The first thing to note re this book is that it has no chapters!!!!!
It is one long chapter, which surprisingly ( well, is it??) just adds to the feel of the book and it didnt make me enjoy the book any less
The book is all about a girl who goes missing and the family and people who have been in contact with her and is basically a ‘whodunnit’ or maybe a better description would be ‘didanyonedoit’......
Its a fascinating book and alternates between narrative, tweets, Facebook messages and opinions, news updates and Police interviews, all done extremely well and to keep you guessing
There are more than a couple of red herrings where you think you have it all sorted only to find you are further away from the truth than you were before!!!!!
The family characters are brilliant and very very diverse and written about in a wonderfully descriptive way
The ending had me godmacked!!! I had not even considered it, clever and dark and yet.....well read the book and see!!!
There are subjects covered that are sensiitive in nature but the author covers them well and without undue glorification
A thrilling read and I look forward to the next book in the series with DI Adam Fawley
10/10 5 stars

Overall, I did enjoy this book; you immediately get sucked in then you can't put it down. I also liked the way social media is integrated throughout the story. However, in some parts. I felt that there needed to be a bit more depth to some of the characters. But I did enjoy it generally and if you like thrillers this fills the gap.

This was a story which grabbed you right from the start.. Very complex police investigation story with lots of red herrings and a kind of justice. The detail was very accurate and precise and made the story come alive. Missing children are always a dilemma regarding guilt and the inclusion of the social media in the story was a great touch. Excellent read.

I enjoyed this thriller and it kept me guessing right through to the end. Well paced and kept me hooked until the end - lots of twists and turns, just when I thought I had worked out the ending another twist came and my theory was wrong.

This is a fast paced well written thriller, I was intrigued throughout. I am not sure about the twitter feeds - I found them distracting in places. I did enjoy all of the red herrings which kept the pace of the book flowing. The flashbacks were cleverly done.

Well portrayed characters - both good and bad characters were excellently written.

The ending was unexpected and took me by surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me gripped from start to finish with a few twists on the way. The characters are really well drawn and the story unfolds dramatically. It’s set in two time frames which just adds to the suspense. A must read.

This novel is the first in the DI Adam Fawley series.
It surrounds the disappearance of an 8yr old girl named Daisy Mason.
Daisy disappears from a neighbourhood barbeque on a quiet suburban street. From the outside Daisy has the picture perfect lower middle-class existence.
But once you get closer to home, you realise nothing, is ever as perfect as it seems…..

The police team called in to deal with the aftermath of the disappearance are a mixed bunch of characters. But as we learn over the course of the novel DI Fawley is carrying a deep personal pain. As the coppers try to ascertain the facts, the last known sighting of Daisy and the family’s lifestyle. Everything suddenly becomes so much more complex. The Mason’s are far from the perfect family. But do they have something to hide?

Daisy’s mother Sharon is a bossy, vain woman, more consumed with her own image than her two young children. Her father Barry was close to his daughter, but something recently made her retract from him and resent his presence. Older brother Leo is only 10yrs old. He is quiet, bullied and withdrawn, he presents as a child with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I got the sense he felt unloved and ignored as the investigation unfolded.
I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be alright.
I may have felt that way, but neither his mother or father did.

The timeline in the novel moves around, from the present day to the days leading up to the disappearance. There is so much more to this family, this neighbourhood and this little girl, than meets the eye. The novel also has a series of Tweets and articles scattered throughout. They make the case feel more realistic and you can easily imagine the media pressure piled onto the police at work. The #FindDaisy becomes a national cause and the family are facing trial by Twitter. Where there every move/look is subject to scrutiny. I found this reminiscent of the Madeleine Mccann case, where the mother was made the ultimate villain. Is Sharon the villain of the story or just a selfish woman? Under intense media scrutiny, I think most ordinary people could have their actions taken out of context. This adds an interesting dynamic to the family’s story, you have to separate the fact from the speculation.

