Superbly written and thoroughly great read. An interesting perspective that was thought provoking and sincere in different parameters. Liked the character definitions!

A sexual assault at a college & the release of The Roadside Rapist, 2 entirely unrelated events connected only by DI Fawley & his wife Alex.

Having not read the previous 4 installments I found this a little slow to start. However this soon changed as I was drawn into a suspenseful, twisty, turny novel that had you second guessing everything right up until the thrilling conclusion.

ARC provided by netgalley.co.uk

Book 5 in three DI Adam Cawley series. I have read and loved all these books and can honestly say they just keep getting better and better., From the first chapter of The Whole Truth I was completely gripped and just wanted to keep on reading to find out what was going to happen.. An absolutely brilliant read full of twists and turns. I listened to this on audio and I throughly recommend the audio version.

This is another title that has been part of my lockdown audiobook experience and very gripping it was too.

This is no.5 of in the DI Adam Fawley series and the narrative opens up with a quick introduction to the characters populating the storyline. This does tend to put me off because I anticipate an issue with understanding the relationships, but the author lays them out neatly and it is easy to negotiate the personalities of Adam Fawley’s investigating team and those in his personal life.

The novel opens at an Oxford College set outside the town, at Edith Launceleve College (what a great name!), where a muscled post grad student is accusing his tutor of sexual assault. That certainly sets the investigators aflutter and the reader is teased with the twists and turns of this case. The author captures the tension between town and gown very well.

Add into the mix the murder of a relatively young woman, where there are echoes of a frightening case that took place at the end of the 20th Century (referencing perpetrator Gavin Parrie, which has a whole load of history for both Fawley and his wife), and the author has created a tinderbox combination of storylines. She further adds quality depth by making the mother of the victim of the sexual assault a politician; Alex Fawley is pregnant (and Adam and Alex, as a couple, have quite a sad backstory) and the murdered woman is/was Alex’s friend.

The author also feeds in podcasts, newspaper snippets and WhatsApp conversations, which cynically one might say is an easy way to fill in the holes in the story – but actually, it is done in a channel-hopping way and works remarkably well. This is a narrative that has a really good flow and pace and has the right level of snappy storytelling that keeps the reader hooked. I can really see this series on TV and as I understand it there are plans afoot, so keep an eye open!

If you enjoy this one, which can certainly be read as a stand alone, then you have another 4 in the series to catch up on.

I loved this book. Cara Hunter is one of my favourite authors. I have read all her books and this one did not disappoint. I look forward to the next one.

Many thanks to netgalley and Cara Hunter for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

The introduction to who each character is and their place in the story is a great addition for both newcomers to the series and for long time readers who need a quick refresh.

Cara's books always flawlessly interweave the narrative with mixed media and I really love how she does this. It adds phenomenal value to the story.

I couldn't figure out the ending before we got there, which I always feel the hallmark of a good thriller.

However, at times I found this quite slow and didn't always see myself reaching for it. I also didn't love some of the language around suicide.

I was a little worried being part of a series that I'd be a not be fully able to connect to the storyline. I was wrong, at the very beginning you get a brief description of each main character and a little of their 'history' which I really appreciated, although I'd recommend reading a series in order this worked well as a stand alone.

The audio really kept my attention. The narrators do a brilliant job of emotion building, giving each character there own voice and personality. Throughout the book you're back and forth between two separate storylines one a sexual assault between a teacher and student the other with link to DI Fawley and his wife.

Pretty much every part of this book ends in some sort of cliffhanger, a sentence not quite informative enough, a piece of information that could sway the case.. it was really difficult to find the right place to put the book down!

I particularly enjoyed the teacher/student storyline. Professor Marina Fisher has been accused of sexual assaulting Caleb Morgan; one of her students who occasionally babysits for her 8yr old son Tobin, after a fundraiser Marina returns home and remembers nothing out of the ordinary about the night until police turn up at her house and arrest her for alleged sexual assault. Caleb remembers everything, while a drawing by Tobin might be more than it seems.

Overall this is a great fast paced thriller with a more than a few twists. The office rivalry, extra information in form of podcasts, blogs and text.. really helped to add depth to the story. Cara Hunter has a great writing style and I can't wait to pick up another of her books.

