All the Rage (DI Adam Fawley #4) by Cara Hunter

Description from Goodreads:

"A teenage girl is found wandering the outskirts of Oxford, dazed and distressed. The story she tells is terrifying. Grabbed off the street, a plastic bag pulled over her face, then driven to an isolated location where she was subjected to what sounds like an assault. Yet she refuses to press charges.

DI Fawley investigates, but there's little he can do without the girl's co-operation. Is she hiding something, and if so, what? And why does Fawley keep getting the feeling he's seen a case like this before?

And then another girl disappears, and Adam no longer has a choice: he has to face up to his past. Because unless he does, this victim may not be coming back . . ."

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I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and ate it up in super quick time.  I read Close to Home, book 1 in the series, immediately before this one and I think this enhanced my enjoyment of this story as it gave a bit more meat to the characters but having said that, I think it would work as a standalone.

A young woman is attacked but doesn't want the police involved and then it happens again; both cases bearing a striking resemblance to an old case Fawley was involved in where the perpetrator was imprisoned ... could this be a copy-cat or has an innocent man been in jail for many years? 

Once again, we are treated by Ms Hunter with her excellent characters, dark and gritty story line, intrigue and suspense all wrapped up in this fast paced, page-turning thriller with twists and surprises along the way.  All this and the use of social media excerpts, court and interview transcripts woven, throughout make this feel current and relevant.

This will not be my last of reading Ms Hunter's books and I highly recommend to those who enjoy police procedural/thrillers with complex story lines which are easy to follow and that are highly entertaining ... can't wait for book 5!

Thank you to Penguin Books (UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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Close to Home (DI Adam Fawley #1) by Cara Hunter

Description from Goodreads:

"Someone took Daisy Mason. Someone YOU KNOW.

Last night, 8-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared from her parents' summer party. No one in the quiet suburban street saw anything - or at least that's what they're saying. DI Adam Fawley is trying to keep an open mind. But he knows that nine times out of ten, it's someone the victim knew. That means someone is lying. And that Daisy's time is running out...

Introducing DI Fawley and his team of Oxford detectives, CLOSE TO HOME is a pulse-pounding race against time and a penetrating examination of what happens to a community when a shocking crime is committed by one of its own."

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This is the first in a series of novels starring DI Adam Fawley and his team and what a start to the series this is.  I actually missed this first time round and was only reminded I had it when I was sent book 4!

Packed with fantastic characters not all of which are particularly likeable but all of whom are well developed and with interesting stories to tell in their own right.  The story line is a difficult one to read being that of child abduction and exploitation however this is not written in a gratuitous way but with care and attention although not is all as it seems and so begins DI Fawley's task of unravelling just what has happened to young Daisy.

This is a fast paced, gripping and absorbing story that had me reading it in quick time in order to discover the secrets and lies contained within the twists and turns of this excellent book and I highly recommend this to those of you who love a great police procedural.

Thank you to Penguin Books (UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

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The Murder Game (Stephanie King #2) by Rachel Abbott

Due to be published in April 2020

    

Description from Goodreads:

"A year ago today, we all gathered for Lucas's wedding at his glorious Cornish home overlooking the sea.

But no one was married that day.

Now Lucas has invited us back to celebrate the anniversary. But the anniversary of what? The wedding that never happened, or the tragedy that occurred just hours before the ceremony was due to begin?

He's told us that tonight he has planned a game. We have our costumes, we have our parts, and everyone must play. The game, he tells us, is about to begin.

What does Lucas want from us? What are we not being told? And what's going to happen when this terrible game is over?"

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What a great read this is!  I haven't read any of Rachel's books before but I certainly will in the future if this book is anything to go by.  This is the second in the series featuring Stephanie King but I don't think it essential to have read the first ... I haven't and it didn't detract from my experience at all so I feel this can be read as a standalone but will definitely think about reading the first to get some additional background.

In this book, a group of friends gather for a "celebration" but this is not going to be a normal get-together because a year ago someone died when there should have been a wedding but was it suicide, a tragic accident or something altogether more sinister?  Lucas, the host, has devised a "murder game" where everyone has their part to play and if they don't go along, secrets will be revealed.

With excellent characters, a fast pace and interesting story line, this book kept my interest until the end.  The book drip-fed information and clues in such a way that you were but a passenger going along for the ride - one minute you think one way and then something happens and you think another.  This was very well done and kept me guessing until about two thirds through the book when I had an "aha" moment.

There were a couple of niggles that prevents me from giving this a five star rating; for the first couple of chapters, it wasn't made clear whose perspective the chapters were from and you had to work it out yourself as the chapter progressed.  I did find this confusing but, thankfully, it didn't continue throughout the book.  The second thing that irked me somewhat was the end ... it just didn't have the impact that I was hoping for and seemed to be a bit rushed and quickly wrapped up which was a bit disappointing given the complexities of the story line.

Overall though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book despite the niggles.

Thank you to the "Secret Readers Project" for the opportunity to read this book prior to its release.

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Secret Readers Project

Information about the Secret Readers Project taken from the terms and conditions published on the website:

In brief, Secret Readers is backed by Hachette UK, one of the UK’s biggest book publishers.  They want to better understand how consumers read e-books and what appeals to them when it comes to browsing, choosing and reading e-books.  During the time frame of the Project (from 10 December 2019 to 10 December 2020), they will be collecting comprehensive personal data about you and your reading habits.  For full information on what “Personal Data” they are collecting and using, please go to the website.

The Secret Readers Project is open to individuals from the UK who are 18 years old or over. You will need to access the Secret Readers Project through the website or iOS or Android app on a computer, mobile tablet or phone device.

A range of books from different genres are made available throughout the year on a rotating basis.  Once new books are made available, you have 7 days to pick one you like and then 2 months to read it via the website or app.  Once finished, there is a very short survey to complete.

If you are interested in becoming a Secret Reader too please click here to read more and sign up but you MUST sign up by 23:59 on 7th January 2020 ... what have you got to lose?

The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict

Description from Goodreads:

"Kimber Hannon's belief that she has complete control over her life is shattered the night that she comes home from a trip to find her key no longer opens her front door. There is a stranger living in her house. A stranger who claims he has every right to be there, with the paperwork to prove it. When she confronts the man, he lets her get close enough to whisper, "I was there. I saw what you did."

She doesn't know how he knows her, but with those words Kimber knows this stranger isn't after anything as simple as her money or artwork or charming Craftsman bungalow. She has to find out exactly what he wants and get him out of her carefully orchestrated life before he ruins it.

There are plenty of people in her life who might help, but should Kimber trust any of them? Her lawyer, Gabriel, is also her ex-lover; Diana, her best friend, doesn't know Kimber slept with her husband; her ex-husband has a new, happier life since leaving her; and her co-workers know she'll do anything to get her next sale. And no one can know the real reason this man is in her house. Without trust, everyone's a stranger...."

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I really wanted to love this book as the premise drew me in and got me excited about reading a different type of thriller than my usual but, unfortunately, I really struggled and can only describe it as a "meh" read that I probably won't remember in a few days time which is regrettable.

The beginning of the book starts off promising but quickly becomes tedious and slow to get anywhere; there were twists however it took so long to get there that their impact was diluted. 

Kimber is an extremely unpleasant, selfish and downright despicable character and I was unable to find anything redeeming about her at all which meant I couldn't care less what happened to her!

There are plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews for this book so clearly it hits the mark for a lot of people so please don't take my word for it and give it a go.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton/Mulholland Books via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

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