Another fantastic novel in the Adam Fawley series. A call out in the middle of the night to a remote farmhouse where a gunshot has been heard. An elderly couple live in the house the Swanns... The problem is something about their account of events doesn't add up, a burglar was disturbed so where is his tool for breaking in and just how did they get the gun from the cellar if they were disturbed? The 'burglar ' has had his head blown off so as you can imagine he can't be identified that way. Cue some DNA testing which shows some family genes relating to a case from years ago for which Camilla Rowan is serving a prison sentence. But just how is this man connected to that case and what does that mean for her sentence? Lots of twists and turns in this novel Adam Fawley and his team at their best, love the new characters and can't wait to get to know them better as the series goes on. Ready for the next one now! Many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this novel. I will be recommending to everyone I know. In my opinion it's the new Inspector Morse. Would give more than 5* if I could it's more than worthy!

Adam and his team are once more on another case. This time a man shot in a burglary gone wrong it seems but the team soon learn its far more complicated. The dead man's identity comes as a shock and throws a previous conviction into jeopardy but what is the truth?

Yay back with another book in the series. I must say this is one of my favourite series. I have read them all so far and they're so good. The cases are interesting and the lives of the detectives are intriguing but don't steal from the main mystery. This was another good one. Its a real thrill ride of just who is guilty of what. The plot is steady and builds to a satisfying climax. I love all the characters in this and we gained some new ones who we've yet to learn a lot about. Another great read in the series.

The police are called to a shooting at a remote house by a passerby. When the first responders arrive they realise that something is off. Identifying the victim is difficult as most of his head has been blown off so DNA is the only way as there is nothing to identify him with the body. When a familial DNA match comes back to a woman jailed for killing her baby twenty years before things start to get stranger and stranger for DCI Fawley and his team. The case has lots of twists and turns and keeps everyone on their toes.

Another brilliant book from Cara Hunter. I was hooked from the start. Great writing, fast paced plot, what’s not to love, if you enjoy police procedurals, this is definitely for you. This is the sixth book in the series, but you don’t need to have read the others to enjoy this book. Thank you #netgalley

Another great book in the Adam Fawley series and although I have read all others I appreciated the descriptions of the characters at the beginning of the book which refreshed my memory.
Having said that it is the latest in a series it can easily be read be someone unfamiliar with the previous books. The investigation itself stands alone and there are pen pictures of relevant facts at the start of the book.
I enjoyed this book a great deal especially the way the investigation progressed step by step uncovering more clues and information.
A recommended read

I think I have read most if not all of this series and loved them all. For some reason I was not gripped in quite the same way with this one. A complex story family/identity and a lot of lies. I think for me the lack of a city location was missing. I know Oxford very well as I lived there for 14 years, so I suppose I am trying to locate the story all the time. It is a bit like Inspector Morse, I never liked them so much when the city and university was not central to the plot I suppose there is a limit and an author has to try to invent a different slant to each story.
A good read nontheless

It began rather oddly. There was a 999 call suggesting that a shot had been fired in an isolated house but the call hadn't come from the householder. A couple of PCs went to make certain that everything was alright and it took quite a while for the elderly householder to answer the door. He somewhat reluctantly told them that they'd better come in. In the kitchen there was a body on the floor: the head had been blown off with a shotgun and the corpse was holding a knife in its right hand. Richard Swann told the police that he'd heard sounds of an intruder and had come downstairs to investigate. The ignorant young lout had called him Grandad and come at him with a knife. Swann had shot him in self-defence.

An open-and-shut case, you might think, except for the possible discussions about whether the force used had been undue, with people weighing in with arguments about an Englishman's home being his castle. Well, it wasn't quite that simple. The young man was carrying no identification of any kind. He was supposed to have broken into the house but what tool had he used and where was it now? How had Swann managed to get the gun out of the cellar where it was kept without alerting the intruder? Why hadn't Swann made a 999 call? There had been plenty of time.

DI Adam Fawley is in charge of the investigation and he has two Detective Sergeants on his team, which is unusual. One is Chris Gislingham, steady and loyal - a safe pair of hands. The other is Gareth Quinn, newly reinstated as DS and overly keen to make his mark. I liked that Cara Hunter has continued her practice of giving us a brief run-down of the police team. She handles what seems like a cast of thousands with aplomb but this just fills in a bit of background and you start the book knowing who's who. There's an excellent mix too - from the DC who tries to steal other officers' thunder through to the ones who are simply trying to do their best. They stay with you when you've finished to book and as you look back over the series, you can see how they've developed.

I've thought for a while that this is one of the best police procedurals series around at the moment. The writing is superb, characterisation is top class and the plot is exquisite. It's actually based on a true crime story but I'm not going to tell you which one. You really need to come at this story absolutely cold but - be warned - once you start it you will need to know how it ends. I finished it in two sittings and was resentful that there were no more pages to turn.

I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

You could read this as a standalone but for the most pleasure, start at the beginning.

Brilliant! I love this series (although sadly I have not yet read them all). The Farley file at the beginning is a wonderful idea that allows readers who haven’t read the full series, or who need a recap, to have an understanding of the main characters.

