Cover Image: No Way Out

No Way Out

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Member Reviews

With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

No Way Out is the third book featuring DI Adam Fawley and his team.

I knew I would enjoy this book from the first page. The story started with a transcript from the fire brigade. Shortly after new year a neighbour called 999 because the house opposite was on fire. The fire brigade arrived to find the house ablaze, inside they found the dead body of a toddler. Downstairs by the staircase they found a young boy who was alive but seriously injured.When

Newly promoted DS Chris Gillingham soon discovered the house belonged to academic Michael Esmond, his wife Samantha and their two children three year old Zachary and ten year old Matty. The parents were not in the house and It was thought the kids were home alone. Gillingham soon found out that Michael was attending an academic conference in London The team tried to find Michael but he had disappeared. When forensics started to examine the house they found Samantha`s dead body.

When the team started digging into Michael Esmond`s life they found he was under a lot of pressure. Michael `s older brother Philip was their parents favourite, years later Michael still felt second best. Weeks earlier a pupil had made an allegation of inappropriate behaviour, also Samantha was suffering post natal depression and Michael was having to care for the care for the children.

I really enjoyed this carefully crafted story. I thought it was clever showing the Esmond`s lives in the months leading up to the devastating fire. The book was definitely twisty turny, Each time I guessed what had happened, I had to think again when a new clue was found.

Like in Cara Hunter`s previous books I enjoyed the interview transcripts and social media posts. It was interesting to read the fictitious readers view of the fire and Michael Esmond.

No Way Out was long book but I was so immersed in the story it went quickly. My only criticism is my ARC was not divided into chapters so it was difficult to know how much I had read each day.

Adam Fawley received some good news at the end of the book. I look forward to the next book to see Adam`s reaction.

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Thanks to Netgally and the publishers for allowing me to review this book.

A good read by this author as usual. Plenty of twist and turns that I didn't even guess and the ones I thought might happen didn't. I loved the ending and didn't see that coming

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No Way Out is the third title in Cara Hunter's Adam Fawley series, but could easily be read as a stand alone novel.

It’s the 4th of January and whilst most are struggling back to work and normality after the Christmas and New Year break, for one family, life will never be normal again.

Two young boys are pulled from the wreckage of their burning family home, one dead, one fighting for his life, his parents are nowhere to be found.

The fire service are reluctant to speculate on the cause of the fire other than it appears to be deliberate.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the person who started the fire wasn’t an opportunist. It was someone who knew that the family were there, someone who meant to murder.

Fawley and his team have some difficult questions to answer. Why were the children in the house alone? Where on earth are the parents? And most importantly who on earth would want to harm two innocent children?

Time of the essence, because the killer is still out there, and the parents still missing. It’s possible this this could be a coincidence. But most good detectives would argue that in major crime there are no coincidences...

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I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

DI Adam Fawley and his team are asked to investigate a house fire. Three-year-old Zachary is discovered dead by firefighters while ten-year-old Marty fights for his life. There are no signs of their parents. As the investigation gets underway, they realise the fire was no accident, it was deliberate.

The third book in the series, the third I've read by Cara Hunter, and once again I was hooked! It had everything that's needed in a crime investigation novel: twists and turns, fast paced, intense, addictive.

I've loved seeing the characters develop throughout the series and their own individual stories, and with each book I feel like I know them better.

What I love about the DI Adam Fawley series is that each book can also easily be read as a standalone book as there's enough about each character's history and past investigations to not to read the rest of the series.

Highly recommended and easily one of my top authors!

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The plot of No Way Out was good and the story was plausible but I really didn’t like how this book was written. I also found the book was slow going. Sorry but not one of my favourites this year.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books and the author for the chance to review.

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First of all let me say that i love this author, the series and yes the girl has done it again..
This is a real page turner, a gripping read and a fantastic police procedural. Two children have been pulled from the wreckage of a burning house. One is dead on scene and the other is fighting for his life. Where are the parents and surely they were not left in the house alone ???? It is now upto DI Fawley and his team to solve this horrendous case. I was hooked from the first page, read this book in one sitting and reading until late into the night. So many suspects and so many lies. This book had me holding my breath tapping my kindle faster and faster and in places sat on the edge of my seat. The ending was not what I was expecting yes I got it wrong yet again. This is a bonus for me. No one knows what goes on behind closed doors and how well do you know the ones you love??? An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author,Penguin UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return honest review giving an honest review.

