Review: 'The Child' by Fiona Barton is an engaging tale

"The Child: a Novel" (Berkley), by Fiona Barton

Fiona Barton brings back reporter Kate Waters from the best-selling "The Widow" and delivers another winner with "The Child."

Waters has issues at her job since many people she works with at the newspaper are being laid off. When she learns that the long-buried remains of an infant have been uncovered near a construction site, she quickly decides to find answers. Who is this baby, and why would someone do such a horrible thing?

Forty years earlier, a woman named Angela gave birth to a beautiful girl. The baby was stolen from the maternity ward and never seen again. The family was devastated, and Angela was never the same. When she reads about the discovery of the buried child, Angela pursues both the police and Waters to have them determine if it is her lost girl.

Barton has the characters tell the story, and various secrets that have remained hidden for decades will come to the surface. She focuses on how the discovery affects everyone and unveils information in such a way that readers will figure out key plot points just before the characters in the story, creating a truly engaging tale.

Those who enjoyed "The Widow" will discover that Barton has only gotten better.