This is a police procedural centring around DI Adam Fawley, it’s the fifth book in the series and I do think it needs to be read in order or at least to have some experience of the previous books just for background.
I myself have read two of them so did have enough of an insight to follow along as there’s a lot of subtle nuances and internal dynamics that you may struggle with without this prior exposure to the series as a whole.
It’s also told from multiple POV’s which at times can get a bit confusing keeping them all straight.

So I’ve read a couple of this authors books previously and have always enjoyed them and rated them highly but this one for me didn’t measure up to anywhere near what I’ve come to expect from this author.

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a slog and I struggled to finish.
The first half was very slow and failed to capture my attention I also found all the extra personal dynamics contributed by all the different perspectives that veered away from the central story threw me out of my zone, I just wasn’t that interested in all the secondary fluff included.

I’m aware that this is a style this author adopts and usually it doesn’t bother me as it’s always been balanced fairly evenly in previous books.
But here it just seemed there was a lot going on more so than usual and it didn’t seem that relevant to me as a reader.
I was having to overthink to connect all the dots and this then made this hard work and not the easy read I was anticipating.

This did pick up in the second half and things became a lot more interesting from there, but without this, I think this would definitely have been a DNF from me.
I persevered with this mainly because I do usually rate this particular author very highly so I wanted to see if it would get any better.
On a side note that epilogue definitely threw a whole lot of shade on things that’s for sure.

Overall the writing itself was fine but I just didn’t really enjoy it I’m definitely not averse to reading other books by this author in the future as I have mentioned earlier I’ve liked past stuff of hers unfortunately this one for me was not up to her usual standard and I was largely disappointed.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Whole Truth.

This is one book in a series about the life of Detective Inspector Adam Fawley. I haven’t read any of the others but found it easy to begin reading. There are two plots running side by side and I didn’t understand why there were two. The first is the allegations made against a prominent college faculty member but the more pressing issue is whether a recent murder linked to DI Fawley is actually about a former case of Fawley’s and a newly released convict.
I enjoyed the way the book was written and read it quickly which is a good sign, but just felt it tailed off at the end and didn’t do the book justice. It read like an exercise in tying up the loose ends and the way the murder was ‘ solved’ just didn’t seem plausible. I also felt Marina’s character was just sort of left hanging and her case was a damp squib. I felt there were unanswered questions with several of the characters but maybe there will be another in the series and maybe these books need to read as a whole, rather than individually.

This is my first book by Cara Hunter & I actually didn't realise it was part of a series until I started reading! Thankfully you can read it as a standalone book & there's a really handy guide to who's who at the beginning which was a great touch & a nice introduction to DI Fawley & his team!

This is absolutely my kind of book & I thought it was brilliant! The story had me hooked straight away & had a storyline where I was desperate to find out what actually happened! There's no proper chapters in this so at times it was a bit hard to keep up with, but I loved the post cast sections & the text messages/notepad images in. This it was something different & worked really well!

The storyline itself is really good. There's actually 2 storylines running alongside each other & it just works so well! I find all the police investigative work really interesting anyway so that was an added bonus! You're not sure what to believe & its very unpredictable! There's a few twists thrown in which were so good (no spoilers though!)

The characters are all great & I feel like you really get to know the team. It says in the acknowledgements that this is being made into a tv series which I hope happens! The team gave me major AC12 vibes with their relationships with each other & their banter 🙌

Off to add the rest of the DI Fawley series to my Amazon wishlist 🤣🙌!

I always enjoy the Adam Fawley stories so was looking forward to this one. I was intrigued but slightly irritated that there were two stories within the book, which I know probably reflects real life, but I prefer not to chop and change from chapters about an alleged rape to ones about a murder. I liked the inclusion of the podcasts but unfortunately for me as I read on a kindle I couldn’t read the texts or handwritten notes as I couldn’t enlarge them, which obviously left me a little in the dark. I don’t think this is the best in this series but I liked it anyway.

This is the fifth book in the 'DI Adam Fawley' series by Cara Hunter set in and around Oxford. I have now read all of the instalments except book two - In The Dark - which I hope to get around to soon. I think there is some benefit in reading at least one of the other books first for character development and to maximise the enjoyment of the story, however, each of the stories has its uniqueness.

