Cara Hunter: Into the Dark, Penguin Random House UK, 9780241283202, paperback,
Publication date: July 2018

I read Cara Hunter’s “Close to Home” last year, thought it was well plotted but had potential for improvement. The book was chosen by the Richard and Judy book club which gives it a popular rating. Her second novel which is due to be published in July was sent to me as a proof by the Penguin publicity department for reviewing. Using the same set of Oxford detectives around DI Fawley , “Into the Dark” is so much better, superbly plotted with many unexpected turns; I was completely hooked. A very fine psychological thriller I can wholeheartedly recommend.
A woman and child are discovered locked in a basement when a wall collapses that builders are trying to fix during renovation work on the house next door in a posh Oxford neighborhood. For the detectives involved, similarities to the Fritzl case in Austria immediately come to mind. The woman appears to have been held captive for some time and is in a very agitated state. The little boy appears mute. When the police arrive, they discover that the only person living in the house is an elderly academic who is in a state of neglect and seems to be suffering from dementia. Cara Hunter is excellent in describing the detective’s step by step approach as they are trying to put pieces of the puzzle together. With the stress mounting in the team, all their character flaws are exposed. Just when they believe to be close to solving the crime, previous theories start collapsing. When the body of a missing female journalist who had been living around the corner from the crime scene is found in the garden shed of the crime scene, the case receives a new twist and they are forced to look at different suspects. I will not go into further details but some 400 pages later of this well-crafted psychological thriller the outcome is unexpected.

Once I figured out who was telling me this story,and as it occurred to me that there was something creepy going on that as a reader I should take seriously, it all settled in and I could follow - terrific characterisations, even if plot is long in the development - but what intrigued me was how these people live, what their houses are like - really convincing. And what do you do with such anornery suspect? Refreshing!

Oh my dear goodness. When I found out what the neighbours had in fact been up to, at the end of the first chapter no less, I almost screamed, so vivid was the image. That’s just the start. It gets a whole lot weirder and creepy from that point on.

I enjoyed Cara’s first book but this is just out of the water! It gets very dark very quickly with creepy hills, birds, legends. I’m going to stop there as you have to discover this for yourself. Blinking good is what I’m calling it. Slightly afraid of ever meeting Cara in real life, but then again the goriest crime thrillers tend to be written by the nicest people! Its always the quiet ones as they say.

Top notch thriller from start to finish. Confident gritty writing and a killer turn of phrase. Oxford and its surroundings play a great role. So much so, I think this will encourage some very interesting tourist visits...

In the dark is the second in the DI Fawley series, while I think it can be read as a stand alone it is far more engaging if you have read book 1 first.
The author has a brilliant way of writing by keeping the reader guessing and throwing in red herrings through out. I wanted more of the background of the main character from the first book, and still felt the same with this one, he's a complex detective that I'm warming to.
I found the plot to be very good and enjoyed reading the police interviews and how to team go about searching for answers, this was very realistic and added to the enjoyment of the book. I struggled a little with the first person narrative and then changing to third person however this didn't put me off, it was just different to what I am use to. Overall a good 3.5 book.

claustrophobic, intelligently thought out, frightenly imaginable the terror and disgust at a plot that leaves you reeling with the emotional journey this book takes you on is headline worthy. A satisfyingly good thriller which leaves you wary. 5 stars deserved.

In the Dark is a gritty and fast paced detective thriller. There are considerable twists and turns. You think you know where you are and then another theory arises. I did find myself losing the way from time to time. Partly due to the way the narrative is laid out with different scene, 'voices' and statements set out sometimes with only a paragraph from each before it changes again. If I'm honest I found the flow of reading this novel too bitty and broken up. On another note I found the descriptions rather too blunt. If you enjoy 'Silent Witness' then you would probably cope with this book BUT warning, it is not for the faint hearted. Some of the descriptions of abuse and sexual practices are too graphic for my taste. Overall however a good story with a shocking ending.

Wow - I only put this book down to go to sleep!! A fabulous read from start to finish with lots of twists and turns and I certainly didn't see the ending coming at all! Second in the series but it really didn't matter that I hadn't read the first book as this was absolutely fine to be read as a standalone. The characters were great and well rounded and I really enjoyed the way that some of the book was written like transcripts from phone calls and police interviews - really kept me interested and so much easier to read and understand exactly who had said what. I will be keen to read more in this series to find out more about how Adam and Alex's life moves on. Also I think that the young woman pc will end up in Fawley's team!

3.5 stars. In the Dark was an enjoyable book that kept me guessing till the end. There were various points in the story where you felt that something or other *had* to be the answer, but the author kept churning out different scenarios. The only thing that grated on my nerves was the young woman found in the cellar being referred to as "girl" (this was true for other women as well) -- oh and another thing was the whole "women are other women's worst enemies" bit, but thankfully that one didn't endure.

Before I started on this book I didn't know this was a series. There is an interesting mix of characters, not all likeable and with their own personal demons, perfect for the long haul of a series. I'm quite sure I will be seeking out more of DI Fawley.

