Publishers Weekly
08/21/2023
This cleverly constructed mystery from Hunter (Hope to Die) offers a full complement of surprises and loads of fun for clue-seeking readers. Twenty years ago, Luke Ryder, the young second husband of widowed mother Caroline Howard, was found beaten to death at the bottom of a stone staircase leading to the couple’s garden in London’s exclusive Campden Hill neighborhood. The murder, still unsolved, has become fodder for true crime aficionados. Now, the successful television series Infamous has taken up the challenge of solving the case, utilizing a panel of experts including a retired Metropolitan Police officer, a journalist, a barrister, and a forensic clinical psychologist. The director of the season is Guy Howard, Caroline’s son, who was 10 years old at the time of his stepfather’s death and wants to shut the case once and for all so his family is no longer gossip fodder. The novel is presented in the form of Infamous episode transcripts, plus newspaper articles, emails, text messages, and voicemails between the panel of investigators. It’s an effective gimmick, with newspaper clippings often throwing doubt on in-episode conclusions (and vice versa), and Hunter keeps the pacing lively and the cliffhangers plentiful. Armchair sleuths will savor this brisk and immersive puzzle. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"‘Reads like true crime—relentlessly twisty and utterly compelling." — Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of Everyone Is Lying
"An excellent, wholly original whodunnit! You won’t have read a mystery like this, and you’ll be kept in the dark right to the end." — Gilly MacMillan, bestselling author of The Long Weekend
"This devilishly clever, ground-breaking novel will keep you guessing as you fly through its pages." — bestselling author Ian Rankin
"An addictive, unusually interactive novel putting the reader in the position of the viewer with inside information." — The Times (UK)
"Ingenious, complex, and immersive." — The Guardian
“Hunter has produced a brilliant and memorable work that contains many gift-wrapped surprises for the reader to uncover and decipher from start to finish.” — Bookreporter.com
“This cleverly constructed mystery offers a full complement of surprises and loads of fun for clue-seeking readers… Hunter keeps the pacing lively and the cliffhangers plentiful. Armchair sleuths will savor this brisk and immersive puzzle.” — Publishers Weekly
‘I adored it! So brilliantly put together, so full of twists and revelations – Cara Hunter’s first standalone shows there’s nothing she can’t do. A great premise, perfectly executed – truly a cracker of a book.’ — JP Delaney, bestselling author of The Girl Before
"This book had me riveted to the page. It is original, inventive and totally 21st Century, but with no compromise on thrills and tension. In fact, the drama is so perfectly executed I felt as if I was actually in the moment with these characters. The twists are magnificent! It really is an equal triumph of style and content. Just brilliant!’ — Janice Hallett, Bestselling author of The Twyford Code
The Times (London)
An addictive, unusually interactive novel putting the reader in the position of the viewer with inside information.”
New York Times bestselling author Shari Lapena
Reads like true crime—relentlessly twisty and utterly compelling.”
The Guardian (London)
Ingenious, complex, and immersive.”
