Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books (UK) for the ARC
In the Dark by Cara Hunter. Although this is the 2nd book in the DI Adam Fawley series and I hadn’t read the first, it did not detract from this cracking read!
Such a clever storyline that keeps you gripped from the first page to the last.
It starts with the shocking discovery of a young girl and a baby boy in the locked cellar of a house belonging to an elderly academic. After that it is a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns with an outcome that you couldn’t possibly imagine!
It was difficult in some places within the book to know who was talking in the first person, but apart from that I really enjoyed this authors work and can’t wait to see what comes next!

This book was a masterclass in suspenseful writing. It gripped me from the beginning, though occasionally I was slightly confused as to which of the detectives was ‘speaking’ in the chapters written in the first person. The plot moved along at a great pace, going along several blind alleys before the fantastic denouement. It left me breathless, and reading far into the night to discover what was going to happen next. What an amazingly complex tale! I could not have foreseen the ending, I doubt if anyone could. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

This book was absolutely brilliant, I really loved it. It did help that I spent my teenage years growing up in the exact area of Oxford that she describes. I walked to the bus stop for school every day past the houses described, so it made it very interesting for me. The plot is very good and very well written. The characters are very good and you really cannot put it down. It is not violent or particularly graphic but the descriptive power of the author holds you in. Very good indeed. Thank you

DI Fawley - Cara Hunter has created a first rate detective.

I could not put this book down, I normally read at bed time for 30-45 mins. this book was read in three nights it was that hard to put down.

Mr Obnoxious has the builders in renovating his investment semi in oxford. A startling discovery in the Cellar leads to DI Adam Fawley getting a new case that ends up intertwining with a cold case.

a young woman and child are found locked in the cellar of an elderly man with dementia. How did they get their?
Plenty of twists and turns keeps you guessing until the very last page.

InTheDark #NetGalley Wow - I only put this book down to go to sleep!

I really enjoyed the first instalment of the DI Adam Fawley series by Cara Hunter, so I was looking forward to reading the next book. It's worth saying that I don't think you need to read the books in order as there are enough pointers and references to understand the history.

In The Dark tells the story of a girl found in a cellar with a 2 year old boy. How long have they been there? How did they get there? Did the old man living upstairs claiming he knows nothing about them have anything to do with them being there?

We begin the story by happening upon the girl being found in the cellar. She won't talk, the little boy can't talk, so how is DI Fawley going to find out how they got there? The old man living in the house has Alzheimers and claims to know nothing about them.

The story moves quickly but covers lots of details, bringing in the story of a missing lady who lived in the house behind two years ago. Are the cases linked when her body is discovered as well.
I really enjoyed the story of In The Dark. There is enough information to keep you guessing and despite being lots of little elements to the story, it kept me interested and I didn't lose focus at all. There is also a brilliant twist at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books (UK) for the ARC In the Dark by Cara Hunter. This is the 2nd book in the DI Adam Fawley police procedural series set in Oxford.

I am a huge fan of police procedural books such as those written by Rachel Abbott, Susie Steiner and Robert Bryndza but I had never come across Cara Hunter until I went on holiday this Easter. I had no sooner finished the first book before I searched Netgalley on the off chance of the second book being available as I simply did not want to wait until July for the sequel.

A young woman and her child are found in a basement of a house next door during some building renovations. how the 2 came to be there is untangled during the book. This looks like a fairly open and shut case, yet Hunter weaves us through many different twists and turns with very few of the predictable cliches one might expect of the recent trend towards crime thrillers novels. Whilst I thought I had it all worked out, I am glad to say that I was totally wrong!!!

As with many books of this kind, many of the main characters remain the same - the character development creates a good bond between the reader and these characters with some being more likeable than others; however, as a team they tend to work well as a unit, pulling together when needed. I like Adam Fawley - he tries to do a good job and has battled tragedy in his personal life; this is still impacting his relationship with his wife and the storyline in this book shows how vulnerable people can be when faced with the hole in their lives following the death of a loved one. The gap left by the death of his young son Jake is huge and Adam is not supportive of his wife's desire to adopt / foster children. This line is further developed during the storyline and it helps to understand Fawley a bit more on a personal level.

The story takes on so many twists and turns it is a book that I could not put down- I wanted to continue reading... just a little bit more!

A great series so far and I can't wait for the next instalment in the DI Adam Fawley series.

First 5 star rating from me in a long time.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book & it had me captivated whilst reading it. So many twists and turns that I became antisocial as wanted to spend my free time wrapped up in the pages of this story!

Without missing a beat, Cara Hunter has produced a second excellent DI Adam Fawley crime thriller.
Fawley’s team have another major case to tackle, one which is revealed as a more and more bizarre crime as the investigation progresses.
Fawley and his team are solid and credible characters, and the frequent use of the first person for Fawley’s voice brings the action close to the reader.
No complaints over the ending for this one. In the Dark is as good a crime procedural as you’ll get, Fawley’s future looks certain.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK

‪just finished it, couldn’t put it down. That’s what you call a compelling read, so full of twists and turns, it’s like being on a rollercoaster. I really couldn’t have worked it all out. You are one clever writer Cara, and Thank you to netgalley and yourself 😊 ‬for the advanced copy. I’m not going to spoil it by giving a synopsis read it because all is not how it seems.

