I have read a couple of Cara's books and have enjoyed them all. I admire anyone who is able to explore and write about very sad things. Throwing into the mix a crime - A good read.

Thanks for the advance copy

A house fire in an upmarket area of North Oxford leads to the gruesome discovery of two dead children. There is no sign of their mother, and their father – who was in London at a conference – isn’t answering his phone, or responding to any of the public calls for his attention. Detective Inspector Adam Fawley and his team, certain that the fire was set deliberately, start to dig into the family’s background and discover that money problems may well be at the root of the problem: the house has been in the father’s family for generations, but his grandfather’s cast-iron will ensures that he can never sell it. As the investigation proceeds, Fawley’s team make discovery after stunning discovery leading towards a solution to the crime that lies deep in Michael Esmond’s distant past.

It’s little over a year since Cara Hunter – and, indeed, DI Adam Fawley – appeared on the scene with her debut novel Close to Home. No Way Out is the third book in the series and, fortunately for those of us who claim to be fans – this series seems to get better and better as it goes on. This is a case that feels very personal to Fawley, two dead children who seem to have been failed by their parents making uncomfortable parallels with the death of his own son.

The team dynamics have shifted since In the Dark – Quinn has been demoted, and Gislingham temporarily promoted in his place, which causes some tension between the two men, and puts a lot of pressure on Gislingham to prove himself both to his teammates and to his boss, Fawley. Ex-uniform Erica Somer, who played an important role in the previous book, makes the jump to CID, and joins the ranks of Fawley’s team as a Detective Constable, forcing her to prove herself to the same people, for entirely different reasons. The team are an important part of the story, and they work well together, compensating for each other’s weaknesses when required and, for the most part, being a close-knit, supportive group.

Fawley himself takes an interesting role in this latest novel, his personal life having massive impact on his professional life, more so even than during the Daisy Mason case. His wife has left him – something he attempts to keep from the team – while whispers at the station put him and Somer in an intense – if ill-advised – relationship. Here we see a much more human, much more emotional Fawley than we’ve grown used to, but thankfully it doesn’t seem to have much impact on his deductive reasoning abilities or his ability to solve this increasingly complex case.

While No Way Out and its predecessors are essentially police procedurals, Hunter takes an extra step and allows us to look at the investigation from a number of different angles. Besides the points of view of Fawley and his team members – the likeable young Gislingham gets a starring role this time around – Hunter also presents the case to us through the eyes of the “gutter press” – various reports from the Oxford Mail are interspersed through the chapters – and from the public. While there are no Twitter feeds or Facebook exchanges this time around, we see plenty of the vitriol you’d expect to see online through the comments sections of the various news articles that appear.

As always, the strength of Hunter’s storytelling lies in her ability to constantly keep us on our toes. The case we start out with is more or less unrecognisable by the time we reach the end, but there’s a logical progression – and, thankfully, a logical solution – that leaves us feeling satisfied and entertained. Her characters are well-developed, and it’s excellent to be able to follow them as they deal with each new case and the challenges it brings. To all intents and purposes this is “A DI Adam Fawley Thriller”, but unlike many fictional star detectives, this is as much about the wider police team, and each of the characters contributes in some way to making the story as real as possible.

With three books in little over a year, Cara Hunter could be in danger of her readership burning out with Fawley fatigue. Given the strength of her writing, and the groundedness of her world and her characters, that’s unlikely to happen any time soon. The series goes from strength of strength, with each subsequent book building on the foundations laid by the previous volumes. Slick and fast-paced with a wonderful humorous heart, No Way Out is an excellent addition to this author’s rapidly-growing oeuvre and a must-read for anyone who considers themselves a fan of crime fiction. While it works well as a standalone mystery, No Way Out is, of course, best enjoyed as part of the Fawley series. Either way, it’s time to add Cara Hunter to the do-not-miss list, and to start looking forward to book four!

An easy book to read not the best plot twist I had hoped there would be more to the story line very predictable and did leave a few questions unanswered but an ok read

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down i just love this writer ive read all of the cara hunter books and like all the others this one is amzing it is exciting thrilling and as always i didnt guess the ending i always try too but everytime you think you got it theres another twist this book is so twisty and turny it makes your head spin cant wait for the new book in the cara hunter series this book keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

Its a tricky read - many different characters with storylines interwoven and told from different viewpoints. as a first timer to this series I struggled a bit with that. There is also extremely harrowing content. Apart from that it was a well written book with a decent storyline

This was another great installment in the DI Adam Fawley series, it kept me engaged from the first page and the short chapters make it so easy to think just one more and suddenly 5 hours have passed! The case itself was intriguing and there were enough hints to make me think I knew exactly what was going on but at the last second there was a switch that although I didn't see coming, made complete sense in the story.

Unfortunately I started reading this book, without realising that it is part of a series focusing on cases for D.I. Adam Fawley, and so felt as if I walked in half way through a movie.

