Review: In the Dark by Cara Hunter

Title: In the Dark by Cara Hunter
DI Adam Fawley Series Book Two
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From internationally bestselling author Cara Hunter, a riveting suspense novel about the shocking secrets revealed when a woman is discovered held captive behind a basement wall—and no one is who they appear to be

Do you know what they’re hiding in the house next door?

A woman and child are found locked in a basement, barely alive, and unidentifiable: the woman can’t speak, there are no missing persons reports that match their profile, and the confused, elderly man who owns the house claims he has never seen them before. The inhabitants of the quiet street are in shock—how could this happen right under their noses? But Detective Inspector Adam Fawley knows nothing is impossible. And no one is as innocent as they seem.

As the police grow desperate for a lead, Fawley stumbles across a breakthrough, a link to a case he worked years before about another young woman and child gone missing, never solved. When he realizes the missing woman’s house is directly adjacent to the house in this case, he thinks he might have found the connection that could bring justice for both women. But there’s something not quite right about the little boy from the basement, and the truth will send shockwaves through the force that Fawley never could have anticipated.

A deeply unsettling, heart-stopping mystery of long-buried secrets and the monsters who hide in plain sight, In the Dark is the second gripping novel featuring DI Adam Fawley.

Review:

In the Dark by Cara Hunter is a gripping mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. This second installment in the DI Adam Fawley series can be read as a standalone but I HIGHLY recommend Close to Home as well.

Detective Inspector Adam Fawley and his squad are called to the home of elderly William Harper after his neighbors make a shocking discovery during renovations. A young woman and a child are locked in Harper’s cellar.  Harper is immediately taken to the police station but due to Alzheimer’s, Fawley’s interview fails to uncover any details. His attempts to talk to the young woman are hampered by her extreme trauma. During the course of their investigation, unearthed remains hidden on Harper’s property lead back to the earlier unsolved disappearance of Hannah Gardiner. Fawley and his team are soon trying to figure out the connection between the two cases, but will they find the link they are searching for?

Adam makes progress with his interviews with the young woman who finally reveals her name is Vicky.  His team has also recovered Vicky’s diary which provides many shocking details of her time in captivity. As he is beginning to piece together the information about Vicky’s kidnapping, his team is hard at work trying to figure out if anyone else might be involved in the case. Harper’s nephew by marriage is a viable suspect but will they find the evidence they need to charge him?

While Fawley is focused on Vicky’s case, Detective Sergeant Gareth Quinn, Detective Constable Chris Gislingham and Constable Erica Somer are going back over Hannah Gardiner’s case.  Her husband, Rob, is the logical suspect, but his alibi appears to be airtight. However,  Rob’s nanny Pippa Walker might have vital information that could shed light on the truth about what happened to Hannah.

In the Dark is a fast-paced and captivating mystery that is impossible to put down. Fawley and his team are relentless in their pursuit of justice but will they crack these two troubling cases?  With a series of red herrings and well-placed misdirects, Cara Hunter brings this clever mystery to a twist-filled, diabolical conclusion. I highly recommend this outstanding addition to the DI Adam Fawley series  to fans of the genre.