Michael Wood has done it again with the latest DCI Matilda Darke book. Probably one of the hardest cases Matilda Darke has had to deal with. Both Matilda and her team are sickened by the brutal triple murders of a family celebrating their daughter \sister's wedding.
This was an exceptionally thrilling read which I can't recommend enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book. (

Michael Wood is a fine writer and his DCI Matilda Darke series, set in Sheffield, gets better and better. Living alone following the death of her husband, Matilda occasionally finds it tough to cope and her approach to detective work can be surprising. In this case, she is tasked with solving the murder of the parents and brother of a bride on the day of her wedding. This excellent novel is engrossing and intriguing from the start, and Wood's portrayal of the members of Darke's team and their personal lives makes for a very satisfying read.

A DCI Matilda Darke story about a horrendous triple murder with a lack of credible forensic evidence lies at the heart of this sometimes overwrought tale. Virtually all the characters have some sort of personal issues that hinder the investigation but keep things lively,some remaining unresolved until the next episode of this over the top but entertaining series set in current Sheffield where even the current controversial tree felling gets a mention!

DCI Matilda Darke is back and with another 5*read from Michael Wood. This is an excellent series, delving into the personal lives and relationships of the officers and I can highly recommend it. Twisty and gripping, with a fantastic plot. A well written and unputdownable read. Start with book one and you won't be disappointed. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and One More Chapter for an advance copy of The Murder House, the fifth novel to feature DCI Matilda Darke of the Sheffield Police.

Leah Ridgeway and her new husband, Oliver, leave for their honeymoon after their wedding at her parents’ house. In the morning a wedding guest arrives to pick up some belongs and finds the Mercer family slaughtered. DCI Matilda Darke and her team are tasked with the investigation and nothing seems to make sense, from the sheer brutality of it to finding a motive and the puzzling forensics.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Murder House which is an engrossing police procedural with an action packed finale. It is mostly told from the investigative point of view with various detectives contributing, from both the investigative and personal standpoints but it also has chapters from the killer’s perspective, which do not hint at motive but concentrate on action and reaction. I was glued to the pages as Matilda and the team unravel the lives of the Mercers and try to establish a motive and found myself following all the author’s cues, most of which turned out to be red herrings and blind alleys. It’s a good puzzle although I felt slightly let down that the route to the rather contrived solution lay in an error. I know, it makes it more realistic and without the error there would have been less of a novel but you feel what you feel. Overall I think the ending is a bit of a damp squib in comparison with the rest of the novel, so four instead of five stars.

There is also a subplot involving a young boy who has been missing for three years. It doesn’t get resolved but ends in a cliffhanger so the reader has a fair idea of what’s coming next. Up till the last page it seems more like padding than a viable plot.

Although the novel concentrates on Matilda it has an ensemble feel with some of the other detectives getting a good chunk of attention. I like the sense of inclusiveness, teamwork and friendship this portrays.

The Murder House is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A dark and creepy story for fans of police procedure fans. Suspenseful and gripping. I doubt you will be able to put this book down.

A dark tale,full of twists. Some unexpected good characters,even the criminals.Lots of twists,rich characterised and a satisfactory conclusion.

I hadn’t read the first 4 in the series. But it didn’t stop me getting right in there and enjoying it. It was fast paced. Sucked you in and you could not put it down. It made me wish I had read this series from the beginning so I will definitely look them up

A great addition to the series. A gripping and absorbing read. I whizzed through this one pretty rapidly!

4 - 5 stars
Location - Sheffield. The night after a wedding. Three gruesome murders, sheer carnage, a murder house, one of the most frenzied and gruesome slayings that the HMET (Homicide and Major Enquiry Team) of DCI Mathilda Darke have ever seen. Even hardened police officers are green around the gills, queasy and overcome with the horrific sight that greets them. A family that seems perfect, father Clive, mother Serena and son Jeremy are slain leaving the granddaughter Rachel alive and the daughter Leah on honeymoon, the only ones remaining alive. However, all is not what it seems. The forensics are ‘off’, the suspect whilst he is a serial offender, it’s ‘small stuff’ not major crime, he’s not a killer. What is going on?? Who has wanted this perfect family dead??? This is frenzied and personal. The unfolding drama is an unputdownable police procedural of very good quality.

