All The Rage by Cara Hunter #BookReview @CaraHunterBooks #AllTheRage @DIAdamFawley @penguinrandom @PenguinUKBooks

Today I’m thrilled to be sharing my review for one of my favourite crime series. All The Rage by Cara Hunter, but first the book description…….

History doesn’t repeat itself. Does it?

A distressed teenage girl is found on the outskirts of Oxford. The story she tells is terrifying: grabbed off the street, a plastic bag forced over her head, then driven somewhere remote and subjected to an assault.

DI Adam Fawley is doing the best he can to investigate, but the teenager refuses to press charges. All he can do is try to ignore the sickening feeling he’s seen something like this before…

But when another girl goes missing, Fawley knows his time is running out.

Because if he ignores the past any longer, this girl may not be coming back.

I have eagerly been waiting to get my hands on a copy of All The Rage by Cara Hunter, as it’s definitely one of my all-time favourite police procedure/crime thriller series. The author has a unique way of presenting her story (more about that in a while) which make her books such an exciting read. Although All The Rage could be read as a stand-alone, I would urge you to start at the beginning because this really is an addictive crime series, and you will have a better understanding of the history of the characters.  

The book description doesn’t give much away, and I’m not going to spend time on rehashing or expanding on the plot details. One of the strengths of this book is DI Fawley and his merry band of team members, each one has grown as the series has evolved. As with any good team, the team members are a diverse bunch, their focus is set firmly on solving the case.  As the investigation intensifies  Fawley and his team seem no nearer  to obtaining a breakthrough in the case, the team’s frustration is obvious. In this book Fawley is pivotal to the investigation, and we see a different side to the DI as the plot evolves. 

Unusual in a book, there are no chapters which some readers may find strange, but as there are no lulls or breaks in the story, it keeps the reader’s attention firmly on the investigation. One of the things that make this series such an original read, is the author’s use of social media, we are privy to the chat rooms on the dark web, and the poison they spout (which made for an uncomfortable read). There are also tweets, from key board warriors and sympathetic members of the public, which serve to make the story feel current. Cara Hunter also incorporates eye witnesses’ statements, psychiatric reports, court transcripts, and suspect interviews to make the investigation even more authentic.

Some of the crimes committed, coupled with certain subject matters, made this book a disquieting read but I appreciated the author’s sensitive handling of the plot lines. Like every book in the series so far the plot is packed full of twists which made it impossible to predict what would come next, in fact at one point I had one of those  ‘I never saw that coming’ moments’, I love it when an author manages to shock me. Red herrings are perfectly placed, tension increases tenfold, and remains that way, right up to the shocking conclusion. Cara Hunter has away of writing that immediately draws you in, when you add to this her unique way of including various media’s to tell a story,  and Voila,  you have another cracking read from Cara Hunter. Highly recommended and a MUST read for crime thriller lovers. 

Buying links: Amazon UK 🇬🇧      Amazon US 🇺🇸

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (23 Jan. 2020) Kindle (19 Dec.2019)

My thanks to fellow book blogger Jen at https://jenmedsbookreviews.com/ for sending me her spare ARC.

 

#NoWayOut by Cara Hunter #CrimeSeries #MustReads @CaraHunterBooks @PenguinUKBooks

Today I’m sharing my review for the latest book in the DI Fawley series, No Way Out by Cara Hunter if you are a fan of crime/police procedures then this is an unmissable series. Read on for my thoughts, but first the book description……..

DID YOU SEE ANYTHING ON THE NIGHT THE ESMOND FAMILY WERE MURDERED? 

From the author of CLOSE TO HOME and IN THE DARK comes the third pulse-pounding DI Fawley crime thriller.

It’s one of the most disturbing cases DI Fawley has ever worked. 

The Christmas holidays, and two children have just been pulled from the wreckage of their burning home in North Oxford. The toddler is dead, and his brother is soon fighting for his life.

Why were they left in the house alone? Where is their mother, and why is their father not answering his phone?

Then new evidence is discovered, and DI Fawley’s worst nightmare comes true.

Because this fire wasn’t an accident.

It was murder. 

