A wonderful twisted story that will make you turn the pages compulsively.
An eight year old girl is killed by her mother. All the evidence is circumstantial but a life sentence is handed down.
A body is found 8 years later that has DNA to link to the first murder.
Two murder investigations are running with overlaps, the original team with new additions.
A story that I really enjoyed

A case that Adam Fawley thought he had solved 8 years previously has to be reopened as DNA places the victim at a recent scene. Liasing with a police department from the next county Adam tries to discover what happened to Daisy Mason.
I'll admit, I haven't read any of this series before but there is a list of the characters at the beginning which definitely helped. I also liked the inclusion of newspaper articles and social media posts during the book.
Overall I enjoyed the novel, it kept me enthralled throughout

ARC review - 4,5 ⭐️
Publication date: 13 February 2025

“Making a Killing” is the 7th book in the DI Adam Fawley series. I did not know that when I received the ARC so of course I read the other 6 books first.
This is highly recommended, especially since this book is a continuation of the Daisy Mason case from the first book.

Recommend reading order with my rating:
1. Close to Home - Daisy Mason case - 5 ⭐️
2. In the Dark - 4⭐️
3. No Way Out - 4,5 ⭐️
4. All the Rage - 4,5 ⭐️
5. The Whole Truth - 5 ⭐️ (my favorite)
6. Hope to Die - 4,5 ⭐️
7. Murder in the Family - 4 ⭐️ (standalone, but it has a few connections with the series)
8. Making a Killing - 4,5 ⭐️

The plot takes place almost 6 years after Hope to Die.
I like that the book starts with updated information about the team, on a personal and professional level.

Journalist Nick Vincent, the host of Infamous, the true crime show from Murder in the Family, finds new evidence about the Daisy Mason case and wants to film a new season about it. Police also found her DNA at a crime scene.

The story has multiple locations and a lot of new characters that were a bit hard to follow. Still, Adam Fawley’s team is involved and they collaborate with South Mercia police.

I love that Cara Hunter’s books are interactive. This book includees news articles, wikipedia entries, police reports, e-mails, pictures and a shadow journal through which we learn more about Daisy.

Even if in this book we do not have as much insight in the personal life of the other team members, I like the glimpse we get in Adam’s life. The love he has for his wife and daughter is a sunshine in the dark and they deserve to be happy.

The story has a fast pace, many twists, suspense and the ending is open. I hope we get another book in the series, because I need to know what happens next.

Thank you HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read all of Cara Hunter’s previous books and loved them, so I was delighted to be lucky enough to receive a copy of Making a Killing to review, the latest in the Adam Fawley series.
This book returns to the Daisy Mason case, whose mother was convicted of her murder in book 1. New evidence emerges that suggests Daisy is still alive so Fawley and his team must try to find out what has happened to her whilst also attempting to solve a new murder.
The pace of this book is perfect. Just when you think you’ve got a grip on where the story is headed, the direction changes and you’re left guessing again.
For me, it was very much a “Just one more chapter…” read. This is a perfect example of a police procedural in my eyes.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the advance copy in return for my honest review

As a fan of Cara Hunter,, I was delighted to receive a review copy of the latest book in the DI Adam Fawley series. This story revisits the story of Daisy Mason whose mother was convicted of her murder in book 1. Now evidence emerges that suggests Daisy is still alive and the team must try to find her whilst also attempting to solve a new murder.. As the story unfolds, we learn Daisy's story and those of people close to her. The suspense racks up until it reaches a shocking climax that cleverly manages to create a satisfactory ending whilst leaving a question mark which is sure to carry over to subsequent episodes in the series. This is the best kind of procedural crime fiction with plenty of psychological insights into the characters, both police and suspects. Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read such a well-crafted story.