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The third book in the Adam Fawley series and it's every bit as good as the previous two.

I was hooked from the first page and I didn't want to put it down. The twists and turns were numerous and kept me guessing until the end.

I loved it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

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The third part of an enthralling crime series, and this is the best so far. The quality of Cara Hunter's writing is very good and, as always, the plotting is excellent. What makes these books so good is the back stories of the main characters, and Adam Fawley is a well- portrayed and fascinating flawed cop. Very enjoyable!

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A little protracted and aggravatingly interrupted by some 'out of sequence' (in the ARC) social media commentary (needed for the story but do get the formatting better and, at least, better considered than the previous books). Great story and a double twist nobody quite sees coming. Tragic for characters from start to finish.

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What a compulsive read. I just could not put this down. This is the 3rd book in the DI Adam Fawley series and its fast becoming one of my favourites. Cannot wait for the next one. There are plenty of twists and red herrings that just keep you turning the pages. Well done Cara on another fabulous read.

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If you love a good detective novel, with strong well-written characters and s great story line with twists and turns to the plot then this is the book for you. I certainly loved it and recommend it to all crime fans.

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Woohoo Cara Hunter is back with No Way Out the third novel in the D I Adam Fawley series, in case you haven’t guessed this is one of my favourite crime series ever, in fact I didn’t even bother reading the book description, I picked up the book and dived right in. After reading No Way Out in a day it’s safe to say this novel turned out to be everything I hoped for and more. The author pulls out all the stops, No Way Out is a nail biting, complex tale of arson, child murder and family intrigue.


No Way Out opens with the chilling discovery of two children, burned in a fire in their family home. Initially, there’s no sign of their parents. The police are not only dealing with arson, but possibly murder. Who would want this seemingly “normal family” dead? Where are the parents? Enter Di Fawley and his team whose job it is to piece the clues together. No Way Out begins in the present but gradually reveals events in the families past that led to the devastating house fire. With so much going on you would be forgiven if you thought this novel may be difficult to follow, but it’s really not, Cara Hunter has a knack of blending past and present timelines, and other mediums into a seamless read that’s nigh on impossible to put down.

Although No Way Out can be read as a stand-alone I would urge you to read the whole series in order, it’s no hardship I promise. In this novel we learn more about DI Fawley and his team, although the author doesn’t overwhelm the plot with details of their woes or personal life’s, which I find can often happen with a crime series. We just know enough about each of the characters to satisfy our curiosity and make each character all the more intriguing. As you can see from the book description a child dies, which although upsetting the author handles the subject with sensitivity.


If there’s one thing I love about Cara Hunter’s books it her attention to detail, not only does she provide the reader with a gripping story line, but she adds newspaper reports, transcriptions from witness statements and fire statement reports. An original concept which adds a touch of authenticity to the read, but it’s also one that make you feel part of the investigation rather than a bystander, you’re there sifting through the mountains of evidence, poring over witness statements looking for the clue that will finally “crack” the case. As I expected Cara Hunter has woven an intricate plot, bound together in red herrings and misdirection at every turn, the most satisfying thing about a crime read is not working out the intricate plot before the big reveal, and Cara Hunter kept me in the dark until the shocking but very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended by me

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

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I really enjoyed Ms Hunter's last book and felt this one was even better with some good plot twists. I enjoyed the first person narrative of DI Fawley and the way the work and reports of the other professions were portrayed. Post natal depression seems to be a bit of a hot topic at present and I felt it was dealt with well within this novel
Thank you to netgalley and Penguin books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

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I hadn't read anything by Cara Hunter before and will now be looking out for the earlier books in this police procedural series. This is a dark tale. A house in a well heeled area of Oxford is burned down by an act of arson. Almost immediately the body of a toddler is found, closely followed by his barely alive brother. But where are their parents? This is a respectable family and it's difficult to believe the children were left alone. Well, we soon discover what happened to the mother, Sam, but for a long time we are left wondering about Michael the father of the family. The deaths of the children affect all of the police in a bad way especially DI Fawley whose own son killed himself (presumably in one of the earlier books in the series). Much of the book is from his point of view but there are also insights into the life of the affected family. This is done well and is easy to follow. What I wasn't so sure about were the inserts from social media comments and fire and pathology reports which I felt interrupted the flow of the story and didn't add much to it. The social media comments in particular were very jarring. The end when it comes is suitably tragic, almost Shakespearian in its intensity. A very good read indeed. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC of this book

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This story hits you straight away with the media reporting on a fire at a house in Oxford. The author’s superb description of the unfolding events made me feel as though I was an actual bystander. As always, Cara Hunter has her finger on the pulse of Social Media.

