Cara Hunter has done it again. Taken my afternoon and filled it with engaging, exciting, edge-of-the-seat thrills and crime in the latest DI Adam Fawley book, No Way Out. 

The plot:

The Christmas holidays, and two children have just been pulled from the wreckage of their burning home in North Oxford. Why were they left in the house alone? Where is their mother, and why is their father not answering his phone?

Then new evidence is discovered, and DI Fawley’s worst nightmare comes true.

Because this fire wasn’t an accident.

It was murder.

You can always rely on Hunter to produce solid, nail-biting thrillers

ALL HAIL CARA HUNTER. I’ve said this time and time again, but it’s very true: DI Adam Fawley is one of my favourite crime thriller protagonists and Hunter’s writing and ideas never disappoint. No Way Out is the third book in the series, and I tell ya, I always eagerly anticipate the next, and I hope this series never stops. All good things must come to an end? NOPE.

I’ve read both Close to Home (the first) and In the Dark (the second), and I couldn’t tell you which one is my favourite so far. They’re all just incredible in their own way.

Anyway, now I’ve established that I’m a huge Hunter advocate, No Way Out deserves its own special mention. You can read it as a standalone without revealing spoilers from the first two books, but if you’ve yet to pick up an Adam Fawley; just start from the beginning. Thank me later.

Gripping from the first page and not letting you go until the last word, we’re reunited with the characters we love. Each personality shines through, especially if you’ve read about them before; for me, although you have the protagonist and it’s from his point of view, you still get the other characters who you get excited to see and hear from.

As with the other books in the series, there’s a variety of content to keep you interested. From news articles to interviews (which I honestly live for in these books) to floor plans and the rest, it makes for such an incredible reading experience. Mark my words: it is very difficult to put down these books when you’ve started reading them.

The story in No Way Out is definitely a harrowing one. It starts off brutal, with little but significant plot twists to keep you guessing.

When the pieces start to fit together in your head, you’re probably wrong. Or at least about some part of it. I felt genuinely baffled and stupid that I’d missed hints, but then you experience your mind blowing and can’t help re-reading previous paragraphs or saying ‘noooooo’ repeatedly.

I could not see what was going to happen, and in thrillers, that’s so very important. There’s lots of conversation to make for a quick read, balanced with side stories and hearing from the protagonist to keep those pages turning.

My only tiny quibble – you didn’t hear as much from Adam Fawley in No Way Out in terms of the investigation, but it was nice to read other characters’ development. I felt like Fawley took a step back, but I know that Hunter has something incredible in store for him next time.

I cannot WAIT for the next installment. You can always rely on Hunter to produce solid, nail-biting thrillers. Just buy this book. You will not regret it.

No Way Out, Cara Hunter, RRP £7.99 (paperback); Book Depository 

Pages: 360

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Genre: Thriller/ Crime