A few years ago, I came across a thriller called "Close to Home" by Cara Hunter in my local bookshop and, thinking the storyline sounded interesting, I decided to buy the book. I didn't know back then, that Cara Hunter would become one of my favourite authors and that I would eagerly await each new book,whether part of the DI Adam Frawley series, or a standalone.
The author commences the novel with a brief intro to the team, which is an inventive idea and one that I would love to see other authors adopt as this makes it easier for new readers to follow the series and also serves as a handy reminder for fans.
"Making A Killing" is the seventh novel in the series, and this time around, Hunter has opted to return to one of her most popular storylines - the case of Daisy Mason from "Close to Home". While it's not necessary to have read the earlier work in order to read this upcoming book, I decided to indulge myself my re-reading the first book and choose the -eaudiobook book, with the fantastic narration provided by Emma Cunniffe and Lee Ingleby, bringing the characters to life.
In Making A Killing, Frawley and his team, must face the shocking reality that they made a terrible mistake 8 years earlier and that Daisy and Kate are now responsible for a vicious murder. They must both track down the duo, and also determine, if they are really working together, or preparing to betray each other.
The storyline moves at a cracking pace and I love how Hunter has included her trademark elements such as comments from social media, interview transcripts, reports etc. This adds an extra element to the storyline, showing the reader that the case is perceived in the wider community and also where the ideas of the team are being directed.
Hunter has a knack for developing a twist and it's impossible for me to tell where the storyline is going. Each story is completely different but equally entertaining and I always look forward with excitement to her latest novel.

This is the 5th book in this series and the second that I’ve read for review although I have read many in the past privately as I find them extremely true to life and much more exciting than the usual police procedurals that one comes across.
When an Oxford student accuses one of the university's professors of sexual assault, DI Adam Fawley's team think they've heard it all before. But they couldn't be more wrong.

Because this time, the predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player.

Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure
out the truth. What they don't realise is that someone is watching.

And they have a plan to put Fawley out of action for good...

This book was absolutely a delight to read and I always look forward to reading her books. Very strongly recommended.

"Making A Killing” written by Cara Hunter and published by Harper Collins on 13th February 2025



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

This book was absolutely sensational and I just could not put it down until the final pages. It is only the third that I've read by the author I missed reading her first and second titles but I intend reading the others as soon as possible. I was very impressed by the high quality of the authors research and her plotting which could not be faulted.
In 2016, eight-year-old Daisy Mason vanished from her Oxford home.
Her disappearance made the national press and the final culprit shocked everyone. DCI Adam Fawley remembers the case well, he arrested Daisy’s mother for murder himself.
But her body was never found.
Now, forensic evidence at a current murder scene calls the whole case into question. DCI Adam Fawley and the team are brought back in to investigate. And they all have one question on their minds.
What really happened to Daisy Mason?
Cara Hunter is the author of several Sunday Times bestselling crime novels including Close to Home, In the Dark, No Way Out and All The Rage all featuring DI Adam Fawley and his Oxford-based police team. Close to Home was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, was shortlisted for Crime Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2019 and No Way Out was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 best crime novels since 1945. Cara's novels have sold tremendously well worldwide. Cara Hunter lives in Oxford, on a street not unlike those featured in her books.

The book was one that once started was almost impossible to put down and I read it very quickly as it was a real page turner. The plotting and characterisation of all the protagonists could not be faulted and I hope that we have many more exciting books from this very gifted author. I just do not understand any reader of this work giving her negative reviews as of the two books that I’ve read are excellent and can’t be faulted. I will be reading the books that I missed as soon as possible as I cannot wait until 2026 for the next instalment of the DI Adam Fawley stories. Very strongly recommended.



Terry Halligan

As the author of a long-standing crime series bult around the charismatic DCI Adam Fawley, author Cara Hunter has to be bold and daring, but her latest psychological thriller is especially so. The plot spans an arc to the plot in the first novel in the series that investigated the alleged death of an eight year-old girl. In the earlier novel, eight year old Daisy’s mother Sharon was convicted for her murder, but might this have been a miscarriage of justice? New evidence comes to light through the journalistic hands of a crime show host, and DCI Fawley finds himself once more investigating a case that he thought had been closed. Breath-takingly plotted and carefully written, this novel is an absolute must for Cara Hunter fans and proves there is plenty of life left in the series! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free ARC that I received in exchange for posting this unbiased book review.