Woohoo Cara Hunter is back with No Way Out the third novel in the D I Adam Fawley series, in case you haven’t guessed this is one of my favourite crime series ever, in fact I didn’t even bother reading the book description, I picked up the book and dived right in. After reading No Way Out in a day it’s safe to say this crime thriller turned out to be everything I hoped for and more. The author pulls out all the stops, No Way Out is a nail biting, complex tale of arson, child murder and family intrigue. 

No Way Out opens with the chilling discovery of two children, burned in a fire in their family home. Initially, there’s no sign of their parents. The police are not only dealing with arson, but possibly murder. Who would want this seemingly “normal family” dead? Where are the parents? Enter Di Fawley and his team whose job it is to piece the clues together. No Way Out begins in the present but gradually reveals events in the families past that led to the devastating house fire. With so much going on you would be forgiven if you thought this novel may be difficult to follow, but it’s really not, Cara Hunter has a knack of blending past and present timelines, and other mediums into a seamless read that’s nigh on impossible to put down.  

Although No Way Out can be read as a stand-alone I would urge you to read the whole series in order, it’s no hardship I promise. In this novel we learn more about DI Fawley and his team, although the author doesn’t overwhelm the plot with details of their woes or personal life’s, which I find can often happen with a crime series. We just know enough about each of the characters to satisfy our curiosity and make each character all the more intriguing. As you can see from the book description a child dies, which although upsetting the author handles the subject with sensitivity. 

If there’s one thing I love about Cara Hunter’s books it her attention to detail, not only does she provide the reader with a gripping story line, but she adds newspaper reports, transcriptions from witness statements and fire statement reports. An original concept which adds a touch of authenticity to the read, but it’s also one that make you feel part of the investigation rather than a bystander, you’re there sifting through the mountains of evidence, poring over witness statements looking for the clue that will finally “crack” the case. As I expected Cara Hunter has woven an intricate plot, bound together in red herrings and misdirection at every turn, the most satisfying thing about a crime read is not working out the intricate plot before the big reveal,  and Cara Hunter kept me in the dark until the shocking but very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended by me.

• Print Length: 367 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (22 Mar. 2019)

Buying links:  Amazon UK 🇬🇧     Amazon US 🇺🇸

Links to my reviews for the Close To Home and In The Dark by Cara Hunter…….

Close To Home by Cara Hunter #BookReview @CaraHunterBooks

In The Dark by Cara Hunter #MustReads @CaraHunterBooks @penguinrandom @PenguinUKBooks

My #TopReads of 2018 by the book review café #MustReads

I know some people think it’s too early to be sharing a top reads post before the end of 2018, but I’m taking some time off from my blog until the new year so it’s now or never.

I have been blogging for just over three years now and yet I’ve never done a top reads post and now I know why😂  I have read some fabulous books this year and trying to narrow it down is nigh on impossible. If you read my book of the months post you will know I can’t even manage to choose ONE book of the month! So I set myself an impossible challenge or so I thought, but then I had a brainwave “why not share all the books I gave a gold star too” simple eh?

So my top read list consists of all the books I gave this award to, It’s given to a book I feel is particularly outstanding, a book that covers every aspect of what I look for in a read, an original  plot, great characters and a storyline that drew me in from the first page and kept me in its grips until I reached the very last page. So here are those books in no particular order.

Links to my reviews can be found under each set of books I’ve included

 

 

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/02/02/unsub-by-meg-gardiner-bookreview-duttonbooks-meggardiner1-mustreads/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/01/06/blog-tour-hydra-by-matt-wesolowski-orendabooks-concretekraken/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/02/27/thehunger-by-alma-katsu-mustreads-almakatsu-poppystimpson-transworldbooks/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/04/09/blog-tour-keeper-by-johana-gustawsson-bookreview-

 

 

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/04/23/the-key-to-deaths-door-by-mark-tilbury-bloodhoundbook-mtilburyauthor-mustreads/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/05/11/dying-truth-by-angela-marsons-bookreview-writeangie-bookouture-mustreads/

http://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/05/25/dont-make-a-sound-by-david-jackson-bookreview-mustreads-author_dave-bonnierzaffre/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/05/30/thepuppetshow-by-m-w-craven-mwcravenuk-littlebrownuk-mustreads/

 

 

