Making a Killing sees the welcome return of DCI Fawley and colleagues.

Eight years have lapsed since the last book in the series but the team is pulled back together to re investigate one of their old cases.

The main storyline is very good, however, the introduction of a second investigating team confuses matters as there is a very large cast of characters to follow. This unfortunately adversely affected my enjoyment of the book.

Overall though is still a good series and this is a good book but maybe not the best.

Making A Killing is the seventh entry in the Adam Fawley series, but you can dive straight in, as I did. If, like me, you've read Murder in the Family, you’ll enjoy the return of the true crime show Infamous and its producer, Nick Vincent. For long-time fans of the series, there’s also a treat in the way this case links back to Hunter’s debut, Close to Home.

The mixed media format is brilliantly executed once again. I flew through this book when I read it last year – it’s immersive, fast-paced and visually engaging. Swipe to see just how good it looks!

Hunter continues to impress me with her ability to blend innovative storytelling with gripping crime plots and I can’t wait to read more. Luckily for me I can now go back and enjoy the previous six books in this series!

Thank you to Harper Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC.

Although this was a sequel to Close at Home, it works perfectly well as a stand alone book. There is a clear explaination of the original story where eight year old Daisy Mason goes missing from a family party. Fast forward another eight years to 2024 and Daisy’s mother Sharon is in prison serving life for her daughter’s murder. Her body was never found but overwhelming evidence was enough for her to be found guilty. In Making a Killing, a body is found in a wood and is positioned in such a way that ancient witchcraft rituals are suspected. However, when a single hair near the body is tested, the DNA is Daisy Masons. How? DCI Adam Fawley and the original team are brought together to try and find out. A fast paced mystery that has several twists and turns until the truth is finally revealed. I love Adam Fawley and his team and really hope Cara Hunter finds another way to bring them all back together. They each have totally different characters but gel well and bounce off each other while being fully supportive. Another gripping book in this brilliant series.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. Apart from the problems with the downloaded copy on my Kind,e, which meant some paragraphs were repeated 2 or 3 times and the pictures were incomplete as shown over 2 or more pages, I was gripped by the storyline. The case of murdered 8 year old Daisy has to be reopened 8 years later as a new victim reveals evidence suggesting she is still alive. DCI Fawley is bought back in to reinvestigate the original case alongside the new one. Lots of twists and turns along the way with a cliff hanger of an ending. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

This is the 7th book in the DI Adam Fawley series and it’s really hard to believe they have been around for so long, but bringing back the people from the first book, makes you realise how long it really has been.
I enjoyed the plot and the premise of this book and to get some answers, after the first book left a lot open, was intriguing and satisfying.

The only downside that I had and overall it was quite a significant one as I feel it affected my opinion of the book, there where just far too many characters and adding in another police force, made it so difficult trying to remember who the heck they all where. Half the time I hadn’t a clue what I was reading as I tried to recall who this person was and what they had to do with the story.

The six year jump was a bit much as well, it feels like we’ve missed so much of their lives and the police team are the major part of this series. So much has changed for them all, that it felt at times that we were meeting a whole new group of people.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I’ve read all of Cara Hunter’s books and I love the Adam Fawley series. Even though I read a lot of crime thrillers the Daisy Mason story stuck with me all these years later so I was excited to see there was a sequel.
Adam and his team are brought back in to investigate an old case in which a mother was jailed for killing her eight year old daughter after new evidence emerges.
Really well written with such a clever ending told in an unusual format. I really enjoyed this but I would recommend reading it as a physical book instead of kindle due to the unusual format but highly recommend

I love everything Cara Hunter has written, both the Fawley books and the standalone. This is a follow up to the first Fawley book, but you don’t have to have read it to enjoy this book. I’m a fan of the multiple ways the story is told; emails, phone transcripts and a diary as well as from the viewpoint of Fawley. The only problem for me was the way my kindle distorted newspaper clippings, making them unreadable. I will buy the book when it comes out, but the kindle version needs correct formatting. Another great read.

Besides the fact that there are masses of people in this story I enjoyed it.
The characters are believable and the book is quite fast paced.
I will definitely be recommending Cara Hunter in future.

"Making a Killing" by Cara Hunter is the captivating seventh instalment in the DI Adam Fawley police series. This riveting tale reintroduces Daisy Mason, who vanished at the age of eight in 2016, leaving the community shattered and her family devastated as she was presumed dead. The investigation led DI Adam Fawley to arrest her mother, Sharon Mason, on charges of murder, but the case remains steeped in mystery.

In a compelling twist, Nick Vincent, the ambitious producer of the true crime series "Infamous," stumbles upon a promising lead related to the 2016 case. Eager to explore this new angle, he sends one of his dedicated researchers to uncover the truth. Two months pass, and the story takes a dark turn when a female dog walker uncovers a woman’s lifeless body buried in a shallow grave in thecwoods, with her hands bound in a chilling display.

