I really enjoyed the book. Loved the story plot and twists. Approachable characters, realistic situations. Some descriptions or story „fillers” were tiny bit too long, but in overall - very good book and I’d read more by the author. Thank you, great job!

When a woman and child are found in a basement by the owner of the house next door serious questions are asked. How did they get there/ are they related / why does the cellar not seem to match up with the story given.
Does the old and infirm man who owns the house really know nothing and is he possibly a murderer? Questions asked only raise more questions and the police need to find the answers quickly. Many twists and turns later it makes you wonder how people can be so cruel to one another all for money

A crumbling wall leads to a gruesome discovery for a home renovator when he discovers that a young woman and a toddler are trapped in a dark room in the basement of the house next door. The old man who lives in the house, despite his belligerence towards the police, claims to know nothing about the pair, though does admit to avoiding the basement in recent weeks because of strange noises coming from the vicinity. When DI Adam Fawley connects the house to the disappearance of a wife and mother two years previously, his team begin to focus on the two different investigations to see if they are connected in any other way. The young woman from the basement and the toddler who is almost certainly her son are unable or unwilling to speak, flying into screaming fits when they’re placed in the same room as each other. As Fawley digs, he discovers that the truth of the matter is stranger than anyone could have imagined.

Cara Hunter’s debut novel, Close to Home, is barely seven months old, and still one of the standout books I’ve read this year. An excellent introduction to an engaging new detective, it’s a masterpiece of suspense and misdirection. The good news is that DI Fawley’s second outing, In The Dark, is, if anything, even better than the first, and reveals whole new levels in Hunter’s ability to lead the reader in whichever direction she wants to take us, only to pull the carpet out from under our feet in the final act.

Fawley and his team are back, the dynamics much the same as we’ve come to expect from their previous outing. The most obvious change is Gareth Quinn’s promotion to Detective Sergeant, introducing a tension between him and the other characters that was less obvious before. Not quite on the same level as Fawley, and now a higher rank than Everett, Gislingham and the rest, he finds himself in a constant state of needing to prove himself to one person or another. It’s a clever subplot, and shows a less likeable side to Quinn, and puts his actions very often at odds with the rest of the team and, more importantly, with what the reader expects from him.

From the outset the case seems cut and dried: a young woman and her son are found locked in a small room in an old man’s basement. While the old man has a past that might implicate him in their imprisonment, little of what he does or says convinces us that he is guilty. Conflicting stories from the man himself, his social worker and his neighbours do little to clear him of any suspicion and, along with the police, we’re left to wonder if this is a man in the grip of dementia, or if it’s all a clever ploy now that he has been caught.

The introduction of an older case, a missing woman who lived in the house that backed onto the old man’s, muddies the waters, and raises more questions about his involvement while introducing a swathe of new suspects, each of whom might have as much motive as the next. The cases are soon inextricably linked and we follow as Fawley devises then discards one plausible course of events after the next. Readers of Close to Home will know to expect a fair few red herrings as the narrative progresses: Hunter is unmatched when it comes to examining the ever-changing nature of a police investigation, the constant striving to make facts fit stories until all of the pieces fall into place. One thing you can be sure of while reading In The Dark: whatever you think you know, there’s a very good chance that you’re completely wrong. Hunter’s pacing is like lightning, but a more carefully-plotted, tightly-constructed mystery you’re unlikely to find in British crime fiction.

Once again, In The Dark turns to social media to help drive the story forward. Online news reports, often filled with speculation and guesswork provide brief intermissions from the main action, while the comments section and social media feeds allow the reader to see the crime through the eyes of the public, an often frustrating process that will find us swearing vehemently at the armchair detectives (oh, the irony!).

Cara Hunter has already proven her mettle with a pitch perfect debut. In The Dark is, surprisingly, even better than her first and doesn’t necessarily require knowledge of the first book to enjoy it (although I’m going to recommend that you stick to the prescribed order). It’s a lightning fast read that still manages to settle in the reader’s subconscious, where it’s sure to stick around for some time. Intelligent and gripping, In The Dark has a warm heart in the already-established characters and a wonderful sense of humour that doesn’t detract from the dark and intense subject matter. Book three is already making its way out into the world; I, for one, am celebrating this embarrassment of riches while it lasts. If you are in any way a fan of crime fiction or psychological thrillers, you can’t afford to pass up on Cara Hunter’s excellent novels.

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of escapism and my time out from a hectic world. The story grabs you from the outset and pulls you in and the storytelling really made it worth reading. Characterisation was on point and I know I will be looking out for new publications from this author or similar reads in the future. A recommended read.

Excellent book by Cara that kept me in suspense until the last page. It is about a young woman and child found locked in a cellar when the house next door was purchased and being renovated and when in cellar discovered her scratching on wall.

So this is another book that's been sitting on my NetGalley shelf since 2018, I really would like to go back to my past self and tell her to stop requesting things!

A young woman and child are found in the basement of an old house. The old man who lives there claims he's never seen them before. The young woman can't speak and the old man is suffering from Alzheimer's, it's up to Fawley and his team to get to the bottom of it.

In the Dark certainly lived up to its name! It was a dark and emotional read, especially as one of the main characters, Dr Harper suffers from Alzheimer's, which I find a little tough to read about.

This is also the second in the series, something I didn't realise at the time, but it's fine to be read as a standalone.

After a shocking start, I felt the story slowed down, but luckily the pace picked up and I really enjoyed the ending. My real issue was trying to remember which of the more minor characters was which, they blended together a bit for me while I was reading.

In The Dark is a solid police procedural, which I'd recommend for any fans of the genre out there.