Thank you #NetGalley and @Penguin for my #gifted Advanced audio copy of #TheWholeTruth

I wasn’t able to review as this now sound it was unavailable. Which is a shame as I’m a huge Cara Hunter fan....

The blurb did say 'This is the fourth (actually it's the fifth) book in the Adam Fawley series but it can be read as a stand-alone' - hence I thought it safe to begin mid-series; and if you are coming into this series new, that is correct - at the very beginning there is a very helpful introduction to all of the key members of the team (which seems massive, although doesn't prove to be as daunting as it at first appears). The book covers two different cases running side-by-side and the interspersed podcasts and twitter feeds on the cases added interest. Towards the end I found I couldn't stop listening for the conclusion to the cases. There were a few loose ends which may be picked up in the next book in the series, eg, the hostile colleague who leaked the Fawley story to the press, was not concluded/covered....

This is the first book I have read by this Author (Thanks to NetGallery and Penguin for allowing me a copy of the book) but I am sure it certainly won't be the last. I already have the next Fawley book on my 'to be read' list....

EXCERPT: I wonder what she would have said if she knew the truth.

Gavin Parrie isn't stupid, she's right about that. And he'd have a hell of a lot to lose, she's right about that too. But he does have a reason. A reason that might - perhaps - be worth the risk.

Revenge.

Because he wasn't just venting, that day, in court.

He was guilty. He knows that and I know that. But there's something else we both know.

Gavin Parrie was convicted on a lie.

ABOUT 'THE WHOLE TRUTH': An attractive student. An older professor.

Think you know the story? Think again.

She has everything at stake; he has everything to lose. But one of them is lying, all the same.

When an Oxford student accuses one of the university's professors of sexual assault, DI Adam Fawley's team think they've heard it all before. But they couldn't be more wrong.

Because this time, the predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player.

Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure out the truth. What they don't realise is that someone is watching.

And they have a plan to put Fawley out of action for good.

MY THOUGHTS: The Whole Truth by Cara Hunter has two storylines involving DI Adam Fawley. There's a distinctly different and muddied case of sexual assault, and an old case of Adam's, which actively involves his very pregnant wife Alex, looks like it is coming back to haunt them.

This is a heart-in-the-mouth addition to an excellent series. I have become quite fond of Adam and his team, most of whom are loyal to their boss. But there's always one, isn't there, who wants to take him down.

There are plenty of twists and turns in both storylines and at times I felt like I was in a tumble dryer and didn't know which way was up. Cara Hunter has done a wonderful job of making this work. At no point was I in any way confused, just incredibly excited and invested in the outcome.

Hunter has seamlessly blended two intriguing storylines with a progression in the characters personal lives. Adam and Alex's is fraught with tension on several fronts, and we learn a bit more about Asante.

Another thing I really appreciated was the refresher on the series characters at the beginning of the book. Other authors, please take note.

The one fly in the ointment for me was the reproduction of Alex's notes. It was totally unreadable on the Kindle. 🤷‍♀️

The narration on the audiobook was excellent. It was provided by Lee Ingleby, Emma Cunnliffe and Roy McMillan.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheWholeTruth #NetGalley #carahunterauthor #penguinukbooks #penguinrandomhouse

@CaraHunterBooks @PenguinUKBooks @PenguinRandom

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery #series

THE AUTHOR: Cara Hunter is a writer who lives in Oxford, in a street not unlike those featured in her series of crime books.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Penguin Random House UK audio and Penguin General UK via Netgalley for providing both a digital and audio ARC for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

The first book in DI Adam Fawley series for me and I will definitely be reading the others! Although it is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone book with a handy summary of the key members of the team at the start.

Two storylines run through this book, the first being a student/professor sexual abuse claim. The second storyline is a murder case with a connection to Fawley.

This book has lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the last minute.

I was given a free copy of the audiobook of ‘The Whole Truth’ by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Even though this is the 5th book in the “Adam Fawley” series The Whole Truth can definitely be read as a standalone novel. It even includes an introduction to the characters, giving you a little backstory from the very start.
This book is clever, for all the times I thought I’d predicted the story and it’s outcome I was always proved wrong. This definitely keeps the book interesting.
I was lucky enough to receive the audiobook version of this novel. The two storylines both narrated perfectly alongside each other

‘An attractive student. An older professor.
Think you know the story? Think again.’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Whole Truth’ by Cara Hunter in exchange for an honest review. It was narrated by Lee Ingleby, Emma Cunniffe, and Roy McMillan and has a running time of 12 hours, 22 minutes at 1x speed.

