This is another great read from Cara Hunter and we are back with DCI Fawley. The story picks up 7 years after we were last with Fawley and the team when everyone is pulled back from their secondments after it appears Daisy Mason is alive 8 years after she first disappeared.

To say I was excited to read this would be an understatement. It was everything I wanted it to be and is a fantastic read. I found it to be quite a slow burn with a rather abrupt ending (which I absolutely loved)! This is one of my favourite police procedural’s series and Cara is a go to read for me. I read this in a few days, as usual there are no chapters, but several POVs are present along with the mixed media that separate these books from others in the genre. All the usual characters were back, with a few from Cara’s standalone book Murder in the Family, which I thought was very clever and well thought out!

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To say there was one overly excited reader here when I opened the notification from Netgalley with the approval for this book is possibly the biggest understatement of 2024! I have followed the Adam Fawley series from book 1, Close to Home, and have pushed it into the hands of many a reader seeking a guaranteed page turner since 2017. But, that said, as it was some 7 years plus since I read that first instalment, I decided a refresher read was necessary before I dived in to book 7. A decision well-made as it brought all the details of the Daisy Mason disappearance back ready for reference as Adam and the team were forced to revisit the case that put both her parents behind bars. There's a handy introduction to the significant characters at the start of the book which, if you have bought the book not realising its background, is really useful.

The story begins, as with many discoveries of murder victims, with a dog walker stumbling across a shallow grave - but the can of worms the discovery opens isn't immediately obvious. There's a missing uni student in the locality, so it makes sense that first guesses to the identity of the victim point in her direction. Forensic tests on the body and associated evidence soon shift the focus - but what they're saying seems impossible, as the DNA they've found belongs to someone who couldn't possibly have been there: Daisy.

Cara Hunter has used her signature method of including photos, social media posts, newspaper clippings, and emails along the way to portray the public mood toward the case and information being fed between the investigators. I love this method as the reader can put the pieces together themselves alongside the detectives as the story progresses.

OK so it would be most unlikely for the detectives who got things so spectacularly wrong first time around to be quite involved in this new case, but if you can ignore that (which I found extremely easy to do) you will love the journey this book takes you on. It explores not just what happened 8 years ago, but the effects that whole experience had on everyone involved. Which would infuriate Daisy because - as always - it's not all about her!

The ending is fantastic but will annoy some readers as the remaining loose ends dangle some tantalising tasters for possible further instalments in this series. Which makes me very happy - I just hope we don't have to wait another 8 years for the answers!

Always really enjoy a Cara Hunter book. As ever, this one didn’t disappoint. Good ending. Will keep looking forward to her future books.

I have been waiting a long time for book 7 in this amazing series and I was not disappointed this was excellent.
This takes us back to book 1 and the disappearance of Daisy Mason. 8 years have passed and Daisy is now 16.
This book had plenty of twists and turns and I just didn’t know what was coming next.
It was great to catch up with Adam and the old gang and I can’t wait for the next instalment.
Thanks to Netgalley ,Cara Hunter and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

After her last book, stand-alone Murder In The Family, Making A Killing marks the return of Adam Fawley and his team, who are drawn back together when DNA found at a scene is revealed to belong to someone involved in a past case. The only problem is, they were the murder victim, and the DNA proves they are in fact alive.

Making A Killing likely won’t work for you if you haven’t read Close To Home, the first book in the Fawley series in which the establishing story for this novel is told. But for those familiar with that book and the rest of the Fawley series, this will be a a welcome return. Personally, I found it so unlikely that Fawley and his team would be called upon to ‘mark their own homework’, so to speak, but tried to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride. The ending is left very open, too, so I imagine this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Daisy.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is 13th Feb 2025. Another cracking fast- paced and gripping book Cara Hunter.

I loved how it linked to the Daisy Mason case - Cara's first Fawley book and it had all the elements of fantastic police procedural book.

It was thought provoking and intriguing as a true crime fan. This would be a great tv adaptation!

The ending gave me shivers it was a suspenseful way to end the book! I am eagerly anticipating the next book now!

Love love love that this had links back to Close to Home and Murder in the Family. Thrilling and fast-paced like the previous novels in the series, I raced through and enjoyed every minute. I liked the addition of emails and newspaper clippings but found the mug shots a little cringey.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

‘Making A Killing’ by Cara Hunter is an addictive, intriguing crime novel starring D.I. Adam Fawley, the protagonist of six previous novels who absolutely doesn’t expect to be drawn back into a case from eight years ago that led to the successful conviction of cold-hearted Sharon Mason for the murder of her 8-year-old daughter Daisy. However, DNA evidence at the scene of a separate crime in Hescombe leads Fawley and his team questioning everything they thought they knew about one of North Oxford’s most compelling and upsetting cases…

I will start by saying that I re-read ‘Close To Home’ - the 2016-set series opener featuring Daisy’s disappearance and THAT explosive ending - specifically before opening this book, and I think it enhanced the experience. Even if you don’t want to read the whole series, I think that the experience of reading this novel is enhanced by feeling connected to the original case, though there is enough background given in dialogue and newspaper cuttings for this to work standalone if needs be. Speaking of which, the author’s actual standalone book - the sensational ‘Murder In The Family’ - and its fictional true crime TV series ‘Infamous’ is referenced more than a few times throughout the chapters, giving a treat to Cara Hunter’s avid fans (me included!)

I read this book in two totally captivated sittings and was breathless as the narrative jumped from location to location, incorporating transcripts, articles and messages alongside prose to really embed the reader in the investigations. The plot was so incredibly clever, and managed to be both shocking and expected given what we know of the characters. I enjoyed (if that’s the right word) the exploration of shadow journaling and revelled in the darkness of the story.

Perhaps a bit more focus on Adam himself wouldn’t have gone amiss, but even so, this was a jam-packed, unputdownable five star read for me! 100% recommended.

I am a HUGE Adam Fawley fan and once again, this book did not disappoint. With nods to her stand alone novel, Cara Hunter creates a thrilling and tense story, that is impossible to put down.

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!!