I struggled to connect with the characters, and felt that there was a back story I should be aware of, so shelved it to read after I have read some of the earlier ones by Cara Hunter.

I really enjoyed this book and would read more from this author. Loved this one and can't wait to read more

I loved every min of this book, If I could of I would of read more it's one them books.

Cant wait for more.

Christmas is not a great time for DI Fawley this year. His wife has walked out and his next case involves the death of two young children in a fire. It seems as if they had been left in the house alone and a tragic accident happened. Soon evidence emerges that something was wrong at the heart of this family and that it may not have been an accident at all.

I thought this was a very good third novel in this series. The characters are beginning to settle in and the plot was much more complicated than it appeared at first glance. The twists and turns covered amongst other things sibling rivalry, postnatal depression, and the phenomenon of family annihilators. The short sections at the end from the point of view of the two young children were particularly poignant.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Penguin Books (UK), for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Another great book from cara hunter

Sad story that has your turning the pages uixjky to find out what happens

Great read

I read this as a single novel and not as part of the series. I still felt as if I could read it though and that did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. It was dark at times given the subject matter abs it was really captivating and kept my attention. I liked the detail and loved how it’s as clever and the use of inter textual references for evidence was made this a great reading experience

I loved this book - I love all Cara Hunter novels. These are the very best crime fiction around right now and utterly addictive.

This a gripping and unputdownable thriller with so many unexpected twists that it will make you gasp at every turn of every page. I read with the little hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

It’s the Christmas holidays and there is a house fire and Fawley and his team are called to the scene. When they arrive 2 young children are being pulled from,the wreckage. There appears to be no one else in the house. Where are the parents ?Why are two young children left home alone ?

This is book 3 in the DI Adam Fawley Detective series. I’ve read and loved the first two books in the series, and after finishing book 2 I immediately started this one. Well this book sure didn’t disappoint and it is just as good as the others. Once I started reading this book I was completely gripped. The more of this series I read I notice the development of the characters of Di Fawley and his team, we get to understand more about them, not just in a work environment but in their private lives. This was a tough read at times but one which was described really well and when I finished a chapter I just wanted to keep on reading to find out what was going to happen next.

I found the book to be gripping, I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. I will look out for more books by this author.

Having previously read Cara's other Adam Fawley books, I couldn't wait to get started on this book. It did not disappoint.

This is a captivating story which is full of twists and turns which unravel as you progress through the book. It's an emotive book which makes you feel everything which is happening in Oxford throughout the book as though you are living it. I enjoyed this book as much, if not more so than the previous books as we are now getting to know the characters - with each book, the character development is progressing and we are really beginning to see the personalities of each recurring character come through.

If you haven't read this series, I strongly recommend that you start at the beginning with DI Fawley in Close to Home. You may not have to read the series in book order, but each book builds on the previous through character development and little snippets which reference earlier cases/ parts of their lives.

A thoroughly enjoyable read which I strongly recommend.

Starting on the third instalment is not necessarily the best way into a series it but when you are given a copy of the book, that makes it more appealing!

Much of this novel is based on the characters’ personal interactions and it appears there has been quite a bit of history in the previous two books. This seems to be problematic for many authors but Cara Hunter handles this well by giving enough information to make newcomers feel welcomed into the story but without breaking the narrative flow or irritating her established readers.

The story itself is fairly standard with the novel not being particularly themed or speaking to a particular subject. But that is not necessarily a bad thing – not every novel has to be about ‘something’ and what makes No Way Out a little bit more interesting than the average police procedural thriller is not only the interactions between the main characters but the author’s contemporary approach to storytelling.
First of all, the story is presented using the perspectives of the main police officers investigating the case as it progresses. But it also simultaneously tells the story of the family involved in the months, weeks and days leading up to the tragedy that forms the basis of the story. This combined with emails, interview transcripts and blog comments keeps the narrative moving and the story fresh.
This may be a ‘standard’ story but is well-told, up to date and very engaging on a human and empathetic level.

It’s the Christmas holidays but sadly two children have just been pulled from the wreckage of their burning home in North Oxford.

The father, Michael, appears to have made some enemies in his academic role, and is not a popular man, but does anyone dislike him enough to torch his house?

There are also tensions and problems within the family, which are slowly revealed, and a young gardener who seems to be keen to get his foot in the door.

The book takes the reader on the case of the police and fire teams as they slowly unravel the events that led to the fire. We discover that the father of the family and husband to the wife, Michael is not a popular man, but has he made an enemy of someone enough to want to burn his house down with his family inside?

It soon becomes apparent that this fire wasn’t an accident it was murder - but who did it?

Cara Hunter books are brilliant her novels are grear to read and it won't be my last now I've finally got around to putting a review on. Great story and great plot and would recommend to anyone.