** ** **Midnight.** **A call out to an isolated farm on the outskirts of Oxford.** **A body shot at point-blank range in the kitchen.** It looks like a burglary gone wrong, but DI Adam Fawley suspects there's something more to it. When the police discover a connection to a high-profile case from years ago, involving a child's murder and an alleged miscarriage of justice, the press go wild. Suddenly Fawley's team are under more scrutiny than ever before. And when you dig up the past, you're sure to find a few skeletons... The sixth twisty, up-all-night thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling Cara Hunter. For fans of Shari Lapena, Claire Douglas and Lisa Jewell.
18+Cara Hunter
HOPE TO DIE
Contents
Previously … in the Fawley files
Hope to Die
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Cara Hunter is the author of the
PRAISE FOR
CARA HUNTER
‘Your next riveting, twisty read’
SHARI LAPENA
‘Fast-paced and a fantastic cast of characters. Kept me guessing to the end’
FIONA BARTON
‘Cara writes with an intelligent vivacity. You can almost hear her characters breathing on the page’
JANE CORRY
‘Cancel everything. You’re not going anywhere until you finish reading’
EMILY KOCH
‘A masterful, engrossing, twisty novel’
ROSAMUND LUPTON
‘A top-notch psychological thriller’
JP DELANEY
‘I was totally gripped and terrified’
ARAMINTA HALL
‘The most gripping book I’ve read in ages’
KAREN PERRY
Previously … in the Fawley files
In
Name
DI Adam Fawley
Age
46
Married?
Yes, to Alex, 45. She’s a lawyer working in Oxford.
Children?
The Fawleys’ ten-year-old son, Jake, took his own life two years ago. They were devastated, and thought they’d never be able to have another child. But against the odds, Alex fell pregnant again, and they now have a precious three-month-old daughter, Lily Rose.
Personality
Introspective, observant and intelligent, outwardly resilient, inwardly less so. He doesn’t care that Alex earns more than he does, or that she’s taller than him in high heels. He’s good at lateral thinking and bad at office politics. He’s compassionate and fair-minded, but it’s not all positives: he can be impatient, and he has a short temper. He was brought up in a dreary north London suburb, and he’s adopted, though he only discovered that by accident – to this day his parents have never discussed it.
He doesn’t watch crime on TV (he has enough of it during the day); he listens to Oasis and Bach and Roxy Music (Alex once told him he looks like Bryan Ferry, to which he replied ‘I wish’); if he had a pet it would be a cat (but he’s never owned one); his favourite wine is Merlot, and his favourite food is Spanish (though he eats far too much pizza); and surprise, surprise, his favourite colour is blue.
Name
DS Chris Gislingham
Age
43
Married?
Yes, to Janet
Children?
Billy, 2
Personality
Chirpy, good-humoured, hard-working, decent. And a serious Chelsea fan.
‘
Name
DS Gareth Quinn
(recently reinstated)
Age
36
Married?
A long-standing Lothario, Quinn is now in his first serious relationship.
Personality
Cocky, ambitious, good-looking. Fawley describes him as ‘
‘
Name
DC Verity Everett
Age
34
Married?
No. But has a cat (Hector).
Personality
Easy-going personally, ruthless professionally. Lacks the confidence she should have in her own abilities (as Fawley is well aware).