I will be completely honest: I wanted to read this book because of it's connection with the author's previous book "Murder in the Family" which I loved, and I only read the first book of DI Adam Fawley in preparation for this book and the original case of Daisy Mason. As result, I was more invested in the mixed media aspects and the bits regarding the Infamous show rather than Fawley and his team, which took most of the book with the show Infamous having a much smaller, and yet important part in the story.

I loved the direction this story took the Daisy Mason case, the mixed media was very well done. I think fans of the DI Adam Fawley will love this addiction to the series, but I was mainly here for the Infamous show parts so I'm a bit disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

It doesn´t get any better;
For me it was the first book in this crime series with Adam Fawley and his team, which already consists of seven volumes. At the beginning there is a short profile about the individual investigators, which I found very helpful and made it much easier to get started. The narrative style is very varied, as in addition to the different perspectives of the investigators, documents such as newspaper clippings, autopsy reports, email correspondence, etc. also complement the story. The character of Daisy Mason appeared in the investigative team's very first case, but you can easily read this book without knowing this or other earlier volumes. The case is well constructed and very exciting, as the author connects a current case with an old, supposedly closed case. I found the characters very believable and the psychological details very well researched. The case is unusual and a nice change from the standard thriller motifs, hence a full five stars from me.

I've always enjoyed Cara Hunter's series of books on DCI Adam Fawley and this one is no exception. The unidentified victim here has been killed outside their normal stamping ground but the crime soon raises questions about an old case of Fawley and his team, bringing their conviction into doubt and drawing them back in to help. The old team have become scattered over the years but it's great to catch up with familiar faces - if anything, this book revolves less around the characters, who are all fairly settled now, and more around the plot - and Cara Hunter is so at home with them all now that everything feels natural to them (you don't have to read any of the previous books to enjoy this one but you absolutely should - the whole series is superb). Twisting and turning all over the place and bringing back one of the most fascinating characters of the series, this was a brilliant read and I can't wait to see where it takes us next!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

‘Making A Killing’ by Cara Hunter is book seven in the DI Adam Fawley series.From the offset this instalment completely grabs the attention and never lets up in pace.
The characters summary at the beginning as well as providing background on the investigating team allows for an enticing recap of what has gone before and refreshes the readers memories of an intricate seemingly solved case in the first book.The very vivid portrayals of Adam Fawley and his colleagues makes the whole business of the discovery of a body,and forensic links to the Daisy Mason murder enquiry seem even more dramatically realistic.The marvellously drawn supporting cast of individuals,interviewees and potential suspects also effectively builds up the tension,of attempting to establish the person responsible for the apparently linked crimes described.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy.

I haven’t read the earlier book in this series which involves the disappearance of a young girl and a subsequent arrest for murder. I think there’s sufficient back story detail for this title to work well as a standalone. The original investigating team are brought together again giving rise to doubts about the earlier conviction. Was it right that the child’s mother was sentenced to life? What are the doubts and who’s interested in following them up?

The narrative is in the multi media style. I’ve read a few books where this works well and others where it’s an unwelcome dis. Cara Hunter strikes the right balance and I found the format gave a sense of immediacy as new information emerges. It takes skill to narrate in this way and keep the continuity and tension. It’s clever, compelling and packed with suspense.

The DI Adam Fawley series is one I can't shut up about. It's one I'd recommend to crime fans, people who want to read something a little different, and as a Christmas gift to people who prefer tv over books.
A loveable cast of investigators, mixed media that includes interrogation protocols, newspaper clippings, emails, and much more, and of course, thrilling murder cases.
In this new book, set six years after Hope to Die, one of Fawley's old cases is coming back to haunt him. It's as fantastic as the previous books.
In the very first book, Close to Home, Daisy Mason disappeared and it was concluded that she had been murdered. Now, eight years later, her hair is found at a crime scene. She must have been alive just a few weeks ago. What really happened during her disappearance? How is she connected to the murder victim?
If you've read Murder in the Family - this, too makes a cameo in Making a Killing.
Just brilliant.