The Whole Truth was a compulsive read with plenty of twists and turns, many of which were a surprise. The story followed the format of a single timeline as it developed through changing scenes, told mainly from the points of view of Adam and various others, who each had their troubles, personal problems, dilemmas, and difficulties to bear. Everything was all so well executed by Cara Hunter and it kept me reading enthusiastically.

Cara Hunter's writing style continues to be very natural, realistic and absorbing. Similar to previous instalments, the author has effectively peppered the tale with the inclusion of newspaper articles, emails, voicemails, podcasts, suspect interviews, phone calls, and even more. The crimes committed made this book a disconcerting read but I appreciated the author’s sensitive handling of the plot lines. The plot was clever and it was impossible to predict what was coming next, making The Whole Truth all the more compelling right until the shocking ending.

Cara Hunter's characterisation was tremendous and certainly not neglected in favour of the plot or anything else. I love this team of characters and cannot wait to read more in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Penguin Books (UK) via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I’m a big fan of the author’s books and this one was an impressive addition to her DI Adam Fowley series. 

Interesting plot stories with characters that you think you know everything about them from the beginning and just like any police procedural book, all the clues give the impression of an easy catch. But the author intertwined different layers into a page turner twisted novel. 

It was hard to keep up with some parts but everything comes together in the end and makes it a must read story overall.

Wow wow wow! I had high expectations for this crime procedural and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. The fifth instalment in the Fawley series, however can definitely be read as a stand-alone thanks to a handy summary at the beginning of the book of the key members of Fawley’s team. I would urge you to start from the beginning though, as the whole series is excellent.  
 
I looooved the layout of this one! Snippets of a podcast, tweets, interviews and investigative reports. It’s a very fresh and contemporary take on a crime novel. I sometimes find crime series can be quite samey, yet Cara manages to ensure every book is different and The Whole Truth certainly is unlike any of the others in the Fawley series. You’re taken on a wild ride full of twists and surprises, with no idea where the story is heading. The book begins with a sexual assault complaint, and running alongside that, a young woman is reported missing after failing to turn up to work. I don’t want to say too much without spoiling it, so GO AND READ IT!  
 
In fact, go and read the entire series. You won’t be disappointed, Cara has become one of my favourite authors for very good reason! It blows my mind how such a masterpiece can be created with everything intertwining perfectly and all ends being tied up.

The Whole Truth, Cara Hunter, is the 5th book in the DI Adam Fawley series and it is yet another excellent addition to the series. I very much enjoyed reading this and flew through the pages.

There is a lot going on in the story. From a sexual assault accusation, to a case high in similarity to that of the Roadside Rapists crimes, who coincidentally has just been released from jail. It's a fast paced book with plenty to keep you engaged.

There is a lot of insight into DI Fawley's own story in this book which I really enjoyed. Having read all 5 books, I've become attached to the main characters and it's brilliant to learn more about them, their lives and backgrounds.

If you haven't read the other books (you really should!) then the author has cleverly put a nice little synopsis of each character at the start of the book to help you get up to speed. This is useful for people who have read the other books, it helps refresh your memory. Especially helpful when you read lots of books in between installments. This would be a really good addition to any series, I found it very helpful.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for a copy in return for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My first introduction to DI Adam Fawley

This is the fifth book with DI Adam Fawley as the main character but as the author kindly gave us a synopsis of all the leading characters and some background it was easy to read as a stand-alone book.

As the book starts Adam and his wife Alex are eagerly and also nervously looking forward to the birth of their baby. Their 10-year-old son Jake had committed suicide and both of them never thought they would be able to have another baby. I must admit I would like to have known the background story to the loss of their son but I guess I will have to go back and read the other books to find out!

The main story revolves around the sexual abuse between a student and a professor, however, the twist is that the professor is an older woman and the student is 20 years younger. Both protagonists accuse the other person and Adam has to try and pick his way through such a potentially difficult scenario to discover the truth.