DI Adam Fawley is thrust into the heart of this investigation, quickly realizing that this grim discovery connects to the haunting case of Daisy Mason. As he delves deeper, he unravels a web of secrets, deceptions, and unexpected twists, leading him closer to solving a mystery that has lingered for far too long. The tension builds with every revelation, making this a gripping read that is not easily put down. It comes highly recommended for those who enjoy intricate crime stories.

As a devoted fan of Cara Hunter’s work, I've found that each book enhances my appreciation of her storytelling. My excitement was palpable as I opened this instalment, especially since it serves as a continuation of the series. Reuniting with Adam Fawley and his team felt like reconnecting with dear old friends, bringing back fond memories of their previous adventures. The characters are richly developed, and their relationships are expertly portrayed, adding depth to the narrative.

What truly captivated me were the clever references to earlier novels, which provided a delightful sense of nostalgia and added an extra layer of intrigue. Nevertheless, the author skill fully ensures that this story can stand on its own; she introduces new readers to the characters seamlessly at the start. Hunter’s distinctive writing style shines brightly throughout the novel, utilising newspaper articles, transcripts, and other inventive formats to weave the story together. Each twist and turn injects adrenaline into the plot, keeping me on the edge of my seat, while the shocking cliffhanger at the end left me yearning for more!

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and HarperCollins Uk, HarperFiction, for providing me with a digital review copy (eARC) of “Making A Killing.” The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, and I have shared them willingly.

This is a slow paced read right from the start and filled with a host of police characters. If I am being honest, just too many characters to contend with on one cold case investigation. That aside, I did like the plotting and some of the characters, especially Fawley. It is good to see him back in action again. I liked the hint of intrigue in the ending and I would read another in the series, this is just not my favourite. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this. Murder in the Family was the first proof copy I received from my book club and I've then read the rest of the Adam Fawley series.

I love how at the end of Murder in the Family it was all sewn up but this goes back and makes you question all of it. Everyone thought Daisy Mason was dead and her mother imprisoned for her horrific crime but the discovery of a body changes all that. The working through the old case and revisiting all the characters had me questioning everything all the way through. I also liked how we got to see more of the team and it wasn't centred solely on DCI Fawley.

My lack of 5 stars is due to the proof format as sometimes it was unreadable on the kindle and if I'm truthful I'm still in the dark about the ending so it will be a trip to the library for a paper copy!

I can't believe we're back with the Mason family and that Daisy has been alive the whole time! I was willing to stretch credibility and was easily sucked into this book. I love Cara's writing. Thank you so much for offering this to me

Another gripping, fast paced thriller from Cara Hunter. I really enjoyed this addictive read and hope there will be more in the series.

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I loved this. An intriguing mystery with an old foe of DCI Foleys. The only thing im not keen on is trying to read the newspaper reports and other things like that on a kindle as it doesnt come out properly on the page. I did like the pictures of the characters as it brought them to life.a bit for me anyway. Thanks to netgalley for the advanced read.

I absolutely love Cara's books and was hugely excited to read her latest DCI Fawley novel.

Where to start, after helpful summarisations of the main detective characters at the start for anyone that hasn't read the previous books, I was immediately drawn into the story.

The book begins with DCI Adam Fawley being brought in to assist with the unravelling of new forensic evidence found at a crime scene. What is found relates to the disappearance of Daisy Meadows; a previous high profile case of Fawley's. Daisy's body was never found. While the team pull out all the stops to try and discover what really happened, will this dark mystery ever truly unfold?

The intricate and so cleverly plotted story feels like a tv documentary, so real are the police characters, the press and social media aspects and the ingenious ways the plot twists and turns, keeping you guessing every step of the way.

I could not put this down and honestly didn't want it to end, so immersed was I with the captivating story and believable characters. I love Cara's writing style, bold, real and at times, very funny. If there is a queen of the police procedural thriller, Cara Hunter definitely takes the crown!

Highly highly recommended.

Huge thanks to Cara Hunter, publishers Harper Collins UK & Harper Fiction and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

All in all a solid addition to the DI Fawley series and I enjoyed returning to the characters lives and Cara’s writing style which I love. I really like the bits of evidence included throughout the book including photos, diary extracts and transcripts of phone calls. There were plenty of twists and turns. I didn’t love it quite as much as others in the series and I think that is because there were more characters to focus on and a little less of the spotlight on Fawley (my favourite) 🙈 still a great instalment in the series and would highly recommend! Excited for the next one already 😆

Rounded Up to 3.5.

Before I proceed, I need to warn you that this review contains major spoilers for the first book in the series, Close to Home, so if you plan to read that one stop reading now! I’m not using spoiler tags since there are no spoilers (teasers only) for this book.