Hope to die is fast paced and certainly keeps your interest throughout. I flew through this book! I enjoy the multi-media way it is presented with transcripts of Netflix, newspapers, emails etc as well as the main narrative.

The characters are comforting in their familiarity and it is good to see what is happening in their lives, although this plot line does not leave much space for subplots! There are also some new additions to the team.

A riveting read that will keep you guessing and have you wondering if Camilla is indeed a murderer or a victim!

The DI Adam Fawley series is one of my favorite and each year I wait eagerly for a new book. Hope to Die is the sixth book in the series and it starts with a gunshot heard in an isolated farmhouse late at night. A passerby calls the police and when they arrive they find the body of a man killed by a gunshot. The elderly couple living there claims that they don’t know who he is and that he was shot in self-defense. It should be an easy case to solve, but the couple failed to call the police, cold cases are reopened, and dark secrets are revealed. As DI Adam Fawley and his team investigate, they find out that the truth is far more complicated than a burglary gone wrong.

After the events of The Whole Truth, I couldn’t wait to see what DI Adam Fawley and his team were up to. Adam and his wife Alex are now enjoying their newborn daughter Lily Rose and, while DC Erica Somer is recovering from a health issue, we are introduced to new characters as three new members join the team.

Once again, Cara Hunter created a gripping and twisty story that kept me engrossed from the first to the last page. I love how she includes other formats in the narrative, like extracts from Netflix documentaries, transcripts of police interviews, newspaper articles, psychiatric reports, and social media comments that add a bit of humor to the story. The plot is complex and unpredictable, the pace is fast and the suspense is way high, and I raced through the pages to see what would happen next.

Cara Hunter is, without a doubt, one of my favorite authors and Hope to Die is yet another fantastic and thrilling addiction to this terrific series. Book number 7 can’t come soon enough!

Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Cara Hunter's latest.

This is number six in the DI Fawley series, and is the best yet. (I'm sure I thought the same for number five, 'The Whole Truth'.)

The story starts with what appears to be a straightforward shooting at a remote farmhouse, and develops into something much, much different. We follow Fawley and his team as they piece together what really happened, and more importantly, why it happened.

It was great to meet new members of Fawley's team, and find established members in new situations, mixing up the dynamics of the characters, and getting to know them all. One new character in particular seems like he'll be stirring up trouble in future.

The format is always interesting in this series, as it's not just straight prose, but also police interview transcripts, psychiatric reports, transcripts from a Netflix true crime series, phone conversations and messages, emails and more.

I hope we meet Camilla Rowan again somewhere down the line, she's such a fascinating character. I wonder if she will become Adam Fawley's Irene Adler?

Five stars from me, highly recommended.

This is book 6 in the Adam Fawley series and a very good addition. It's a steady paced police procedural, with good characterisation and is well plotted. Adam is called to the scene of a horrific murder at a lonely farmhouse. A complex read, but it has plenty twists, and it kept me interested until the end. It can be read as a stand alone and I would recommend it to lovers of the genre. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I remember reviewing the first book in the series and my review getting into the book. I have since followed everything that Cara has written and enjoyed the stories. I will say that this is the best one so far. I would say it is on another level to previous books and the characters are getting more and more developed and the storyline more creative. It had me guessing up to the end.
Cara Hunter is a crime novelist that is now at the top of her game and I can not recommend this highly enough. get it you will not be disappointed.

Hope To Die by Cara Hunter is one of the best police procedurals I’ve read so far. With thorough police work and demanding research, here’s one in which I feel confident. The author certainly knows her stuff.


Inspired by a real case, this twisty mystery begins with a police call to a remote farmhouse in the middle of the night. The intruder, who has no identification, has been shot in the face at close range, and on the face of it, all appears cut and dry. But with lack of fingerprints and nothing stolen, including inconsistences in the home owner’s stories, DI Adam Fawley is hard pressed to believe this is simply a burglary gone wrong.


Alternating chapters and a written police interview allow us to examine witness statements. But none of what the Swann’s say seems to add up. Not when Richard Swann decides to confront the intruder himself with a gun—possibly not locked in the safe at the time—and so conveniently at hand. But where are his night clothes, considering a shot like that would have provided a whole heap of back-spatter?


The writing style and characterisation are top notch. It’s not often I find a book so engaging from page one, but this one is original and eminently authentic. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the first in the series, each of these books act as standalones. I wasn’t sure if the section breaks were in fact chapter breaks since this is an advance reader copy, but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. It upped the pace and provided the unputdownable quality I crave.


Thank you to Penguin, Cara Hunter and Netgalley for the privilege of receiving an advance review copy.

Another cracking novel from Cara Hunter. As always the plot is fascinating, the setting beautifully described and the characters well portrayed. What I particularly like about this instalment is the range of narrative techniques; first and third person narrative, phone calls, the script of TV programmes, documents...Hunter employs all of these to great effect.

I love this series. DC Adam Fawley is one of my favourite detectives. Hope to Die is full of twists. I couldn’t put it down.
Thank you to Netgalley .

