I can't believe this is book six in the Matilda Darke series! I have been a massive fan from the beginning and eagerly await each new release. I'm pretty sure I say this every time but this series just gets better and better and no, I'm not influenced by the lovely introduction of FLO (family liaison officer) Ellen Devonport!

Carl Meegan has been a missing child since book one and Matilda's failure to save him at the time is something that plays on her mind. When 9 year Keeley Armitage goes missing in Sheffield it brings the old trauma back to the surface for Matilda and she is determined for this case to end differently than the one which nearly ended her career.

Stolen Children deals with a lot of really dark issues and is maybe not for those that may be sensitive to stories involving children. Even I found some scenes harrowing but I'm putting that down to the fact that I have children of the similar age to those featured.

No spoilers from me but WOW, this is the series that just keeps delivering shocks and surprises!!!

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A storm is brewing. Matilda Darke is still reeling from her last case. The disappearance of a young girl rocks the constabulary as a former lost child is alleged to have turned up under mysterious circumstances. She fights to hold her self and her team together in this dark and twisting tale of childhood trauma and family violence. Excellent addition to the series with a deepening understanding of the character development. Highly recommend.

Terrific Writing!

Matilde Darke is the head of a hard working crime investigative team and they are still recovering from their last case when a call comes in about a missing nine year old little girl whose mother just received a ransom call and time is precious because Matilde has never quite recovered in her failure to solve the Carl Meagan case who seemed to just vanish off the face of the earth. Unbeknownst to the team, a young boy has just walked into the police station in France claiming to be Carl Meagan who had vanished four years earlier.

Sometimes dreams can come true or will nightmares continue to plague the sleepless?

What a wonderful and well-written story this was for me. Great police procedural story yet allowing the reader to visit the private lives of all the team members which made the story very effective and enjoyable. Michael Wood captured the the realistic essence of all the characters and and I was experiencing emotions throughout the book. That feeling doesn't come often to me with detective series. This was my first book by Michael Wood and will not be my last because I just purchased a couple more by this terrific writer.

I want to thank the publisher 'Harper Collins UK, Chapter One" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I highly recommend this thrilling book and have given a rating of 4 Thrilling and Sinister 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

DCI Matilda Darke #6

A young boy walks into a police station in France. He claims to be Carl Morgan, the missing child from Sheffield.

On her way home from the supermarket, nine year old Keeley Armitage vanishes without a trace. Her family is overcome with shock. But DCI Matilda Darke can't help but focus on memories of the Carl Morgan case that almost ruined her career. As she investigates,she peels back the layers of grief and saddness that surrounded Keeley's family. Until she's left with the choice: betray those closest to her or let a violent killer go free.

Matilda Darke is determined to pull out all the stops to find a missing girl and return her to her famiky. We are teased with cliffhangers at the end of some of the chapters that will keep you turning the pages. It's a thrilling rewd that's full of twists and suspense. I was pulled into the story from the first page. Although this bookmis partofaseries it can be reads a standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HaperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #MichaelWood for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great addition to the series. Compelling and gripping it held my interest throughout. Great writing and an intriguing plot.

The DCI Darke series has quickly become a favourite in my reading schedule and I now actively look forward to finding out when the next in the series is due. Michael Wood produces an excellent combination of great characters with well fleshed out personal and professional lives and crime thriller stories that stand out.

DCI Matilda Darke is a great character; a good copper who has that one case that haunts her and who , in this book, is wavering somewhere between wanting a relationship and actually having one. This team is an ensemble though and we see them working together and having each other’s backs, even when the stakes are dangerously high.

The subject matter of this book is a difficult one and Wood gives it an uncompromising, dark treatment. Already torn apart by what she believes were her own failures in trying and failing to recover Carl Meagan when he went missing some three years ago, Matilda Darke is determined that nine year old Keely Armitage, who disappeared after a trip to the shops with her sister, will be returned to her family.

The Armitages are distraught. Their son, Riley is severely disabled and Craig, the father has to work seven days a week to make sure the family can care for him and their two daughters. So when a ransom is demanded, their world just caves in.

Matilda can’t believe that a second child has been kidnapped in Sheffield – it is her worst nightmare. As she pulls out all the stops to search for Keely, her attention is somewhat derailed by news from France with developments on the Carl Meagan kidnap.

The team start their investigation and it is a tense and suspenseful journey as new developments keep them busy and our pulses race as Wood takes us on a perilous journey where the truth is darker than you could imagine.

