Close to Home

A Novel

By: Cara Hunter

Narrated by: Lee Ingleby, Emma Cunniffe

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

A brilliantly plotted psychological crime novel about a missing child and the scandal that erupts in the aftermath with a shocking twist

They know who did it. Perhaps not consciously. Perhaps not yet. But they know.

When eight-year-old Daisy Mason vanishes from her family’s Oxford home during a costume party, Detective Inspector Adam Fawley knows that nine times out of ten, the offender is someone close to home. And Daisy’s family is certainly strange—her mother is obsessed with keeping up appearances, while her father is cold and defensive under questioning. And then there’s Daisy’s little brother, so withdrawn and uncommunicative . . .

DI Fawley works against the clock to find any trace of the little girl, but it’s as if she disappeared into thin air—no one saw anything; no one knows anything. But everyone has an opinion, and everyone, it seems, has a secret to conceal.

With a story that feels all too real, Close to Home is the best kind of suspense—the kind that sends chills down your spine and keeps you up late at night, thrilled and terrified.

Critic reviews

"Cara Hunter has written like a pro, with admirable command of pace and rising tension." ― The Times (London)


“Hunter does a masterly job of building tension and keeping the reader guessing to the very end.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This well-written psychological drama will keep you guessing until the very end.”
—Book Reporter

"In this gripping mystery, Hunter keeps her readers guessing about Daisy's fate until the last page."― Daily Express (London)

“[A] mazey, gripping story.”
—Ian Rankin, New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Rebus series

“Close to Home is an utterly immersive story that pulls you into the heart of a search for a missing child. Compulsive, with an ending you will not see coming.”
—Emma Kavanagh, author of After We Fall

“An amazing, fast-paced thrill-ride and one of the best crime thrillers I have ever read! An exciting plot combined with top quality writing—just perfect!”
—Kathryn Croft, author of The Girl with No Past and While You Were Sleeping

“Great characters, engrossing story and a twist at the end I did not see coming.”
—Marika Cobbold, author of Frozen Music

“Close to Home hit the ground running and didn’t stop right until the final page . . . the last [twist] was a genuine stroke of genius . . . told in a unique, modern way that sets the bar for new crime writers . . . the last time I felt that excited by a book was A Kind Worth Killing.”
—John Marrs, author of When You Disappeared and The One

“This book won’t let you off the hook. Once you open it and start reading, forget about doing much else at all.”
—Adele Geras, author of Troy

“[I] finished Close to Home in one sitting! Such a cleverly written, chilling and twisty read.”
—Nuala Ellwood, author of My Sister’s Bones

Great read, I looked forward to each twist

With the first chapter I didn’t think I’d like or finish the book. The male detective had too many negative comments about fat people and wasn’t keen on listening to that. However once the story took off even the annoying Tweets being read wasn’t enough to stop me looking forward to finding out what was next. And nope, didn’t guess the ending almost entirely. I had a sneaking suspicion about one of the characters but boy of boy good job!

Hooked Me

A plot with many angles, smart and likable investigators, and an ending I didn’t see coming.

Intense Family Psychology

I didn't care for all the social media comments concerning the case. Everyone has an opinion. All of the characters were messed up, but this only added to trying to figure out which crazy one was the murderer. I didn't enjoy this story, but kept listening to the end because of the intrigue.

Riveting!!

All I can say is, wow! A true psychological thriller. The plot had tons of twists and turns, and kept me guessing up to the very surprising end. The characters were all very well developed and believably integrated into the story. A little girl goes missing and half the people in her life seem like they have motive to have killed her, told from multiple perspectives. Narration was very good but a bit hard to understand the hard British accents at times. Overall an excellent read and worthy use of a credit!

Twists and turns

Full of twists and turns, and a few unanswered questions. And yet a string underpinning of character development. Be ware of digging your own grave.