I requested this not knowing it was part of a series, ifn you haven't read the previous I highly recommend you read those first. The book does start with a mini introduction of who is who but its a lot of information to retain and it is both easy to forget and hard to refer back too on kindle.

I rated as a 3 as I am sure had I known and understood the background more I would have enjoyed it much more. Some of it I still don't understand now!

It is however very cleverly written, I really like the writers style and I would look out for the authors other books.

I found it difficult to get into the story as it was part of a series. There was a great chart detailing the characters at the start but reading on a kindle made it difficult to keep flicking back. The characters were well developed and the plot was interesting. Perhaps I will appreciate it more if I read the previous books.

Waiting for the new Cara Hunter book holds a similar anticipation like waiting for the new series of Line of Duty, so I was really pleased to get stuck into this!

It’s the fifth in the DI Fawley series; I think it could be read as a standalone but I’d recommend reading them all in order nonetheless. Because of this I’m not going to waste energy recapping the plot, also I don’t think I can without revealing spoilers!

What I liked:
* The first thing which stood out to me was the character list at the beginning. Absolute genius. Sometimes when you read books in a series quite far apart you forget things. This little roundup really helped me get back into it!
* The fact Erica Somer’s surname is an anagram of Morse, the detective also based in Oxford. I honestly wouldn’t even have thought of that but I liked this little nugget of information!
* The inclusion of the graphics - podcast transcriptions, text chats, notepad scribblings - loved this not only to break up a page of writing but it made me feel a bit more included in the investigation! Having said this, some weren’t aligned on the page, missing half the text which made it hard to follow. Easily fixed though, I’d imagine
* The fact that I never guess ‘whodunnit’ - Hunter’s books are well plotted and take you on a journey, all the clues are revealed at some point, you just need to be cleverer than me to connect the dots!

What I didn’t like:
* This is SUPER nitpicky and again something I think could easily be fixed - there are a couple of different typefaces which is very noticeable. Mainly when words are all in caps. It’s enough to be irritating
* I was sad to see the phrase “on the spectrum” pop up several times, not ok when characters haven’t formally been diagnosed as is the case with Tobin

Otherwise, a great read. I’m looking forward to the next in the series already!

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin for providing me with an advance review copy of the book in order to review.

A novel in the D.I. Adam Fawley crime series. There are two main storylines, the first is about a student/ professor sexual complaint but with an unusual twist - the student is a male six foot plus rugby player and the predator a female professor. The second concerns a man recently released from prison who 18 years ago attacked Adams wife. Both brilliant plots that will keep you turning the pages with many surprises along the way. My only criticism would be the amount of people on Adams team made it hard to follow at times. That was probably because it is the 5th in the series but only the first I’ve read and also because i was reading on a Kindle, making it hard to go back and read about the different members of the team.

This is the first Cara Hunter book I have read. It was a gripping story and so refreshing to have original twists to the plot. Well written too. My only criticism is the social media inserts were difficult to read on my ancient but well-used kindle.

I was new to Adam Fawley as a character, and enjoyed reading this. The majority of the characters are flawed- it would be dull if they weren't- but mostly likeable. Te layout of the book didn't look too good as an e version, but I'm sure the print version will read more easily.

This is the 5th book in the Adam Fawley series and I absolutely hate to say it but, for me, it was the most disappointing.

For once I can even tell you exactly why, normally I get myself in a tizz not being able to specify BUT for this one it was the formatting.

I just did not click with all the blogging stuff, it really got on my nerves to the point where I had to keep giving it a few days before going back to it purely because I'd read the previous books in the series and was adamant I was going to finish.

I'm not going to put the book down in any way as I have really enjoyed the series overall, this one just didn't gel with me properly. I felt it jumped around way goo much with all the different characters, crimes, timelines etc so my brain wouldn't catch up and I felt a little stir crazy.

For anyone who hasn't read the first 4 in the series I would definitely recommend you read those first, this isnt a stand alone book as you need to know the characters and their backstory to understand the relationships etc.

