What do you think?
Rate this book
DI Adam Fawley #7
Tilinteko
Koukuttavassa poliisidekkarissa komisario Adam Fawley huomaa tehneensä aiemmin kohtalokkaan virheen.
Vuonna 2016 Adam Fawley tutki kahdeksanvuotiaan Daisyn katoamista. Lopulta tytön äiti tuomittiin lapsensa murhasta. Nyt true crime -sarja Pahamaineisen tuottaja saa vihiä, ettei poliisi selvittänyt silloisessa tutkinnassa aivan kaikkea. Pian löytyy ruumis, joka liittyy tuohon ratkaistuksi luultuun tapaukseen. Mitä Oxfordissa kadonneelle Daisy-tytölle tapahtui, ja miten Fawley saattoi epäonnistua niin traagisella tavalla?
Cara Hunter on yksi tämän hetken taitavimmista jännäristeistä, joka on vakuuttanut lukijat Adam Fawley -sarjallaan sekä omaperäisellä Murha perhepiirissä -mysteerillään.
Vuonna 2016 Adam Fawley tutki kahdeksanvuotiaan Daisyn katoamista. Lopulta tytön äiti tuomittiin lapsensa murhasta. Nyt true crime -sarja Pahamaineisen tuottaja saa vihiä, ettei poliisi selvittänyt silloisessa tutkinnassa aivan kaikkea. Pian löytyy ruumis, joka liittyy tuohon ratkaistuksi luultuun tapaukseen. Mitä Oxfordissa kadonneelle Daisy-tytölle tapahtui, ja miten Fawley saattoi epäonnistua niin traagisella tavalla?
Cara Hunter on yksi tämän hetken taitavimmista jännäristeistä, joka on vakuuttanut lukijat Adam Fawley -sarjallaan sekä omaperäisellä Murha perhepiirissä -mysteerillään.
415 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2025
690 people are currently reading
10467 people want to read
About the author
Cara Hunter
18 books3,049 followersCara Hunter is a writer who lives in Oxford, in a street not unlike those featured in her series of crime books. Close to Home is her debut featuring DI Adam Fawley, and her second, In the Dark, is coming soon.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 554 reviews
February 27, 2025
*HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY*
Rounded Up to 3.5.
Before I proceed, I need to warn you that this review contains major spoilers for the first book in the series, Close to Home, so if you plan to read that one stop reading now! I’m not using spoiler tags since there are no spoilers (teasers only) for this book.
In Making a Killing the seventh instalment of the series, six years has passed since #6 Hope to Die. Which I’ve just realised means that the events of books 1-6 took place over a mere two years. Yikes! No wonder Adam and co. are so traumatised.
Just like the summer of 2016 when eight-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared, the summer of 2024 is a scorcher! Love those parallels.
Deep in the woods of Hescombe a woman walking her dog stumbles upon a grisly discovery. A shallow grave containing the body of a woman – estimated time of death, a few weeks ago. Stuck to the duct tape binding the body is a single hair, soon identified as belonging to Daisy Mason.
But Daisy’s case was closed eight years ago. DI Adam Fawley was the SIO. Yes, Daisy’s body was never found, but the person responsible was convicted based on strong forensic evidence and is currently serving a life sentence. Did they get it wrong?
Could Daisy Mason (who would be sixteen years old now) still be alive?
For those who are worried that they have little recall of the events of Close to Home, because like me they read that one years ago, never fear, you will be able to follow this one just fine. Adam Fawley (now a DCI), and his core team, are some of my favourite characters, and it was great to see them return. And I loved Adam’s six-year-old daughter Lily (who was only a baby in the last book), and their father/daughter relationship. So sweet! The notion of ‘The Shadow Self’, first conceived by psychologist Carl Jung, popularised in recent years by Keila Shaheen’s bestselling self-help book, The Shadow Work Journal, was an effective way of offering a voyeuristic POV of a certain character. I enjoyed the tie-in to Cara Hunter’s standalone novel, Murder in the Family, and the Infamous Netflix series from that book. The title of this one was also genius.
Unfortunately, the novel was a super slow burn, and the crime plot failed to hook me and hold my attention. It took me ages to get into the swing of the investigation, and the pace never really picked up – in fact the second half dragged more than the first. I never resorted to skim reading, but I did keep glancing down at the percentage willing the plot to move faster. Because of this I had a lot of time to think about the mystery and had nearly every twist worked out prior to its reveal. And, with the exception of one that really got me, the remainder I didn’t guess were average. If I’m being honest, I was never sold on the idea of a continuation of the Daisy Mason case, and was surprised to learn that it was something readers were asking for, as I was more than satisfied with the conclusion of Close to Home.
There were CID detectives assigned to the cases in this novel coming out of the woodwork. I counted fifteen, and I think I may have missed some. I know we were dealing with two police teams, hence the influx of characters, and they were all interesting and well fleshed-out, but it was still a lot. There was a handy character summary included by the author at the start, which I appreciated, but it didn’t include the Gloucester characters which would’ve been helpful. I kept losing my concentration trying to nail down which pair of investigators were in each scene. Not to mention that there were plenty of other characters – victims, witnesses, suspects – centred around the crimes to keep track of as well.
I love Cara Hunter, will continue to read this author, and the other six books in the Adam Fawley series were all five-star reads for me, but this instalment wasn’t my favourite. It should also be noted that most of the early reviews for Making a Killing are 5-stars, meaning my opinion is very much in the minority.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, and Cara Hunter for the e-ARC.
Release Date: 27th February 2025.
P.S. I may have squealed when Cara Hunter mentioned The Scold’s Bridle by Minette Walters. I predict an upcoming reread.
Rounded Up to 3.5.
Before I proceed, I need to warn you that this review contains major spoilers for the first book in the series, Close to Home, so if you plan to read that one stop reading now! I’m not using spoiler tags since there are no spoilers (teasers only) for this book.
In Making a Killing the seventh instalment of the series, six years has passed since #6 Hope to Die. Which I’ve just realised means that the events of books 1-6 took place over a mere two years. Yikes! No wonder Adam and co. are so traumatised.
Just like the summer of 2016 when eight-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared, the summer of 2024 is a scorcher! Love those parallels.
Deep in the woods of Hescombe a woman walking her dog stumbles upon a grisly discovery. A shallow grave containing the body of a woman – estimated time of death, a few weeks ago. Stuck to the duct tape binding the body is a single hair, soon identified as belonging to Daisy Mason.
But Daisy’s case was closed eight years ago. DI Adam Fawley was the SIO. Yes, Daisy’s body was never found, but the person responsible was convicted based on strong forensic evidence and is currently serving a life sentence. Did they get it wrong?
Could Daisy Mason (who would be sixteen years old now) still be alive?
For those who are worried that they have little recall of the events of Close to Home, because like me they read that one years ago, never fear, you will be able to follow this one just fine. Adam Fawley (now a DCI), and his core team, are some of my favourite characters, and it was great to see them return. And I loved Adam’s six-year-old daughter Lily (who was only a baby in the last book), and their father/daughter relationship. So sweet! The notion of ‘The Shadow Self’, first conceived by psychologist Carl Jung, popularised in recent years by Keila Shaheen’s bestselling self-help book, The Shadow Work Journal, was an effective way of offering a voyeuristic POV of a certain character. I enjoyed the tie-in to Cara Hunter’s standalone novel, Murder in the Family, and the Infamous Netflix series from that book. The title of this one was also genius.
Unfortunately, the novel was a super slow burn, and the crime plot failed to hook me and hold my attention. It took me ages to get into the swing of the investigation, and the pace never really picked up – in fact the second half dragged more than the first. I never resorted to skim reading, but I did keep glancing down at the percentage willing the plot to move faster. Because of this I had a lot of time to think about the mystery and had nearly every twist worked out prior to its reveal. And, with the exception of one that really got me, the remainder I didn’t guess were average. If I’m being honest, I was never sold on the idea of a continuation of the Daisy Mason case, and was surprised to learn that it was something readers were asking for, as I was more than satisfied with the conclusion of Close to Home.