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/05/15/cross-her-heart-by-sarah-pinborough-sarahpinborough-harpercollinsuk-mustreads-donttrustherbooks/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/06/07/blog-tour-th1rt3en-by-steve-cavanagh-sscav-orion_crime-lauren_bookspr-tr4cyf3nt0n-thatbookthathook/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/06/19/thislittlepiggy-by-rob-ashman-blogblitz-robashmanauthor-bloodhoundbook-mustreads/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/06/22/the-old-you-by-louise-voss-bookreview-mustreads-louisevoss1-     

 

 

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/07/06/the-lion-tamer-who-lost-by-louise-beech-summermustreads-louisewriter-orendabooks/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/07/16/in-the-dark-by-cara-hunter-mustreads-carahunterbooks-penguinrandom-penguinukbooks/?preview=true&iframe=true

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/08/21/blog-tour-beforehereyes-by-jack-jordan-jackjordanbooks-corvusbooks-must-reads2018/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/09/10/blog-tour-the-hangmans-hold-by-michael-wood-michaelhwood-killerreads-harpercollinsuk-

 

 

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/08/23/truthandlies-by-caroline-mitchell-caroline_writes-mustreads-newcrimeseries/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/10/04/blog-tour-the-murder-of-harriet-monckton-by-elizabeth-haynes-elizjhaynes-myriadeditions-harrietmonckton-

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2018/11/27/the-liars-wife-by-samantha-hayes-samhayes-bookouture-blogblitz-

And finally just when I thought I had completed my top reads  post I read Skin Deep by Liz Nugent which blew me away, and now it’s firmly one of my top reads of 2018. 

#SkinDeep by Liz Nugent #BookReview #MustReads @lizzienugent #IrishBookAwards @PenguinBooks

And there you go my 19 top reads of 2018, are any of my choices included in your top reads of 2018? Do you want to share your top reads of 2018?  I would to love to know so please feel free to leave a comment in the post.

I’m ashamed to admit I only read 104 books in 2018 not as many as I hoped (Holds head in shame) but hey ho hopefully next year will be better, here are the books I read……..

Some of the books I’m looking forward to reading in 2019….

To all the fabulous publishers and authors who have sent me ARC’s, it’s an honour to get so many awesome books, but it’s not something I’ve come to expect or take for granted so a huge thank you to each and everyone of you x x 

Finally I would like to wish my followers, those who constantly share my posts, book bloggers,  publishers, authors and readers a very merry Christmas and a very happy new year,  And thank you for all your support 😘

 

In The Dark by Cara Hunter #MustReads @CaraHunterBooks @penguinrandom @PenguinUKBooks

Today I’m sharing my review for In The Dark by Cara Hunter and what a gripping crime thriller it turned out to be, read on for my thoughts, but first the book description

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY’RE HIDING IN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR?

From the author of the massive bestseller CLOSE TO HOME, comes the second pulse-pounding DI Fawley crime thriller.

A woman and child are found locked in a basement room, barely alive.

No one knows who they are – the woman can’t speak, and there are no missing persons reports that match their profile. The elderly man who owns the house claims he has never seen them before.

The inhabitants of the quiet Oxford street are in shock. How could this happen right under their noses? But DI Adam Fawley knows that nothing is impossible.

Last year I read Close To Home the debut novel from Cara Hunter which I thought was a pretty amazing crime thriller.  In The Dark the second book in the DI Fawley series has made this an unmissable series. Yes it can easily be read as a standalone but because this is shaping up to be a such a gripping series it’s definitely worth starting at the beginning.  In The Dark opens with a belter of chapter, A young woman and a child are found locked in a cellar, William Harper the owner is an elderly man who  appears to be confused, and is unable to remember how they got there. Neither of the victims can speak due to trauma they suffered. Which means DI Fawley and his team start an investigation where they find themselves literally working “In The Dark” who is the woman?  how did she end up in the cellar of a quiet Oxford street? These are just some of the questions that are at the forefront of this gripping and compelling crime procedure thriller. 

Cara Hunter has a gift for writing crime books centred around police procedures, she not only tells a story in the conventional way, but adds police interviews, forensic reports, social media post and newspaper articles to make the reader feel they are right there amid the investigation sifting through the clues. This way of sharing the information gives the plot a present day feel but it also makes the whole investigation feel very credible. It’s very cleverly done in my opinion as it adds a sense of urgency to the plot, the need for answers to the why and how,  keep the reader fixated.