In Making a Killing the seventh instalment of the series, six years has passed since #6 Hope to Die. Which I’ve just realised means that the events of books 1-6 took place over a mere two years. Yikes! No wonder Adam and co. are so traumatised.

Just like the summer of 2016 when eight-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared, the summer of 2024 is a scorcher! Love those parallels.

Deep in the woods of Hescombe a woman walking her dog stumbles upon a grisly discovery. A shallow grave containing the body of a woman – estimated time of death, a few weeks ago. Stuck to the duct tape binding the body is a single hair, soon identified as belonging to Daisy Mason.

But Daisy’s case was closed eight years ago. DI Adam Fawley was the SIO. Yes, Daisy’s body was never found, but the person responsible was convicted based on strong forensic evidence and is currently serving a life sentence. Did they get it wrong?

Could Daisy Mason (who would be sixteen years old now) still be alive?

For those who are worried that they have little recall of the events of Close to Home, because like me they read that one years ago, never fear, you will be able to follow this one just fine. Adam Fawley (now a DCI), and his core team, are some of my favourite characters, and it was great to see them return. And I loved Adam’s six-year-old daughter Lily (who was only a baby in the last book), and their father/daughter relationship. So sweet! The notion of ‘The Shadow Self’, first conceived by psychologist Carl Jung, popularised in recent years by Keila Shaheen’s bestselling self-help book, The Shadow Work Journal, was an effective way of offering a voyeuristic POV of a certain character. I enjoyed the tie-in to Cara Hunter’s standalone novel, Murder in the Family, and the Infamous Netflix series from that book. The title of this one was also genius.

Unfortunately, the novel was a super slow burn, and the crime plot failed to hook me and hold my attention. It took me ages to get into the swing of the investigation, and the pace never really picked up – in fact the second half dragged more than the first. I never resorted to skim reading, but I did keep glancing down at the percentage willing the plot to move faster. Because of this I had a lot of time to think about the mystery and had nearly every twist worked out prior to its reveal. And, with the exception of one that really got me, the remainder I didn’t guess were average. If I’m being honest, I was never sold on the idea of a continuation of the Daisy Mason case, and was surprised to learn that it was something readers were asking for, as I was more than satisfied with the conclusion of Close to Home.

There were CID detectives assigned to the cases in this novel coming out of the woodwork. I counted fifteen, and I think I may have missed some. I know we were dealing with two police teams, hence the influx of characters, and they were all interesting and well fleshed-out, but it was still a lot. There was a handy character summary included by the author at the start, which I appreciated, but it didn’t include the Gloucester characters which would’ve been helpful. I kept losing my concentration trying to nail down which pair of investigators were in each scene. Not to mention that there were plenty of other characters – victims, witnesses, suspects – centred around the crimes to keep track of as well.

I love Cara Hunter, will continue to read this author, and the other six books in the Adam Fawley series were all five-star reads for me, but this instalment wasn’t my favourite. It should also be noted that most of the early reviews for Making a Killing are 5-stars, meaning my opinion is very much in the minority.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, and Cara Hunter for the e-ARC.

Release Date: 27th February 2025.

P.S. I may have squealed when Cara Hunter mentioned The Scold’s Bridle by Minette Walters. I predict an upcoming reread.

Making a Killing is another gripping, fast paced corker of a thriller from Cara Hunter. This time bringing back a well remembered character from a previous book in the DCI Adam Fawley series (although should add not necessary to have read any others to enjoy this one). I really enjoyed this addictive read and hope there will be another!
Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

It was wonderful to be back with DI Adam Fawley in book 7 of the series and oh boy what a comeback it was and how much I have missed him. This case brings back a story from book 1 of the series and if you haven’t read that one I would suggest you do not only as it’s too good to miss but also as it obviously brings context to this book also.
The writing in the book is just as you would expect from such a brilliant author as Cara Hunter and also quite a few new faces as well as the return of the old one’s and the twists in the storyline are just pure genius.
I loved this book and just can’t fault it at all it’s clever and kept me gripped throughout, I hope it won’t be too long till the next instalment however a standalone novel would be fantastic also just please Cara never stop being such an amazing writer of excellent stories.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Uk, Harper Fiction,Hemlock Press for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

DCI Adam Fawley is back in this latest book, a follow up to Close to home. The book can be read as a standalone but you will get better background read the others in the series and particularly Closer to home.
A woman is found in a shallow grave near an infamous witches tree. While investigating, the forensics find a hair which reveals a shock to DCI Fawley's team. It belongs to a girl abducted and killed 8 years ago. How could her hair get on the body.Her mother was convicted of the murder but has always protested her innocence. Was she right all along?
The Oxford team join forces with the local force to investigate both what happened 8 years ago as well as the current murder.
Gripping, psychological thriller.