Thank you Net Galley. I enjoyed this book very much. The story had a most unexpected twist that kept me guessing right to the end.

Another winner after "Close To Home"
Could not put this book down, the characters are very involving and really enjoyed how the mystery unravels .. even right up to the end it keeps you guessing.

Would make a brilliant TV series 👍

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Books (UK) for and advance copy of In The Dark, the second Oxford based police procedural to feature DI Adam Fawley.

When builders are renovating a run down semi- detached Victorian they accidently demolish part of the cellar wall and find a young woman and child locked in next door's cellar. With both victims unable to talk and the home owner confused DI Fawley and the team have their work cut out trying to establish the truth.

I thoroughly enjoyed In the Dark which has a clever, convoluted plot and held my attention throughout as I just couldn't put it down. It is one of the best books I have read this year. There is twist upon twist upon twist so while I could guess one or two of them I was in the dark (so to speak) about much of it and fascinated to see where it would lead. The resolution is glorious in its scope and deviousness and makes for a very satisfying read.

I also like the format of the novel which is not your run of the mill third person narrative. I must admit that this is my preferred choice but the way this novel is written just seems right. Adam Fawley's scenes are a first person narration which gives the plot immediacy and a certain humour as his observations are sometimes ironic and amusing. The rest is a third person narrative which allows Ms Hunter scope to explore more characters and plot strands without the tediousness of Fawley's voice. These narratives are interspersed with Twitter feeds, news reports, interviews and e-mails which give a more impersonal, outsider view of proceedings. I think it is an inspired decision to add these different formats as it makes the novel relevant in modern media times and injects some cold, hard reality into a novel where it is so easy to get caught up in the emotion of it all. I really enjoyed them.

The characterisation is acceptable in a plot driven novel. Fawley who recently lost his son is unwilling to consider his wife's wish to foster or adopt so that argument hangs over his marriage but apart from that and his dark good looks he is an unremarkable detective, being smart, dedicated etc.. The rest of the team are a mixture of brash, dedicated, smart and plodding with the usual rivalries. They work well as a team.

In the Dark is an excellent read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Randomhouse UK for providing me with an e-ARC copy! All opinions in this review are my own and are honest.

You would not believe my excitement when I saw this was available for request on NetGalley; the first book in the Adam Fawley Series, Close to Home, was one of my favourite books of 2017 and I couldn’t wait for this sequel to be released – In the Dark is one of my most anticipated publications for 2018!

This starts with a woman and a child being found locked in the basement of an elderly man’s house after building work commences next door. There’s obviously the questions of who the woman and child are and how did they get there but things start to get more complicated as more of the story unravels and you struggle to know who or what to believe.

One of the things that I loved with the first book was the inclusion of al the social media posts and news paper clippings. They really helped add extra dimensions to the story and helped add to the plot in an interesting way which was just including extra POV’s all the time which could get confusing. In the dark contains the same social media posts and news stories which I really enjoyed. It also included transcripts of interviews which made it so much easier to read through the interviews themselves. It lessened the need for the whole I said, he said, she said and trying to figure out who said what in long dialogue parts in the book and it also allowed phone interviews to be easily put in the book. Its just a really great way of telling the story.

I really enjoyed seeing more of Adam/s home life and how he’s been coping with the death of his son. Again, one of the things that I like about Adam is that he’s had a family tragedy, but it wasn’t some dark twisted serial killer that killed his son and wrecked his family, it was something that a lot of non-police families will be dealing with and it’s nice to follow him and his wife as they come through the hard times together. It also deals with the process of having another child after you’ve already lost one and I really enjoyed the way that it was handled.

We also got to see more relationships and interactions between the other officers which was great. I feel like I got to know a lot more about them all and they developed as characters within their own right in this book, with some of their own issues without overshadowing Adam Fawley as the main character and the main plot.
If you’ve read the first book, Close to Home then you are definitely not going to be disappointed with this sequel. Normally you can get sequel blues where the first book is fantastic, but the sequels just don’t live up to expectations but not here. If anything, this has just got better and I can’t wait to see what book 3 chucks at Adam for him to deal with.

Wow! I can safely say that this will be one of the best thrillers you will read this year. Gripping, intense, complicated, thrilling, twisted - SO GOOD.

If you’ve not read the first in the DI Fawley series, do it now. Then read this book - both are brilliant!

Cara Hunter is a fantastic author, I love how the cases in this book are woven together. It’s complex and intriguing, so incredibly gripping and keeps you guessing throughout.

Adam Fawley is an interesting and likeable character with an intriguing yet sad backstory. His team are also incredibly likeable and the book makes nods to their own backstories and relationships.

Similarly to Hunter’s first book in the series, I really enjoy the way the book unfolds with tweets, news stories and interview transcripts woven into the narrative.

5 stars. I will be telling everyone about this book. Can not wait for more in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Cara Hunter and Penguin Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.