Understandably, there is a great deal of media interest in the case, some of which is reproduced, complete with online comments, throughout the story. The boys’ maternal grandparents, living some distance away, are unable to provide any clues as to their whereabouts, nor is the children’s uncle when he makes contact from a boat still further away.

As Fawley’s team begin their investigation the next day, they find that neither parent is contactable.

Although they are able to pull the two children out – the younger boy dead, the older barely alive – before the house collapses, there is no sign of either parent or any other responsible adult. Late at night on the fourth of January, the Fire Service are called to a blazing building by residents of neighbouring houses. This third book follows that theme as two youngsters – apparently left home alone in the Christmas holidays – fall victim to a serious fire that soon transpires to have been started deliberately. So far, the main factor linking the cases and the characters’ background plots has been children, those directly affected by crime and those within the team’s families – including Fawley’s deceased son and the problems within his marriage resulting from the unexpected death of a much longed-for child. I’m also a great fan of the way different storytelling styles are brought together to move the plot forward, as well as chapters that either get right inside Fawley’s head or follow one or more of the others around at a slight remove, we also get extracts from online and print news sources and transcripts of interviews and video footage. Three books in, I’m already very fond of DI Adam Fawley and his team.

Stevie‘s review of No Way Out (DI Fawley, Book 3) by Cara HunterĬontemporary Police Procedural published by Penguin 22 Mar 19

Cara hunter no way out