Another cracking story from Cara Hunter.
I loved the fact this story follows in from a previous book. That story always left me wanting more answers and so this book held many answers for me.
I loved the plot and the characters are amazing, as always.
The ending was a bit weird, I’m not sure if this was due to this being a pre release copy, but it just didn’t seem to end. I’m assuming there will be another book on its way with a few more answers.
I was gifted this book by NetGalley and publishers as an audiobook. It was fabulous. The narrators brought the characters to life and made the whole book much more alive.

I haven’t read all the books in this series, but this works well as a standalone. I downloaded as soon as the title arrived and have listened to it in almost a single sitting. It’s fast paced and gripping and I love the range of narrators which give the performance an almost theatrical feel at times, rather than just reading a story. There’s a lot of humour in the banter between the police colleagues and that adds to the authenticity of the characters. Plus, at the beginning, there’s an overview and potted bio of each of the main characters. This serves to set the scene well as a refresher and for those new to the series.

Fascinating tale and premise. Present day, a student disappears after midsummer revelry. Is this case linked to the disappearance of an 8 year old who went missing from a party at her home in the mid 1990’s? Her mother was charged with murder but protested her innocence. Seems unlikely that there’s a link but Adam Fawley, who lead on the first case, is brought back from secondment to an anti terror team to investigate. And his old team is also mustered to assist. I loved this story. A real air of mystery and witchcraft. Who’s hiding secrets and why? Rattles along at a great pace and packed with twists. More please and not such a long wait next time.

So good to have Adam Fawley back

When the body of a young woman is found in the woods, it is 1st believed to be missing girl Ella. However DNA quickly rules that out. Then additional DNA is found on the body, which quickly throws up more questions than answers.
The DNA belongs to that of 8 year old Daisy Mason, believed to have been murdered by her own mother. How on earth can her DNA be at the scene of this crime 8 years later?
The original team are brought in to work alongside the local force as they try to discover the identity of the victim and how Daisy is connected.
This is where Adam Fawley and his team make a reappearance.

We follow both police teams as they work together to discover exactly what happened.

The book flowed well and it was nice to see how members of the team have developed in the ensuing years and also be introduced to new characters. The book ends leaving us keen for more. So I cannot wait for future books


The audio version was a treat to listen to, the narrators did a fab job of retelling the story

Back in 2016, eight-year-old Dasiy Mason disappeared and her body was never found. Sharon Mason, Daisy's mother was found guilty of the girl's murder. Eight years later, when the body of a woman is discovered forensic evidence linking to Daisy is uncovered resulting in the whole murder case having to be reviewed.

Making A Killing by Cara Hunter is book 7 in the DI Fawley series. The story revisits the first book in the series, Close To Home, in a spectacular way. A variety of narrators are used effectively to help try and distinguish between the numerous characters involved in the complex story.

The scene is quickly set thanks to a series of emails and newspaper cuttings. During the hunt for a missing woman, a body is discovered. It is evident the body has been buried for a while and analysis of forensic evidence results in shocking news. The body, a woman, contains trace evidence of Daisy Mason, an eight-year-old girl who disappeared in 2016 and was presumed dead, her mother was found guilty of the murder.

With the case being re-opened DI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is put in charge. This causes friction between the two police forces investigating the case. We also meet an extremely devious individual.

The use of various forms of media makes for a pacey story, filled with shocks at every turn. While emails and text messages keep the momentum going I feel that they don't work well as an audiobook and detract from the plot, the format is much better suited to print.

Twists, turns and bombshells keep you gripped, desperate to discover exactly what happened eight years ago and more recently. The conclusion leaves the reader/listener on edge. While I didn't think this format worked well as an audiobook it has piqued my interest and made me want to read the DI Fawley series.

I have read and enjoyed some of Cara Hunters previous books but had not read the DI Frawley series before, while the book does an excellent job at the beginning, of clarifying who is whom and giving brief descriptions and backgrounds of the characters, in hindsight, I probably should have read the first book in the series ( of which the murder that occurs in this one, is a central component of this novel), I will read it soon though because despite coming into this series at book 7, what a read!