I loved the fast and steady pace of this novel and the way that the plot took us backwards and forwards again, hinting at possible truths but leaving the final devastating facts to emerge in the most exciting and suspenseful way.

I was on the hook from early on in this novel and couldn’t let go until the end. What a dark and tension fuelled journey!

Verdict: One of the darker books in this series it is a hugely enjoyable and suspense filled read. Great characters and a good team to draw on make sure that there is lots of human interest and interaction in these stories. An all-round excellent police procedural series, which I will most certainly read more of.

This is book six in the DCI Matilda Drake series and it just keeps improving. Set in Sheffield, the plot centres around a missing 9 year old girl. The book is well written, although the plot is a bit dark, fast paced and excellent characterisation. I really enjoy this series and would recommend starting with book one. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I thought I was going to really enjoy this book and it did certainly have me hooked and loving it at the start but unfortunately my interest waned and despite some twists and unexpected additions to the plot I found it a bit predictable.
Once again it was a team of police officers all with almost more problems than the victims of crime which seems to be a very common theme in many books I’ve read recently.
Not awful just not for me.

Another in the DCI Matilda Darke series set in Sheffield this time starting with a child kidnapping. The memory of a previous unsolved missing child is to the fore at the beginning as we familiarise ourselves with the main characters from the previous tale. Again darkly bleak and violent the tale races along to a sad conclusion but with a taster of a resolution to the original case maybe in the next
episode.

This is my second book by Michael Wood and I have to say it is as fantastic as the last I’m one I’ve read! I really need to read the series!

Mathilda is bam but this time she is slowly getting back on her feet after the loss of her husband. It was really good to see the character changing and it is making her even more interesting for me!

The plot was amazing and I was completely glued to the book from the first chapter. There is a good amount of twists and turns but I have to say there were some parts that were a bit predictable.

Saying this, it definitely didn’t make it less fun or enjoyable in any way! Completely addicted and I really need to make some time to read the previous books!

Overall, another great book by Michael Wood! Can’t wait to see what is next!!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Michael Wood for the opportunity to read and advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

DCI Matilda Darke (and Michael Wood) is back in the sixth of the DCI Matilda Darke series!!!!

I was so excited to see that the next installment in the series was out, even more excited when I was approved and over the moon when this book lived up to my expectations and then some! If you have not read this series- YOU ARE MISSING OUT! This one will work as a stand-alone but do yourself a favor and start from the beginning!!! You will thank me!

The book begins when a young boy walks into a police station in France and claims to be Carl Meagan. (If you have been reading this series, you know who he is) Like everyone involved, I got excited, worried, basically all the feels wondering....is he who he claims to be??? Michael Wood had my interest form page one.

Then a young girl goes missing and a ransom call is placed. Will DCI Matilda Darke be able to find her? DCI Darke calls in her entire team as the kidnapping and ransom brings back memories of the Carl Meagan case (see above) that has haunted her and almost brought about her downfall.

As the investigation progresses, we learn more about the missing girl's family and more about the private lives of members of DCI Matilda Darke's team. Both have surprises involved. As the search progresses, what will the team learn? What secrets will be exposed? Will the young girl ever be found? Who could have taken her and why?

This is one of my favorite series filled with some of my favorite characters. The storylines are brilliant, evoke emotion, are gripping and often have my pulse racing as Matilda and her team close in on the suspects in their cases. With each book, there is character development, friendships deepen, characters grow, they make mistakes, they support each other and show courage. I have my favorites and I am sure other readers do as well. I love that Matilda Darke is flawed, strong, vulnerable, intelligent and confident.

This book, as all his others, was well written, riveting and a real page turner for me. I loved the character development, the feeling of dread as the case progressed, as the investigation comes to end, will you be able to say you saw THAT coming? Riveting with some twists and turns, this one not only impressed but blew me away. Plus, that ending!?! I cannot wait until the next book!!!!!

Fans of crime thriller, strong female protagonists, a good mystery and intelligent gripping storylines will love this book (series).

Highly recommend!


Thank you to HarperCollins UK, 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 fantastic five star read from the very talented Michael Wood.

This is book number 6 in the DCI Matilda Darke series. I have read books 4, 5 and 6 in the series so far and will be reading the first three. There is no need to have read previous books as although the characters are much the same, the back stories are explained where required.