There were CID detectives assigned to the cases in this novel coming out of the woodwork. I counted fifteen, and I think I may have missed some. I know we were dealing with two police teams, hence the influx of characters, and they were all interesting and well fleshed-out, but it was still a lot. There was a handy character summary included by the author at the start, which I appreciated, but it didn’t include the Gloucester characters which would’ve been helpful. I kept losing my concentration trying to nail down which pair of investigators were in each scene. Not to mention that there were plenty of other characters – victims, witnesses, suspects – centred around the crimes to keep track of as well.
I love Cara Hunter, will continue to read this author, and the other six books in the Adam Fawley series were all five-star reads for me, but this instalment wasn’t my favourite. It should also be noted that most of the early reviews for Making a Killing are 5-stars, meaning my opinion is very much in the minority.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, and Cara Hunter for the e-ARC.
Release Date: 27th February 2025.
P.S. I may have squealed when Cara Hunter mentioned The Scold’s Bridle by Minette Walters. I predict an upcoming reread.
June 28, 2025
An intricate plot filled with genuine dialogue and long-buried secrets, Making a Killing managed to keep me firmly in suspense from beginning to end. With a twisty, twisty premise and some truly despicable villains, there was no end to the questions rolling around in my head. Combined with a large cast of believable detectives who only get more developed with every book in the series, it was a near perfect read and I stayed up way too late in order to finish. After all, I love how Hunter’s plots are essentially big, well-constructed puzzles. In fact, there’s nothing I love more than challenging myself to solve them before all is revealed—even though I usually fail despite my armchair sleuthing skills.
There were, however, a few minor flaws. The biggest of all likely stemmed from my own whoopsie of a mistake, though. You see, while this was the seventh book in the DI Fawley series, it was also a continuation of what happened in book one, which I haven’t read…yet. Needless to say, I felt like I was playing catchup with regard to the case and the characters. The only other teeny, tiny issue for me was how detailed and complex the police work was. While I loved the mixed media format, the intricacies of the investigation took this police procedural to a whole other level. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it. I just had a hard time getting immersed in the story like I have with some of Ms. Hunter’s prior novels.
All in all, though, with a dynamite protagonist, an onion-like plot, and a deft “WTF?!” twist, I had a blast riding shotgun with this police team. I do have to warn you, however, that if you’re not a crime fiction reader, the even-pacing might be considered a slow burn. Picking apart the case, the storyline was hardly adrenaline-fueled or propulsive. Just the same, the emails, phone call transcripts, journal entries, and articles put a fun twist on the traditional delivery of a police procedural and almost gave it a true-crime documentary feel. So if you love sharp writing, finely tuned suspense, and twists that will shock you but good, this book will please you to no end. After all, most of it delivered in spades. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
When Nick Vincent, producer of true-crime show Infamous, hears about an explosive new angle on a high-profile case—the 2016 murder of an eight-year-old girl in Oxford—he leaps at the chance to send a researcher to verify the claims.
Two months later, a dog walker discovers a woman’s body, bound and buried in a shallow grave in the woods. Forensic evidence links the corpse to the disappearance of that same child.
DCI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is called in to run the enquiry. And he remembers the case well—he arrested the child’s mother for murder. A murder he now knows she didn’t commit.
The investigation raises more questions than answers. What connects the two crimes? Where has the dead girl been all these years? How did she manage to disappear? For Adam Fawley, this is personal...
Thank you to Cara Hunter and William Morrow Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: May 20, 2025
Content warning: missing persons, self-harm, murder
There were, however, a few minor flaws. The biggest of all likely stemmed from my own whoopsie of a mistake, though. You see, while this was the seventh book in the DI Fawley series, it was also a continuation of what happened in book one, which I haven’t read…yet. Needless to say, I felt like I was playing catchup with regard to the case and the characters. The only other teeny, tiny issue for me was how detailed and complex the police work was. While I loved the mixed media format, the intricacies of the investigation took this police procedural to a whole other level. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it. I just had a hard time getting immersed in the story like I have with some of Ms. Hunter’s prior novels.
All in all, though, with a dynamite protagonist, an onion-like plot, and a deft “WTF?!” twist, I had a blast riding shotgun with this police team. I do have to warn you, however, that if you’re not a crime fiction reader, the even-pacing might be considered a slow burn. Picking apart the case, the storyline was hardly adrenaline-fueled or propulsive. Just the same, the emails, phone call transcripts, journal entries, and articles put a fun twist on the traditional delivery of a police procedural and almost gave it a true-crime documentary feel. So if you love sharp writing, finely tuned suspense, and twists that will shock you but good, this book will please you to no end. After all, most of it delivered in spades. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
When Nick Vincent, producer of true-crime show Infamous, hears about an explosive new angle on a high-profile case—the 2016 murder of an eight-year-old girl in Oxford—he leaps at the chance to send a researcher to verify the claims.
Two months later, a dog walker discovers a woman’s body, bound and buried in a shallow grave in the woods. Forensic evidence links the corpse to the disappearance of that same child.
DCI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is called in to run the enquiry. And he remembers the case well—he arrested the child’s mother for murder. A murder he now knows she didn’t commit.
The investigation raises more questions than answers. What connects the two crimes? Where has the dead girl been all these years? How did she manage to disappear? For Adam Fawley, this is personal...
Thank you to Cara Hunter and William Morrow Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: May 20, 2025
Content warning: missing persons, self-harm, murder
November 15, 2024
This picks up Daisy Mason‘s story from Adam Fawley #1 ‘ Close To Home’.
Who killed eight-year-old Daisy Mason in 2016? Her mother Sharon is convicted, receives a life sentence and must serve 25 years minimum but is it an unsound conviction? Although Daisy’s body is never found, Sharon‘s husband Barry believes she does commit the crime, eaten with jealousy over her pretty daughter. Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, believes justice is served. However, journalist Nick Vincent, host of a true crime show, receives new evidence and the team are on the case, attempting to verify what they have learned. Attention switches to Henscombe in the Cotswolds when a dog and its walker make a grisly discovery. Who is the victim? When forensic evidence links the woman’s body to Daisy, Fawley is back on the case. What is going on? Is it possible that mistakes are made in 2016?
I love this series and tend to get a bit giddy with excited anticipation prior to reading the latest instalment. Expectations fulfilled? That’ll be a resounding yes. It follows the usual mixed media format which I thoroughly enjoy as it’s done so expertly and well with Cara Hunter making the storyline skilfully flow. It has multiple layers to the plot which adds to the perplexing complications of the enquiry with some of the revelations pulling you up very sharply indeed. I especially like the psychology element through which some very clear pictures emerge which aren’t necessarily pretty. The plot has more twists, turns and dead ends than Hampton Court maze, some terrific cliffhanger section endings which deepens an already suspenseful read. There are lies of humongous proportions and betrayal of such enormity that it beggars belief.
As usual, the characterisation is excellent. Adam Fawley is one of the most interesting central protagonists in this genre and he continues to fascinate. He’s serious but not dull, he has authority but is not authoritarian and is a man of sufficient strength of personality he can own mistakes. There’s a great diverse team around him too, as well as a very entertaining daughter in Lily!
Overall, this is another cracking read with very good suspenseful ending. I hope the author doesn’t make us wait too long to find out what happens next. I can hardly wait.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to the publishers for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Who killed eight-year-old Daisy Mason in 2016? Her mother Sharon is convicted, receives a life sentence and must serve 25 years minimum but is it an unsound conviction? Although Daisy’s body is never found, Sharon‘s husband Barry believes she does commit the crime, eaten with jealousy over her pretty daughter. Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, believes justice is served. However, journalist Nick Vincent, host of a true crime show, receives new evidence and the team are on the case, attempting to verify what they have learned. Attention switches to Henscombe in the Cotswolds when a dog and its walker make a grisly discovery. Who is the victim? When forensic evidence links the woman’s body to Daisy, Fawley is back on the case. What is going on? Is it possible that mistakes are made in 2016?
