Yesterday, Jeff Meyerson made the comment that you should read Cara Hunter’s DI Adam Fawley books in order. Making a Killing, the seventh in the series, proves that. Her very first book, Close to Home, not only introduced Fawley, but also his team and an eight-year-old girl who disappeared from a family party, Daisy Mason.
Eight years later, in 2024, a true crime TV producer sends a researcher to look into the Daisy Mason case. Two months later, when a dog finds a body stuffed in a tree, forensic evidence links the body to Daisy Mason, who was presumed dead. Now, Fawley and his team are reunited to examine the evidence from eight years early, and learn where they went wrong. Where has Daisy Mason been for all this time? How is she linked to the body in the tree?
Hunter’s latest novel is a step-by-step police procedural. There are emails, interviews, mug shots, enhanced photos. And, there are two teams of police examining evidence and clues as they try to link Daisy Mason’s disappearance with the latest victim. For those of us who love police procedurals, it’s a gripping examination of a case that went wrong, and a brilliant, manipulative criminal. And, Hunter leaves open the opportunity for a connecting thriller in the future.
If you haven’t started the series yet, I’d suggest you go back and read Close to Home before picking up this compelling novel.
Cara Hunter’s website is https://cara-hunter.com/
Making a Killing by Cara Hunter. William Morrow, 2025. ISBN 9780063271098 (paperback), 368p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley from the publisher with no promise of a review.
I have been meaning to try this series for quite a while – likely based on your recommendation, Lesa. I’m thinking that I might read the first book and then maybe read this newest one. And then fill in the other books. Sigh. It’s tough for me to read a series out of order. However, I might do it. I’ve been catching up on Julia Spencer-Fleming’s series this last month or so. I’m now on #9 and then #10 comes out in the fall. I have really enjoyed these books. Honestly, I love series a lot. I get so attached to the characters.
Actually, that would work, Kay. I can see reading #1, and then the new one. Excellent idea!
Thanks for this review, Lesa! The details of the investigation sound interesting. I wanted to try this series, so now I know to start with book one.
Please do start with the first one, Kate.
Wow, I didn’t realize this one revisited that first book. There is a (not totally shocking, but) surprising ending to that book, and you definitely need to read it before the new one.
Also, for new readers, each book has growth and change in the people on Fawley’s team (including Fawley himself), so it is really, really recommended that you read them in order, so you don’t get spoilers from previous books.
I think you can read the first one and then this latest one, Jeff. There might be a few personal spoilers, but if they’re really interested in that first case, this works.
I love that, want to read! Right now, getting flooding with books that I have won so I am really enjoying that!!!! Would love to read that series.