I really enjoyed the first in the Adam Fawley series, so was keen to read this second one. I have to say that I thought it was absolutely brilliant! I read it in a day, as I just couldn't put it down. The story begins with the discovery of a young woman and a child locked in the cellar of a house. It looks as though she has been kept prisoner and possibly even given birth to the child there. However, the owner of the house is an elderly man suffering from Alzheimers. I don't want to give away any of the plot, but it has many twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming, and will keep those pages turning right to the end! Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads

I found this intriguing with all the twists and turns within the story. Definitely recommended.

If you enjoyed Cara Hunter's first book in this series you're sure to enjoy 'In the Dark'. It features the same detective leading an investigation into a complex and confusing apparent kidnapping and sexual abuse of a young woman and young child found in the cellar of an elderly retired academic. The use of the detective's first person narrative continues to provide a fresh perspective on the unfolding story, whilst the writing is as fluent and engaging as ever. Readers who enjoy exploring the back stories of lead characters will appreciate further details of the personal tragedy that devastated the detective's life that was introduced in the first book. Ms Hunter's fondness for the unusual and unexpected ending again provides the jolt to make you wonder why you hadn't spotted the possibility of the unexpected outcome earlier. Ms Hunter, however, may want to reflect on how best to incorporate unexpected denouements without relying excessively on the credulity of her readers if she continues to see this as her signature feature, since there were a number of somewhat implausible threads running through the unfolding story. I acknowledge, however, that this is by no means unusual in modern crime novels. For the avoidance of doubt, though, this is another book that satisfies the 'one (or more) more chapter(s) before I turn the light out' criterion and you won't begrudge whatever you pay for the pleasure of reading it! Highly recommended!!

WOW – what a fabulous read. I could not put it down. This is the second book in the DI Fawley series, a young woman and child are found locked in the cellar of William Harper’s house. Harper is an elderly man with dementia and he has no recollection of how the woman and child came to be in his cellar. The case is then linked to cold case of a missing mother. I love how the police characters are developing from the first book through to this one. This was such a great read, full of twist and turns and suspense. I look forward to reading more in this series

What can I say loved it love Cara's style of writing it's never what you expect!! Def a page turner a bit discriptive in parts but the storyline wow what an imagination.... Cant wait till the next book x

DI Fawley is one of my favourite detectives! And he once again did not let me down, This was a very intense read, I was eagerly going through it, trying to find out what would happen next!

I loved the first book in the series and was equally excited to read this one. You delve back into the world of oxford police and immersed back into the lives of these police officers. Their new case is one that brings all the twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end. I loved the style of writing and interspersed with social media excerpts which make it more of an experience to read. I would recommend this book if you love a good murder mystery, we’re a fan or the world of morse/endeavour/Lewis or just a general crime fan. This blends a mystery among the lives of the police officers.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book to read. It was full of suspense and made me read through the night to finish it! Cleverly told, and having read and enjoyed the author's first book, this didn't disappoint. Chosen by Richard and Judy for their book club, I am sure it will be a great hit

Cara Hunter: Into the Dark, Penguin Random House UK, 9780241283202, paperback,
Publication date: July 2018

I read Cara Hunter’s “Close to Home” last year, thought it was well plotted but had potential for improvement. The book was chosen by the Richard and Judy book club which gives it a popular rating. Her second novel which is due to be published in July was sent to me as a proof by the Penguin publicity department for reviewing. Using the same set of Oxford detectives around DI Fawley , “Into the Dark” is so much better, superbly plotted with many unexpected turns; I was completely hooked. A very fine psychological thriller I can wholeheartedly recommend.
A woman and child are discovered locked in a basement when a wall collapses that builders are trying to fix during renovation work on the house next door in a posh Oxford neighborhood. For the detectives involved, similarities to the Fritzl case in Austria immediately come to mind. The woman appears to have been held captive for some time and is in a very agitated state. The little boy appears mute. When the police arrive, they discover that the only person living in the house is an elderly academic who is in a state of neglect and seems to be suffering from dementia. Cara Hunter is excellent in describing the detective’s step by step approach as they are trying to put pieces of the puzzle together. With the stress mounting in the team, all their character flaws are exposed. Just when they believe to be close to solving the crime, previous theories start collapsing. When the body of a missing female journalist who had been living around the corner from the crime scene is found in the garden shed of the crime scene, the case receives a new twist and they are forced to look at different suspects. I will not go into further details but some 400 pages later of this well-crafted psychological thriller the outcome is unexpected.

Once I figured out who was telling me this story,and as it occurred to me that there was something creepy going on that as a reader I should take seriously, it all settled in and I could follow - terrific characterisations, even if plot is long in the development - but what intrigued me was how these people live, what their houses are like - really convincing. And what do you do with such anornery suspect? Refreshing!

Oh my dear goodness. When I found out what the neighbours had in fact been up to, at the end of the first chapter no less, I almost screamed, so vivid was the image. That’s just the start. It gets a whole lot weirder and creepy from that point on.

I enjoyed Cara’s first book but this is just out of the water! It gets very dark very quickly with creepy hills, birds, legends. I’m going to stop there as you have to discover this for yourself. Blinking good is what I’m calling it. Slightly afraid of ever meeting Cara in real life, but then again the goriest crime thrillers tend to be written by the nicest people! Its always the quiet ones as they say.

Top notch thriller from start to finish. Confident gritty writing and a killer turn of phrase. Oxford and its surroundings play a great role. So much so, I think this will encourage some very interesting tourist visits...