I love this series and tend to get a bit giddy with excited anticipation prior to reading the latest instalment. Expectations fulfilled? That’ll be a resounding yes. It follows the usual mixed media format which I thoroughly enjoy as it’s done so expertly and well with Cara Hunter making the storyline skilfully flow. It has multiple layers to the plot which adds to the perplexing complications of the enquiry with some of the revelations pulling you up very sharply indeed. I especially like the psychology element through which some very clear pictures emerge which aren’t necessarily pretty. The plot has more twists, turns and dead ends than Hampton Court maze, some terrific cliffhanger section endings which deepens an already suspenseful read. There are lies of humongous proportions and betrayal of such enormity that it beggars belief.
As usual, the characterisation is excellent. Adam Fawley is one of the most interesting central protagonists in this genre and he continues to fascinate. He’s serious but not dull, he has authority but is not authoritarian and is a man of sufficient strength of personality he can own mistakes. There’s a great diverse team around him too, as well as a very entertaining daughter in Lily!
Overall, this is another cracking read with very good suspenseful ending. I hope the author doesn’t make us wait too long to find out what happens next. I can hardly wait.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to the publishers for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
November 18, 2024
The continuation of the Daisy Mason case I didn't know I wanted! This was fantastic - I went back to skim the epilogue of book 1 and it all came back to me, but Cara Hunter also sprinkles some really good reminders throughout too. A horrific story, a very fascinating dark main character and very much a hard to put down read. Keen to see what Hunter writes for us next!
As always, fantastic mixed media in this one. She does it like no other author I've ever read and I love it every time.
Wouldn't work well without having read book 1 in the series, but could skip from reading book 1 straight to book 7.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
As always, fantastic mixed media in this one. She does it like no other author I've ever read and I love it every time.
Wouldn't work well without having read book 1 in the series, but could skip from reading book 1 straight to book 7.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 10, 2025
I've been a fan of this series (DI Adam Fawley) since the beginning and was thrilled to get approval to read #7. Unfortunately it's taken me a lot longer to read it than I had planned. Because the story is told in a multi-media format, much like the previous books, it was a bit wonky in the Kindle version. Part way through reading it, Netgalley made the "Netgalley Reader" available which really improved its readability. Unfortunately, due to some family health issues including an unexpected death I was unable to finish it prior to the publication date.
In July 2024 a dog walker discovers a woman’s body, bound and buried in a shallow grave in the woods. Forensic evidence links the corpse to the 2016 disappearance of an eight-year-old girl in Oxford. DCI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is called in to run the enquiry. And he remembers the case well—he arrested the child’s mother for murder. A murder he now knows she didn’t commit. The investigation raises more questions than answers.
I'm so impressed by the format of this book; we have newspaper clippings, emails, interview transcripts, mug shots, even a picture from a dating website. I really liked how the author included brief bios of the members of Fawley's team at the beginning. Because the investigation is a collaboration between the Thames Valley Police and the South Mercia Police, many new characters are introduced as well so it can get a little confusing. I'm hoping there'll be an 8th book as I still need some answers! I highly recommend this whole series but you should at least read the first book before this one.
Although it's not included in the Kindle edition I got from Netgalley, the NetGalley Reader contains an Adam Fawley short story entitled "Descent" which included some interesting information about Fawley's childhood. Maybe the basis for another book?! That short story makes many references to 2-19 but I don't understand the significance and a google search doesn't help much.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, via Netgalley, for approving my request to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: February 13, 2025.
This review will be posted on Netgalley and Goodreads as of March 10, 2025 and on amazon.ca under the hardcover edition on March 10, 2025. Apparently the Kindle and paperback editions and the audiobook aren't being released in Canada until May 2025.
In July 2024 a dog walker discovers a woman’s body, bound and buried in a shallow grave in the woods. Forensic evidence links the corpse to the 2016 disappearance of an eight-year-old girl in Oxford. DCI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is called in to run the enquiry. And he remembers the case well—he arrested the child’s mother for murder. A murder he now knows she didn’t commit. The investigation raises more questions than answers.
I'm so impressed by the format of this book; we have newspaper clippings, emails, interview transcripts, mug shots, even a picture from a dating website. I really liked how the author included brief bios of the members of Fawley's team at the beginning. Because the investigation is a collaboration between the Thames Valley Police and the South Mercia Police, many new characters are introduced as well so it can get a little confusing. I'm hoping there'll be an 8th book as I still need some answers! I highly recommend this whole series but you should at least read the first book before this one.
Although it's not included in the Kindle edition I got from Netgalley, the NetGalley Reader contains an Adam Fawley short story entitled "Descent" which included some interesting information about Fawley's childhood. Maybe the basis for another book?! That short story makes many references to 2-19 but I don't understand the significance and a google search doesn't help much.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, via Netgalley, for approving my request to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: February 13, 2025.
This review will be posted on Netgalley and Goodreads as of March 10, 2025 and on amazon.ca under the hardcover edition on March 10, 2025. Apparently the Kindle and paperback editions and the audiobook aren't being released in Canada until May 2025.
May 14, 2025
This is the 7th book in the Adam Fawley series but the first for me. There were a few bits that seemed to be continuing storylines but for the most this was a mystery that was contained in this book so I enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent, but there were a lot of different formats of information and I would have preferred this one in physical form to be able to track those a little better. The mystery in this one was pretty out there and I enjoyed it quite a lot except I didn’t love the ending. There were a few bits that were far fetched, but it was overall a good mystery. A woman is found dead and buried but there is a hair on the body that leads police to a previously solved murder of an 8 year old girl. But they don’t share a perpetrator, the hair is from that 8 year old child, clearly still alive. My favorite perspective/modality was the shadow journal from that missing child herself. It was so well done. I liked this book a lot and the characters so I will have to go back and find some of the previous books.
May 27, 2025
So, as always, I have read another series out of order. This is the 7th book in the DI Adam Fawley series. This is my first.
A dog walker stumbles upon a woman’s body in a shallow grave. Forensic evidence links the corpse to the disappearance of a child who went missing eight years earlier. The mother of the child was convicted of her disappearance and supposed murder. However, no body was ever found.
This story is very intricate. Lots of forensic evidence is disclosed. Diary entries, logged calls, media reports and newspaper articles are throughout the book. This was a very interesting police procedural that I definitely enjoyed. The ending does leave you hanging and anticipating the next in the series.
Btw, I have the series on my shelves and I’m just now getting to it. 🫣🫣
Many thanks to William Morrow and Cara Hunter for the gifted copy.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A dog walker stumbles upon a woman’s body in a shallow grave. Forensic evidence links the corpse to the disappearance of a child who went missing eight years earlier. The mother of the child was convicted of her disappearance and supposed murder. However, no body was ever found.
This story is very intricate. Lots of forensic evidence is disclosed. Diary entries, logged calls, media reports and newspaper articles are throughout the book. This was a very interesting police procedural that I definitely enjoyed. The ending does leave you hanging and anticipating the next in the series.
Btw, I have the series on my shelves and I’m just now getting to it. 🫣🫣
Many thanks to William Morrow and Cara Hunter for the gifted copy.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 14, 2025
2 stars
There are a myriad of things that didn't work out for me.
Let's start with the fact that in the first half of the book, nothing happens. And the entire focus of the story is put on the whereabouts of the supposed killed girl who is now proven to be alive. But no one actually cares about the dead woman found by the dogwalker.
I didn't understand how the same team that wrongfully accused and convicted a person for someone's murder, it is now allowed to investigate where the "not so dead" girl is. How is that even possible??? Not to mention it was not the first time they accused someone of being killed, got someone convicted and then they were proven wrong.