An incredibly plotted and layered police procedural , gripping from the off and I raced through this one. I really enjoyed the writing , the fast past and the way Hunter allowed this story to unfold. Cara Hunter fans will adore this and if like me, you haven't read the other books in the series, this book will make you look forward to picking them up.

I really enjoyed the multi cast narration of this one, it allowed me to familiarize myself with the characters much quicker and they all done an excellent job adding to the suspense of this story.

A cracking thriller, recommend.

He's baaaack.....

And so is she!!!!!!

Yes, DI Adam Fawley and talented author Cara Hunter are both back.

"Making A Killing" is DI Adam Fawley #7.

This compelling thriller is also a standalone read although reading "Close To Home, DI Adam Fawley #1" is highly recommended.

The premise of "Making A Killing" is brilliant:

In Book #1, DI Adam Fawley's team helps convict a mother accused of murdering her 8-year-old daughter with forensic evidence and no corpse.

In Book #7, we learn that DI Adam Fawley and his team could have wrongfully convicted an innocent mother.

Recently uncovered evidence indicates that the alleged young female murder victim is alive.

And she is linked to a new murder investigation.

There are police procedurals and there are police procedurals, and Cara Hunter is highly skilled in penning outstanding police procedurals.

WHY NOT 5 STARS?
This 12-hour audiobook was very, very long.

And with two police teams and many witnesses, a scorecard was required to keep track of everyone.

This being said, Cara Hunter is one of my favorite police procedural writers.

Her strong characterizations, witty police banter, twists, and uncanny attention to the infinitesimal details of criminal investigations never fail to wow me.

I listened to the audiobook read by Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair, and Alexandra Boulton.

Multi-cast audiobook narrations are always a treat and all narrators gave outstanding performances.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I was lucky enough to be given access to the audioARC of the latest Adam Fawley novel and I really enjoyed catching up with the series regulars.

As usual, Cara Hunter provides a great summary of each of the continuing characters’ lives, so the book would work if it was the first you’ve read.

The plot of this story is especially intricate and some parts of it made me think of TV shows Luther and Villanelle, with a young sociopath at the centre of the action. Personally, there’s only so much first person narrative from the murderer I can take, but Hunter got the balance between the perpetrator’s “Shadow Journal” and standard police procedural just right for me.

And there was a bonus short story in which Fawley confronts his father about the secret adoption papers that have plagued him since he found them when he was ten (over forty years ago).

All in all, Fawley and team are back with a bang, and I am here for it! 🎉🎉🎉

Book 7 in the DI Adam Fawley series. Audio version of this book. A cleverly written storyline told from several different characters perspectives. 4 narrators take on the different character roles. A really good read/listen. All I would say is that if like me you listen to audiobooks as you are going to sleep … this one isn’t for you ! Because there is so much going on and lots of twists and turns you have to really concentrate which then prevents falling asleep !!

4.5⭐️

Book 7 Adam Fawley series


I had the audiobook read by Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair, Alexandra Bolton who are great.

I love this series, especially on audio as I love Lee Ingleby as Fawley. Love the inclusion of the who’s who at the start, informative and fun.

This book takes us back to the first case in the series (Close To Home) as usual with the series it uses mixed media to tell the story, I feel the way it’s been blended in this book works well for the audiobook version. I have read close to home but couldn’t remember it, the author gives the reader enough to pick up on the story so you’ll be ok if you haven’t read it, but if you can read it first then move on to this one all the better.

I love the interaction with Fawley and little Lily, it’s a lovely grounding family interaction amidst the world of crime solving. Fawley’s dry quips make me chuckle.

The plot has layers including a thread from Daisy which work well.
This one is left more open ended, so I’m so looking forward to the next book, hoping that there’s not such a long wait. I enjoyed the additional short story, I’m not usually a short story fan but it addresses something from Adam’s past.