One of the things I like the most about this book is the team serving under DCI Mathilda Darke. When an author has produced a successful series they know and understand their characters and I feel this very strongly here. They feel real, believable, they aren’t perfect but who amongst us is, they are carrying baggage but they are so interesting, hardworking, committed and very likeable. I like the dual enquiry with the continuing search to find missing young boy Carl Meagan and I really like the Epilogue. Talk about keep you dangling!! The plotting is good, there is a bit of humour to help dispel the darkness, there are moments of tension, twists and suspense, some powerful scenes and some seriously messed up people. There is also deception, lies, anger, frustration, some oversights, some arrogance and sadness and loss. All the essential ingredients that you want to see in a crime novel. The story has an authentic feel and I like the way it conveys the financial pressure that forces are under (police stations open 9-5 and not at weekends, please tell the criminals to respect these hours) and the chiefs telling the Indians to solve crimes at warp speed. Also, please. please could you NOT take us on a chocolate tour of all that is available in the UK- I’m trying to resist!! DS Sian Mills drawer of treats must be huge!

The only negative that I have is that I am not entirely convinced about the way the story ended, it feels a bit over the top and ‘Hollywoodish’. That being said it is exciting and tense and so overall, it’s a very good read. Although I hadn’t read the previous four books I feel in no way disadvantaged. The only thing is I could kick myself for overlooking such a good author and this series. How did I manage that??? I have already downloaded book one so will catch up on the backstory of Mathilda Darke as I think she is a tremendous character and I want to get to know her better!! Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. - literally unputdownable.

This is my first novel by Michael Wood and I have to say I am more than impressed. "The Murder House" is one of the best police procedural novels I have read in years. Wood certainly knows how to tell a good yarn This book has it all for fans of this genre: masterful storytelling, suspense and not for the faint-hearted - blood and gore! As readers we a are thrown headlong into the plot from page 1, with the discovery of the bodies of Serena and Clive Mercer and their son Jeremy. As well-respected doctors and pillars of the community, the question is who would want them dead? Well in the best traditions of this genre it soon transpires that there are quite a few possible suspects in the frame for this gory crime. It is up to DCI Matilda Darke, wonderfully realised by Wood, to unravel the motivations behind this senseless (well at first glance anyway) crime. While Darke is stymied initially - she has no forensic evidence to speak of and possible suspects are on their best behaviour, gradually the Gordian knot of the inexplicable is undone - thread by painstaking thread. I truly did not see the thrilling denouement coming, having been completely lost in the story and Wood's edgy prose. What a thrill. I can't wait to read more by this author. Michael Wood has a new fan.

This is the second book in the Matilda Darke series - I have not read the first three but after reading the fourth book in the series a few weeks ago I was overjoyed to be accepted by NetGalley to read and review book 5. After the epilogue I am now desperate to read book 6!

This book begins with DCI Matilda Darke heading up a team investigating the most horrific murders they have ever seen. Three members of a family have been brutally murdered in their own home on the day if their daughter’s murder.

Serena and Clive Mercer appeared to be a happily married couple, a neurologist and an anaesthetist who also raising money for charities to help give back to the community. Who could possibly want them dead? Their son Jeremy was the third member of the family to be murdered in this frenzied attack. The only survivor left in the house was Jeremy’s daughter who was left tied to a chair in her bedroom having witnessed sights no child should ever see.

DCI Darke has the unenviable task of investigating this gruesome event and is finding it difficult to find anyone with motivation to want any of them dead.

There is DNA found at the scene but it does not make sense. Was it planted?

Another fast paced crime thriller from this talented author which I would have no hesitation in recommending.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the eARC for my honest review. Michael Wood writes wonderful police procedural Mysteries! This is the fifth DCI Matilda Darke, and each has been as good as the preceding. The Murder House has a dark start that left me all the more invested in reading through to its riveting haunting conclusion. A great read!

I have been (im)patiently awaiting the fifth instalment of the Matilda Darke crime series, as hand on heart I can say ‘ I absolutely love this series’. When I enjoy a series so much I always worry the book won’t be as good as previous books in the series, but I’m delighted to report that any worries I had were unjustified, in fact I would say The Murder House is the author’s best book yet, it’s dark, erring on the gory side with an intriguing plot that will leave you blurry eyed as you forsake sleep for ‘just another chapter or ten!’

Give Michael Wood his due he knows how to get the reader’s attention from the off, the first chapter opens with a wedding and ends in a bloodbath when three members of the same family are murdered in the most appalling way. On first appearance the victims appear to be the ‘perfect’ family, pillars of the local community, they regular fundraised and contributed to local causes, so why would someone want them dead? What possibly motive could they have? I must admit rather like Matilda and her team I had no idea!