The police officer characters are written very accurately. The novel shows how the case of a missing little girl gets under the skin of the detectives. How policing can be more than just a job, it can be a way of life.
I wish we the reader, had gotten to know more about the detective’s personal lives. But I respect the fact that this is a first in a series and the author is laying the ground work for the series to continue. I hope we learn more about DI Fawley in the series in the future.

There are ample twists and turns within the novel, that keep you guessing. The writing style reminded me of Belinda Bauer, who is one of my favourite authors.
It finishes with a jaw-dropping ending and I look forward to the next novel in the DI Adam Fawley series. 4.5*

There are so many crime books on the market that involve children going missing, that I sometimes find myself picking them up with a “sigh” partly because I read so many crime thrillers it also means I’ve read lots of “children go missing” books. So for a book to stand out with this theme it has to be more than a “just so” read, it’s got to have an element of surprise or the “shock factor”, so when I picked up Close To Home I wasn’t convinced this book would have much more to offer than many other crime books dealing with the same subject. At this point I should apologise to the author Cara Hunter I take back all I said, Close To Home has to be one of the most exciting and riveting crime thrillers I’ve read in a long time.

Close to home is part police procedure and part psychological thriller, the novel follows DI Adam Fawley, a man who lost his own child, he finds himself leading the investigation into the disappearance of eight year old Daisy Mason. The author uses tweets, Facebook and witnesses interviews to good effect, it not only gave the book a very up to date twist, but as a reader I actually felt like I was part of the investigation. The date and timeline stamps peppered throughout this book added weight to the investigation, as the reader you can’t help but feel the tension, the frustration, and the frantic pace of the investigation.

Cara Hunter does a remarkable job in pointing the finger of suspicion at numerous dubious characters, I found myself going back and fourth looking for a motive and the culprit. The characters are complex and more importantly very convincing, you have the very odd and despicable Mason family who immediately rouse suspicion, and then you have Detective Inspector Fawley, like many fictional Detectives he has his demons, but unlike lots of crime thrillers the author has chosen to not reveal all and Fawley remains something of an enigma, I think part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much was the fact that Fawley’s character is secondary to the investigation and doesn’t overshadow the plot as some fictional Detectives tend to do.

The last ten percent of Close To Home is electrifying as the evidence mounts up, the author manages to keep the reader in suspense. I found myself to-ing and fro-ing between suspects and scenarios, it’s not often an author manages to keep me utterly engrossed to such an extent I found myself getting irritated every time I was interrupted, I even thought about locking myself in the bathroom, and believe me the thought crossed my mind once or twice. I think Cara Hunter has a bestseller on her hands Close To Home is gripping, shocking and made for an heart pounding read. Personally I can’t wait to read the second book in this highly entertaining series, and just in case you haven’t guessed It’s one of those books I will be shouting about and recommending to anyone and everyone.

I read a lot of police procedural/psychological thrillers; most of them I enjoy but occasionally one crops up that's a real page turner and I can't stop reading until I find out the answer. 'Close to Home' is definitely one of those books!

It is the end of the Summer term. Bright, pretty and self assured -Daisy is a rather precocious eight year old. She enjoys having secrets. Daisy's parents are having a barbeque/fancy dress party. Her brother Leo tries to keep out of it while Dad, Barry, busies himself with the barbeque, and Mum, Sharon, buzzes about intent of showing what a perfect home and family they have. It is late when they realise that there is no sign of Daisy. This sparks off a search and as time goes on a great deal of chatter on Facebook & Twitter- most of it laying blame at the parents door.

Adam Fawley and his team devote themselves to searching for answers and discover that this family, in spite of the perfect facade Sharon presents, has many skeletons in the cupboard.

I constantly changed my mind as to what had happened to Daisy. I was kept guessing to the end. The characters were interesting & I look forward to seeing the police team again. This is a great start to a series. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this gripping book.