Then we have a thousand characters. Every single DI, DS and any other person working in the police in UK is in this book.
And if having all those characters was not enough, the author felt compelled to lay out their every thought, every doubt, every inner dialog, their extremely judgemental way of looking at people and labeling them.
The investigation is more shooting darts in the dark and running away with a supposition based on nothing, no facts, no evidence, not a thing. Just theories that sounded good or good enough and presented as a good theory.
Then we have the so called victim which turns out to be the biggest villan in town. I didn't buy it. Not for one moment, one second, nothing. I just can't see an 8 year old acting like that, planning all that. If she would have been at least 13-14, maybe, but at barely 8 years old??? Nope. I am sorry.
And, lastly, the ending. Or the lack of it. I mean after putting up with all that mess, the dragged plot, the million useless characters and the chopped chapters with journals and Now and Then and the insanely repetitive sections (because every conversation was repeated entirely all throughout the book which was very annoying), so after all that .....there was no ending. Very disappointing.
And, as a last note, having listened to this book, I am sure we can come up with a better system than reading every single email, email address, the title, the subject, the signature and so on. It is tiresome to no end.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
There are a myriad of things that didn't work out for me.
Let's start with the fact that in the first half of the book, nothing happens. And the entire focus of the story is put on the whereabouts of the supposed killed girl who is now proven to be alive. But no one actually cares about the dead woman found by the dogwalker.
I didn't understand how the same team that wrongfully accused and convicted a person for someone's murder, it is now allowed to investigate where the "not so dead" girl is. How is that even possible??? Not to mention it was not the first time they accused someone of being killed, got someone convicted and then they were proven wrong.
Then we have a thousand characters. Every single DI, DS and any other person working in the police in UK is in this book.
And if having all those characters was not enough, the author felt compelled to lay out their every thought, every doubt, every inner dialog, their extremely judgemental way of looking at people and labeling them.
The investigation is more shooting darts in the dark and running away with a supposition based on nothing, no facts, no evidence, not a thing. Just theories that sounded good or good enough and presented as a good theory.
Then we have the so called victim which turns out to be the biggest villan in town. I didn't buy it. Not for one moment, one second, nothing. I just can't see an 8 year old acting like that, planning all that. If she would have been at least 13-14, maybe, but at barely 8 years old??? Nope. I am sorry.
And, lastly, the ending. Or the lack of it. I mean after putting up with all that mess, the dragged plot, the million useless characters and the chopped chapters with journals and Now and Then and the insanely repetitive sections (because every conversation was repeated entirely all throughout the book which was very annoying), so after all that .....there was no ending. Very disappointing.
And, as a last note, having listened to this book, I am sure we can come up with a better system than reading every single email, email address, the title, the subject, the signature and so on. It is tiresome to no end.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
December 6, 2024
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via the publishers.
Making a Killing is the latest book in the DCI Adam Fawley series and links in to Caras first book in the series with a lead on the case of a missing/murdered child - Daisy Mason from 2016. Daisy was declared as murdered but her body was never found. Her mother, Sharon, has been serving a life sentence for the murder but has sworn her innocence from the start. When a body is found in a shallow grave under a well-known tree linked to a famous witch-trial from centuries ago, and evidence found leads to findings that Daisy isn't in fact dead (or at least wasn't when this body was buried). As the case of Daisy is reopened and DCI Fawley and his newly banded together team investigate a new murder alongside the mystery of Daisy - shocking evidence comes to light with lots of revelations, red-herrings and new leads that keep you hooked from the first chapter.
It does take a while to get to grips with who's who and I loved that Cara now includes a quick summary of each main character at the start of the book that you can flick back to at any point in the book to refresh yourself.
This book also links in with the Murder In the Family book series as the case being investigated was also being delved into as a new series on the true-crime show Infamous hosted by producer Nick Vincent.
This book is suspenseful and cleverly woven together to straddle both series, and I can't wait to see where it will lead to next from the ending of this book!
Making a Killing is the latest book in the DCI Adam Fawley series and links in to Caras first book in the series with a lead on the case of a missing/murdered child - Daisy Mason from 2016. Daisy was declared as murdered but her body was never found. Her mother, Sharon, has been serving a life sentence for the murder but has sworn her innocence from the start. When a body is found in a shallow grave under a well-known tree linked to a famous witch-trial from centuries ago, and evidence found leads to findings that Daisy isn't in fact dead (or at least wasn't when this body was buried). As the case of Daisy is reopened and DCI Fawley and his newly banded together team investigate a new murder alongside the mystery of Daisy - shocking evidence comes to light with lots of revelations, red-herrings and new leads that keep you hooked from the first chapter.
It does take a while to get to grips with who's who and I loved that Cara now includes a quick summary of each main character at the start of the book that you can flick back to at any point in the book to refresh yourself.
This book also links in with the Murder In the Family book series as the case being investigated was also being delved into as a new series on the true-crime show Infamous hosted by producer Nick Vincent.
This book is suspenseful and cleverly woven together to straddle both series, and I can't wait to see where it will lead to next from the ending of this book!
February 20, 2025
He's baaaack.....
And so is she!!!!!!
Yes, DI Adam Fawley and talented author Cara Hunter are both back.
Even though "Making A Killing" is the seventh book in the author's DI Adam Fawley series, it is also a standalone read.
Reading "Close To Home, DI Adam Fawley #1" is highly recommended.
The premise of "Making A Killing" is brilliant:
In Book #1, DI Adam Fawley's team helps convict a mother accused of murdering her 8-year-old daughter with forensic evidence and no corpse.
In Book #7, we learn that DI Adam Fawley and his team could have wrongfully convicted an innocent mother.
Recently uncovered evidence indicates that the alleged young female murder victim is alive.
Did an 8-year-old girl outsmart the esteemed DI Adam Fawley?
There are police procedurals and there are police procedurals, and Cara Hunter is highly skilled in penning outstanding police procedurals.
WHY NOT 5 STARS?
This 12-hour audiobook was very, very long.
With two police teams and many witnesses, I could have used a scorecard to keep track of everyone.
This being said, Cara Hunter is one of my favorite police procedural writers.
Her strong characterizations, witty police banter, jaw-dropping twists, and her uncanny attention to the infinitesimal details of criminal investigations never fail to wow me.
I listened to the audiobook read by Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair, and Alexandra Boulton.
Multi-cast audiobook narrations are always a treat and all narrators gave outstanding performances.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
November 23, 2024
Adam Fawley is back!! I have been a big fan of Cara Hunters books since Close to Home was released so it was nice to go back to that book with Making a Killing. This is book 7 in the series and you really do want to read them all. I think to fully appreciate this new book you need to understand the Daisy Mason case and all the characters. The author does a great job of recapping it but the more you know about it the better.
Police procedural books are my absolute favourites to read. I love learning about the case and all the players, seeing the police work the case and trying to find the clues along the way, I am terrible at guessing the ending most of time which is the sign of great writing. There are so many twists and misdirections.
I did really enjoy the link to Murder in the Family, Cara’s last book. It was a really nice connection . The use of mixed media works really well in these kinds of books and there is so much in Making a Killing. There are newspaper articles, phone call transcripts, emails and much more. And a fabulous ending that makes me excited for book number 8, although the author note at the end reveals that we will need to wait a while for that one.
Thank you so much to Harper Collins Australia for my amazing proof copy. Publishes on February 13th on kindle and audio, March 5th in paperback.
Police procedural books are my absolute favourites to read. I love learning about the case and all the players, seeing the police work the case and trying to find the clues along the way, I am terrible at guessing the ending most of time which is the sign of great writing. There are so many twists and misdirections.
I did really enjoy the link to Murder in the Family, Cara’s last book. It was a really nice connection . The use of mixed media works really well in these kinds of books and there is so much in Making a Killing. There are newspaper articles, phone call transcripts, emails and much more. And a fabulous ending that makes me excited for book number 8, although the author note at the end reveals that we will need to wait a while for that one.
