No Way Out: The most gripping book of the year from the Richard and Judy Bestselling author

Perfect service from Amazon.70 pages into the book so far and it's a riveting read up to now.

Hunter writes incredibly complicated plots, and No Way Out is no exception to this. It begins with a fire in which a toddler dies, his older brother surviving but left in hospital with severe injuries. Of their parents, there is no sign, although the damage to the house is such that it will take the fire crew some time to sift through the debris to identify the cause of the blaze, and to determine if the boys were indeed home alone. This obviously prompts many questions, as well as the desperate task of tracking down the parents and any other relatives of these children. As more information comes to light, the case becomes increasingly complicated, and for every question answered, it seems that two more are raised. I love the complexity of these novels – nothing in Hunter’s novels is straightforward, and it’s an absolute joy to be swept up in these cases, trying to piece together the clues with Fawley and his team.Hunter has created a fantastic cast of characters in her series – they’re a varied bunch, with some more likeable than others. I have to admit that it was fantastic to see Quinn demoted in this novel for his past misdemeanours. To say that he’s taking it badly is something of an understatement, but I really liked seeing him taken down a peg. His demotion allows Gislingham to come to the fore in this novel, and while he’s clearly uncomfortable in his new role, he proves to be more than capable, his tenacity getting him through. Throughout the series, I’ve enjoyed the insights into the wider team’s personal lives, which makes them much more rounded characters than you sometimes get with such a broad cast. I feel as though I know them, and it is a joy to be reunited with them each time I pick up a new instalment in the series.Fawley himself is a great character, and while the series is named for him, these crimes are very much a team effort, rather than the one person show you sometimes see in police procedurals. His personal life is on something of a downward trajectory in this novel and it’s clear that the situation with his wife, Alex, is taking its toll. It's difficult to know how things will turn out, and I felt genuine concern for them at times – a strange state of affairs when presented with fictional characters. I think that this is testament to Hunter's skill at characterisation that you do feel for them in this way.

Cara is such a Gifted and Excellent writer!! She gets you gripped from the start and keeps you up as you can't or won't put your book down. The DI Fawley series will keep you gripped for weeks even months, but all Cara's work overall is absolutely gripping and full of psychological and unforeseen twists that will keep you guessing till the end and may even deter you from watching the TV, I myself prefer one of Cara's gripping story's, which is also an excellent workout for the brain as it keeps you guessing.

No Way Out is the utterly compelling third book in the Oxford based series by Cara Hunter featuring DI Adam Fawley and after a sensational second outing, this third book cements the author’s status as a rising star of some of the most compelling police procedurals about. As in the first two books the narrative is an innovative combination of multiple viewpoints, differing timelines, mass media output and internal police reports that take the reader into the centre of the action. Not only is the reader made privy to every one of the multiple lines of inquiry, the thinking of the team and their suspicions, there is the opportunity to see all aspects of one major incident being investigated from start through to ultimate closure.An early morning call in the days following new year 2018 sees DI Adam Fawley and his team assigned to investigate a fire ravaging a seven-bedroom Edwardian house in a pricey North Oxford postcode with reports that the two adults and two children who make up the family of forty-year-old academic, Michael Esmond, could potentially still be inside. Struggling to gain control of the blaze firefighters recover the body of three-year-old Zachary and subsequently locate his seriously injured ten-year-old brother, Matty, still fighting for his life. Not only is there no sign of the parents but father Michael is supposedly in London speaking at an academic conference. With the father not answering his phone and the family car gone, DI Adam Fawley proceeds to investigate as a lengthy fire investigation gets underway, and with every indication that the fire is no accident the team set about uncovering every aspect of the Esmonds’ life.As initial suspicion falls on Michael Esmond with reports of his erratic behaviour in the last few months and an ongoing anthropology departmental investigation into his conduct underway, the story dissects every aspect of his life. The case takes in everything from financial data to word of mouth commentary from colleagues and older brother, Philip, to contributions from Matty’s school nurse and wife Samantha’s parents and old employer. No stone goes unturned as their family life is opened and up and exposed, with secrets, tensions and animosities surfacing with shocking implications.Flashbacks to the 317 days preceding the fire take the reader into the Esmonds’ home and provide a fly on the wall view into what exactly was unfolding and compel the reader to empathise and care about the deceased Sam, Matty and Zachary, making the investigation feel as relevant and personal as it does to DI Adam Fawley’s assorted team. It almost feels like a car crash as the true horror of what has actually gone on plays out alongside the investigation as the time ticks down until the atrocity and pinpointing the impetus behind an unthinkable crime.Although I have followed the series from the off and am aware of the backstories of Fawley and his team there is more than enough drip-fed information for new readers to gain an overview of the team, including the DI’s marital woes, Acting DS Chris ‘Gis’ Gislingham’s friction with the newly demoted DC Gareth Quinn and their individual domestic set-ups. Unlike some lead detectives, DI Adam Fawley’s personal life doesn’t interfere with his commitment to providing a thorough investigation and everyone of his subordinates is crafted with the same attention to detail as the boss. More compelling still is the fact that as with the previous two novels, this investigation is a real team effort with all of the recurring characters chipping in as the tasks are divvied up between them. This immersive look at what actually goes on behind the scenes creates immediacy with the inner working of the investigating team allowing the reader themselves to feel central to the effort. Fawley’s narrative is presented in the first-person and those of his team in the third-person, making it clear who is leading the inquiry and the chain of command with Chris Gislingham overseeing his first major case as a detective sergeant.Throughly involving there is never a dull moment, and with the narrative interspersed with interview transcripts, online news articles and commentary, emails and internal fire investigation reports, the story makes for a fast-paced novel with momentum. With the reader taken behind the scenes, No Way Out is an utterly riveting and authentic look at solving a major incident that carries the reader along with its short bursts of every piece of incoming information making for an invigorating read.Highly recommended and in common with the second outing, In The Dark, this is a twisty and absorbing police procedural that pulls no punches. The flashbacks serve to confirm the police resolution, leave no loose endings and provide a satisfying conclusion to an effective team effort.

A house burns down after Christmas with two children trapped inside. Surely they weren't left alone in the house. Can DI Adam Fawley and his team figure out this twisted tale and work out the facts from fiction to learn the truth.I'm really enjoying this series and the team that have come together through the stories. This was another solid read and mystery. As with her other books, there are a few twists along the way. The story also jumps from past to present which gives more depth. I like the added details of articles and the fire report. The plot itself is steady and builds to a clever climax. The characters are well developed and you want them to succeed. I like the connections between them but it doesn't steal focus from the story. Looking forward to the newest one now.

This is the third book in the series and while I've loved Hunter's previous two, it took me a while to get into this one. I thought it was because I've been experiencing health problems so persevered. But realised midway through it was actually because DI Fawley almost became a background character, despite the fact he is the main protagonist. I loved the twists and turns Cara's become known for, and I was happy with the tying up of the story at the end (even if this book has no twist), but I didn't feel the investigation was prioritised in parts, and the information gathering wasn't shown to have been "discovered," but shown to have "resulted" from a phone call or update via a conversation between detectives. I guess I would have liked to have been involved in the mystery more, learning things along with the CID officers, rather than hearing about it after the dialogue had already occurred behind the scenes. I love the authors original voice, excellent characterisation, great storytelling, and unusual formatting style, and I'm really looking forward to reading book 4 which is already available to pre-order.