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.

Oh my word I have just finished this book and I’ can’t even begin to describe how much I loved it. Right from the first page I just knew this book would suck me in and it sure did. This is book 2 in the DI Adam Fawley series. Book 1 was fantastic and this book 2 completely lives up to that. While reading this book I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough to find out what was going to happen next. This book took me on a suspense filled roller coaster of a ride. Just brilliant. 5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this very much. Cara Hunter is on my list of go to authors for a pretty much guaranteed great read! Adam is a brilliant character and this story gripped me from the start until the end.

This is a psychological thriller that has you hooked from the start.. I really liked it, even though I had not read the first book. This book is full of twists and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed that the whole time I was reading this I was left guessing and that this book was not predictable, at the start I thought I had it all worked out only to find I was completely wrong! A really enjoyable read.

A disturbing, harrowing, strange crime story. Characters who you will fall for and a certain page-turner. This is one that you must read, you will keep reading because it keeps you gripped and you need to know what's going on!

I enjoyed Hunter's first Adam Fawley novel, albeit with a few reservations, so I was quite keen to read another. I still have those same reservations, alas. Firstly, the present tense is completely incongruous here. I don't like it at the best of times (whatever poison the Evil Fairy gave Sleeping Beauty would be ideal for the present tense: let's just put it to sleep for the next hundred years). Just doesn't work here. The POVs are a mess: Adam is first-person POV, but there are third-person POVs too. Whilst I've read many books with the same mix, here it's all a bit unstructured and random and doesn't fit together well.

It's an okay story: a bit convoluted, relying somewhat on coincidence and some rather unbelievable plot twists. Unnecessary when I actually had a pretty good idea who the culprit was halfway through.

Like the first Fawley book, there are chunks of text (TV/Press reports) in a very pale grey which were almost illegible on my Kindle (what is the purpose of it?).

I would also recommend Hunter/her editor(s) have a closer look at where Bristol is. I live there. And it's not 'on the coast', as one character declares.

Will I read Adam Fawley #3? Yes: if the formatting is checked, if the present tense is ditched and if the author has gets herself better editors (coastal Bristol isn't the only blip). That may well be too many ifs.

From internationally bestselling author Cara Hunter, a riveting suspense novel about the shocking secrets revealed when a woman is discovered held captive behind a basement wall—and no one is who they appear to be

Do you know what they’re hiding in the house next door?

A woman and child are found locked in a basement, barely alive, and unidentifiable: the woman can’t speak, there are no missing persons reports that match their profile, and the confused, elderly man who owns the house claims he has never seen them before. The inhabitants of the quiet street are in shock—how could this happen right under their noses? But Detective Inspector Adam Fawley knows nothing is impossible. And no one is as innocent as they seem.

In the Dark by Cara Hunter was my first Police procedural and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gripped right from the start the two parallel stories with their many twists and turns kept me guessing right till the very end.

This book got right under my skin!!

In the way that brilliant thrillers do, this book made everything feel so possible but terrifying.
I really feel like Cara got into the mind of the characters and write this book in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat!

I’ll be staring at my neighbours with suspicion from now on!

Wow, this author gave me goosebumps right from the start the way they pave the way for a story to start. It's unreal. I adore the writing style of this author and I will now be devouring every addition to their catalogue.

In The Dark follows Close To Home in the DI Adam Fawley police procedural series. Hunter wrote a winning novel with Close to Home, and she is back with another winner – In The Dark. This novel isn’t just “ripped from the headlines”, we see the headlines! Hunter tells parts of this novel using articles, emails, and texts; this combined with the police interview structure brings this novel to life, makes it feel contemporary and real, and that is why this novel is such a success, why you become invested in the plot. Also, the change in structure keeps you engaged, makes it feel like you’re getting the new information in ‘real time’ and you’re finding things out at exactly the same moment the detectives do.

The mark of a good mystery/thriller novel surely has to be when you don’t see it coming, whatever ‘it’ is, it’s got to surprise you, impress you, but still make sense to the plot. And that is what Hunter achieves in this novel. In fact, it surpasses book one, which has me excited that this series will get better with each book – I don’t make that statement lightly because I really enjoyed book one.

What both books in this series so far have in common is their strong investigative element. This police procedural doesn’t delve into the lives of the officers at the expense of the mystery. I’m a sucker for a good character backstory; I really like what Hunter is doing with this series – slowly, slowly, we are learning more about our leading character, Adam Fawley, but in a way that doesn’t overpower the mystery, so for those who like less of a backstory and a strong focus on the current investigation, you should consider reading this series. Also, the limited character backstory means this one can work as a standalone (although I’ll always advocate for reading series in order).

However, for the backstory-lovers, Fawley’s personal life isn’t stagnant; in book one we were made aware of this pain in his past, and we learn a bit more about it in this novel, it’s emotional and I’m invested. Basically, this book has the best of both worlds, and I’m excited to read the third instalment, No Way Out.

Cara Hunter is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I absolutely love her work. This novel did not disappoint. I really enjoyed how gripping the novel was and how it kept me guessing right until the last minute . I am very excited for her new novel.

A teenage girl and a small child are found in a cellar, alive but not talking. The story twists and turns from here into places i really wasn't expecting! Very good gripping read.

Thsnk you to NetGallwy and the author for the opportunity to read this book. M

Premise of the book is two parallel storylines; one relating to an unsolved murder case and one where a young woman is found locked in the cellar of and old house. But how are they linked?

I personally didn’t guess the link/ ending (always a good sign) and I enjoyed reading the book. I would recommend as a holiday read for people who like this genre