Thank you so much to Harper Collins Australia for my amazing proof copy. Publishes on February 13th on kindle and audio, March 5th in paperback.
October 9, 2024
My Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded down from 4.5 - Wishes do come true… but now how long do I have to wait!!!
So my point blank refusal to let book 6 be the end was my one way wish ticket to book 7 so I guess you could say I am lucky… or you could say I should use my wishes better. But no matter what you say, I felt like a winner. Did I get up at 4:30am (for work of course because I am not a psychopath who does that for fun) and see that I had been approved and scream and do a happy dance in my half asleep state… well yes of course I did… it literally made my whole day. Come on guys… it was 4:30 IN THE MORNING!!! Anyways…..
My original disclaimer stands - see my other reviews of this series… but if you are not a fan of anything other than a standard book this is not going to work for you. There is mixed media and no chapters and lots and lots of characters and stuff happening!!! Nuff said! Just be warned… if you hate it don’t come blaming me 🤣
So Queen Hunter is back and she’s doing her thang better as good as ever, I personally didn’t read her standalone but I know how complicated that was, so she is still knocking it out of the park with the mixed media. The pics and the twists they are still there. This book is great because if you are not like me and had only just finished the series one single day before getting approved for this ARC then it gives you a bit of everything you need. There is a character recap, showing you how they are going and what they are up to.
The timeline jumps from the last book 2018 to current time so brings us right up to date AND skips COVID which is something the author said she was glad about and to be honest so am I. I cannot be bothered reading about COVID we were there… it sucked no one needs more of it in their lives. It was really convenient because it also even explained why certain characters didn’t travel via plane or at all… so that was good.
The story has moved on as well and I was wondering how she was going to handle everyone growing up and getting promoted etc etc. because technically DI Fawley is actually DCI Fawley so that was cool and she weaves in how Quinn is now a DI and why he would be working with Fawley Yadda Yadda. I am gonna be real and let you I know I pretty much hated Quinn throughout the whole series but this book he’s still a bit of a dick but has grown up a bit. So thats nice, I like the character growth and I also like that we didn’t need to read about every single stepping stone in their lives to where they are now… some of it is nuanced some of it is assumed and some of it you are told is happening so you just make the natural leap to oh… this many years have passed of course so and so got engaged, married or whatever.
The case is a throw back to book one, so insert Daisy Mason and dun dun dunnnnn what happened to her. For those of you who remember her mother is in jail for her murder and her dad was convicted of having child pornography images on his phone … but well we all remember the epilogue and if you don’t cause you haven’t read book one… come on what are you doing here at book 7 a brand newbie when you haven’t even experienced all the glory of all the other books… I beg you go back!!! You will thank me later, and if you don’t then I don't really want to hear negativity please so keep that to yourself 🤣
Anyway, I have used a lot of words to say not much unlike our Queen Cara, but needless to say there twists were twisty, the suspense was hanging and the writing was on point!! There are some errors in the ARC but please … let her get it edited sheesh… its gonna be fine. I loved it, I wont hear a bad word about it and I will recommend the series until someone screams in my face to shut up… look lets be realistic that wont stop me.
One thing I will recommend is that this book is in an electronic PDF version so some of the formatting is not quite ready for kindle, it is still readable but much much easier on NetGalley shelf so I recommend an iPad or similar (obviously you can use your phone) at least to look at the newspaper articles, reports and pics. There is some repetition of sentences on kindle but honestly no one and nothing could have stopped me reading this early. So if like me you have no patience you will find a way!!!
Overall, request this bad boy if you have read ALL the other books (or at least book one come on please) and you liked them. If you didn’t like any of the other books then I don’t know what you are doing here but whatever you do you… but this will piss you off if you didn’t like the other ones. If you did though go for it… read till your heart is content and then just buy it when it comes out as well cause I mean who doesn’t love owning a rocking series.
Please, write more, write it soon… I am putting my wishes into this series again…I know its unlikely to happen again but here we are me wishing for unrealistic stuff because I can’t wish for a million dollars like normal people do!!!
I want to scream my thanks and gratitude to Harper Collins UK/Hemlock Press, NetGalley and the Author (Cara “Queen” Hunter) for this advanced copy in exchange for my 4:30am excitement and my very positive review!!
So my point blank refusal to let book 6 be the end was my one way wish ticket to book 7 so I guess you could say I am lucky… or you could say I should use my wishes better. But no matter what you say, I felt like a winner. Did I get up at 4:30am (for work of course because I am not a psychopath who does that for fun) and see that I had been approved and scream and do a happy dance in my half asleep state… well yes of course I did… it literally made my whole day. Come on guys… it was 4:30 IN THE MORNING!!! Anyways…..
My original disclaimer stands - see my other reviews of this series… but if you are not a fan of anything other than a standard book this is not going to work for you. There is mixed media and no chapters and lots and lots of characters and stuff happening!!! Nuff said! Just be warned… if you hate it don’t come blaming me 🤣
So Queen Hunter is back and she’s doing her thang better as good as ever, I personally didn’t read her standalone but I know how complicated that was, so she is still knocking it out of the park with the mixed media. The pics and the twists they are still there. This book is great because if you are not like me and had only just finished the series one single day before getting approved for this ARC then it gives you a bit of everything you need. There is a character recap, showing you how they are going and what they are up to.
The timeline jumps from the last book 2018 to current time so brings us right up to date AND skips COVID which is something the author said she was glad about and to be honest so am I. I cannot be bothered reading about COVID we were there… it sucked no one needs more of it in their lives. It was really convenient because it also even explained why certain characters didn’t travel via plane or at all… so that was good.
The story has moved on as well and I was wondering how she was going to handle everyone growing up and getting promoted etc etc. because technically DI Fawley is actually DCI Fawley so that was cool and she weaves in how Quinn is now a DI and why he would be working with Fawley Yadda Yadda. I am gonna be real and let you I know I pretty much hated Quinn throughout the whole series but this book he’s still a bit of a dick but has grown up a bit. So thats nice, I like the character growth and I also like that we didn’t need to read about every single stepping stone in their lives to where they are now… some of it is nuanced some of it is assumed and some of it you are told is happening so you just make the natural leap to oh… this many years have passed of course so and so got engaged, married or whatever.
The case is a throw back to book one, so insert Daisy Mason and dun dun dunnnnn what happened to her. For those of you who remember her mother is in jail for her murder and her dad was convicted of having child pornography images on his phone … but well we all remember the epilogue and if you don’t cause you haven’t read book one… come on what are you doing here at book 7 a brand newbie when you haven’t even experienced all the glory of all the other books… I beg you go back!!! You will thank me later, and if you don’t then I don't really want to hear negativity please so keep that to yourself 🤣
Anyway, I have used a lot of words to say not much unlike our Queen Cara, but needless to say there twists were twisty, the suspense was hanging and the writing was on point!! There are some errors in the ARC but please … let her get it edited sheesh… its gonna be fine. I loved it, I wont hear a bad word about it and I will recommend the series until someone screams in my face to shut up… look lets be realistic that wont stop me.
One thing I will recommend is that this book is in an electronic PDF version so some of the formatting is not quite ready for kindle, it is still readable but much much easier on NetGalley shelf so I recommend an iPad or similar (obviously you can use your phone) at least to look at the newspaper articles, reports and pics. There is some repetition of sentences on kindle but honestly no one and nothing could have stopped me reading this early. So if like me you have no patience you will find a way!!!
Overall, request this bad boy if you have read ALL the other books (or at least book one come on please) and you liked them. If you didn’t like any of the other books then I don’t know what you are doing here but whatever you do you… but this will piss you off if you didn’t like the other ones. If you did though go for it… read till your heart is content and then just buy it when it comes out as well cause I mean who doesn’t love owning a rocking series.