This is the fifth in Hunter’s series of police procedurals featuring DI Fawley, set in Oxford. I appreciated that the book opened with a short ‘previously on the Fawley files’ that served as an introduction (or refresher) to the main characters.

Aside from the accusation referenced in the tag line above, there is another case involving a brutal murder that comes to the fore during the investigation. No further details to avoid spoilers but trust me it’s complex and very thrilling.

Each of the previous books in this series has been a five-star read for me and Hunter’s latest has again proved an outstanding crime thriller. I was pleased to be able to combine reading with listening to the audiobook edition. It was also useful to have three narrators as it brought a heightened sense of drama to the reading.

Lee Ingleby and Emma Cunniffe narrated the earlier books in this series and I have previously enjoyed Roy McMillan’s narration on a number of audiobooks in my library.

Overall, a totally riveting addition to this excellent series that had me glued to my settee for the duration. I can hardly wait for Book 6.

#TheWholeTruth by #CaraHunter continues the #diadamfawley series with this the fifth instalment. I had my favourite combination, both the ebook and audiobook thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! There are two storylines, the first sexual assault told from a totally different angle and the second explores the history with the main character and his wife’s attacker 18 years before. I love how the author has also developed the characters within the team. I’m totally invested.
So many twists and turns with neither story suffering in the telling of the other. If you love a twisty thriller that will keep you guessing thEn like me you’ll absolutely love this series. The books just keep getting better. I started this after work today and have done nothing else except read and listen. It’s an absolutely riveting read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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This was another strong addition to the Adam Fawley series, and very enjoyable.
The characters were explained at the start, which was extremely helpful in remembering who was who.
The several storylines were difficult at times to keep track of, but it added several great layers to the story and kept the reader engaged. I feel this was because I was listening to the audiobook version.
I loved the podcast side story, as I am a huge fan of them anyway and this was such a good addition to give a different perspective and reiterate the ongoing story.
The narrators were all brilliant, very easy to listen to and kept me engaged throughout.

This was a great read with a well thought-out and clever plot! This is the 5th book in the detective Fawley series, but you can definitely read this as a stand alone book. I’ve not read/listened to any of the previous books so I was pleased that there was an overview of the main characters at the start. I did sometimes get a bit lost with the characters as there are quite a lot but I managed to follow the story and the more I listened the more I became familiar with them all. I was gripped by the storylines, the first main one being that of a male student accusing his female professor of misconduct and the second is the release of a rapist from prison, we learn about the back story of this through pod casts which were really effective especially when listening to the book. The rapist was convicted by detective Fawley and he said he would get revenge on Fawley when he was released from prison. This is the first crime/detective book I’ve listened to/read and I am certainly going to be going back to read the previous books in this series. It was full
Of twists and red herrings. I did find some of It predictable but I feel that was intentional, and then other parts of the story I was completely thrown by. The narration was well done and made it easy to listen to. I would definitely recommend this audiobook.

I loved this book and the audio. It’s an exciting thriller with lots of stories going on within the main story of a woman’s murder so it’s non stop. The only issue with the audio was as there are a lot of areas where there are text messages or tweets being read this can get a bit annoying on an audio but it doesn’t ruin anything. I really enjoyed the mix of narrators in this as well.

I’m a fan of this series and when the opportunity arose to listen to it on audiobook, I grabbed it. Readers of this series will know that Cara Hunter uses social media, e-mails, TV reports, newspaper headlines and reports to underline parts of her stories and I wasn’t sure how this would translate to the listening experience. I need not have worried. In fact this aspect works really well and helps to make it a really good listen.

I really enjoy this series. As with the best of all such series, it is the fact that you can connect with the characters, understand their vulnerabilities and enjoy the interactions with their teams that makes them feel like people you know. And in case you’ve forgotten any of them, Cara Hunter provides a very useful run down of the key characters at the beginning of this story.

As the book opens, Alex Fawley is heavily pregnant and somewhat uncomfortable as she awaits the imminent arrival of their baby. It’s a difficult time for them both, having lost a child – their ten year old son, Jake – in very sad circumstances a few years earlier. DI Adam Fawley is doing all he can to support his wife, but as it transpires, that’s not going to be easy because their past is about to rise up and bite them – hard.