14 year old Jodie leaves her 9 year old sister Keeley eating an ice cream as she calls in to the co-op for some shopping for her parents. Jodie tells her sister not to move but when she leaves the shop her sister has gone. Her mother receives a phone call with a ransom demand for the girl, not that there is any way the family could pay the £50,000 requested.

DCI Darke is to head up the investigation. This is a tough case for her as the last time a child was kidnapped in Sheffield, she lost him and the case went cold. She blames herself as she took the ransom money to the wrong place, having just lost her husband and her mind not being clear.

At the same time the girl is kidnapped, a boy goes into a police station in France saying he is the boy who was kidnapped.

The story had my interest from beginning to end. Action all the way and a few heart in mouth situations! I feel all the characters are well developed and all feature strongly throughout.

And in true form to Mr Wood, we are left with wanting to read the next book!

Thank you to Claire Fenby at One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book.

Publication date 2/10/20

While I'm coming in at Book 6 in the series, I want to start by saying that first, I think this book worked as a standalone (even though it's technically not,) and second, I think I found a new series... now I have to track down books 1-5!

The book opens in France when a young boy walks into a police station and tells the detectives he is Carl Meagan -- a missing child from Sheffield -- whose story is apparently told in earlier stories, but it's easy to figure out what happened without the first five books.

Meanwhile, back in Sheffield, DCI Matilda Darke is put on the Kelley Armitage case -- she's a 9-year-old girl who has also just gone missing. Her family is desperate to find her, and Darke is having flashbacks to the Carl Meagan case and hoping she isn't going to mess this one up too.

This was a really good British police suspense/thriller. There are a few side stories going on with different relationships, updates to cases from earlier books, and the Carl Meagan kidnapped boy story. I probably would have been more invested in that part of it if I had the background of the earlier stories, but, again, they also didn't feel out of place without that background, and I was rooting for Darke even without knowing everything that's happened in the past.

Once you've read enough of these, though, it's easier to see what's actually going to happen, and I figured it out really early on. But, I liked Darke's character enough to keep reading and was definitely sucked in. I finished this one really fast. The ending I predicted was disturbing enough that I hoped I was wrong, but unfortunately, I wasn't, but it was even worth reading to find out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

The opening to Stolen Children is one that quickly hooks the reader, regardless of whether you’re familiar with past storylines in this series or not. A boy walks into a Marseille police station claiming to be the missing Carl Meagan, kidnapped from his home in Sheffield four years ago. This is an investigation that has plagued DCI Matilda Darke to this very day, her role in allowing his kidnappers to evade justice a reason for continued self flagellation and a blight on her exemplary professional record. In this latest police investigation into the presumed kidnapping of Keeley Armitage, the past continues to cast its ugly shadow over proceedings. How likely is it that a second child in Sheffield has been abducted and are there similarities to connect this new case to Carl’s? How ironic that as one child reappears, another goes missing.

Keeley , aged nine, is accompanying older sister Jodie shopping when she disappears from outside the Co-op. When her mother Linda receives a phone call demanding a £50,000 ransom, the Armitage family are about to face a nightmare of epic proportions. Why have they been targeted, an ordinary loving family just struggling to get by? Who is responsible and will Darke and her team find Keeley alive? This is a scenario no parent ever wants to experience and as the minutes tick by I found myself desperate for this young girl’s safe return.

As a newbie to this series, I was unfamiliar with the many characters that make up Darke’s team but I enjoyed getting to know DC Siân Mills, Finn, Christian, Rory, Scott and Ellen. Learning of their personal lives detracted from the horrors unfolding, so that however dark the storyline became, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. The writing style is simple and straightforward so it’s no effort to keep turning the pages. However in terms of plot I’m afraid I guessed early on how events might play out, but this didn’t diminish their shock value. From the start emotions are running high for Linda and Craig but also for Matilda too. Any case of kidnapping/missing children is going to be harrowing to read, reminding me of real life cases both solved and unsolved so I think the beginning with the missing Carl Meagan puts into perspective the toll such cases place not only on the families involved but on the police investigation teams too. I liked the emphasis placed on the role of FLO, a difficult and conflicting role Ellen Devonport seems to take in her stride. To provide support to this family in crisis whilst remaining detached enough to be objective is a challenging undertaking which the author ably addresses so that Ellen became one of my favourite characters. Obviously the family, as well as outsiders come under intense police scrutiny but I wonder who you will be most suspicious of???

