Member Reviews
Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.
Firstly, I love Cara Hunter books so I was so excited to see a new one.
The story was gripping from the start and kept me guessing right the way through. Her books are always so easy to read and hook you from the very first chapter.
I liked how the story was broken up with email exchanges and newspaper article.
I can’t recommend this author and her books enough.
Absolutely brilliant read.
The link to the Daisy Mason case - Cara's first Fawley book - provides a mesmerising hook as an intro to the story. This reader was craving to find out the what, who and how! A clever and devilish plot. The narrative is constructed masterfully, following several strands of investigation in parallel - and every time you're just about to get a reveal, we change focus to a different strand, making you compelled to read just two (and often more) chapters. The use of the journal, emails, website news posts, newspaper clippings, transcripts of telephone interviews and the like adds variety, impact and effect to the novel.
I loved the ending, including the authors notes giving insights to the origins of this story and maybe what's next.
In my opinion, Cara Hunter has surpassed Michael Connelly as the best in police procedural.
Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review. This series is one of my favourites so I jumped on it as soon as I saw I was approved .
If I hadnt been so busy I would have finished this quicker as this was excellent and what Caras readers have come to expect . One of the best things about these books are the added features that enhance the story such as emails and newspaper articles these make the experience a much more visual one and you really feel like you're part of the case.
A great story especially reconnecting with the officers involved and revisiting a previous case , this may be referred to as a cold case however this case had a conviction so case closed right >> ?? or maybe not? what happens when evidence can point to someones innocence like they have progressed all along but not only that when a ghost surfaces ....
Fast paced ,exciting and full of adrenaline as we race to find out the truth . everyone's a suspect and no-one can be trusted .
Twists and turns aplenty and just as fresh and gripping as Caras first book in the series .
Thought provoking and intriguing to get into these minds especially as a true crime fan and psychology student .
In the early 1600s a woman was imprisoned for being a witch and was starved to death. This was near a grave site. Now a dead body has surfaced and has been there for weeks. A strand of hair was found on the body, which belongs to Daisy Mason!
In book 1 Daisy is 8 yrs old and went missing and her mother was jailed for her murder- but book 1 ended where we found out she was on a ferry to Ireland with someone she became close to. She is very witty and an 8 yr old should never be underestimated.
This reopens the case, and we have two investigating teams on the case, one of which is DI Fawley and his team. They uncover how this random dead person and Daisy are connected?! And where has Daisy been all this time ?
Wherever and whatever Daisy touches brings carnage, she is so young but smart and will drag anyone under the bus to get what she wants. The idea of a shadow journal and reading Daisy's thoughts I'd enjoyed she's certainly wise beyond her years. I loved seeing the photos of Daisy's family members and the reading the articles, I like the different features this book brings.
The ending sent me shivers it was a suspenseful way to end the book- oh my goodness!! I love this series.
I'm a huge fan of this author and an auto buy for me. I am eagerly anticipating the next book now !!!
I’ve loved every book in this series and this book doesn’t disappoint. It’s really easy to get back into the writing style and the cast of characters which just sucks you right into the story. There are plenty of twists and turns which constantly leave you guessing what is going to be revealed next.
Thank you thank you thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me to read the ARC of this book! I had been stalking NG for weeks, waiting for it to appear, and they kept me waiting a week, which made it all the more exciting when I got approved!
I absolutely love Cara Hunter. Love the mixed media format, and her style of writing appeals to my brain, I don’t know why, I just find it easy to read and so impulsive I can’t stop reading!
I love the recurring characters in this series, and every book has been addictive and un-put-down-able for me.
This one doesn’t get officially published until February 2025, and already I cannot wait for the next, whether that is another DCI Fawley instalment, or a stand alone.
Absolutely brilliant.
I have the world's worst memory, and often remember little of a book beyond if I liked it.
Because of this, I am so grateful for the character recap at the start of the book bringing us all up to speed.
Fawley is as solid as ever. Good to be back in his company
I have the vaguest memory of Daisy, but certainly not what a manipulative b***h she was, so all this came as a pleasant surprise.
Plenty of twists to keep me wanting more.
A very, very enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the ARC
I screamed when I got this ARC. Then I screamed some more and then I started reading. Cara Hunter is one of my favoirte authors within the crime fiction genre and this just solidifies her position. If you ever wondered what happened after Close to Home, here's your answer. It's another amazingly written and crafted story in the Adam Fawley universe. It's a must read. Cara will never cease to amaze me with her mind-twisting plots and clever writing. I can never guess where the story is going and I'm hit with plot twist after plot twist. If you haven't read any of her books yet, please do yourself a favor and do so. Now.
Twisty, filled with suspense and full of drama is everything I have come to expect from this brilliant author.
I loved this book, there were a few clues as to what would happen and I was happy to have expected the unexpected.
It is a brilliant read with a well developed plot and characters that all add to the story. I always feel like I am reading a real life drama with Cara hunter novels and this was for me as a reader was divine..