This is the first book in a series featuring DI Adam Cawley and his team. An 8 year old girl disappears from a family party. Her parents and brother all have hidden secrets. DI Cawley has to find out if they are behind her disappearance. I found the characters didn’t have much depth and I didn’t particularly like them but overall quite a enjoyable read, if a little far fetched, and a disappointing end. Hope the next book is a little more plausible.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher Penguin Books UK via NetGalley, for a fair review.

I have read this book actually in one shot. Except of several first pages, once I continued through Saturday evening, I finished around Sunday midday. I couldn’t put if off. It was constant guessing what next happens and the surprise after surprise until the last page.
It’s hard to write about thriller or mystery book without giving out any clues. But let’s put it that way: there is a couple with two kids, there is their garden party and when everything is over, when the guests leave it comes out their daughter is gone too. And everything the police knows at the beginning is that with the surrounding crowd of guests, no-one remembers anything suspicious about eight years old girl playing in the garden. Or it wasn’t her? Does that mean someone is lying about something?
I liked the whole story concept. I like the way author is writing it. I also like the idea of seeing everything through the eyes of the public via twitter or facebook (aren’t we too quick to judge others without knowing facts?) I admit I see a couple of loose ends but generally a highly enjoyable and recommended book.
And I will be looking for the next titles from Cara Hunter.

Great debut novel in the DI Adam Fawley series, at least I hope it develops into a series. Police procedural are my absolute favourite genre and this one didn’t disappoint. Believable characters, not always likeable, much like real life, good plot lines and very well written. Would recommend this, a real page turner.

Eight year old Daisie goes missing on the day of a BBQ organised by her parents Sharon and Barry for their neighbours. In the ensuing search for Daisie, the disfunctional nature of the family relationships gradually emerges, and the police investigation focuses on the parents and Daisie's troubled brother Leo. This book is an enjoyable read although slightly marred by the author's overuse of the 'soap opera' tactic of interrupting the description of a line of investigation at a crucial juncture leaving the reader hanging. This tactic is more suited to children's adventures and reminded me of serialisations shown at Saturday Morning Pictures in the 1950s when I was just a lad, such as The Lone Ranger. The story line manages to just stay on the right side of credible from beginning to end. Then there is the epilogue with a ridiculous twist that totally undermines the integrity of the narrative. Why do authors feel the need for the culprit to be a peripheral character who could not possibly be predicted by the reader?

After reading the narrative and past reviews of this book i was keen to read it and i wasn’t disappointed.

a report of a 8 year old girl going missing from a house party comes into an oxfordshire police station. initially the case is thought to be an abduction but as the investigation gets underway questions are asked as to whether the child was ever at the party and if so, when did she actually go missing? many revelations and secrets emerge and nothing is as it seems.

this book caught my attention from the first page and kept me interested until the end. there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing as to what actually happened. definitely a book well worth reading.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book had me gripped from the beginning. A child Daisy. Mason has gone missing during her parents barbecueparty, yet no one knows how or when . I had to keep turning the pages as the tension was increased with each development. There is suspicion and lies throughout and I didn't know what or who to believe..

I firstly have to admit that I did not complete this book, I read about 40% and for reasons I will soon share.  Obviously not a good start, however please hold on and read my reasons as to why I didn't wish to carry on reading as this book has a range of positive and negative reviews online.

I requested to review this book via Netgalley through Penguin publishers.  I have been interested in this genre (Crime, mystery) since reading books like, The couple next door, The girl on the train and Marriage made me do it.
Some of the reviews on Netgalley were positive, and the blurb was very promising.  Obviously I requested this book pre release, therefor reviews were small and spoiler free.
The beginning of the book jumps straight into finding the missing girl Daisy from her parents home during a party.
Straight away I was intrigued as this book used a different layout.  The layout started off as most traditional stories do then lead onto the use of social media- Facebook Status', Twitter feeds and general newspaper snippets, it really added a modern touch, a bit of realism, how people jump to conclusions and how facts get blown out of proportions via social media.
The book included interviews, different views and perspectives from many characters.
Especially a deeper look into Detective Everett and his personal reasons for wanting the case.
The beginning reminded me very much of how The couple next door started, however I was not hooked with the first few chapters.  I need to feel drawn in as soon as otherwise I lose interest.  However I thought I have to give this book a fair chance and at least try to read until 50%, however only managed 40%.
I found I just fell into a reading slump and did not want to pick the book back up, instead I just stared at it and kept thinking how bored I was.  Unfair I know but I find reading a hobby, I don't like wasting time if the story is not for me.  Again not every book is for everyone.  As the rating above shows, a lot of people actually enjoyed it.