Frequently, readers ask if a series needs to be read in order, my answer is usually yes. In the case of Making A Killing, the answer is a resounding yes. The book pertains strongly to the first book in the series. So if you are reading this review, and haven’t read the rest of the series yet, do yourself a favour, buy Close to Home immediately. You won’t regret it, the whole series is fabulous.

DCI Adam Fawley, yes, he’s a DCI now, is no longer working from St Aldates with the team, he’s working in Counter Terrorism. Until a live case throws a huge curveball. Adam is taken back 8 years, to the Daisy Mason case. It was a trying case, which resulted in a conviction, despite Daisy never being found, due to the compelling evidence. This surprising new evidence reassembles the old team, as well as finding a few new faces for good measure.

I listened to the audiobook, as Lee Ingleby and Emma Cunniffe will always be the voices of Adam and the team, in my mind. I think if I physically read the words, I would still hear their voices in my head. Their narration is perfectly pitched, just as the previous six books were. If this series ever comes to the screen, which I truly hope it does, they are must for casting.

The story is everything I have come to expect from this author. A complex case, stretching and testing the team to the limit. As a reader, you need to keep your brain engaged too, as this is a twisty tale, and you don’t want to miss even the of smallest details. The characters now feel like old friends, so I especially enjoyed the catch up with their lives at the very start of the book.

I loved the references to Infamous, crossover elements with Murder in the Family, which is also written by Cara, but a standalone not related to the Fawley books. If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it too. When I realised the book was related to an earlier case, I will admit, I felt a little disappointed, as I wanted a new case to get my teeth into. I shouldn’t have worried. That initial feeling was quickly blown away, by the new revelations from the Daisy Mason case. Who knew there was so much more to know about the case? I didn’t, but the author rightly did!

I also thoroughly enjoyed the bonus short story at the end of the book. Descent addresses a long held issue affecting Adam personally. If there are any Fawley fans who don’t tend to like short stories, I strongly suggest you have a read/listen. Just in case you’re not sure, it’s 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

A body is found and DNA test on a hair at the scene is found to be of a girl who was murdered 8 years earlier though the body was never found. The team investgates the new crime and the old one. A gripping story that never let's go. Full of good characters and a few red herrings. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. With the excellent multiple narrators this story is brought to life. Thanks to Harpercollins audio and Netgalley for this review ARC

Absolutely brilliant! The last book in this series was set six years ago and it is so good to catch up with Adam Fawley and his team. A few books ago, Cara Hunter started adding a character summary to the beginning of the book and after a gap in the series, this is a great feature, whether you have read the previous books or not. And on that note, this will absolutely work as a standalone, as there is enough background to catch you up.

In the first book in the series, eight year old Daisy Mason disappeared and her mother was convicted of her murder is currently serving a life sentence. Eight years on, in "Making a Killing", the body of a young woman is discovered and a DNA test on a strand of hair found at the scene, reveals that it belongs to Daisy Mason; SHE WASN'T MURDERED! But is she now a killer?

As well as identifying the dead woman and investigating why she was killed and by whom, the team have to revisit the original Daisy Mason case from 2016. Where has Daisy been for the past eight years? was she abducted? Did she run away? And crucially, where is she now?

I was gripped from the start, as I always am with this incredible series. The writing is excellent, the character development is absolutely spot on, with the perfect balance of the main character's personal lives and the case they are working on, the plot is fast paced, suspenseful and twisty - what's not to love? The ending has some loose ends, which I hope means that there's more to come!

I have listened to this whole series on audiobook and the narrators are so brilliant, I really feel like I know these characters personally. Great job, as always, Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair and Alexandra Boulton. The short Adam Fawley story at the end was a fantastic bonus and if you have followed this series from it's inception, you will also love it.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Cara Hunter and Harper Collins for an ARC in return for an honest review.

If you haven't read any of the previous Adam Fawley novels, fear not! It's not required. For those of you who have this a terrific new instalment. As ever the mystery at its heart is complex, winding and in this case far reaching, across both counties and countries. Enjoyable for all.

‘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 - and despite the mixed media elements, it worked well as an audiobook too, with multiple talented narrators.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance listener copy!

