Member Reviews

I've love this series and was delighted to be approved for an ARC and I wasn't disappointed - devouring the book in one sitting.

There are a couple of plot lines in this story, a sexual assault, a murder and an organisation investigating a possible miscarriage of justice involving both DI Fawley and his heavily pregnant wife.

The book was superbly written - I especially like the mix of writing styles interspersed in the book. Another 5* read.

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Ahhh I love Cara Hunter and her D.I. Fawley series. The books have become much more police procedural than thriller (which is no bad thing). I have to say, the blurb threw me off completely as I felt like the sexual assault storyline was more of a sub-plot, but it was a really interesting one. As usual, the story is brilliantly written, and I love how the reader is given extracts from Twitter/podcasts/forums/WhatsApp groups etc which gives the book another level. The story felt very personal, with a great deal of it focussing on D.I. Fawley and his wife.

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Great storyline with lots unexpected twists and turns. Cara Hunter is now, after several novels, clearly very at home with her characters and so we quickly engage again with them. This time DSI Adam Fawley finds himself investigating a case of sexual assault in a University college. But, before too long, he finds himself off the case. Can his removal possibly be justified? Only DS Quinn, his other work colleagues and his lawyer wife, are there to solve the riddle. A well nuanced and fluidly written novel.

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Another brilliant read from Cara Hunter in the DI Adam Fawley series. The main characters continue to develop and add to the read although it is easily a stand alone novel. It is no secret that I love Cara Hunter novels and they seem to be getting better and better.

There are two investigations running parallel although it is not clear, at first, what is happening. Much is left to the reader’s imagination, which I love. DI Fawley is called to a local university about a complaint of sexual assault where the accuser is a sporty, good looking student who is blaming his professor, a well-known and well-liked woman.

In addition, a body of a woman is found on a railway line, initially indicating suicide but soon to be discovered as a murder. This is a friend of the Fawley family and the indications are that Adam knew more about this than he told the investigators.

A compelling read which had me totally engrossed with the twists, turns and a mind-blowing ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and Cara Hunter for my ARC of ‘The Whole Truth’ in return for an honest review.

Another brilliant read and highly recommended.

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Cara Hunter's new novel The Whole Truth is a tour de force in the DI Fawley series. Advertised as an 'Up-All-Night' thriller, my sleepless self bears testimony to the claim. It's difficult to have two concurrent investigations hold the reader's attention equally but this novel pulls it off. There's a few 'he's behind you' moments too, which don't come to pass but add to the feeling of menace. The really best thing was the lack of technical stunts to prop up a poorly contrived plot, typical of some authors. The evidence to back the theories in The Whole Truth really makes you think. Moreover when you've finished the book it makes you consider how easy it would be to jump to the wrong conclusion faced with 'overwhelming evidence'. A few of Oxford's finest would have given sharks a run for their money in their feeding frenzy when they sense chum in the water. Not their finest moment. This will be, a without hesitation, five star award from me and I would recommend the DI Fawley series to anyone interested in crime thrillers.

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Firstly I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with a copy of the e-arc of this book, I really appreciate the opportunity. I absolutely love Cara Hunter and the series that she has written so far. I used to love this genre however have moved away from it over the last few years, but have always insisted on reading the releases by Cara because I just love them so much. This book is difficult for me to review as it focuses on the job that I do, different locations do things in different ways and therefore I have had to take myself away from my job and read this as if I have no knowledge of the job role and investigation strategy. Not that I am saying it is inaccurate, I just did not want it to impact on my reading experience. I found that it was really nice to be back with the characters, I love that Cara not only focuses on a main plot line but also many other side plots which really helps me to connect to the characters. This is the only series of this genre that I have built up a strong connection with the characters. I normally don't care. I will say that I wasn't sold on how the main plot line ended, I don't know what it was about it but it did make me roll my eyes. It wasn't my favoured solution. I absolutely love the mixed media, and reading all of the parts focusing on the Parrie case, I found that really interesting and in parts I was on the edge of my seat. The Whole Truth hasn't even been released yet and I already can't wait for the next one!

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Another thrilling instalment in the series, though if you read a lot of this genre like I do, you may get a bit fed up with main characters "being framed". The two stories of the book run parallel but don't really intertwine and so I feel a little annoyed because it all started of so well. The sexual intimidation turned upside down is well thought out and will keep you guessing till the end. The revenge and frame the protagonist story, not so much, because we all know Fawley couldn't have done it and from there it is not so difficult to work out who did. Nevertheless, a good read that keeps you happily reading till the end.

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In this latest thriller from Cara Hunter, we are back in Oxford with DI Fawley and his team as they investigate an alleged sexual assault. During the investigation a second crime, this time a murder, occurs, which introduces a serious twist to the plot and brings the action much closer to home.

I love Cara Hunter, she's the queen of suspense and her books are always compulsively readable.She's also great with character, and I really enjoy her cast of officers; she is very skilled at unfolding their individual narratives with great patience across the series of novels.

Having said that, this is not the best of Hunter's Oxford thrillers. The twin crimes are cleverly intertwined but the pace is very uneven, absolutely racing to a conclusion in the last few pages, as though she were writing against the clock, so that I felt a bit short-changed by the end.

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Another great Fawsley book by Cara. I found it a tad confusing at the beginning with the podcasts and social media messages but once past them i was completely engrossed. A very well written book with great character developments, i cant wait for the next instalment!