Tasked with investigating the disappearance of Daisy Mason, an eight-year-old who vanished without a trace from her parents’ summer barbeque, DI Adam Fawley knows that he faces a race against time if he is to find Daisy alive. He also knows that it’s very likely that Daisy was taken by someone known to her. How else could this girl, who reads as intelligent and wise beyond her years, have vanished without a trace, without a sound, from a garden party where she was surrounded by friends and family? Something’s not adding up. Then, there’s Daisy’s family: far from being eager to bring their daughter home, Daisy’s father is reluctant to make a televised appeal for her return while her mother, a cold-as-ice woman who is more interested in her appearance than her missing daughter, refuses to let the police conduct a search of their house. Strange behaviour indeed.

Compelling and multi-layered, Close to Home is one of those books I enjoyed pretty much all the way through, only to be left disappointed right at the end. Don’t you just hate it when that happens? Actually, I find this happens quite a lot in crime fiction and psychological thrillers. I guess a satisfying ending is a very difficult thing to get right. Also, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. This will work for many, I’m sure. However, it didn’t work for me. I want my crime fiction to be twisty and unpredictable, of course, but I want it to be believable too. That’s not the case here.

A book about lost children, not just Daisy Mason, but all the children who are lost through neglect, illness and death, and the effect of these losses on those left behind, Close to Home is an ultimately worthwhile read with an ending that will surely divide readers.

This book was absolutely brilliant. I could not put it down. It had me gripped from the very first chapter and even though I read a lot of books like this, I did not guess the ending. This novel is about a little girl that goes missing. You find yourself blaming everyone in the book. There is a hint of child neglect and you feel for the little girl, you just want her to be found safe, but her parents put to justice. The book would be great for a tv adaption! I loved this book so much, cannot wait for the next installment by the same author!

Daisy Mason is missing, she's only eight years old and the Oxford police know that time is of the essence. Barry Mason appeared to be a doting father but infidelity and worse accusations are made against him. Sharon Mason did not appear to be such a loving mother and there are unpleasant secrets in her past. Leo Mason was like any older brother, not particularly close to Daisy and with issues of his own. Daisy Mason has disappeared into thin air and social media wants answers.

This book has been garnering rave reviews and is an online book club choice. I can see why as it ticks a lot of boxes in the contemporary police procedural genre. However after a promising start I felt the story became too bogged down in its own sensationalism. It was almost as though it was trying to tick every parents' nightmare - infidelity, incest, grooming, foetal alcohol syndrome, neglect, sibling rivalry, middle-class angst etc. Therefore I began to lose interest. The final twist should have been the icing on the cake but the cake was so overweight, it had already collapsed.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

DI Adam Cawley is investigating the disappearance of 8 year old Daisy Mason. By nature an inquisitive, cheerful little girl in a strained family. Is it her mother, father or brother who were involved.

I loved the way this was written. The twitter feeds and Facebook inserts made it really interesting. Can't wait to read book 2

This is the first in what I hope will be a long running series featuring DI Adam Fawley and his team.

When 8 year old Daisy goes missing from a family party noone will admit to seeing anything. This is a page turner which is hard to put down... lots of twists and turns set both in modern day interspaced with snapshots of key days leading up to the party.

Characterisation is well developed with lots of potential suspects to keep the reader guessing.

I never saw that ending coming!