Two children are rescued from the burning house, one dead and one fighting for his life. But where are their parents? When D I Fawley is called in to investigate, it is not long before he realises that it is not a tragic accident that he is dealing with, but a murder investigation.

This is the third book in the DI Fawley series and I loved catching up on Fawley’s domestic arrangements and being drip fed little incidents from the past. This investigation is especially poignant as he has to deal with the murder of a child.

Cara Hunter has written a superb hard-hitting relevant story of a family disintegrating and how jealousy can lead to a shocking tragedy from which there is no come back.

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I've been lost in the world of this crime thriller for almost a day  .. and what a read it is!

When an Oxford family home bursts into flames, the fire brigade are quickly on the scene, and manage to rescue two children. But where are the parents? This is a major fire, and the destruction is extensive. DI Adam Fawley's team get the call and land the job of investigating exactly what happened.

As far as I'm concerned, this series is a must not miss! Unlike many others we, the readers, investigate along with the police and it's really refreshing not to know who the guilty party is - it makes for a much more exciting read! There are personal details of the officers, but they add to the story rather than overpower it, as sometimes happens. Like the two preceding novels, this is a very accomplished and cleverly plotted story, completely believable and so well-written that it's really hard to put down. The ending - for me, at least - was totally unpredictable and soooo good! I struggled to put this book aside in bed last night, and have completed what I had to do in record time this morning, so desperate was I to continue reading. This series is plot-driven, intense and riveting, and I would most definitely recommend reading them all from the beginning - you won't regret it! Without any doubt, this is a solid 5* read.

My thanks to publisher Penguin for my copy via NetGalley. As always, this is my honest, original, and unbiased review.

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Another DI Fawley novel, though others come to the fore in this story.
A chilling discovery of two children, burned in a fire in their family home. Initially, there’s no sign of their parents. The police are not only dealing with arson, but possibly murder. Who could want this seemingly normal family dead?
Slowly some not so palatable truths are uncovered. Academic father has been accused of harassment and is in a bitter dispute with another lecturer. Mother suffering with post-natal depression and an older brother very jealous of his younger sibling.
Throughout this case there’s twists and turns aplenty to throw us off the scent. Personal lives of the police also develop and there’s a very real sense of being immersed in events.
Perhaps some of the finer points might seem hard to believe, but this is not a problem as you’re reading. The truth is actually stranger and more upsetting than that we were led to believe.
A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with access to this prior to publication.

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The third book in this series and it was as enjoyable as the first two. Brilliant storyline with some great characters. Can’t wait to read the next one in the series

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Wow another great read from Cara Hunter. Having read the first two books and really enjoying them, you can just imagine how excited I was to find out she had a third book coming out.

When I started reading this one I went into it with an open mind convincing myself that I shouldn’t get too excited about it just in case it doesn’t meet the high expectation that I had built for myself. But I had absolutely nothing to worry about as Cara Hunter delivered another great book.

Once again this book is full great characters, that I both loved and loathed at the same time.

I’m really enjoying the writing style that Cara Hunter uses throughout her books. It very simple yet at the same time bringing it to life.

Just like in the previous 2 books there is a mixture of  media stories and scripts from interviews and body cameras that were worn. I like how these are added. I feel it breaks up the book nicely and we get to learn more about what is happening in the background, while at the same time we get to see the storyline unfold.

A wonderful gripping read with loads of twists and turns from start to end of the book, A must read for anyone who loves a great crime thriller.

Cara Hunter is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I really can’t wait to see what she has to offer next.

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This is the third book I have read and even know I read the first two books out of order .... they are amazing books on there own .... But trust me if this is the first time reading Cara Hunters Adam Fawley series you will be wanting to read the other two they won't disappoint.

The story was gripping and the twists left me guesses right up to the very end. I devoured this book so quickly and can't wait for the next installment. This is must read and you will not want to put it down.



Thanks to Penguin Books and Netgalley for letting me able to get to read this before it comes out

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