Please, write more, write it soon… I am putting my wishes into this series again…I know its unlikely to happen again but here we are me wishing for unrealistic stuff because I can’t wish for a million dollars like normal people do!!!
I want to scream my thanks and gratitude to Harper Collins UK/Hemlock Press, NetGalley and the Author (Cara “Queen” Hunter) for this advanced copy in exchange for my 4:30am excitement and my very positive review!!
May 26, 2025
8 year old Daisy Mason disappears and is thought to be killed by her mother. 8 years later her DNA shows up at a crime scene. DI Adam Fawley the original investigator is sent to investigate the case.
This was a great story full of twists and turns. It had many interesting characters.
Thanks NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC in exchange for an honest review! This will be released in May 2025.
This was a great story full of twists and turns. It had many interesting characters.
Thanks NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC in exchange for an honest review! This will be released in May 2025.
March 19, 2025
As someone who RAVES about this series and was so excited for this release, it hurts me to say this did not live up to the other books.
Synopsis:
A follow up to the first book in the Adam Fawley series, new evidence brings to light the fact that little Daisy Mason never really died all those years ago, in fact now she’s not so little and is involved in a new murder mystery.
Review:
I will start by saying that whilst I adored books 2-6, the first instalment didn’t really work for me due to the way it portrayed Daisy (then eight years old) as a criminal mastermind who faked her own murder (with some help). The epilogue did imply this second book would one day appear in the world and I thought that Daisy being sixteen now would work a bit better. However, it never stops referencing old Daisy and how evil and smart she was and I think it takes away from some of the authenticity I found within the other books in the series- it just seems so intangible . I found Daisy’s ‘shadow journal’ pages to sound immature but with the evil genius of a much older adult and this disjointed pov took me out of the story.
As with all the other books, Adam Fawley’s team of characters saved it and allowed me to still enjoy parts of the book. Although, I will say the cast is a little too big to track and connect with now (the rundown of all the characters at the start was such a save!!). Considering that this book is set six years after the last one, I did feel there was a bit of change and distance within the team and their relationships but I still enjoyed reading about where they are now.
The pacing is great but the one thing that really lowered my rating was the reveal (or lack thereof). All the building tension completely fizzled out with a final six pages leading to a ‘fade to black’ cliffhanger and a vital piece of missed evidence (which the witness never checked up about) making the entire investigation team seem forgetful and therefore taking away from how hard they tried to solve the case. It was just so disappointing.
I am hoping that there’s more to come from Cara Hunter as I am a big fan (No Way Out being my favourite) but I hope the next one has a stronger concept and selection of main cast.
Thank you to Harper Fiction for sending me a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Synopsis:
A follow up to the first book in the Adam Fawley series, new evidence brings to light the fact that little Daisy Mason never really died all those years ago, in fact now she’s not so little and is involved in a new murder mystery.
Review:
I will start by saying that whilst I adored books 2-6, the first instalment didn’t really work for me due to the way it portrayed Daisy (then eight years old) as a criminal mastermind who faked her own murder (with some help). The epilogue did imply this second book would one day appear in the world and I thought that Daisy being sixteen now would work a bit better. However, it never stops referencing old Daisy and how evil and smart she was and I think it takes away from some of the authenticity I found within the other books in the series- it just seems so intangible . I found Daisy’s ‘shadow journal’ pages to sound immature but with the evil genius of a much older adult and this disjointed pov took me out of the story.
As with all the other books, Adam Fawley’s team of characters saved it and allowed me to still enjoy parts of the book. Although, I will say the cast is a little too big to track and connect with now (the rundown of all the characters at the start was such a save!!). Considering that this book is set six years after the last one, I did feel there was a bit of change and distance within the team and their relationships but I still enjoyed reading about where they are now.
The pacing is great but the one thing that really lowered my rating was the reveal (or lack thereof). All the building tension completely fizzled out with a final six pages leading to a ‘fade to black’ cliffhanger and a vital piece of missed evidence (which the witness never checked up about) making the entire investigation team seem forgetful and therefore taking away from how hard they tried to solve the case. It was just so disappointing.
I am hoping that there’s more to come from Cara Hunter as I am a big fan (No Way Out being my favourite) but I hope the next one has a stronger concept and selection of main cast.
Thank you to Harper Fiction for sending me a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 28, 2025
I had expected more of this favourite series of mine, one of several favourite series, but I got a bit disappointed, I found it disjointed, too many POVs, and the end a bit predictable. More than once I found myself ahead of the investigation, and isn’t that always a nice feeling, but also sadly underwhelming, I prefer being taken by surprise and to go be led to new undiscovered places and solutions.
March 6, 2025
DI Adam Fawley is called back to work on a case he thought was solved years ago. Eight year old Daisy vanished, and her mother was charged with killing her, although a body was never found. Now some DNA evidence collected at a recent death suggests that Daisy is still alive. Who would have helped the 8 year old disappear? Was she really a manipulative liar at 8, the proverbial "bad seed?" Fawley and his team are looking to identify the deceased, and to figure out how she was connected to Daisy. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
October 5, 2024
The best police procedural series out there, hands down.
February 13, 2025
Happy publication day 🎉🥳
Having only read the first book in this series, I wondered had I made a mistake in requesting the 7th, whilst I’m keen to catch the rest I really needn’t have worried, the author gives an insightful recap of prior events at the beginning of the title, yet actually this also worked really well as a standalone.
I love a police procedural, particularly when there’s a complicated case to solve, and it doesn’t come more complicated than the dna of a girl murdered 8 years ago appearing on a newly murdered victim.
Delivered from multiple perspectives I found this novel to be fresh, bang up to date, whip-smart and with plenty of fresh on the bones of the story. The whole team were easy to get to know, and I’m sorry that I’ve missed the others in the series. A catch up is imminent.
I really enjoyed the narration of the story 🎧
Highly recommend.
Huge thanks to HarperCollins U.K. Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧
Having only read the first book in this series, I wondered had I made a mistake in requesting the 7th, whilst I’m keen to catch the rest I really needn’t have worried, the author gives an insightful recap of prior events at the beginning of the title, yet actually this also worked really well as a standalone.
I love a police procedural, particularly when there’s a complicated case to solve, and it doesn’t come more complicated than the dna of a girl murdered 8 years ago appearing on a newly murdered victim.
Delivered from multiple perspectives I found this novel to be fresh, bang up to date, whip-smart and with plenty of fresh on the bones of the story. The whole team were easy to get to know, and I’m sorry that I’ve missed the others in the series. A catch up is imminent.
I really enjoyed the narration of the story 🎧
Highly recommend.
Huge thanks to HarperCollins U.K. Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧
May 26, 2025
The 7th book in the Adam Fawley series returns to the case that started it all, the disappearance of 8 year old Daisy Mason.
This isn't my favourite of the series, and though I really enjoyed it, I never quite bought into the character of Daisy the first time round, she just seemed impossibly knowing for an 8 year old. I also don't believe the original team would've been allowed anywhere near the new case.
Even so, it was good to catch up with Fawley and the team again, and though I did guess a fair few of the twists, it's all part of the fun. Again, I found Fawley's 6 year old daughter Lily to seem much older than her years, maybe Cara Hunter has trouble writing little kids, or maybe it's just me 😬.
I enjoyed the tie in with the author's stand alone book Murder in the Family, it was a clever touch.
4 stars and hoping for an 8th installment 🤞🏻.
This isn't my favourite of the series, and though I really enjoyed it, I never quite bought into the character of Daisy the first time round, she just seemed impossibly knowing for an 8 year old. I also don't believe the original team would've been allowed anywhere near the new case.
Even so, it was good to catch up with Fawley and the team again, and though I did guess a fair few of the twists, it's all part of the fun. Again, I found Fawley's 6 year old daughter Lily to seem much older than her years, maybe Cara Hunter has trouble writing little kids, or maybe it's just me 😬.
I enjoyed the tie in with the author's stand alone book Murder in the Family, it was a clever touch.
