‘No Way Out’ by Cara Hunter
Genre: Thriller/ Suspense
Published: April 18th 2019 by Penguin Random House
Swathi’s Rating: 5/5
Verdict: A multi-layered, addictive and totally unpredictable crime thriller.
No Way Out is one book that I enjoyed the most. It had everything I needed in a book – suspense, fast-paced with short crisp chapters, and a climax that I didn’t see coming! If you’re a fan of Crime Thrillers and Police procedurals, this book must be on your reading list this year.
Plot:
DID YOU SEE ANYTHING ON THE NIGHT THE ESMOND FAMILY WERE MURDERED?
From the author of CLOSE TO HOME and IN THE DARK comes the third pulse-pounding DI Fawley crime thriller.
It’s one of the most disturbing cases DI Fawley has ever worked.
The Christmas holidays, and two children have just been pulled from the wreckage of their burning home in North Oxford. The toddler is dead, and his brother is soon fighting for his life.
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.
Swathi’s Review:
This is my first book of Cara Hunter and I was amazed by the pace of narration of ‘No Way Out’ right from the first chapter. The story starts with a house fire and the conversations from the fire brigade searching the house for members of the family. Those initial chapters were enough to hook me up with the book and Cara has just begun with her masterpiece!
The residence belonged to an academic Michael Esmond who lived with his Wife Samantha and two kids, Mattie 10 years, and Zachary 3. As the fire brigade continues to search the house for survivors, they do find the body of young Zachary and Mattie is pulled out alive fighting for his life. Hunt is on for Michael and Samantha as Mattie remains in a critical condition. As the narrative shifts between the past and present, we get familiar with the family in question that includes the recurring characters Michael’s ruthless brother Philip, his colleagues, Samantha’s health condition, and an unknown babysitter Harry. These narratives only add tension to the story and the reader is piqued to know what happens next until the very last chapter.
Meanwhile, the scenes of police procedurals involving DI Fawley and his team gives us a clear picture of how the investigation is harrowing down. Cara paints a vivid picture with the use of newspaper clippings, Emails, Social Media posts, and crime scene reports along with the narrative to give the reader more insights and knowledge of the investigation. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘No Way Out’ and it’s definitely on my Top 10 thrillers of the year.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House UK for proof copy. All opinions are mine.
Author Bio:
Cara Hunter is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling crime novels Close to Home, In the Dark and No Way Out, all featuring DI Adam Fawley and his Oxford-based police team. Close to Home was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, was shortlisted for Crime Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2019 and No Way Out was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 best crime novels since 1945. Cara’s novels have sold more than three quarters of a million copies worldwide. Her fourth novel, All the Rage, is out soon. Cara Hunter lives in Oxford, on a street not unlike those featured in her books.
She tweets @CaraHunterBooks