Thanks to netgalley and Penguin General UK for the ARC.

A clever plot with some compelling characters so what’s not to love? My first Cara Hunter as far as I can remember but now I want the back story filled out so will be getting the previous books in the series. It’s a stand alone book though but it just tantalises a new reader to want more.

Amazing! I could not put this book down.
The story was so fast paced and I loved the twist in the middle.
I love the way the book is written with the articles and social media posts.
I would highly recommend.

Rated 5/5

I wish I had read Cara Hunter's earlier books but the list of characters at the front of this one were a big help. A great story of police procedures with lots of twists right up to the end.. Great news that the TV rights have been sold and this will make an amazing series to watch. Highly recommended

In "The Whole Truth", the author, Cara Hunter is sympathetic to the fact that you might be a first time reader of one of her books. This is the 5th or 6th book in a series and the character list at the beginning was most helpful. The story flowed well and I can imagine those who have read the other books in the series might be shocked by one of the main characters being implicated in a murder. Really liked the subplot too.

I wish I'd read the 4 previous books in the DI Adam Fawley series as I think I would have grasped the story a lot quicker than I did at first!

However, The Whole Truth is a story that begins with a twist when the Police receive a call from the principal at a prestigious college in Oxford. DI Fawley and his team have to investigate a sexual abuse case which involves a professor and her student, This is the first twist in this story and it threw me whereas the accused is a high profile female AI Professor and the student is a 6 foot rugby player.

Whilst all this is going on another case also gets revisited when ‘The Roadside Rapist’ aka Gavin Parrie is released from prison after serving his sentence although he continually protests his innocence. This is eluded to throughout and it is suggested that Adam Fawley and his wife Alex are involved in the set up. The intriguing story is a definite page turner and I really loved the way Cara Hunter drew in all the varying characters, making you feel that everyone has something to hid. Extremely Clever.

Having read this latest book by Cara Hunter I am now going to go back to the beginning and start with Close to Home, Book 1 in the Adam Fawley series.

I absolutely loved the unpredictability of the plot. right to the very end. The Whole Truth was a gripping thriller which I would certainly recommend to my friends.

When a telephone call to the local police station is followed up, the Oxford student’s accusation against a university professor is unusual. Tasked with finding the truth, DI Adam Frawley’s team is in a race against time, with conflicting stories and little evidence. In the meantime, his worried pregnant wife listens to a pod cast of one of his former cases. As the police investigate the tension and action builds until the simmering finale. This is the fifth instalment of the Adam Frawley series by Cara Hunter and a worthy police procedural for first time readers. A captivating tale and engrossing crime series with a five-star must read rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

This feels very much like a lockdown novel – and it was indeed mostly written during the UK’s first lockdown of 2020 – although it is set in pre-pandemic times, following on almost immediately after the previous mystery in the series. DI Adam Fawley’s wife, Alex, is still pregnant and under orders to take things easy in the middle of a long, hot summer. Fawley and his team, meanwhile, have a new and perplexing care, which challenges all of them to confront their immediate reactions and assumptions.

A male student has accused one of the female professors at his college of sexual assault, the alleged offence having supposedly taken place while he was babysitting the professor’s son. Various of those investigating the case find themselves wondering whether he is telling the truth more so than they perhaps would were victim and offender reversed, and why he didn’t do more to fight her off. The case is further complicated by reports of an altercation between the accused and his girlfriend earlier that night, and by the discovery that a similar accusation was made against the professor some years previously.

Meanwhile the convicted perpetrator from the cold case that was under investigation by the media in the previous book has been released to a halfway house, and Alex believes him to be stalking her. When a woman with links to the Fawleys is kidnapped and murdered, Alex’s fears intensify, fuelled by her secretive fascination with the podcast series aiming to prove the wrong man was convicted in the cold case – which she was a part of. When evidence from the scene links Fawley to the case, he is arrested, and his team are transferred to other duties. However, they are determined to prove that their boss is innocent and continue to investigate in their own time.

