Way back in September, I mentioned No Way Out, the D.I. Adam Fawley police procedural by Cara Hunter. It’s the third in the series, focusing on Fawley and his police team in Oxford, England. There have been two other books published in England, but they haven’t been published here yet. If you’re looking for a new, well-written police procedural series, try these books. A warning, though. The theme of No Way Out is not for everyone.

It’s still the holiday season in Oxford, when a house goes up in flames on Jan. 4, 2018. The firemen find a toddler’s body inside, and rescue a ten-year-old boy who might not survive. But, why aren’t the parents in the house in the middle of the night? The firemen suspect arson, and D.I. Fawley’s team investigate, calling the toddler’s death murder, and searching for the missing parents.

While Fawley struggles with his marriage issues, his team members have their own issues. Acting Detective Sergeant Gishingham heads up the day-to-day investigation, while he has to work with the man he replaced, DC Quinn who was demoted. DC Erica Somer has only been with CID for three months. Seen through her eyes, Gishingham is methodical and hard-working, Quinn is brash, and Fawley is a gifted leader to be emulated.

As they dig into the story of the Esmond family, they learn Michael, the father, was dealing with an accusation at the university where he works. Samantha, the mother, had health issues. Everything wasn’t perfect in the Esmond household, and the reader discovers this through flashbacks.

D.I. Fawley tells his part of the story in first person, but the reader watches the rest of the team. There are newspaper accounts, reports from the fire department, phone calls. All these tools are used to tell the story of the case.

Hunter handles police procedurals well. There are twists right up to the end that surprised me, but they were appropriate, and worked beautifully. I’ll be watching for Cara Hunter’s other books. For those who like police procedurals, you can start with No Way Out. I wish I’d read the earlier books in the series, though. The first book, Close to Home, is followed by In the Dark. I’m pleased that I found a new British police procedural series.

No Way Out by Cara Hunter. William Morrow, 2023. ISBN 9780063260894 (paperback), 384p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley to review for a journal.