Having only read the first book in this series, I wondered had I made a mistake in requesting the 7th, whilst I’m keen to catch the rest I really needn’t have worried, the author gives an insightful recap of prior events at the beginning of the title, yet actually this also worked really well as a standalone.

I love a police procedural, particularly when there’s a complicated case to solve, and it doesn’t come more complicated than the dna of a girl murdered 8 years ago appearing on a newly murdered victim.

Delivered from multiple perspectives I found this novel to be fresh, bang up to date, whip-smart and with plenty of fresh on the bones of the story. The whole team were easy to get to know, and I’m sorry that I’ve missed the others in the series. A catch up is imminent.

I loved the narration 🎧
Highly recommend.

Huge thanks to HarperCollins U.K. Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

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

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

“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.

Also, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair and Alexandra Boulton. This is a good companion to the book/e-book. I like that there are multiple narrators and listening to the story with the accents helps me immerse in the story. The audiobook also has an exclusive Adam Fawley short story at the end.

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.

FROM THE COVER📖

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?


REVIEW⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BOOK/ARC OF THE YEAR 2024🏆

Full disclosure, I previously gave this book a review but due to an unreadable arc. I felt my review wasn’t as insightful as it could have been since accessing a fully working arc I am now able to give a full review.

This a stunning and ingenious novel that is complex, immersive, sharp witted, clever, ground-breaking in style ,original, inventive and so 21st Century. I loved everything about this book!!!! A true one of a kind

This instalment of the going ons in Oxford with DCI Fawley and his team takes place six years on from the last, and eight years since Daisy went missing. Cara Hunter and in particular the DI Adam Fawley series have been firm favourites of mine since the beginning so was very interested to see where this follow up on the case would go. This book reflects on first case from book one which has me hooked from the very start, the first book wrapped incredibly well with a brilliant twist I was unsure where Cara would go next after reading all I can say is equally brilliant.

The book begins with a refresh of each of the main players which is particular useful knowing how many characters are in these novels and given the time that has passed between the novels settings. The characters within these novels are well written and developed the books are a real insight to police procedural work but the small snippets into the characters personal lives stop that procedural parts being dragged out. I find Hunter’s writing is involving and fluent with some welcome flashes of humour I believe this down to how she presents her characters and how she has developed them as the series has processed. There is proper real life feel to how she interlinks the previous books from the series and also her stand alone novel, it is done smartly and no way feels like she repeating or reusing anything it’s fresh . If you haven’t read the previous books you can read this as stand alone but be warned because of the little links you will want to back to book one and read them all, that being said I would read book one in the series at the very least before reading this.


There isn’t really proper chapters, but over dates using a mixture of formats first POV from Adam, the third person POV when hearing about the other characters then in all different media formats used like emails, transcripts, photos and in the very unique format of a shadow diary from Daisy. This is what sets Hunters writing apart for me these different ways of telling and moving the story along really hold interest and make you feel part of the investigation. There is a solid well written plot that along with these quirks on traditional writing really take what is good plot to next level. It was fascinating to see how the Daisy Mason story was deconstructed and put together again and presented in a totally different way - what a twisty, brilliant idea! Her shadow diary really give us a look at the real Daisy and it was a great intriguing riveting way to do so.

Cara as writer has unique style of writing that is easy to engage with despite the many characters and complex plots sage writes with true style, there has been recent number of books using different ways of telling their stories however I have try to read a book that uses the mixed formats as well as Hunter. There are many writers who write series of books but there isn’t many that written in a way that keeps the series fresh there isn’t a hint of cut and paste write by numbers here in the way that even the best of series can have. For Cara’s writing keeps on getting better and better. This is great edition to the series with an ending that leaves you wanting more and more.

The above is my review for the print version the story is equally good as an audiobook but I felt despite the great narrators the book didn't transfer well to audio u believe this was down to the mixed approach the book had the articles from newspapers and blog post didn't work, but still a great story and the audio worked well in places with good tone from all the voices