Thank you NetGalley! This is my first audio book by this author. I went into it excited but nervous the mixed media that is so pre leant in Cara Hunter books would be difficult without seeing it. I was wrong. The multiple narrators helped tremendously to differentiate and set the set the scene.

Making a Killing by Cara Hunter

The highly-anticipated follow up book to CLOSE TO HOME (the very first book in the DI Adam Fawley series) is finally here and I have to say I hope this series never ends. While this is the 7th book in the installment, it takes place 8 years after the first book and 6 years after sixth book, HOPE TO DIE. I highly recommend reading them in order because like I said this one is a continuation of the first! Now that I’ve talked in a complete circle let me get to my actual thoughts on the book

I’m not going to go into details as to not spoil anything, but I will say this one was a tad slower moving than her others. I usually fly through these — they are fun, twisty, and they always have that Cara Hunter format, full of multimedia elements (ie. texts, interviews, news articles, pictures/diagrams, etc.) And like my past reviews have mentioned, you’ll fall in love with DI Adam Fawley and his team. This one didn’t hold my attention as much and I didn’t constantly reach for it like I have her others. Like I said, it was definitely a slower burn and it didn’t really have me on the edge of my seat. Certain parts dragged more than others, but I did really enjoy one of the reveals/twists!

My last real “complaint” is that I felt like I spent way less time with DI Fawley and his quirky, flawed, Thames Valley team. Because of the crime storyline/location, we are introduced to a different team of detectives and it was way too many to keep track of in my opinion. Despite my few complaints, this was still an enjoyable read and I recommend reading it to continue the series.

I loved the tie-ins to her other books and I loved the ending with Adam and his dad! I can’t wait to be back with them soon.

3.5 stars! Thank you for allowing me to listen to the audiobook! Great narration 10/10

Hunter combines elements of suspense, mystery, and psychological tension as it unravels a complex murder investigation intertwined with dark secrets and twists. Mostly set in Oxford, England, where the story unfolds within the city’s familiar streets and neighborhoods. This narrative delves into the world of television production, specifically focusing on the true-crime show Infamous, which revisits a high-profile case from the past. This setting provides a backdrop that explores the intersection of media influence, public perception, and the complexities of criminal investigations.

I have been watching for a while for the most recent book in the DI Adam Fawley series to be released in the states so imagine the thrill when the audiobook showed up in Netgalley and I was granted an early copy.

What I liked about this book

The narrators for the audiobooks are great. I am pretty sure it has been the same three throughout the series.

I enjoy seeing all the characters again and really like Fawley as the main protagonist. I appreciate that in every book she introduced the characters again before starting the story. It really helps with such a big cast.

Hunter writes a good police procedural with interesting crimes, investigations and twists.

Issues with the book
I feel like for the next book in the series I should try the ebook instead of the audiobook and see if it flows better. The books include lots of transcripts and emails which does get boring when the narrator has to read all the email addresses, etc.

While I really like this series, this book's investigation felt the most far fetched and unrealistic. Hundreds of man hours were spent on the case which seemed pretty improbable. Plus, they added loads of characters from another police department and keeping them straight was pretty tricky, especially on audio.

I started the series on the second book because I accidently spoiled the first book and the twist was too tragic to want to go back and read. Unfortunately this book was based on the case from the first book. I am sure it would have been more enjoyable if I had read the first one.

Finally, the villain arc in this book required a suspension of disbelief that was more than I could manage. I mean, I am familiar with 8 year olds and I cannot seriously believe that one could pull off a criminal operation that this one does. Even at 16 it seems far fetched. Precocious doesn't even describe it.

Finally, the ending was a big let down, especially when I didn't like the villain. So, three stars from me this time.

Thank you, Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my review!

This was the second book of Cara Hunter's that I have read , and before I started it, I didn't realize it was part of a series. What I appreciated was the beginning gave a bit of a crash course on previous characters so it was easy to get up to speed.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is the incorporation of mixed media, such as interview transcripts and newspaper articles. This format is so fun to read and added a complexity to the police procedural aspect.

There were lots of twists and turns throughout the book and overall the reading experience was great.

Because of the mixed media, I recommend if you listen on audiobook, that you read along on a hard copy, it'll be easier to follow.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook as an arc.

Certain parts were hard to listen to. I feel like this would’ve been an easier book to read and not listen to, but I really enjoyed the plot. I feel like I should’ve definitely read all of the other books 1st, but it wasn’t too hard to follow along what was going on. The scheming was diabolical. I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend it. I’m gonna go read all the other ones right now.

This one was a bit all over the place.
I will admit I didn’t see the ending coming. But it was too long, too many characters and too many POVs for me.
All around a good story and bonus points for mentioning the case that keeps me up at night #JBR

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I was instantly drawn into this story. Even though I don’t usually listen to many procedurals these days, this one grabbed my attention and held it tight. The way it slowly revealed what happened in the past made me genuinely curious. I wanted to know every detail and felt totally invested in piecing everything together.