We then discover that one of Adam’s enemies has been released from jail with a tracker. Gavin Parrie has been found guilty of multiple sexual attacks, one of them on Adam’s wife, Alex before they were married. Alex is constantly feeling that she is being watched and understandably thinks it is Gavin. However, Gavin’s tracker shows that he has never been near the Fawley’s since his release.

Adam’s whole world comes crashing down when he is accused of a vicious murder and arrested. His DNA is found on the victim and although Adam knows he has been framed there appears to be no way of proving his innocence.

These two plots interweave and made this an exciting read. The author also very cleverly adds blogs to the book from a person claiming Gavin Perrie is innocent of any crimes and accusing Alex of planting evidence to incriminate Gavin. I have never seen this in a book before and it was very well done.

I really enjoyed this book and did not guess the ending which is always a plus point for me. The only problem I have now is when to find the time to read the other books in the series!




Dexter

Elite Book Group received a copy of the book to review

Review published on 25th May 2021

The dreaming spires of Oxford are once again touched by crime in The Whole Truth, the fifth book in the Adam Fawley series from Cara Hunter.

Fawley and the team at St. Aldate’s Police Station are thrust into the the middle of a high-profile investigation where perpetrator and victim both have a lot to lose – but as they investigate, Fawley is forced to confront his own past in the most dramatic way.

This book is another stellar installment in the Adam Fawley series – Cara Hunter uses traditional storytelling in combination with text messages, podcast transcripts and Twitter comments to pull together an intricate and gripping story which is, I think, the best one yet in the series.

Although this book is part of a series, I appreciated the character recap at the front of the book which will allow anyone to drop in to this book and get going straight away. Having said that, though, if you have read the other books in the series, you’ll find the pay off in this one immensely rewarding!

The main cast of characters has grown since the first novel, but they are really well-balanced as a team, and there is something to admire even in those whose behaviour has let them down in the past…there’s hope for them to redeem theselves at least.

In a market that is jam-packed with crime novels, the Fawley series is a real standout, and I can’t wait to see what Cara Hunter has in store for Fawley and his team next!

irstly a big thank you to the publishers for having me on the blog tour. I an a massive fan of Caras books. It has been announced that theres going to be tv series and how exciting is this.

This was MY FIRST book of the new year.

Whizzed through and loved it.

Her writing is stilll as exciting and fresh as the first book in the series.

Intriguing ,addictive and compelling.

Once you start you cant stop. Fast paced and thrilling I highly recommend.

Published 29th April and do check out the other blogs taking part in the tour.

This book broke so many of the stereotypes about sexual assault and other taboo subjects. The twists and turns kept me guessing. I do like this author's writing style and this book did not disappoint.

This was a brilliant read and as a huge fan of Cara Hunter this does not disappoint. Fast paced, engaging and relatable, all the ingredients for a fantastic story.

Highly recommended even if your not familiar with the other books in the series as its so well written it can be read as a standalone.

Thank you Penguin UK and Netgalley.

I am a high fan of Cara Hunter having read all of her previous books in this series. Another 5* read from me!
Yet again, a very well written and gripping book that I loved from start to finish. I was hooked throughout.
Looking forward to her next book already.
Thank to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have been a fan of Cara’s work for a little while now. In fact I have loved her work since I had the good fortune of picking up the first book in the bestselling series featuring DI Adam Fawley, which is called ‘Close To Home’. ‘The Whole Truth’ is the fifth book in the series and it is another corker of a read. I loved reading ‘The Whole Truth’ but more about that in a bit.
I love the character of Detective Inspector Adam Fawley. He is a career police officer with a fair few years of experience behind him. He works well on his own but he also works well as part of a team. Fawley allocates work fairly and he wouldn’t ask anybody to do anything that he wouldn’t be prepared to do himself. Fawley achieves results even if he has to bend the rules slightly in doing so. Fawley has not had it easy in his personal life. He was married with a child, although tragedy struck the Fawleys when the child took their own life. Fawley and his partner have rebuilt their lives and they are expecting a child, although understandably they are rather nervous and anxious about the pregnancy.
The fact that I saw the name ‘Cara Hunter’ on the cover of ‘The Whole Truth’ was enough to grab my attention and draw me in. I made the fatal mistake of starting to read ‘The Whole Truth’ just before I went to bed. Let’s just say that bedtime was delayed somewhat and I had a ‘lack of sleep hangover’ the following day. I just couldn’t put the book down for very long at all. I had a need to know how the story developed and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. This was one of those books that was always on my mind. If I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about the book and if I had to put the book down for any length of time, then I would immediately look forward to being able to pick the book up again. I soon got to the end of the book. I found ‘The Whole Truth’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘The Whole Truth’ is superbly written but then that is certainly true of all of Cara’s books. Cara has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Cara has the knack of making the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action so to speak. Cara writes her books in a different way to usual as she uses excerpts from police interviews, transcripts of telephone conversations, witness statements, forms and letters alongside the usual way of telling the story. Reading ‘The Whole Truth’ felt like being on a bit of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns to the story than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Whole Truth’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Cara’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

