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.

Book seven in the wonderful Adam Fawley series. This book takes up the story from book one in the series which was set in 2016. The timeline has moved on 8 years and the original case is reopened. It's been a while since I read book 1, so the background to this story took some time to recall. In the eight years since the Daisy Mason case, the police team have earned promotions or taken on new roles, again, it took time to recall the various characters. With a separate police force in Gloucestershire also involved in the case, there was a huge cast of characters that threatened to overwhelm the story, whilst Adam Fawley seemed to take quite a background role in the book. The story at first lacked pace but did improve dramatically towards the end with plenty of twists. Cara Hunter brings a fresh twist to police procedurals which is always entertaining to read. This one was an enjoyable read but definitely not the best in the series.

After the success of the ‘Who Killed Luke Ryder?’ episode of the ‘Infamous’ TV show the producer, Nick Vincent, is looking for another hit. So, he’s more than happy when Kelsie Smith contacts him out of the blue with a story idea based on the notorious Daisy Mason case. The 8 year old’s body was never found and her mother, Sharon, is serving a life sentence for her murder. But she has always protested her innocence. Kelsie claims to have new evidence and Nick is hooked.
An inquisitive labrador, Flynn, is out with his owner in the Cotswolds when he digs up more than a bone. Speculation is soon rife that it could be the body of missing student, Ellie Harben. Forensics find a piece of metal wedged in the body’s mouth which is a reminder that it’s been found near the Crone Oak where, in the 1950’s, a group of children found a 300 year old skeleton wedged inside a tree. It was wearing a scold’s bridle and had starved to death. It is soon assumed that it must have been a local who buried the body because of the oak. And then, a single red hair is found and its that shouldn’t be there. It belongs to someone who’s been assumed to be dead for the last eight years.
DI Adam Fawley is taken off his counter terrorism secondment to Counter Terrorism and is told to reexamine the original investigation and to also look for a murderer. He and his team discover a labyrinthine web of a toxic family, an arch manipulator and a gullible, well meaning woman who was about to outlive her usefulness.
The story is told through a variety of media such as a journal, Wikipedia articles, newspaper articles and photos, which gives the reader information without the need for infodumps or long conversations. It really felt interactive. This technique has worked well in previous Cara Hunter books. And of course the book has her fiendish plotting! It twists and turns and nothing is what it seems. I love reading her books as I know I’ll be in for a rollercoaster ride. Absolutely unputdownable as new revelations keep coming.
However, I had problems with the formatting of the Kindle edition. One page was repeated three times, paragraphs were repeated in different fonts in other sections and the photos were hard to see as sections were spread over different pages.
This could almost be a stand alone and I am already looking forward to the next book by Cara Hunter!
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC!

Cara Hunter is my 2nd favourite crime writer (just behind Val McDermid) and Making A Killing didn't disappoint. The storyline is the follow-up to Close to Home in which eight year old Daisy Mason goes missing. Adam Fawley and his team do everything they can to find her but sadly her body is never found and her mother is sentenced to life on circumstantial evidence. Making A Killing is set eight years later when a body is found in the same town and one of Daisy's hairs is identified by forensics! But is she really still alive? Hunter never fails to impress with the pacing of the storyline. She writes great page-turners and I love that the team are usually the same characters. I was delighted Ev was promoted and Quinn had found his way to being a decent bloke (thanks to marriage). I can see what this team looks like and so I always look forward to the next one. I hope Cara doesn't ONLY do stand alones in the future - she's got a massive Fawley Team fan club out there...we'd be devastated!

I was super lucky to get an ARC of the latest in the DI Fawley books from one of my all time favourite authors and Oh My Goodness 😱🤯 I had no idea there would be another one but I am so pleased @carahunterauthor decided to write another! I can’t reveal too much without giving away HUGE SPOILERS but this is one to be read for sure!

I love how it kept you guessing what happened till the end, I thought I had it figured out numerous times and even the references to the previous books changed my mind about those too! Very clever!

A huge thank you to @carahunterauthor , @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for the ARC … roll on the next one!

Making a Killing by Cara Hunter is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that drew me in from the first page, and it has left me eager to read more of her work. This is the first book of Hunter’s that I’ve read—though I’ve had Murder in the Family on my TBR list for a while—and it certainly won’t be the last.

One of the standout aspects of Making a Killing is Hunter's distinctive writing style, which kept me hooked throughout the novel. Her writing is sharp and immersive, with an ability to balance tension with compelling character development. It reminded me somewhat of Catherine Ryan Howard's storytelling, particularly in the way it weaves in cultural and regional elements—there’s a subtle Irish influence that enriches the narrative and gives it a unique flavour.

I wasn't aware when starting Making a Killing that it was part of a series, and, in hindsight, I think I’d have benefited from reading the previous books first, especially since a significant storyline from book two plays a key role here. That said, this didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the book itself. The story works well as a stand-alone, though I did feel a bit lost in parts when certain characters and plotlines from the previous book resurfaced. This was mostly a minor inconvenience, though, and didn’t overshadow the overall experience.

What truly set this book apart for me were the newspaper articles interspersed throughout the narrative. They offered a clever and quirky way to reveal information, breaking up the traditional narrative structure and adding depth to the unfolding mystery. This technique kept the pace fresh and engaging, giving the reader multiple perspectives and adding layers to the investigation.

There is, however, a rather large cast of characters in Making a Killing, and at times, it felt a bit overwhelming trying to keep track of everyone. While each character plays a role in the story, the sheer number of them can become confusing, particularly when some characters have only minor but pivotal appearances. This might be more of a challenge for readers new to the series who aren't familiar with the relationships from earlier books.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Making a Killing and will definitely be adding Cara Hunter’s other books to my reading list. Her ability to blend suspense, character development, and innovative storytelling makes her a stand-out author in the crime thriller genre. If you're a fan of dark, twisty mysteries and creative narrative structures, this book is well worth picking up.

Delighted to be back with Adam Fawley and his team - possibly the most multi-faceted bunch in crime fiction land. I love how Cara Hunter constantly innovates and is creative with format. ‘Making a Killing’ is an ambitious undertaking, as it revisits an old case from a previous book. You don't have to re-read the first Daisy Mason case because there are plenty of recaps scattered throughout the narrative to keep us up to speed. This one also ended on quite the cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to perhaps some further exploration of that in future. Overall, a very engaging read.

I did find ithis book a bit confusing at times and I’m not a huge fan of the ambiguous ending - but it was very entertaining and readable - except the newspaper clippings didn’t work on my kindle and some of the text was repeated and confusing. Hopefully that will be sorted out before the book’s release. Despite these issues, I didn’t want to give up and I enjoyed it.