Local Gone Missing: The new, completely gripping must-read crime thriller for 2023 (Paperback) - Fiona Barton

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.

'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.'

'A fab, twisty-turny mystery' Sun

'I absolutely loved this book and raced through. Brilliant story and brilliant writing - I highly recommend!'

'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!'

'Tense and full of reveals and twists. A compulsively dark mystery. Fiona Barton never disappoints!' LESLEY KARA

About the Author

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...