#Book #Review Close To Home by Cara Hunter

Publication date 14 December 2017

Penguin Books (UK), Viking

DI Fawley series: Book One

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Book Description:

How can a child go missing without a trace?
Last night, eight-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared from a family party. No one in the quiet suburban street saw anything - or at least that's what they're saying.
DI Adam Fawley is trying to keep an open mind. But he knows the nine times out of ten, it's someone the victim knew.
That means someone is lying...
And that Daisy's time is running out.
Introducing DI Fawley and his team of Oxford detectives, CLOSE TO HOME is the new crime series readers and authors are raving about.

My Review:

"You can't hide from me. I'm going to find you. You know that don't you Daisy. I'm going to find you." Those are the opening words of the book, however we don't know which of several suspects is saying them.

Canal Reach estate in Oxford is the setting for the disappearance of 8 year old Daisy Mason. Her parents have hosted a barbecue in the garden of their family home with many friends and neighbours in attendance.  The children are in fancy dress, which muddles the time line of when Daisy was last sighted. The book is well written as we are fed clues and information in a very muddled fashion, just as would happen in a real enquiry.

Father Barry Mason appears to have a close relationship with Daisy, mum Sharon is far more interested in her own appearance to give Daisy and brother Leo much attention.  As is usual in cases of a child's disappearance social media goes crazy and allegations against the parents are lighting up twitter and the police are forced to ask difficult questions of Barry and Sharon. Daisy's close school friends are questioned which throws up some interesting rifts in the young girls' friendship group. Leo seems to be hiding something from the officers during questioning but they are unsure whether this is purely due to him being a quiet, shy lad or whether he knows something which could help the enquiry.  For much of the story the police are chasing dead ends and false starts but eventually a break through comes and charges are brought - some of which are fairly shocking and unexpected. 

The story draws to a conclusion despite there being loose ends which are never quite tied up, but the author has held back one absolute gem and I defy anyone to work out the final twist in the tale.  As I tweeted the author after finishing the book "not even specsavers could have got me to see that one coming!".

If you like a book with a twist in its tale, you will love this one.