I liked Matilda immensely. The fact she’s not infallible adds to her credibility. Still coming to terms with the death of her husband James,the case of Carl Meagan clearly haunts her every moment. Faced with bringing Keeley safely home, all these feelings of failure resurface making you question if Matilda is up to the task. The fact that Carl’s kidnapping is yet to be resolved, with Darke shouldering responsibility for mistakes she personally made makes her highly sensitive to any further wrongdoing so that her sense of anxiety and desperation to not let a family down again is palpable. The pressure is really on. Will the past cloud her judgement or will her professionalism and dedication win through, bringing a resolution to the Armitages worst nightmare? Overall I was hoping she could finally lay the ghost of Carl’s disappearance to rest and move forward in terms of her personal life.

There’s a sadness imbued in the narrative that I couldn’t escape from. The Meagans are still facing life without their son, with the Marseille boy’s identity still to be confirmed, whilst the Armitages seem to live a life of hardship even prior to Keeley’s disappearance, one that is centred around caring for disabled son Riley. Add to that the personal circumstances of both Matilda and Valerie, the ACC, then for many characters present here life is not a bundle of laughs. Thank goodness then for the gallows humour and the straight talking dialogue between the police personnel to balance out the darkness. Their Yorkshire roots really shine through and as I’ve already stated, I loved getting to know these characters, the dynamics of the group and their individual backstories proving to be a highlight for me. The camaraderie and loyalty between individuals really makes the police investigation a team effort and I liked them all. Their cohesiveness makes a pleasant change from the tension usually found amongst some team members in this type of crime fiction.

The final build up is dramatic, with the pace and tension ratcheted up a few notches with a turn of events I didn’t expect or see coming. Although, as I’ve already said I had a fair idea how this drama would play out, the conclusion is still shocking and incredibly sad. There aren’t any winners in what is ultimately a heartbreaking situation but with an interesting and intriguing epilogue the author has left open the possibility for hope in any future instalments. Whilst I preferred the dynamics between individuals in the police team over the actual plot, I did wish I’d started this series from the beginning and will follow Matilda Darke and her colleagues future investigations with interest. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I've enjoyed all the Matiida Darke books to date but this is possibly the best yet,
The plot is intriguing but quite dark and doesn't shy away from the dark side which adds authenticity.
All the characters as usual are well rounded and add to the depth of the story and wider arc.
Picking up the long standing story regarding Carl is excellent and adds to the parallels of the main plot.

The Sheffield location is excellent as usual and the author always mentions real locations which definitely adds to the overall atmosphere.

Excellent and can't wait for the next Matilda Darke book.

This is a brilliant addition to this series and the best book so far.
The story is quite hard hitting but is dealt with sensitively.
DCI Matilda Darke is asked to investigate when a 9 year old girl goes missing. Her mum gets a call saying she’s been kidnapped and they want £50,000.
The family are not well off so there’s no way they can raise the money but then they hear nothing further from the kidnapper.
Matilda was involved in another missing person case and this one reminds her of that, and she just hopes it has a better outcome.
I can’t say much more as I don’t want to give any element of the story away as this one is a crime thriller with a few twists.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and after the epilogue, can’t wait to find out what happens next.
This is a fantastic crime thriller that can be read as a stand alone but this is a great series, so go for it and read them all.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Stolen Children’, the sixth in the DCI Matilda Darke series written by Michael Wood, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Three years ago DCI Matilda Darke was in charge of co-ordinating the search for missing eight-year-old Carl Meagan, but the handing over of the ransom went wrong and Carl disappeared nearly ruining her career. A young boy walks into a French police station claiming to be Carl Meagan but can it really be him? At the same time nine-year-old Keeley Armitage disappears and a demand for £50,000 is received by her parents. Matilda fears it’s all happening again.

‘Stolen Children’ has everything in a thriller that makes me want to start reading, a strong and well-written plot that’s full of action, believable characters, unexpected twists and turns, drama and suspense. Add to this the strong-willed, fair-minded and entirely likeable DCI Matilda Darke and her amazing team and you have all the ingredients of a best-seller. I was hooked from page one but as I’ve got involved in the story it’s became more and more exciting till I’ve been unable to do anything but read. The final chapters are so shocking that I’m open-mouthed in admiration for an author who can put together an exciting thriller with such a staggering conclusion that’s kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. And as for the final cliff-hanger, I can’t wait for book number seven!