But before that happens Alex has an unusual case to deal with. There’s been an accusation of sexual assault at Oxford University. This accusation is from a student against a Professor, and a high profile Professor at that. One who draws a great deal of business support towards her College. The complainant is a male student.

Caleb Morgan, is no wallflower. He’s a six foot well-built lad with a steady girlfriend and he is claiming that Professor Marina Fisher sexually assaulted him when she returned from a College dinner and he was in her home, babysitting her son. Morgan’s mother is an MP, so the team are faced with 2 high profile antagonists and they have to work out which one is telling the truth. It’s a beautifully presented case of ‘he said: she said’ and Cara Hunter does an amazing job of keeping the reader on edge not knowing who is the unreliable narrator as the evidence does not help them one iota. You really feel for DC Gareth Quinn, just demoted after getting involved with a suspect and now put in charge of this case in the absence, on holiday, of DS Chris Gislingham.

Then a friend of Alex Fawley’s is found murdered on the railway tracks; initially thought to be a suicide, she has been brutally raped. This happens just as Gavin Parrie, the Roadside Rapist is released from jail on licence. Alex Fawley has been listening secretly to the true crime podcast, The Whole Truth, which campaigns on miscarriages of justice. The Whole Truth is supporting Parrie’s claim that he is innocent, and is examining all aspects of the case in the podcast.

Suddenly, Adam’s life goes into meltdown. Not only is Alex about to give birth at a difficult age (she’s 44), but now evidence has been uncovered that seems to suggest Adam could be implicated in the young woman’s murder.

Cara Hunter really does flesh out all her characters very well and as a result you feel invested in them and their welfare. She really does highlight the interdependency of the team and I enjoy getting to know them, their partners and learning about their lives inside and out the police station.

In this book, we know at least who Adam can rely on, and that’s clearly not everyone involved in investigating the murder. As things start to look very bleak indeed, Adam believed he’s being set up, but with no way of proving it, the tension is mounting as things start to get very heated.

The Whole Truth intertwines these two main storylines really well; keeping our interest and at the same time challenging stereotypes and making us uncertain of who to believe. It’s brilliantly executed, nicely twisty and keeps the reader on the hook all the way through.

Verdict: This is a great addition to the series. Hunter does a terrific job in raising interesting and intelligent topical questions that really make you think in the context of a twisty and often surprising storyline that is pacy and holds the attention in a vice-like grip. The narration is excellent and very clear. Highly recommended.

This was a really good listen and story. I loved the way the two narrators interacted with each other. The ending was brilliant.

This story was the first in the series that I have read (coming in late) but very intriguing and really do want to know more so off to investigate.

I will also be looking for more by these narrators.

I was given a copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

What can I say... Loved this book. Hooked from the start. It was the first of Cara Hunter's D.I. Adam Fawley series that I have read. It was a great fast paced police procedural thriller.

In the book there are two simultaneous storylines. D.I Adam Fawley is called to a case of a student, Caleb, a son of local MP, who alleges he was sexually assulted by his professor, a well renowned professor in her field. Meanwhile the roadside rapist is released from prison on parole and D.I. Adam Fawley was the person who put him away and he vowed revenge on him for this. D.I Fawleys wife Alex, heavily pregnant, was a previous victim of his and his release is affecting her badly. Then her friend is found dead and an investigation begins.

I liked the way this book started with a recap of the main characters and series as this allowed it to be read as a standalone or part of the series.

The character descriptions were very detailed allowing differing aspects of each personality to be brought out.

The role reversal gave a different edge to the story however it did sometimes feel like there was an underlying current of woman couldn't be successful unless they used their looks for promotion.

I loved the way mixed media was used; the podcasts, emails, messages and newspaper articles; as it gave different stances on the evidence. I listened to the audio book first and found it easy to follow and then read the book.

Amazing plot twists in this fast paced thriller with surprises along the way and I didn't figure it out til the end. The epilogue was very good.

In the audio book the narration by Lee Ingleby, Emma Cunliffe and Roy McMillan was excellent with clear voices and distinct characters.

I would definitely recommend this book to others in both forms. I can't wait to seek out the other books in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Audio, Penguin General UK and Cara Hunter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.