Making a Killing
Cara Hunter

No synopsis: Book 7 in DCI Adam Fawley series

Review
Storyline was good, and kept my interest. I like the characters, I guessed the ending.
My only issue was this book was an advanced copy and the errors were awful in the first half. The newspaper articles were also really poor to read on a kindle. I havent taken any marks off for this as hopefully this will be fixed for publication date. But I do feel this book is best read as a physical copy rather than kindle.

Rated 4/5

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Cara Hunter is one of my favourite crime writers and a new DCI Adam Fawley book is always exciting! This is the seventh book in a brilliant series - although I think it would work as a standalone. It actually picks up the characters from a previous book in the series, although I didn't know this until after I'd finished reading as I think it's the only one of the series I haven't read!

I was thrilled to be granted an advance copy of the book by NetGalley - opinions are always my own, no matter how the book gets into my hands.

This book begins with the discovery of a body - one that is going to prove a puzzle for the Oxfordshire Police. The identity of the body is unknown - but even more confusing is the DNA evidence that is found on the body. This suggests that a figure from Fawley's past has come back - a figure who was supposed to be dead, thus throwing the previous investigation into question. As DCI Fawley and his team pick over the past, they are forced to confront the failings in the past investigation and uncover a dangerous killer.

There's lots to like about this new book - it's tightly plotted and features a lot of the police team who readers have become familiar with from the previous instalments. DCI Adam Fawley is an appealing lead character too, balancing the pressures of his responsible job with his family life. The format is also clever - bits of the story are told through newspaper articles, emails and a 'Shadow Journal' of a key character. It's an immersive way of telling the story, even though not all of it displayed brilliantly on my Kindle (something I hope they'll fix before it goes on sale properly).

One slight gripe was that there were so many police officers that I found it quite tricky to keep up with who was who - I think some of the back-stories have been a bit lost because I couldn't remember them all. I also found that the ending didn't have the punch that I was expecting, although it did tie up most of the loose ends.

This is another great addition to the series - it is engaging, well-written and will keep you reading as you race from one twist to the next. It's not my favourite of the series, but it is still a great crime novel.

I’ve been waiting (im)patiently for the next DCI Fawley instalment. This one unearthed the Daisy Mason case from book 1, which I re-read before reading this to jog my memory on the details.

Evidence found at a new murder scene calls the whole Daisy Mason case into question, with Fawley and a new team re-investigating.

There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up until the end. This one just didn’t have the full 5 star wow factor that the 6 others did, for me at least. Nonetheless I cannot wait for the next one, although I equally welcome another standalone as Murder in the Family blew my mind!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Over the past year I have binged all of the DI Fawley thrillers and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent. This brings us back to the beginning in a very cleverly plotted thriller that keeps you guessing and weaves in multi media elements in surprising and inventive ways. I loved the ending and cannot wait for the next one Hunter has in store.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A 1st class follow up to Close To Home which had me racing through to the ending to see how it concluded. I was absolutely gripped and really enjoyed the chance to revisit some of the original characters in the 1st DI Fawley book. This will also make great TV.

Thanks to the author, publisher and to netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I am a fan of Cara Hunter’s books and familiar with the Adam Fawley police procedural series. Latterly, the books in the series have referenced fictional true crime podcasts and TV series and this story brings up the Daisy Mason disappearance from book 1 in the series and the subject being researched for a potential new Netflix true crime investigation. For me, it was the weakest book in the series so far. The plot seemed to struggle with the shift in Adam Fawley’s role from DI to DCI and didn’t focus as much on the lives of the investigators as the previous novels.. There were also issues with the Kindle formatting of the multi-media clips which meant I missed out chunks of the storyline. I also think that more could have been made of the search for the missing student which was never fully developed into a storyline given that the investigations were taking place concurrently.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advance copy of the book.