floatrow + caption = odd behaviour + wrong figure numbers

Question

Looking for means to control vertical alignment in subfigures, I decided to use floatrow package, but later found its behavior quite strange. The issue is with figure captions, which may disappear or have a wrong count.

Example:

\documentclass{book}

\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\usepackage{floatrow}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{document}

Here is Figure \ref{fig:test}:

\thisfloatsetup{heightadjust=all,valign=t}
\begin{figure}[H]
    \caption{Caption that is missing.} % An error occurs when I place \caption and \label before \end{figure}  
    \label{fig:test}
    \begin{subfigure}{\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-a}
        \caption{Test caption a}\label{fig:test1}
        \vspace{.5cm}
    \end{subfigure}
    \begin{subfloatrow}
    \ffigbox[]
        {\includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-b}}
        {\caption{Test caption b}\label{fig:test1}}
    \ffigbox[]
        {\includegraphics[width=4.5cm]{example-image-c}}
        {\caption{Test caption c}\label{fig:test2}}
    \end{subfloatrow}
\end{figure}

As you see, figure caption is missing. Besides, Figure \ref{fig:working-caption-test} has got the wrong number.
 
\begin{figure}[H]
    \caption{Caption that is not missing.}
    \includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-a}
    \label{fig:working-caption-test}
\end{figure}
 
\end{document} 

What can be wrong? I have freedom to avoid using the package, so if anyone knows other ways of controlling subcaption+subfigure vertical and horizontal alignments, that will help.

UPDATE

I managed caption numbering, but the problem is with the heights of subfigures. All rows get the same height, so if A is small, there’ll be a rather large ugly margin beneath it. Placing \thisfloatsetup after the first subfloatrow does not help.

\documentclass{book}

\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\usepackage{floatrow}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{document}

Here is Figure \ref{fig:test}:

\thisfloatsetup{heightadjust=all,valign=t}
\begin{figure}[H]
    \ffigbox[]{
    \begin{subfloatrow}
        \ffigbox[]
            {\centering\includegraphics[width=2cm]{example-image-a}}
            {\subcaption{Test caption a}\label{fig:test1}}
    \end{subfloatrow}
    \begin{subfloatrow}
    \ffigbox[]
        {\includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-b}}
        {\subcaption{Test caption b}\label{fig:test1}}
    \ffigbox[]
        {\includegraphics[width=4.5cm]{example-image-c}}
        {\subcaption{Test caption c (pretty long one xxxxx xxxxxxxx)}\label{fig:test2}}
    \end{subfloatrow}
    }
   {\caption{Caption that was missing.}\label{fig:test}}
\end{figure}

As you see, figure caption is not missing any more and Figure \ref{fig:working-caption-test} has the right number. However, the height of subloatrow with A is bigger that it should 
 
\begin{figure}[H]
    \includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-a}
    \caption{Caption that is not missing.}\label{fig:working-caption-test}
\end{figure}
 
\end{document} 

Answer 1

I don't use the floatrow package, so I can't help here, but maybe a solution with only subcaption would be fine for you:

% arara: pdflatex

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{document}
Here is Figure \ref{fig:test}:
%
\begin{figure}[h!]
\centering
\caption{Caption that is missing.}\label{fig:test}
    \begin{subfigure}{\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-a}
        \caption{Test caption a}\label{fig:test1}
    \end{subfigure}

    \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.45\textwidth}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-b}
    \caption{Test caption b}\label{fig:test2}
    \end{subfigure}
    \hfill
    \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.45\textwidth}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-c}
    \caption{Test caption c}\label{fig:test3}
    \end{subfigure}
\end{figure}

As you see, figure caption is missing. Besides, Figure \ref{fig:working-caption-test} has got the wrong number.
%
\begin{figure}[h!]
\centering
    \caption{Caption that is not missing.}
    \includegraphics[width=5cm]{example-image-a}
    \label{fig:working-caption-test}
\end{figure}
\end{document}