So. Let it be known that Netgalley doesn't always note when something is part of a series. I read the blurb, thought it sounded interesting, but it didn't occur to me that there were more Matilda Darke books before this one. It wasn't until I marked it as "currently reading" on Goodreads that I saw it had a number next to its name, indicating that yes, there were others before this one.

But hey, there are many detective books out there that you don't have to read in order, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

As a whole, I did like this one. It held my attention and the plot was interesting enough. It was like reading a good episode of SVU. However, I called the ending very early on so I wasn't shocked like I hope to be by the thrillers I read.

Also, there were a lot of characters. It was kind of difficult to keep track of everyone, specifically smaller characters that aren't mentioned often. I will note that this may be easier for people who have read the first few books in the Matilda Darke series because maybe they may have been utilized more in previous books. I don't know. But then again, some were random neighbors, so maybe there were just a lot of characters.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, it made me curious to read the others in the series, but it didn't shock me and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. A middle of the road book for me, but not bad by any means.

Really enjoyed it😊!

4.5🌟stars
Although I had guessed who had orchestrated the young victim's disappearance way before the book's climax I still enjoyed the journey there. This was my first time reading a DCI Matilda Darke mystery and I liked her character, the interplay with her colleagues and the way the plot unfolded. I also liked the thread of extra suspense provided by the still open case of disappeared Carl, whose story actually started before the first book in the series.

There's a "police are prone to personal and professional mistakes too" realism as lines of inquiry are overlooked, reasonable caution gets overlooked and an officer tries to hide a major screw-up that endangers his family and the successful prosecution of a major case. And these officers really do throw themselves into danger for each other and successful resolution of a case! The whole plot only takes less than two weeks but with lots of twists and red herrings enough to keep up the tension and suspense. And I liked the light touches, like the playful fights over the sweet snacks cache🙂.

I will be looking for more from this series because DCI Darke and her team are a likable ensemble and the author knows how to weave a good crime yarn.

Thanks to publisher Harper Collins One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

This is a book that will really resonate with fans of the Matilda Darke series by Michael Wood. One of the key cases that has haunted Matilda throughout the course of the series is the 'one that got away', or more accurately, the one she never got back - Carl Meagan. At the start of this book we are faced with the very real prospect that Carl may have been found, something which backs up the strange calls that his mother was receiving in the previous book. But is it him, and will waiting to hear the truth distract Matilda from her very latest case, one that has eerily similar overtones to the Carl Meagan case? A young girl has gone missing, a call made to her distraught parents demanding money if they ever wish to see her again. Is history repeating itself and, if so, why choose a family who so clearly cannot afford to pay such a crippling ransom?

This book will play with your emotions. Not only because of the Carl Meagan angle, or the disappearance of the young girl, but because of all the emotional baggage that surrounds the family. With a disabled son, the parents are already stretched to the limit to ensure that he has a great life, almost to the detriment of his two sisters. Michael Wood plays this to perfection, the toll that her daughter's disappearance takes on the mother almost painful to read at times. But there is always the sense of something not being quite right in the household, a kind of edginess and undercurrent of unease that goes beyond the current circumstances. There is always a sense of mistrust between the reader and the family at the heart of the story and as much sympathy as I found being drawn out, I was wary too as were the police. In truth, this is a very dark subject matter, but expertly handled. The final reveal is gradual, the tension building all the time, and the realisation, when it comes, it is both shocking and yet also not really a surprise. I had my suspicions from the start but Michael Wood throws in a raft is suspects and possible scenarios throughout so you will probably find yourself second guessing what is really going on.

As always the character portrayal in the book was brilliant, many of them wrestling with personal circumstances and situations that take their eye off the ball a little. Matilda is especially distracted, a blossoming romance put on hold as she tries to come to terms with her emotions over the Carl Meagan case and the similarities to her new missing child case. In fact it seems like most of the team are preoccupied with affairs of the heart and that distraction puts them kind of off their game in a way that could prove deadly for more than one of them. But it is the sense of family in the books which makes them every bit as enjoyable to read as the police investigations, and at least it adds a really positive lift to a dark and fraught case. The story is packed full of emotion, both of the smiling and tear filled kind, as well as a the usual tension and action that you come to expect from the series. Although Matilda is suffering from a lot of guilt, as always, it was nice to see her finally have a few moments of happiness, even if they were only brief.

Another great case with an ending full of promise that has left me hungry for more. When's the next book due?