'Absolutely brilliant' are the two words that sum up this fabulous novel. I loved every minute of it. I was a little bit sceptical at first because I'm hopeless when it comes to keeping account of numerous characters and I know there are quite a lot in here but Carla Hunter has been thoughtful enough to give a breakdown at the beginning of the book as to who is who and how they are connected which is always a great help until the reader gets fully into the story and can then identify each and every person easily. I have read other books in this series so remembered some of the characters but a reminder is always good. Despite it being part of a series the book can easily be read as a standalone so newcomers please grab a copy and read with confidence. I loved all the twists and turns, the emails, police transcripts, Netflix documentaries etc which all added to the intrigue. Just when I thought I was close to having the plot all sorted in my mind along came another offshoot taking me down another path with yet more startling revelations. Carla Hunter is so very talented and although her storylines are extremely clever they are never overly confusing and this multi faceted yet easy-to-read book kept me enthralled throughout. A massive, glittering five stars from me. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a pre release copy which it has been my pleasure to review.

Have enjoyed this Adam Fawley series very much. Great characters and storyline. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Hope to Die
A shot rings out on a cold winter night at an isolated house on Ock Lane, Wytham. But the occupants don’t call the police, instead someone else does, and when the police arrive they find a horrific, bloody scene. A man lies dead having been shot in the face.
The Swanns, the elderly couple that live there allege self defence but the alleged burglar has nothing with him at all to identify him. And when DI Adam Fawley’s team start looking at the incident more closely, they find out that things don’t add up. There are only cursory signs of a break-in and although, the postmortem shows that the burglar was left handed, a knife is found in his right hand. When the victim is found on CCTV at the local train station, it’s obvious that he had a return train ticket and Fawley believes that Mrs Swann knew his identity.
And it doesn’t take long for the detectives to work out who the Swanns really are and their connection to a notorious and sensational murder case that took place 15 years ago,
Camilla Rowan was convicted of the murder of her newborn baby son when she was 17 although his body was never found. Camilla’s defence was that she had given the baby to a man in a car park but no trace of him was ever found. She had kept her pregnancy secret and had calmly returned to a party after giving birth. Vilified by the press and dubbed ‘Milly Liar’ and the Chameleon Girl, Camilla was convicted of murder.
It was a case that had many ripples and engulfed anyone connected with it, some of whom are still bitter at being dragged into it. As Fawley’s team set to work, there’s also the necessary smoothing over of any possible ruffled feathers with the original investigating team who don’t want to be shown up as having missed something.
But there are those who think she may have been wrongly convicted and a reporter, John Penrose, has made a Netflix programme about it. As the team begin to examine the original investigation and Camilla’s stories, they realise that she is a woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Will Camilla finally tell the truth or will she continue with her deadly lies?
This is the 6th in the DI Fawley series and I was really looking forward to reading it. However, if you’re new to the Fawley series, don’t panic as this one would work equally well as a standalone. There is a handy reference guide to Fawley’s team in the front of the book which gives background details on them as well as gossip and office politics.
DI Fawley and his wife Alex, now have a lovely 3 month old baby girl, Lily Rose.. He’s mulling over applying for the Chief Inspector’s job. But, as he’s already been told, it’s a stepping stone to becoming the Superintendent. Life has moved on in a good way. Meanwhile there is jockeying going in the team to be top dog as with eager beaver, DC Bradley Carter.
The author uses transcripts, emails, texts, TV interviews and psychiatric evaluations amongst others to tell the story as with previous books in the series and also some welcome humourous touches.
I was invited to read the book by the publisher and accessed the Kindle edition via Netgalley. Hope to Die was a confident, well plotted book with an absolutely killer ending. A very unpredictable narrative and I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. This is a terrific series which just gets better with each book. Already looking forward to the next book!
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

Cara Hunter has done it again!! I absolutely love the DI Fawley series and have read them all and this one was just as fantastic as all the others.

There’s a little recap section about the characters at the beginning, so that even a reader that isn’t familiar with the series can easily read this as a standalone book.

The story starts with what looks like a self defence shooting during a burglary, but soon Adam and his team realise that things are quite as clear cut as they first thought.

An unputdownable thriller full of twists and turns, I absolutely loved it and am actually gutted to have finished it as now starts the long wait to the next one!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for letting me review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cara Hunter has done it again!!!
I am so so grateful for this book, after reading a lot of shoddy thrillers lately - this was a real blessing!

I loved the little recap at the beginning too. I have read every book in the Adam Fawley series, but with each book coming out over a year a part the little character recap was very much needed!

I was absolutely gripped - there were so many twist and turns in the plot. The more the book went on, the more mysteries there were to solve - very addictive. I love the mixed media too. The transcripts from interviews, newspaper sections, netflix scripts etc - just added that little bit extra and made it all feel all the more real.

I saw in the authors note section at the back that this book was based on a real life true crime story *not going to say which one as don't want to give away spoilers* and I can see myself going down a rabbit hole on youtube looking at clips!

Thoroughly recommend this book - even if you haven't read the previous books in the series, i'm sure you will still love it!