Review copy from NetGalley.

Firstly I'd like to thank Penguin for my paperbacks , Close to Home and In the Dark by Cara Hunter.

I really enjoyed Close to Home, Cara Hunter's first novel and was thrilled and excited to receive In the Dark as well. Cara Hunter has exceeded herself with her second book. In the Dark is an edge of your seat thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page. I loved it, everything about it. From the characters to all the police procedures. It was fascinating. I cannot wait for her next novel.

I could not put this down. It had more twists and plot turns than many novels, but all were believable and fitted with the plot. Was the case of the captive girl in the cellar linked to the disappearance of a local wife and mother? DI Adam Fawley, with his own personal demons in his private life, is on the case again.
This book kept me gripped from start to the unexpected finish. Even better than Close to Home.

I was lucky enough to read Cara’s debut novel and loved it so was very excited to receive a copy of her next novel to review.

I have to say it’s brilliant and i thoroughly enjoyed it. Apolice procedural storyline at its best. A young woman and child are found locked in a cellar of William Harper, an elderly gentleman with dementia. Harper has no recollection of how they got there but it is evident they have been there for some time and are in a bad way. DNA results prove the child is his which draws parallels with the real life criminal case of the Fritzl family. Subsequently the body of a missing local news reporter is found buried in Harper’s garden again he has no recollection of who or how she got there. Was Harper a monster that abducts woman to keep as sex slaves in his cellar before his dementia advanced to a stage that he forgot they were there?

As always with this author the solving of the crime is never as clear cut as it initially seems and DI Fawley and his team have their work cut out investigating and proving what has occurred. The author is developing the characters of the team brilliantly whilst not straying too far away from the main storyline.

I look forward to more instalments in this series and thank Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second of the Detective Adam Fawley series. It starts with the discovery of a child and young woman locked in a basement that maybe linked to a previous missing person case.
The two cases seemed completely separate to begin with and for a while it was like reading two different books but they did come together.
I really enjoy all the characters of the book several you had already met in book one. You can read this without reading the first book but it will add to the characters if you’ve read the first.
I would definately read Cara Hunter again and look forward to the third instalment. #InTheDark #NetGalley

Another decent instalment in this series but a reintroduction to the main characters would be helpful and since that doesn't happen this book wouldn't work well as a stand-alone read.
A very dark and clever plot with lots of unexpected twists

I was given an advice copy of this one, and having just finished Close To Home I was eager to continue with the series.

As mentioned on my review of book #1, the setting is great for me as I grew up there. The constant references to places like the John Radcliffe hospital and Blackbird Leys definitely help me love these books.

This is a good book, I've read the whole thing today so it obviously gripped me! I did however find it a little unbelievable and therefore I've given it a lower rating than the first one.

Overall I would recommend the Adam Fawley series to friends, and I look forward to the next one!

I absolutely loved this book, it was so addictive, from the 1st chapter I was hooked. It was impossible to put it down, Its a real page turner, And the storyline from the beginning to end had me intrigued, it was fantastic, its a very very enjoyable read, with a twist at the end you won't see coming. Its definitely one of my all time favourite books.

I couldn't put this down. A genuinely interesting premise with lots of twists and turns and a whole team of interesting characters. I enjoyed the first book in the series, raced through this second title and eagerly await the next installment. A definite must read

So grateful that I was accepted to read and review this book, it gripped me right from the start, the structure of the book was really good and the story moved on at a good steady pace. As for the twist well that was so unexpected! I would absolutely recommend this book to all that enjoy phycological thrillers. 10/10 :)

Excellent book with a brilliant storyline and great main characters. I would recommend this book.

Having been so impressed with Cara's first DI Fawley book 'Close To Home' I was sceptical as to whether this book would impress me as much. Suffice to say it certainly did. If you can only choose only 1 book to read in your life then make it this one. The book is superb with excellent detailed dialogues by the police team. You almost feel as if you are sitting there part of it. Cara cleverly inserts into the text in different fonts - phone calls, interviews, newspaper stories and the odd social media comments. It is an exercise in lateral thinking for the reader - at the end you think should I/could I have worked out the ending. For myself the answer is no but I may have missed cryptic clues earlier in the book. You simply cannot put the book down - you are taken down a path and think ' yes that makes sense it must be right' but a few pages later the theory is disproved and you read on looking for further clues. So looking forward to a third book in the series
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How excited was I when I discovered another book in the Adam Fawley series. In the dark is about a mother and child who are found locked in a cellar during the renovation of a Victorian house. An accidental demolition of a neighbouring wall uncovers the pair and in swoops DCI Adam Fawley and his team to discover the dark truth behind why the pair were locked in the cellar. The first person narrative although slightly unusual for this type of novel worked well and I felt like I was more involved in the investigation rather than watching from the sidelines.
I was totally engrossed in this book and was kept guessing until the very end, I can’t wait for book number 3.