Close to home is the first book in the D. I Adam Fawley series set in Oxford and also Cara Hunter’s debut novel.
It’s starts with 8-year-old Daisy Moon goes missing from a Barbeque party that has been held at her Oxford home. But everyone is adamant that they didn’t see a thing. Nobody saw her all evening D.I Fawley is in charge of the investigation. In most cases that the first 24 hours is critical and in these cases and it is usually someone that the family knows that has taken her. Daisy mother is a cold, vain woman, where an incident in her childhood made her this way. Also as the investigation progresses we learn that daisy’s father was having an affair with someone that he met on a dating site. Not only that but, brother Leo is not their biological son. The parents both end up under suspicion of the murder of Daisy. They both get very defensive and blame each other for her death. DI Fawley not only having difficulty ascertain who the killer is. But, he is still grieving of the loss of his son Jake. Which happened the previous year and the hate scam on Twitter when they hear of the disappearance of Daisy.
This is a gripping, fast paced thriller, with lots of twists and turns. But for me I didn’t like any of the characters and the excerpts of Twitter feed I found quite annoying. I liked the ending I didn’t see it coming. I will look forward to the next instalment of this series.

Really enjoyed this book, nice easy read, keeps you gripped and guessing throughout, and with an unexpected twist at the end. Thoroughly enjoyed.

This book was a real page turner which when I started reading I didn't expect. But the way the author writes from different perspectives of the characters made it more exciting and although I think I am usually good at spotting the culprit in this instance I was gobsmacked totally
Very enjoyable book would recommend to young and old alike

I would never have guessed the final twist in the tale!

I loved the Twitter feed throughout the story and the story just twists and turns all the time. Upsetting continually all that you thought you knew and understood.

This has a low key UK non-sensationalist  tone to the storyline, factual but....

Really enjoyed this book. Totally up my street with an ending that I didn't predict. Well written with believable characters.

Great cover and thoroughly intriguing,dislike for the parents from the word go with a suspicion raised over the Son, no l didn’t guess the ending and maybe it was a little weak but generally a very good read

Close to Home

I have a morbid draw to books about child abductions, I can’t get enough of them. I think it makes me pull my children that much closer to me.

Daisy has gone missing from her family party, her parents don’t seem that bothered...could they be involved?

This is a gripping, compelling read that genuinely kept me guessing until the end. The first book in a new series, I’m really looking forward to book two! Four shiny stars from purplebookstand.

I was lucky to be provided with an ARC of this book and I voluntarily provided this review

4.5* A great mystery story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Plenty of plot twists and turns with always something to think about and consider.

Some great characters, plenty of villains and suspects!

Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy. I haven't come across this author before but I will definitely be looking out for in future.

Wow what a book. It really was a who done it book, and I must admit I never guessed who did it.
A really clever book and totally different to all the books I read, I love reading and get so engrossed time just flies. Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book, I think the story will linger.

This is an okay book. The premise is gripping, you can't help but want to finish it just to find out what happened. The makings of a good mystery in that regard.

However, I found that some of the writing wasn't great or convincing. Many of the children, in particular the 8 year olds, didn't come across as authentic for that age to me. I also felt like most of the parents and other adults in the story treated them as though they were much older children, which made me cringe quite a lot.

Overall, I'd say if you like piecing together the puzzle that is a crime novel, then give this book a read. But for me, it felt a bit out of place.

Eight year old Daisy Mason has gone missing from her home in Oxford. There was a party at her parents home that evening and it seems someone took her from the garden. DI Adam Fawley investigates - he's still reeling from the death of his son. It soon becomes apparent that the timeline they have for Daisy's disappearance isn't correct but why are the parents keeping things from the police. A great read from start to finish and wasn't expecting the ending. Look forward to reading more from this series.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Clara Hunter for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an independent and honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I haven't always liked crime thrillers, only getting in to them in the last few years, but this one of the best I've ever read. It was a page-turner; I could not put it down. The characters were great, and the book well-written; Hunter kept me guessing all the time as to who the culprit was, leading me down the wrong path quite a few times!

I can't wait for the rest of the series!

Solid police procedural with compulsory tortured soul detective. Interesting twist in the tale. Whilst not ruining the story the portrayal of eight year old daisy isn't very realistic. It's a funny one when you discover a whole run of excellent series starters and your reviews almost read like carbon copies. This really is a cracker.

This is an intriguing book with some excellent points and some not so good. Firstly, I was really hooked from early on with a strong storyline of a missing 8 year old from a seemingly "nice" family and a detective who has recently lost a child himself. There are lots of elements in this book and I think some of the characters muddy the waters in a not-too-convincing way. The step brother? Someone would have noticed him hanging around at the school and why does he have to be mixed up with child abuse as well. The mother and father would definitely have spoken/seen Daisy after she got in from school if only to check that she looked neat and tidy. However, I really enjoyed the police procedurals, the twists, the turns. Right to the very end, almost. I thought the ending weakened the book, after all the darkness of the story to have it end like this was rather a cop-out.

A fantastic page turning thriller. When Daisy goes missing the night her parents are having a party, no one notices until it's too late, this book is a definite page turner and kept me in the edge of my seat through out. A fantastic twist which I did not see coming at the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping police procedural thriller. It had me hooked from the first page and I certainly didn’t know how it was going to turn out. Would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading the next in the series

Excellent book. I adored the storyline and the characters. A real page turner. I would this recommend this book.

A well written, book, hard to put down, well paced. For me, the only elements that detracted were the Twitter postings that resulted from the publicity about the missing child. Not being a great fan of Twitter (or social media in general) I felt irritated that these were woven into the narrative at some length when arguably one or two would have done. Still a great story!

I received an advanced pre-proof e-book copy of this from Penguin Books UK & Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I don't normally write reviews featuring details of the plot but in this case I think the authors decision to set the scene at a party added to the tension from the start. I found myself looking back to parties where our kids had been left to their own devices whilst we got on with the serious business of booze and food - it made me shiver. I also like the way in which the modern day media is upfront and there squirreling away at the nerves of the victims and the police. A great police procedural and a very good twisting plot to keep the pages turning. I am looking forward to reading more from the pen of Cara Hunter. Five stars and a satisfying read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Close to Home is a gripping police procedural with psychological thriller elements following DI Adam Fawley, a man who lost his own child, searching for another child who has gone missing.