4 stars and hoping for an 8th installment 🤞🏻.
April 1, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up.
When I first read Close To Home a few years ago, I thought it was just your typical run of the mill procedural. However, much to my surprise, it proved to be anything but typical in my eyes. The same can be said for Making a Killing.
This story held my focus from beginning to end. It reads to me like a crime show series that we look forward to cozying up with on the weekends after a long, hard week. The characters are well written, and everyone contributes to the storyline in some way. I love the fact that even after a few years since reading Close to Home, I was able to follow along with the investigation so well. Hunter conveniently incorporates all the necessary information so that readers can easily keep up.
I must say, the addition of being able to get a look into Daisy's mind was the icing on cake for me. It almost feels like the author is laying the foundation for her character, and I am here for it. There's something so twisted yet intriguing about Daisy, so I am hoping to see more of her.
This book makes me feel like a detective on the case. I feel like I'm involved in everything that's going on. It is so well written and so well crafted. That ending was mind-blowing. I just know there's more coming, and I can't wait for it.
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, and Cara Hunter for my eARC of this read. All opinions are my own.
When I first read Close To Home a few years ago, I thought it was just your typical run of the mill procedural. However, much to my surprise, it proved to be anything but typical in my eyes. The same can be said for Making a Killing.
This story held my focus from beginning to end. It reads to me like a crime show series that we look forward to cozying up with on the weekends after a long, hard week. The characters are well written, and everyone contributes to the storyline in some way. I love the fact that even after a few years since reading Close to Home, I was able to follow along with the investigation so well. Hunter conveniently incorporates all the necessary information so that readers can easily keep up.
I must say, the addition of being able to get a look into Daisy's mind was the icing on cake for me. It almost feels like the author is laying the foundation for her character, and I am here for it. There's something so twisted yet intriguing about Daisy, so I am hoping to see more of her.
This book makes me feel like a detective on the case. I feel like I'm involved in everything that's going on. It is so well written and so well crafted. That ending was mind-blowing. I just know there's more coming, and I can't wait for it.
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, and Cara Hunter for my eARC of this read. All opinions are my own.
February 21, 2025
Far, far, FAR too many police. Something like 15...2 different teams. Plot too slow, a bit of a slog. Very disappointing.
June 23, 2025
I jumped into this at book 7 but I don't regret it at all! I would love to find the time to read the previous books because I think this book would knock it out of the park with all the background information too. That being said it isn't necessary and the book was still phenomenal without knowing about the first case.
Not that I want this to happen in real life, but I love the idea that the first case was solved wrong and the victim is still alive. I don't feel at all bad for the mother who is serving time because she seems to have deserved it for her treatment of her daughter. All the little pieces that came together for this case to be solved were well done, a masterclass on how to set up the crime scene. I was impressed with the plot, the pace, the characters, the details.
Thank you NetGalley, the author Cara Hunter, and HarperAudio for my ARC of this audiobook.
Not that I want this to happen in real life, but I love the idea that the first case was solved wrong and the victim is still alive. I don't feel at all bad for the mother who is serving time because she seems to have deserved it for her treatment of her daughter. All the little pieces that came together for this case to be solved were well done, a masterclass on how to set up the crime scene. I was impressed with the plot, the pace, the characters, the details.
Thank you NetGalley, the author Cara Hunter, and HarperAudio for my ARC of this audiobook.
May 16, 2025
I was so excited to see a new Cara Hunter book! She has quickly become one of my favorites. I love her format. She uses multiple multimedia, and several pov’s. She does this all seamlessly. I was surprised to see Daisy back. This was such a great story/mystery. Daisy is one of those characters that is so great at a con, even if she is young, that you can’t wait to see what this little psychopath does. And that ending!!! Ugh! I honestly don’t know what to think, it’s left my mind spinning.
August 14, 2025
Cara Hunter crafts a gripping DI Adam Fawley mystery with plenty of twists and clever storytelling. The use of transcripts, emails, and reports adds depth and realism, though it can feel a bit fragmented at times. Fans of the series will appreciate the ties to earlier cases, while new readers may need to follow closely. Overall, a smart, suspenseful read that keeps you hooked.
November 1, 2024
Making a Killing - Cara Hunter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Maybe that's what drew them together, all those years ago - not love or loss, but something dark and ruthless and unforgiving. Two peas in a pod.”
Making a Killing is the 7th instalment in the DI Adam Fawley series. It follows Fawleys team as they’re forced to revisit a case way back from the first book, when new evidence comes to light suggesting not all is as it seemed back then. I really enjoyed revisiting Daisy’s case as well as the references to Cara’s standalone book Murder In The Family.
Reading the newest addition in a series you love is like being welcomed home by your fictional family after some time away with a warm hug. I was over the moon to be accepted for this ARC after religiously reading every book in this series as soon as they were out, and as I was patiently waiting for more Fawley. I have already pre-ordered a physical copy of Making a Killing because it is that good.
Cara writes a “previously in the Fawley files” at the beginning of her books, so once you’ve read that, it genuinely feels like you’ve never been away from the characters - and I love that she does it! I was immediately absorbed straight back into the characters I love and enjoyed the addition of both the new faces and character plot lines.
I really enjoyed the concept of having police reports, call/email transcripts, newspaper clippings and documents throughout as it makes it feel interactive and indulges the reader’s ‘couch detective’ experience. The chapters alongside these additions are short and witty; each working to constantly unravel what has happened, unearthing clue after clue - which definitely kept me turning the pages.
I did sit and read Making a Killing in an afternoon, because I couldn’t put it down or even think about doing anything else as soon as I was hooked in. This was as good as every book in the series, and as always had a clever but intricate plot that kept me guessing to the very end. I very literally had goosebumps at some points in this book and I loved the sensation of everything slowly clicking into place, because again it did not end up being anything I was suspecting!
The ending is intriguing, intelligent, thought provoking and sends a chill down your spine - and all that’s left to say is I will patiently wait for the next one… and not buy any daisies anytime soon😉
Thank you to NetGalley, Cara Hunter and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for sending this advanced copy of Making a Killing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you especially to Harper Fiction for sending me a physical proof of this stunning book, I absolutely love the proof cover (see my instagram!!!!!!) All opinions are my own.
📍This book is out Feb 2025.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Maybe that's what drew them together, all those years ago - not love or loss, but something dark and ruthless and unforgiving. Two peas in a pod.”
Making a Killing is the 7th instalment in the DI Adam Fawley series. It follows Fawleys team as they’re forced to revisit a case way back from the first book, when new evidence comes to light suggesting not all is as it seemed back then. I really enjoyed revisiting Daisy’s case as well as the references to Cara’s standalone book Murder In The Family.
Reading the newest addition in a series you love is like being welcomed home by your fictional family after some time away with a warm hug. I was over the moon to be accepted for this ARC after religiously reading every book in this series as soon as they were out, and as I was patiently waiting for more Fawley. I have already pre-ordered a physical copy of Making a Killing because it is that good.
Cara writes a “previously in the Fawley files” at the beginning of her books, so once you’ve read that, it genuinely feels like you’ve never been away from the characters - and I love that she does it! I was immediately absorbed straight back into the characters I love and enjoyed the addition of both the new faces and character plot lines.
I really enjoyed the concept of having police reports, call/email transcripts, newspaper clippings and documents throughout as it makes it feel interactive and indulges the reader’s ‘couch detective’ experience. The chapters alongside these additions are short and witty; each working to constantly unravel what has happened, unearthing clue after clue - which definitely kept me turning the pages.
I did sit and read Making a Killing in an afternoon, because I couldn’t put it down or even think about doing anything else as soon as I was hooked in. This was as good as every book in the series, and as always had a clever but intricate plot that kept me guessing to the very end. I very literally had goosebumps at some points in this book and I loved the sensation of everything slowly clicking into place, because again it did not end up being anything I was suspecting!