this book is good because the characters have a role reversal. Lots of twists and turns that have you guessing , there is a bit of sensitivity with the characters which makes them human and vunerable. It has a fast pace so strap on for the ride.

The Whole Truth, well that is what i will give you on a review of this book. My first Cara Hunter book and i have to say, where have i been, i am an avid reader but somewhere along the line i have missed this author. I have read this as a stand alone book although i know there are more to the series.. but it didnt throw me and a run down of characters gives me insight into the plot, What a read, i loved it loved it loved it... i will be going and buying all the other books because this is one writer i need to catch up... Great plot, lots of good detective work and thank goodness she has more books for me to read,,,, worth reading

Oh.my.gosh! This series just gets better and better. Welcome back to Oxford and DI Adam Fawley and his team.

While DI Fawley is in a happy space in his personal life, his new case is making headlines! When a six-foot male rugby player at Oxford accuses his female professor of sexual assault, the team have to figure out the whole truth. They have to separate lies from more lies to uncover the truth. And it's not made easier because the female professor is on the rise through the ranks of university life and seems to have many supporters.

Thank you to Cara Hunter for her creation! And thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for giving me a chance to review the ARC of this book.

Fantastic detective read! Many twists. Always love reading books by this author, never fails to disappoint.

Followers of my blog (as few and far between as they are) will know that I have been reading all of Cara Hunter's backlist recently in order to be fully up to date before starting her latest novel, The Whole Truth. I haven't yet managed to read All The Rage but I have read and loved all of the others (I've popped reviews of these below if you want to know more).

Even though these books are written as a series following DI Adam Fawley and his team, they can be read as standalone novels and this is how I think of lot of people have been treating the books. If you are a newbie to Cara Hunter she has provided a really helpful 'Previously in the Fawley Files' section which gives you a little run down of all the coppers and who they are. This means you can jump straight into this and don't feel like you're missing out.

Like the rest of this series, I really enjoyed this book and just couldn't put it down, I wanted to keep on reading and figure out what had happened. As soon as I started this book I got the feeling that everything wasn't quite as it seemed, there was someone clearing trying to frame someone else, but who? This feeling kept with me throughout the book and I constantly had that feeling that something wasn't quite right, there was something niggling at me but I just couldn't put my finger on it. I think this really helped with the fact that I just wanted to gorge myself on the book.

One of the main things about Cara's writing that I really like is the fact that she uses different text formats throughout the book, there are text messages, emails, handwritten notes, newspaper clippings and more. This keeps the text fresh and you feel like you are hearing different points of view and actually seeing the investigation pan out in front of your own eyes. I think the handwritten notes in this were probably my favourite of all.

I have also grown quite keen on the lack of chapters, a fact that I really wasn't too sure on when I first picked up The Whole Truth. This gives the story a natural flow, but with the different sections you still get plenty of pauses and can easily tell when a different character or scene is taking over.

This particular story line actually contained two different cases and I won't spoil anything but I was expecting things to pan out slightly differently and when I got to the epilogue there was a definite 'Ahhhhh' moment. A few things slotted into place and a couple of my queries were answered which I really liked.

I will definitely be reading All The Rage as soon as the library have it back in and I'm crossing my fingers tightly that there will be a book 6 to look forward to?!