Local Gone Missing - Fiona Barton

Reading Challenge Category: Free ARC from NetGalley

Official Blurb:

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.

My Thoughts:

I was a little disappointed with this latest book from Fiona Barton. Her books are usually innovative, exciting and gripping. However, I found it very hard to get into this story. It felt almost more like contemporary fiction rather than a thriller. I wasn’t picking up on any real intrigue from the characters, and there was not much to be that suspicious about.
We are introduced to characters of a village where it is rife with gossip and mistrust with one another, and when a local is found murdered, there is some finger-pointing. However, it all felt a bit lackadaisical and half-hearted.
The detective in charge was returning to work after having beaten cancer. She was struggling with getting back to normal, and the whole investigation had this sort of sluggish and lethargic feel to it.
On the other hand, the ending was quite exciting, and it did manage to tie up all of the loose ends and come together nicely. I just felt like it was a struggle to get to this point in the book.
Overall, this was a mediocre read for me, and I felt very unsatisfied. Having read some of the other reviews on NetGalley (as I received this as an advanced copy), I realise I am in the minority with my view on this. Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading some excellent books lately, and this one just didn’t meet the high standard I currently have.