The mystery wasn’t just about solving a crime—it was about uncovering secrets and understanding the characters on a deeper level. The pacing was perfect, keeping me hooked without ever feeling rushed. Every twist kept me guessing, and I loved how unpredictable it was.

The audiobook itself was a fantastic experience. The narration made the story come alive, pulling me in even more. It was exciting and fast-paced, but also had layers that stuck with me after listening. This story reminded me how much I enjoy a great mystery, and now I’m really looking forward to the next one in the series.

Another great installment in the DI Adam Fawley series! The multiple narrators turns this book into a real performance.

I enjoyed the narrator. The story was interesting; although a little hard to follow in audio. I think reading the actual book would have been better for me to follow the investigation better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair, and Alexandra Boulton do a fantastic job narrating this story and making it come alive for the listener.

This is book 7 in the police procedural series featuring DCI Adam Fawley. While it would be ideal to read books 1-6 of the series first, I didn’t and I was still able to enjoy it. This is due in large part to how well the author does a summary and character recap in the beginning of the book. That helped a ton!

This is a solidly written police procedural story with likable characters. The pacing was appropriate and I really enjoyed this!

💖 Happy Pub Day!! 💖
Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 on Goodreads

Loves:
❤️ I LOVED the use of multi-media in this. Cara Hunter always is amazing at including a variety that is captivating and helps to set the scene.
❤️ I very much appreciated the section at the start going over the characters and who they are! I read this as a stand-alone so it was good to have an overview going in!
❤️ There were multiple narrators in the audiobook and I really enjoyed that level of production and all the narrators did a great job!

Factors that influenced my rating:
❤️ I think it would be better to read this physically because apparently there are also photos that weren’t visible with the audiobook, based on other reviews I’ve seen.
❤️ This book is highly connected to the first book in the series. While I was able to read it as a stand-alone, it would be better read after the first book
❤️ I’m not from the UK so I wasn’t familiar with a lot of the abbreviations used and needed to look them up. While this may not be an issue to many, it’s something to be aware of.

Now, my rating on this is totally my own fault. I read Cara Hunter’s Murder in the Family novel and it was an easy 5 stars and I adored it. I haven’t read any other Cara Hunter books and did not realize how closely this book tied into her Adam Fawley series. This definitely would’ve been higher if I read it physically to get the full effect of the mixed media and could take better advantage of the list of characters at the start. Overall I did really enjoy the mystery and I loved the different POVs and how there was always something happening, with very little slow parts.

Thank you so much to @netgalley Cara Hunter, and @harpercollins for the audiobook ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Audiobook Review: Making a Killing by Cara Hunter
Narrated by Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair, and Alexandra Boulton

I received this audiobook from NetGalley, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to discover and read new authors and share my thoughts.

This was not my first book by Cara Hunter—my first was Murder in the Family, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately, Making a Killing didn’t quite live up to that experience for me. While I did listen to the entire audiobook, I found it harder to connect with the storyline and characters this time around.

That said, the narration was excellent. With a talented cast including Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair, and Alexandra Boulton, the performances were engaging and well-executed. I really enjoyed the British accents and the way the narrators brought their characters to life. Their delivery and tone were spot on for the genre, helping to maintain interest throughout the listen.

Making a Killing is the seventh book in Cara Hunter’s DI Adam Fawley series. I hadn’t read or listened to any of the previous entries in the series, and I think that played a role in why this book didn’t resonate with me as much. There were references to past cases and established relationships that felt a bit disconnected without the prior context, making it harder to fully invest in the plot and characters.

Overall, while this particular title wasn’t a favorite for me, I still respect Cara Hunter’s writing and storytelling. I would definitely be open to exploring more of her work—especially Murder in the Family-style standalones or potentially going back to start the DI Fawley series from the beginning.

Thank you again to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook!

First of all thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this before publication date.
For any First time readers of this author it's best to read in order since this does have other books before it.
Crazy twists and was not expecting that ending. Good read.