I loved all the twists and turns in both the cases that were central to this book, and the use of various media sources and interview transcripts were as inspired as ever. I never quite figured out what was going on before our heroes did, but everything fell into place for me as they made their discoveries. The personal lives of the different team members were also as complex as ever, and I particularly enjoyed the contrasts between their very different relationships away from their day jobs.

This series is definitely picking back up to the standard of the earlier books, and I’m very much looking forward to whatever case the team is handed next.

Think you know the story? Think again...

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of The Whole Truth, Cara Hunter’s latest and the fifth instalment in her Adam Fawley series. And as always, it was a read I was unable to put down.

Fawley and his team are called in to investigate an allegation of abuse by a student against a renowned and respected professor at Oxford University. The twist? The student is a male rugby player and the professor a petite female. CID have to throw all their preconceptions out the window in order to get to the bottom of what really happened between the two.

However, this feels like a peripheral story to the main action: the murder of a social worker disguised as suicide, and with all evidence pointing to the one person you would never suspect.

As ever, Hunter uses a clever mix of POV, prose and media to tell the story - we get the plot interspersed with podcasts and online news to move the story along in a very effective way. I ended up reading late into the night (something I rarely do!) to get to the conclusion of yet another page-turner by this very talented thriller author, and can’t wait for her next offering in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Whole Truth is the 5th in the DI Adam Fawley series. I absolutely love this series and after reading the other 4 I couldn’t wait to read the 5th.

DI Fawley and the team are investigating a sexual abuse case regarding a professor and a student, we all assumed it was a male however we could not be any more wrong, the professor being a female and the student being a 6 foot rugby player.

However another case is also being investigated ‘The Roadside Rapist’ aka Gavin Parrie who hasn’t long been released from prison. He was sure he was set up back in 1998 and he wants revenge. DI Fawley and his Wife Alex have personal connections to this case and are being watched closely.

Cara Hunter has continued this series with more twist and turns throughout an unpredictable plot. The Whole Truth is a gripping thriller that no one can predict. 100% recommend.

I know readers are a mixed bunch and what one raves about may bore another. The Whole Truth is as close to perfection as an author can get (obviously in my opinion). The presentation, wording, intermixed social media, interrogations and images are absolutely brilliant. Two parallel story lines - the primary one you hope can only end one way but the secondary story twists one way then the other and you are never sure of the truth - until the Epilogue.
I have read all 5 books by Cara and The Whole Truth reaches or even surpasses the brilliant Close To Home and is definitely a must read. My review of Close To Home, which I thought for me was pretty good, was selected by the publisher for a front cover inclusion. However when I opened the book there was only one word 'WOW' !! Hardly my 15 minutes of fame!

4.5*
Gore score 🗡
Adam Fawley series #5
The cover is very striking and fits the storyline.
I Love this one, I think it’s my favourite in the series, of those I’ve read. It’s action packed once it gets going.
The inclusion of the whose who is a good thing to helpful to refresh my memory even though read some books already. It’s great for people new to the series. I wish more authors did this with a series.
The scanned notes etc, and phone screenshots I was unable to read those on my kindle copy so these were of no value to me.
I really liked when Adam talked to us the reader directly, I thought that was very effective.
Initially the investigation of the serious sexual assault I found content of the allegations a bit tame. Although believable that an investigation would have been pushed because of the profile of the people involved. That thread does become more interesting, this is only the starter.
The main course involves Adam and Alex. Adam’s chickens come home to roost in this book! from his past actions.
The tension really ramps up! A real cracker.
Fans of the series will love this latest addition.

I loved it! I couldn’t put it down and read it over 2 evenings. While this can be read as a stand alone book I do recommend reading the previous ones in the series first so you have a feel for the characters.

Once again an absolute belter of a book.

Read in one sitting, I could not put it down.

Can easily be read as a standalone but I would highly recommend reading in order.

Plenty of twists and turns and more punch than the Christmas eggnog.

Fawley and his team will not disappoint.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me