Creating a character whose confused to say the least, who also happens to be the main suspect was sheer genius on the author’s part. Although there is some character development of Fawley and his team, the investigation is definitely at the forefront of this book, so no time is wasted on unnecessary chapter filling, which made this book even more enjoyable to read. There is nothing more satisfying than being surprised by a book, and boy did Cara Hunter surprise me! At one point I thought the author was rehashing a well used plot in crime thrillers but when I least expected it she threw in the mother of all curve balls, it truly was a “OMFG I never seen that coming” type of moment.  Definitely one of the best crime thrillers I’ve read this year, with a compelling narrative, twists galore and oodles of deceit, I have a feeling In The Dark is going to be a HUGE success and one of this summers MUST reads. Highly recommended.

This is going to come as no surprise but I’m giving  the very prestigious Gold Star Award Rating. It’s given to a book I feel is particularly outstanding, a book that covers every aspect of what I look for in a read, an original  plot, great characters and a storyline that draws me in from the first page and keeps me in its grips until I reached the very last page.

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Viking (12 July 2018)

Buying links:     Amazon UK 🇬🇧           Amazon US 🇺🇸

Close To Home by Cara Hunter #BookReview @CaraHunterBooks

 

Book description

Someone took Daisy Mason. Someone YOU KNOW.

Last night, 8-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared from her parents’ summer party. No one in the quiet suburban street saw anything – or at least that’s what they’re saying. DI Adam Fawley is trying to keep an open mind. But he knows that nine times out of ten, it’s someone the victim knew. That means someone is lying. And that Daisy’s time is running out…

Introducing DI Fawley and his team of Oxford detectives, CLOSE TO HOME is a pulse-pounding race against time and a penetrating examination of what happens to a community when a shocking crime is committed by one of its own.

There are so many crime books on the market that involve children going missing, that I sometimes find myself picking them up with a “sigh” partly because I read so many crime thrillers it also means I’ve read lots of “children go missing” books. So for a book to stand out with this theme it has to be more than a “just so” read, it’s got to have an element of surprise or the “shock factor”, so when I picked up Close To Home I wasn’t convinced this book would have much more to offer than many other crime books dealing with the same subject. At this point I should apologise to the author Cara Hunter I take back all I said, Close To Home has to be one of the most exciting and riveting crime thrillers I’ve read in a long time.

Close to home is part police procedure and part psychological thriller, the novel follows DI Adam Fawley, a man who lost his own child, he finds himself leading the investigation into the disappearance of eight year old Daisy Mason. The author uses tweets, Facebook and witnesses interviews to good effect, it not only gave the book a very up to date twist, but as a reader I actually felt like I was part of the investigation. The date and timeline stamps peppered throughout this book added weight to the investigation, as the reader you can’t help but feel the tension, the frustration, and the frantic pace of the investigation.

Cara Hunter does a remarkable job in pointing the finger of suspicion at numerous dubious characters, I found myself going back and fourth looking for a motive and the culprit. The characters are complex and more importantly very convincing, you have the very odd and despicable Mason family who immediately rouse suspicion, and then you have Detective Inspector Fawley, like many fictional Detectives he has his demons, but unlike lots of crime thrillers the author has chosen to not reveal all and Fawley remains something of an enigma, I think part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much was the fact that Fawley’s character is secondary to the investigation and doesn’t overshadow the plot as some fictional Detectives tend to do.

The last ten percent of Close To Home is electrifying as the evidence mounts up, the author manages to keep the reader in suspense.  I found myself to-ing and fro-ing between suspects and scenarios,  it’s not often an author manages to keep me utterly engrossed to such an extent I found myself getting irritated every time I was interrupted, I even thought about locking myself in the bathroom, and believe me the thought crossed my mind once or twice. I think Cara Hunter has a bestseller on her hands Close To Home is  gripping, shocking  and made for an heart pounding read.  Personally I can’t wait to read the second book in this highly entertaining series, and just in case you haven’t guessed It’s one of those books I will be shouting about and recommending to anyone and everyone.

Buying links: Amazon UK 🇬🇧      Amazon US 🇺🇸

Paperback: 416 pages

Publisher: Viking (14 Dec. 2017)