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The Whole Truth (DI Adam Fawley #5)
The Whole Truth (DI Adam Fawley #5)
Cara Hunter | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have had this book on my 'to-be-read' pile for ages only realising (because my pile is so big!) when book 6 came along. I am so disappointed with myself that I didn't read it earlier because this is yet another cracker from Cara Hunter and a great addition to the series. I don't think you have to read the others in the series to enjoy this as it works pretty well as a standalone.

Once again, we are treated to an up to date story line of alleged abuse by a female in a powerful position against a male student and an old case that is coming back to haunt DI Fawley, his team and his wife. Ms Hunter uses different types of media, including podcasts and transcripts from interviews, to enhance the story and make it feel current and relevant and definitely enhances the reading experience.

The Whole Truth, and in fact the whole series so far, is full of excellent characters that are well developed but what I particularly like is that at the very beginning, there is a brief summary of the main characters in the series which gets you up to speed and jogs your memory which, for people who read a lot of books/series or for those, like me, who have memory lapses from time to time, is really useful. I would certainly recommend this to other authors who write series.

I have one small quibble in what is a really good book and that is the reproduction of Alex's written notes and some of the excepts from text conversations and social media didn't reproduce very well on the Kindle in that they were too small even when the font was set to maximum; I realise in a physical book this is likely not to be an issue but it might be worth thinking about this for future books.

Like I said, this is a cracker and one I would recommend to those of you who enjoy a really good police procedural with some great twists, turns and suspense.

Many thanks to Penguin Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my views of The Whole Truth.
  
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Merissa (13840 KP) rated Where You Are in Books

Aug 18, 2022  
Where You Are
Where You Are
Felice Stevens | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The spark is instantaneous between these two!
WHERE YOU ARE is a standalone story that also has overlapping characters from other Felice Stevens books. You don't need to have read the other books, but I would recommend you do, simply because they are excellent stories.

Isaac is a forty-year-old firefighter who has also been on TV and a model. He is out and proud. Levi is a twenty-seven-year-old volunteer firefighter who also helps his brother run a bar. Levi is firmly in the closet, worried about how his family (especially his brother) will react when or if they find out.

The story flows smoothly, leading you from Isaac visiting where Levi lives, which is the main part of the story, to Levi visiting New York. The characters are wonderful, especially Amanda and Daisy! I adored seeing Gabriel and Ronan again, and hearing about Matty and Bryce still being happy! Yey!!

I loved Levi's character. He tries so hard to please everyone else that he puts their happiness before his own. That's not healthy, long-term, but Levi has to work that out for himself. And Isaac, he's the one I struggled with. There was so much about him I loved, but then he'd do or say something I didn't like. I know he's out, and he knows Levi isn't, but I swear my own pulse rate shot through the roof when he would kiss Levi at the bar, or his aunt and uncle's place. It almost felt as though he didn't care if Levi was caught out, which surprised me. He has many positive aspects to his character, but this, I just couldn't get on board with.

All in all, this was a brilliant story that I thoroughly enjoyed, apart from the few 'Isaac' niggles. I have no hesitation in recommending it.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!