This is so good. I really like the idea of an original team having to investigate one of their own previous cases and finding out that they missed some very important clues along the way. It shows how easy it is to be misdirected and to only see what you are led towards, and how missing one clue could lead to so many others being missed. It was useful to have a recap of the whole team at the beginning of the book as it is set a few years after the original case so some members have moved on, been promoted etc. I really like Adam Fawley as a character, but this book works well as all of the characters have input and it's not just about Fawley putting things right. There is a real collaboration between them all, helped by the layout of the book with emails, transcripts etc. included. The inclusion of the shadow journal was a brilliant way of including Daisy's voice throughout the book and really helped me to form an opinion on her, building on the previous book where she was the victim. It was such a good way to revisit the case.
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!!
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. All opinions are my own.
This is abolutely brilliant from the excellent highly original plot, to its unusual reporting style narrative. In all I found it interesting, entertaining and intriguing. I loved the character summaries at the beginning which really sets the scene to enjoy the read to its full potential. It works as a standalone, but I will now go back and reread the others in the series. Highly recommended.
Wow another amazing installment in the DCI Fawley series !! I’ve read and loved every single one so far !! Cara hits it out the park everytime !!
I absolutely love the Adam Fawley series so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read the latest in the series. It’s set 8 years after book one when Sharon Mason was convicted for the murder of her daughter, 8 year old Daisy whose body was never discovered. With the discovery of another body Sharon’s conviction is thrown into doubt as it appears that Daisy is still alive.
This is another excellent police procedural that I raced through, I loved the twists and turns and how the plot slowly reveals what really happened to Daisy.
It was good to be back with DCI Fawley and his team, although as the investigation is run by two police authorities there are far too many characters to keep up with. I lost track of different police officer’s names and in the end didn’t try to remember. Also, this version of the novel did not work well on kindle as it was impossible to read some of the different forms of media such as newspaper articles.
For me, this didn’t detract from the story or this series and I can’t wait for the next book.
This could be read as a stand-alone but I’d recommend the whole series, or at least reading book one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
Brilliant book, another very good sequel in the series, it had everything you would expect and didn’t expect how the ending turned out, looking forward to the next one
I always love Adam Fawley, love the series. I love his inner monolgues and his dry tone. . I didn't feel that we spent much time with him this book, but I didn't mind the other characters that we did spend more time.with.
For me, there were too many characters. I really struggled to keep track of the names across both teams. In the end, I gave up trying to follow some of the characters and just had them as nameless sidekicks to the bigger cast members, Asante, Quinn, Gis etc.
Also characters like Tate, who were introduced almost as a main character and there was the little side plot with Asante that then never went anywhere or had any impact that for me diluted the pacing a bit.
I couldn't remember the whole of the previous book but I did remember enough to not be totally lost by the back story.
I thought the plot was okay, it wasn't overly fast paced or full of twists and turns, but it was a solid police procedural. Like I say, I felt at times there were deviations that weren't needed, or perhaps the main plot needed to be a bit more explosive so that the subplots were more tension breakers.
I think the ending has annoyed me because I felt like the plot wasn't as fast paced or full of major events, and was more character driven so I was expecting a big dramatic ending, which didn't really come.
I think overall I'm glad I read it, but I wasn't blown away like I have other books in the series.
Sadly i was not able to continue with the book as it simply would not download correctly for my kindle.
Bit miffed that i cannot read it.
This is the 7th novel in the D(C)I Fawley series and I would definitely recommend reading the previous novels. Although this can be read as a standalone (and the author helpfully provides a who's who at the start of the novel) there is so much character development through the series that it is beneficial to have read the previous novels.
If you are not able to read them all, I would recommend at least reading the first book, Close to Home, as this is a continuation of that story, albeit 8 years later.
For those reasons, I don't want to go into the story in too much detail but suffice to say, when new evidence comes to light which casts a shadow over Fawley's previous investigation into Daisy's disappearance, he,and the team, find themselves going over old ground.
This is another excellent novel in the series and no-one does police procedurals quite like Hunter. The use of mixed media, emails, WhatsApps, interview transcripts really brings the reader into the investigation
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | Hemlock for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.
He. Is. Finally. Back. The eternal wait for the return of Adam Fawley has been a long time coming. Was it worth the wait? Oh hell yes! Cara Hunter delivers us another wonderfully written story in that unique style of hers that I find so captivating. Although this the seventh instalment it is in fact a sequel to her debut story in the Fawley series as we see Adam once again entangled in the Daisy Mason case. An absolutely brilliant move on the authors part to revisit this story. I settled straight back into this from the off as the author subtly included a synopsis of the original case so very easy for the reader to pick up where book one left off. Because of the way Cara writes it lets the story flow beautifully and naturally and is paced to perfection. Loved the way we got to ‘know’ sixteen year old Daisy, brilliantly executed and that ending - what a cliffhanger! This for me is an author that never puts a foot wrong and has never delivered anything less than a five star read. An absolutely cracking read.