The ending is intriguing, intelligent, thought provoking and sends a chill down your spine - and all that’s left to say is I will patiently wait for the next one… and not buy any daisies anytime soon😉
Thank you to NetGalley, Cara Hunter and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for sending this advanced copy of Making a Killing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you especially to Harper Fiction for sending me a physical proof of this stunning book, I absolutely love the proof cover (see my instagram!!!!!!) All opinions are my own.
📍This book is out Feb 2025.
May 7, 2025
My disclaimer: I love the DI Fawley series and have rated all of them 4 out of 5 stars.
This one was a miss in almost every way. What HAPPENED?
I gather, from the author's note and glossary of characters at the start of the book, that the author believes most of her readers are new to the series. As most of her books are relatively standalone despite being connected by characters, that usually doesn't cause a problem. It does here.
That is because this book is a direct sequel to the first DI Fawley book, Close to Home, in which the team investigate the disappearance and murder of Daisy Mason. Spoiler for that book and this one: Daisy wasn't murdered. She was in fact abducted by her favourite teacher and taken away to a new life.
We find all that out in the final chapters of Close to Home. So imagine how tedious it was when FORTY PERCENT of this book is the team finding out that Daisy isn't dead and finding out who abducted her. Information that previous readers ALREADY KNEW.
The plot doesn't pick up much from there, moving at a snails pace with very few surprises along the way. All twists and turns are signposted a mile off, adding to the frustration of how slowly the story progressed and how underwhelming all the reveals were.
The book is so full of characters, old and new, that it feels incredibly cluttered and full of unnecessary scenes. Most of the characters add virtually nothing. One reocurring character has even CHANGED HIS NAME, just in case you'd hoped to be able to remember who at least one person was.
The characterisation of Daisy herself is honestly a bit gross. It was one thing in Close to Home, where the author subverted the cute, missing blonde angel trope by making Daisy a bit of a nasty kid. But here, still only sixteen years old and let's not forget, a victim of ABDUCTION at eight, she's framed as a sociopathic, genius manipulator and more of the villain of the piece than the woman that TOOK A CHILD. There is an extremely strange and unnecessary childhood flashback to her wearing makeup and looking in the mirror as an eight year old child, as if the author is trying to tell us how sexy, devious and evil that was. Everyone in this story falls over themselves to call her, for example, 'conniving little cow', 'that little bitch' etc etc. I would be more forgiving of an improbable teenage psychopath, except this is not the first or even second time a Cara Hunter book has had some very odd and uncomfortable demonisation of vulnerable young women. 'The evil little bitch' is bordering on her stock character at this point.
And the ending? There isn't really one. It just sort of...stops.
This one was a miss in almost every way. What HAPPENED?
I gather, from the author's note and glossary of characters at the start of the book, that the author believes most of her readers are new to the series. As most of her books are relatively standalone despite being connected by characters, that usually doesn't cause a problem. It does here.
That is because this book is a direct sequel to the first DI Fawley book, Close to Home, in which the team investigate the disappearance and murder of Daisy Mason. Spoiler for that book and this one: Daisy wasn't murdered. She was in fact abducted by her favourite teacher and taken away to a new life.
We find all that out in the final chapters of Close to Home. So imagine how tedious it was when FORTY PERCENT of this book is the team finding out that Daisy isn't dead and finding out who abducted her. Information that previous readers ALREADY KNEW.
The plot doesn't pick up much from there, moving at a snails pace with very few surprises along the way. All twists and turns are signposted a mile off, adding to the frustration of how slowly the story progressed and how underwhelming all the reveals were.
The book is so full of characters, old and new, that it feels incredibly cluttered and full of unnecessary scenes. Most of the characters add virtually nothing. One reocurring character has even CHANGED HIS NAME, just in case you'd hoped to be able to remember who at least one person was.
The characterisation of Daisy herself is honestly a bit gross. It was one thing in Close to Home, where the author subverted the cute, missing blonde angel trope by making Daisy a bit of a nasty kid. But here, still only sixteen years old and let's not forget, a victim of ABDUCTION at eight, she's framed as a sociopathic, genius manipulator and more of the villain of the piece than the woman that TOOK A CHILD. There is an extremely strange and unnecessary childhood flashback to her wearing makeup and looking in the mirror as an eight year old child, as if the author is trying to tell us how sexy, devious and evil that was. Everyone in this story falls over themselves to call her, for example, 'conniving little cow', 'that little bitch' etc etc. I would be more forgiving of an improbable teenage psychopath, except this is not the first or even second time a Cara Hunter book has had some very odd and uncomfortable demonisation of vulnerable young women. 'The evil little bitch' is bordering on her stock character at this point.
And the ending? There isn't really one. It just sort of...stops.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2024
ARC Review
My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Racing Stars!
PUB Date: Feb 12th 2025
Ok Cara you’ve done it again ! My first read by this author was Murder in the Family and if you liked that one , then you’ll love this one too !!
Hunter is the first author I’ve read that takes the reader literally on a pulse pounding adventure where you feel like you’re part of a Netflix documentary.
If you like police procedurals filled with multi media, newspaper clippings, emails , photos and lots of characters then you will devour this book.
This is part of a series , but I felt it could be read as a standalone.
I don’t want to give anything away to take away from your experience because that’s what this novel is a twisty criminal experience 👮
Read this if you like :
🦴 Police Procedural
🦴 Multiple POV
🦴 Smart Characters
🦴 Multi Media Aspects
🦴 Classic Mystery
🦴 Twists and Turns
🦴 Books that make you think 🤔
🦴 Fun Reads
This was such a fun read and so different from other novels out there , highly recommend of you’re looking for something unique , keep you engaged and guessing all the way to the end !!
Thank you NetGalley , HarperCollins UK , Harper Fiction and Cara Hunter for this fun ARC !
Respectfully Another Read by Angie
My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Racing Stars!
PUB Date: Feb 12th 2025
Ok Cara you’ve done it again ! My first read by this author was Murder in the Family and if you liked that one , then you’ll love this one too !!
Hunter is the first author I’ve read that takes the reader literally on a pulse pounding adventure where you feel like you’re part of a Netflix documentary.
If you like police procedurals filled with multi media, newspaper clippings, emails , photos and lots of characters then you will devour this book.
This is part of a series , but I felt it could be read as a standalone.
I don’t want to give anything away to take away from your experience because that’s what this novel is a twisty criminal experience 👮
Read this if you like :
🦴 Police Procedural
🦴 Multiple POV
🦴 Smart Characters
🦴 Multi Media Aspects
🦴 Classic Mystery
🦴 Twists and Turns
🦴 Books that make you think 🤔
🦴 Fun Reads
This was such a fun read and so different from other novels out there , highly recommend of you’re looking for something unique , keep you engaged and guessing all the way to the end !!
Thank you NetGalley , HarperCollins UK , Harper Fiction and Cara Hunter for this fun ARC !
Respectfully Another Read by Angie
February 26, 2025
I am at odds with so many other reviewers of this book. It is a complex and ambitious story which at times drew me in but then something so implausible would happen that I would lose my belief in any reality of the plot. It’s hard enough to believe in such a driven, accomplished 8 year old who then, despite 8 years squirrelled away from most human contact for another 8 years, becomes a driven, accomplished 16 year old. The failure to initially discover her current day activities relies upon a perfect combination of poor policing and unhelpful witnesses. The sound of the author trying to put ladders over such deep plot holes is deafening.
And then, towards the end, the most implausible part of all. This incredible, precocious child unwittingly drops her phone at the worst possible moment. And guess what, it is completely unprotected by passwords enabling all her deepest thoughts and plans to be read thereby enabling the final plot twist. Too much for me.
And then, towards the end, the most implausible part of all. This incredible, precocious child unwittingly drops her phone at the worst possible moment. And guess what, it is completely unprotected by passwords enabling all her deepest thoughts and plans to be read thereby enabling the final plot twist. Too much for me.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 554 reviews