For me a crime thriller is never more satisfying, than when you have a list of suspects as long as your arm and the author makes it’s almost impossible to guess the culprit, for me it makes the read that more thrilling as you try to search for clues, hold on to the suspects every word looking for the slightest slip up. I felt like a detective (admittedly an amateur one!) working alongside Matilda to capture the murderer, each character came under scrutiny.

As for Matilda I love the way her character is evolving, she’s strong and determined and yet she has a sense of vulnerability mostly due to a cold case that haunts her, Matilda feels she failed missing child, Carl Meagan, who was never found. The case is is a disturbing one and one which has a big impact on the team, when you add in budget cuts, and personal issues you realise this is a team that could buckle as they are tested to the limits. These are characters with feelings, real emotions, and depth which made the read that more authentic. As the case gains momentum, the tension intensifies urging the reader onwards, through red herrings and misdirection.

Although this book could be read as a stand-alone I would urge you to start at the beginning, just because this is such a cracking series, it would be a shame if you missed out on the four previous books. I almost shrieked in frustration at Michael Wood as he winds up the The Murder House with the biggest teaser yet! Such an ingenious ploy as now I’m left counting down the days to the next book in the series.The Murder House is fast-paced read ‘whodunnit’, that I would happily recommend to all crime thriller lovers.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

I have not read all the previous books in this series and I get the sense that it would be a better read if that had been the case but nonetheless I do enjoy this Michael Wood series. Matilda is a good character and I enjoyed the backgrounds and stories of other characters coming out during this book too. The plot itself had lots of drama and mystery to keep the readers interest and whilst the ending was not a 'twist' so to speak it was a good read. Overall, recommend but perhaps read the others first.

I love crime thrillers but especially ones that are set in the north of England. I have read all of the series and right from book one Michael Wood has been on my list of favorite authors. Once again we are in the Sheffield area where Matilda Darke and her team are called out to a scene where 3 people have been butchered, a gruesome scene that they will struggle to come to terms with. Even the hardened officers are shocked to the core when they arrive. Only hours earlier the beautiful detached house with extensive gardens had been the setting for a lavish wedding. From the brutality shown Matilda thinks the killings must be either personal, revenge or both but who would want to kill three of Sheffield's most upstanding and respected citizens? Their work is certainly going to be a grueling task especially with the press on their backs and also having to work to tight budget constraints which are affecting how they work. The story continues and includes a look into the lives of the team and what makes them tick. I didn't want the book to finish as I was totally absorbed in the story.

DCI Matilda Darke and her team are back again as they investigate a triple murder that took place the evening following a wedding. Who would want to kill members of this family? The husband and wife are both doctors who make contributions to various charities, their adult son is a doctor in town for his sister's wedding. The killings are brutal and in fact, are the most brutal killings that Matilda and her team have ever seen. This frenzied attack left one survivor, a young girl found tied to her chair. Why was this family targeted? Who has a motive? Why kill them the evening of their daughter's wedding?

As forensics gather evidence, the team begins to narrow their search and zone in on a suspect. But DCI Matilda Darke begins to suspect things are not as cut and dry as they seem. Is there more at play? What dark secrets will emerge during this investigation? How will the team react?

This is the fifth book in the series and would work as a stand-alone, however, there will be a lot of backstories missed and it has been rewarding seeing the character development over the series. Michael Wood has crafted an intelligent series that blends the investigator's lives with their detective work. Characters change and evolve over the course of this series. Their relationships, their friendships, their support systems, and their work colleagues are all interesting and riveting. I wanted to cheer for a certain character who shared a secret and was able to find acceptance in the process. I also enjoyed how the Author showed the detectives as human beings who can still be affected by violent crime scenes and how they have each other's backs.

Well written, captivating, and as the book progressed, became a real page-turner. If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and start at the beginning. Michael Wood does not disappoint!


Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own

Another brilliant Matilda Darke book. It’s edgy, fast paced and a proper page-turner. I hope the Epilogue is a glimpse into the next book, that’s a story line I can’t wait to see resolved!

Thank you to Net Gallery for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars. I think I have found a new book series to follow! While I wished I had realized that this was part of a series, I had no issues catching on to what had happened to Melinda in past books. The Murder House is a fast paced thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Now on to reading the books that came before!

Review also be posted on Bookbub once on there and Amazon on publication day

Really enjoyed this installment. .
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