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When an Oxford student accuses his prominent university professor of sexual assault DI Adam Fawley`s team determine to find out the truth however unlikely the accusation seems.
Not content with the team having one case on the books a body is discovered on the tracks below a railway bridge.
What was assumed to be suicide turns into a murder inquiry.
Fawley of course gives his best but finds himself worrying about his wife Alex who is about to go into labour. Their baby is due any day. If only that was all he had to worry about!
Having learned that Gavin Parrie, a man who attacked her, has been released from prison Alex becomes convinced someone is watching her. Could it be Parrie?
I love the way the author makes the reader feel part of the investigation by the use of police interviews, newspaper reports and WhatsApp messages.
I don`t want to give anything away except to say the ending is explosive!
Highly recommend you don`t miss out, this is a must read book and a great addition to what is a must read series.
Cant wait for the next episode.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the chance to read this as an ARC .

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I enjoyed this latest book in the DI Fawley series. The sense of confusion and everyone involved having differing stories and agendas was navigated well and added to the plot. I have enjoyed other books in Thais series and this one didn’t disappoint. Recommended

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This again, is one brilliant read. I have to admit, I did get a bit confused at the beginning with the podcasts and the WhatsApp messages, but once I got into it I just couldn’t read it fast enough.

It’s not so much about the university professor and the charges against her, but also about Parrie (who was convicted in previous books) and of course Adam and his side of things, and the fact someone is watching him and his wife.

It was hair raising in the middle and I don’t want to spoil it by saying anything but I just couldn’t see what the outcome could be!

The only thing I felt amiss was the awful detective didn’t seem to get his comeuppance, but hopefully Cara will address that in her next book.

Cara is very clever at crime writing and I would like to thank her and I think the lady’s name is Ellie for sending me the ARC, I think I must have deleted the email 🙄.

I’m looking forward to the next one to see how they all get on.

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I received this ARC through net galley and the publishers penguin.

Having read all the previous Adam Fawley books I couldn't wait to get into the next installment.

We catch up with Fawley and his wife Alex as she is just weeks from giving birth, what should be a lovely time leading up to the impending birth turns into a nightmare for the two of them.

I raced through this book and can't wait to see what Adam Fawley gets up to next.

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Well I have to say I was a little disappointed as it was definitely not her best it skipped from one crime to another the latter one I found very hard to believe and the ending means there must be a follow up sorry I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all her books but not this one thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy I wish it could have been a better review.

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DI Adam Fawley and team are back! Yessss!!! In this one Gavin Parrie, The Roadside Rapist from a 1998 case, is out of prison and wants revenge, there’s a complicated she said/he said case brought to them by the Principal of Edith Launceleve College and stretching them even further is a missing woman case.

I think this series is among the best in current crime fiction because it’s exactly that - current, fresh and bang up to date with a superbly crafted police team at the core, who feel authentic and real. I love the use of the varying media platforms and in this one of particular importance are a series of podcasts although there’s always a good mixture interspersed with interviews as well as Fawley’s perspective. One of the investigations is a very relevant sex abuse case which is handled carefully and without being gratuitous. There is tension, menace, fear, secrets and lies and an ever deepening and twisty mystery. It’s fast paced, well plotted and extremely well written and very hard to put down. The end is breathtaking and so tense. That’s how you write a crime novel and this one is maybe the best yet???

Overall, another excellent addition to this terrific series, the Oxford setting is fantastic, I love the occasional use of humour to relive the build up of tension. A TV production in the offing? I’m not surprised .... and who will play the enigmatic Fawley?????

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin UK for the much appreciated arc.

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The Whole Truth by Cara Hunter a chilling five-star read. This is number five in the DI Adam Fawley series, but they can be read as stand-alone, as I haven’t read them all, and don’t feel like I missed much. This series has such vivid and great detail that you can see the streets of Oxford and hear the podcast in your mind, I adore how Cara Hunter brings all aspects of life and police procedure to life on the page, brings them to life and makes it all clear, except its not really clear, there are false leads and hints that may or may not be true, under currents that pull you in, multiple story lines to keep you hooked and a team of police that all face different struggles and bring something to the story. I don’t want to go into detail as I can’t do it justice, if you like a good thriller and enjoy a police procedural then this is a must read for you.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the loan of this book.
Ive read books by Cara Hunter before and loved them, and this most recent one certainly didn't disappoint. My heart was racing towards the end in anticipation of what the outcome would be and I could not read it fast enough. I enjoyed this book even more than the others I've read. It helps that the characters were familiar to me and I felt invested in their lives and the outcome of such, but if this is the first book you read, it gives a brief description of the main characters so you're brought up to speed pretty quick on who's who. I cant wait to read the next installment, I love the way Hunter writes taking the reader into the lives of the characters and i found myself urging them on to get justice, its just brilliant writing. Its a Crime thriller at its best.

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As a fan of the DI Fawley books, I was excited to read this before it’s publication date .. and I was hooked from the first page! Set in Oxford as with the other books but from a very different perspective - my favourite to date. Well written and absorbing as always - hoping for more in this series really soon!

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3.5 stars


Really good addition to the series,though you definitely benefit from reading previous books. Theres a lot of characters with a lot of back history.

Two major storylines here,each as confusing as the other.
As always there are lies and story twists,and additions to the plot that just keep you scratching your head.

I always enjoy character progression too,so that a few books down the line,you are very familiar with the team. This ticked that box nicely.

As always,an entertaining read.

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Hated all the unnecessary 'social media' inserts and didn't particularly enjoy the book to begin with. Fortunately it redeemed itself half way through.

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