the grubby underbelly of the dating scene. I predict a bestseller.

Well imagined, cleverly plotted and with a completely surprising final twist.

Another red-hot thriller from the author of The Widow and The Child.

Barton effortlessly toggles between each woman’s viewpoint, maintaining suspense as she builds to the plot’s devastating resolution. Fans of Mark Billingham’s Tom Thorne novels will devour this.

A blisteringly good, miss-your-stop read that raises some timely issues such as online dating, violence against women and victim blaming. Fiona Barton at her best.

This latest from best-selling Barton is a twisty and highly satisfying nail-biter that will have her fans and new readers alike burning the midnight oil.

With engaging characters and great storytelling, you'll want to binge-read this.

Fiona Barton is perceptive, empathetic and a talented writer.

Fiona Barton is a brilliant storyteller, a master of plot and character. I absolutely loved this smart, twisty novel!

Barton treats her broken characters with such compassion that I wanted to reach into the pages and hug them.

Three women. One Killer. 
Talking to strangers has never been more dangerous... 
 
When forty-four-year-old Karen Simmons is found lifeless, abandoned in remote woodland, journalist Kiki Nunn is determined to beat every other reporter to the story. 
 
And she already has a head start. Just days before Karen’s murder, Kiki interviewed her about the highs and lows of mid-life romance. Karen told her about the expensive gifts and the starlit rendezvous. About the scammers and the creeps... 
 
While police stay focused on local suspects, Kiki starts to write the definitive piece on one woman's fatal search for love. But she will soon learn that the search for truth can be just as deadly...

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