Spoiler Discussion (July 2020) Group Read - The Child, by Fiona Barton

[Bill]

In the early 1970s a newborn was stolen from a hospital whilst mum Alice was taking shower. Never found.

In mid 1980s a young teen named Emma gave birth to a stillborn.

In 2012 body of newborn infant found on a building site.

Alice’s DNA matches infant’s.

Emma tells reporter she buried her newborn at that site.

At this point alert reader figures how it will turn out. And it does.

Emma’s DNA is a match too.

Which means that Alice and Emma are clearly related.

How could a book with such an obvious plot get published?

[Bill]

Αs one might expect from the author’s background, this is a highly professional piece of work. Characters are well delineated and I particularly liked the details of reporters’ tricks. But once the possibility occurs to the reader that Alice might be Emma’s mum, the mystery disappears and the last third of the book is a waste of time.