Making A Killing: Not all Murder Victims Stay Dead
DI Fawley Thriller #7
Cara Hunter
This is the seventh book in the DI Fawley series. This tale revisits the Daisy Mason case from book 1. I highly recommend you read book 1 and then you can skip right to book 7.
In 2016 Daisy Mason was declared dead; she was a mere 8 years old. Daisy’s mother, Sharon, was accused, convicted and sentenced to no less than 25 years for Daisy’s murder. But the conviction is questionable. The body was never found. The conviction was secured based on strong forensic evidence. Daisy’s father, Barry, is sure that Sharon is guilty; he believes Sharon murdered her own daughter out of jealousy.
The original investigator, Adam Fawley, believes it is a strong conviction. Journalist Nick Vincent is the host of a true crime show; he receives new evidence. The evidence is being examined to see if it is real. During the summer of 2024 a dog walker makes a grisly discovery a shallow grave, with the body of a female, under a tree; the tree was linked to a witch trial many years ago. The woman was murdered a couple of weeks ago. A hair stuck to the duct tape links the DNA to Daisy. DI Fawley is revisiting the case. Were there mistakes in the original investigation? Could Daisy have been kidnapped? What really happened to Daisy?
Author Cara Hunter’s characterization is wonderful. This is a police procedural book. Hunter uses photographs, police reports, cell phone records/transcripts, newspaper articles, social media posts, emails, and documents. It is well written and held my attention throughout the tale. The story is told through multiple points of view. This is a classic mystery filled with twists and turns. The plot of this tale will have you thinking and pondering the clues. I was surprised at the role of Daisy. She was an eight-year-old child, and the premise of the plot seems far-fetched. The ending will surprise most readers.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I have to admit, I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I requested it — the story just grabbed my attention. Now I wish I’d read the previous books first.

Thankfully, the author includes a brief recap at the beginning, which I really appreciated. I’ve always thought book series could use something like that, just like TV shows.

I listened to the audiobook, and while most of the narration was great, one of the three narrators did bother me. I found myself wanting to speed up the audio whenever they spoke.

Despite not knowing the full backstory, I was still invested in the plot and characters. This book made me want to check out the earlier ones, but I hope they don’t all end like this. I was honestly confused when it wrapped up — it felt unfinished, and I wasn’t sure if it was really over.

I know it’s not uncommon for a series to leave some things unresolved, but I expected the case itself to have a bit more closure. Even if I had read the previous books, I think I’d still feel let down by the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

4.5⭐️

Book 7 Adam Fawley series


I had the audiobook read by Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair, Alexandra Bolton who are great.

I love this series, especially on audio as I love Lee Ingleby as Fawley. Love the inclusion of the who’s who at the start, informative and fun.

This book takes us back to the first case in the series (Close To Home) as usual with the series it uses mixed media to tell the story, I feel the way it’s been blended in this book works well for the audiobook version. I have read close to home but couldn’t remember it, the author gives the reader enough to pick up on the story so you’ll be ok if you haven’t read it, but if you can read it first then move on to this one all the better.

I love the interaction with Fawley and little Lily, it’s a lovely grounding family interaction amidst the world of crime solving. Fawley’s dry quips make me chuckle.

The plot has layers including a thread from Daisy which work well.
This one is left more open ended, so I’m so looking forward to the next book, hoping that there’s not such a long wait. I enjoyed the additional short story, I’m not usually a short story fan but it addresses something from Adam’s past.

This is the seventh book from the Adam Fawley series, and it’s the second one I’ve read. I enjoyed Close to Home, which is the first book in the series.

This is a book of confusion and intrigue. I needed to find out more, but it took a long time to get there. I think I would benefit from reading the other five books I haven’t read yet. This author has a way with stories and words that makes me want to go back to past books.

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

2 stars

There are a myriad of things that didn't work out for me.

Let's start with the fact that in the first half of the book, nothing happens. And the entire focus of the story is put on the whereabouts of the supposed killed girl who is now proven to be alive. But no one actually cares about the dead woman found by the dogwalker.

I didn't understand how the same team that wrongfully accused and convicted a person for someone's murder, it is now allowed to investigate where the "not so dead" girl is. How is that even possible??? Not to mention it was not the first time they accused someone of being killed, got someone convicted and then they were proven wrong.

Then we have a thousand characters. Every single DI, DS and any other person working in the police in UK is in this book.

And if having all those characters was not enough, the author felt compelled to lay out their every thought, every doubt, every inner dialog, their extremely judgemental way of looking at people and labeling them.

The investigation is more shooting darts in the dark and running away with a supposition based on nothing, no facts, no evidence, not a thing. Just theories that sounded good or good enough and presented as a good theory.

Then we have the so called victim which turns out to be the biggest villan in town. I didn't buy it. Not for one moment, one second, nothing. I just can't see an 8 year old acting like that, planning all that. If she would have been at least 13-14, maybe, but at barely 8 years old??? Nope. I am sorry.

And, lastly, the ending. Or the lack of it. I mean after putting up with all that mess, the dragged plot, the million useless characters and the chopped chapters with journals and Now and Then and the insanely repetitive sections (because every conversation was repeated entirely all throughout the book which was very annoying), so after all that .....there was no ending. Very disappointing.

And, as a last note, having listened to this book, I am sure we can come up with a better system than reading every single email, email address, the title, the subject, the signature and so on. It is tiresome to no end.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion!