This is a compelling read. It is twisty and fast paced. The ending was brilliant. The characters are well developed. A great book

Following the last book this one felt much more like the older ones and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sadly, the team are still struggling and as suich Matilda isn't even working any more which is an odd start to the book. However with a serial rapist on the loose and a victim who survived the attach she is asked to come back to help with the case. Matilda is joined by some of the old team and together they begin to work towards finding this killer.

The storyline was actually pretty decent but once again things from Matilda's past are still haunting her and she is certainly not safe for the forseable future. This element of the storyline is wearing a little and I am hoping in the coming books there will be some sort of a conclusion to it all. That aside this case was worked like normal with the team giving their all! This was a really good read and then as usual Wood throws in a banger of a cliffhanger ending. Thankfully I have the next book ready to go as if I didn't I'm not entirely sure I would have been happy!

Great instalment of the series. I was so excited to be back with the team. This was fantastic and I am so glad I discovered this series. Highly recommended for fans of mystery and thriller series featuring strong protagonists. Matilda is such an icon and a great detective. Love this series, cannot wait for more outings.

Silent Victim by Michael Wood

I love the Matilda Darke series and this is no exception. He really does put her through it! Matilda has barely any team and is under pressure after the South Yorkshire force we’re dragged into disrepute. She’s back in the fold by the skin of her teeth and no one is going to do her any favours. So when a complicated and very dark case comes her way does she really have the resources - professional and personal - to take it on? Her usual determination and drive have taken a huge knock so can she really catch a murderer?

We left Matilda in danger at the end of The Lost Children, dealing with very credible threats to the safety of both her and her loved ones. This level of threat hasn’t changed, because her enemy is not the type to let it go. Matilda is on her guard, with intrusive thoughts and nightmares a very real part of her daily life. There’s a chance that this could affect her judgement and as the case continues I did feel it was affecting her decision making. I’d never seen her this reckless before. She acts with disregard for her own life and that ramps up the tension considerably. For me though, the stand-out part of this thriller was the relationship that’s forged between Matilda and the teenager, Tilly. Amazingly Tilly survives an attack by the killer, but this leaves it’s physical and emotional scars. This allowed us to think about how Matilda behaves as a victim of crime. The killer’s threats are ongoing, but somehow Matilda finds the strength to use her experience to work with Tilly and get as much information out of her as they can, without further traumatising her. The dynamic between the two is interesting because it shows how Matilda could potentially be with children. A really strong bond starts to develop between them, creating a different dynamic. It’s perhaps easier for Tilly to accept Matilda’s help because their relationship is without the guilt and resentment clouding her relationship with her mother, Amy. Amy is equally traumatised by what’s happened, but also carries an enormous amount of guilt because as she sees it, she failed to protect her daughter. It brings an emotional intelligence to the story which is often missing in other thrillers.

That honesty and emotion spills over into the team as well. They have had time to reflect on their last case and need to debrief. There had to be an opportunity to vent, to discuss how these events are still affecting them and maybe verbalise a few home truths too. It needs to clear because as we near the end of the novel the team need to be on their ‘A’ game. There is a great ending to look forward to as well. I was shocked and then went to look at how quickly the next one is coming! This is a great series. We’re at No 10 now and it keeps getting better each time.

Part of a series featuring Detective Matilda Darke. Fast paced and thrilling and very dark. Great team, emotional and diverse. Unexpected ending.

Another in D.C.I Matilda Darke series
Love this series
And loved this book
They never disappoint
Can’t wait for the next in this series
Thanks NetGalley

Another one of my favourite series and I have to say this one is Darke by name and dark in nature! Set in Sheffield, the author touches on loss/grief, covid (the impact on policing), survivor’s guilt, abduction and a search for the truth.

The opening of this book had me feeling the fear and sets you up for what i coming. Graphic at times (not gratuitous), the storyline was as gripping as ever.

I won’t give any spoilers in case you haven’t caught up in the series, but Matilda returns to work with her team under special measures and there’s quite a lot of conflict happening. <grab your popcorn!>

I remember a tweet that the author had posted saying something along the lines that this was one of the most evil killers he’d written – he wasn’t wrong – the killer was VILE and I loved it!

This series goes from strength to strength. A phenomenal story – twisted, pacy, an absolute sleep stealer. Highly recommended!

I really enjoy this series (minus books 7 & 8 which I hated) but I do struggle with Matilda wanting to do everything on her own and constantly risking her life. She wants her team to trust her but she never gives them the same respect. As for the team I am loving them after the bumpy road of losing and having to replace some lovable members. It’s nice to see them healing. I also love the disability representation showing that life doesn’t end if you need to use a wheelchair.

The crime is dark and disturbing and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the tense and dramatic ending. And just when I thought everything had been wrapped up nicely we are hit with the mother of all cliffhangers. I will definitely be reading the next installment.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is the tenth book in the series featuring DCI Matilda Darke. I have not read all the series but fully intend to as I couldn’t put this book down, reading until the early hours. Matilda, still recovering from serious injuries and her team having been disbanded, is called back to hunt down a serial killer who is killing and cutting the throats of young girls. Tilly, who is just fourteen years old and his fourth victim has survived but will never be able to talk again. What is making this case difficult for Matilda is that the killer is leaving no DNA or other clues but as she connects with Tilly she promises that she will catch him and get justice for all his victims. But how far is she prepared to go? This book has everything. It is tense, fast paced and has great characters. It leaves you with a massive cliffhanger and desperate to read the next book. I wish I could give it more than five starts!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This is the tenth book in the DCI Matilda Darke series. This could easily be read as a stand alone book but this series is so good, I recommend reading all ten of them. It is like checking in with old friends.

Matilda is still recovering from being shot and since her unit was dementors and she was made redundant, she has had time to work in her mental recovery. There is a series of brutal murders and Matilda is pulled back in to help find the killer. In usual Matilda fashion, she becomes a target for our killer but ultimately saves the day. The only thing I hope is that the eleventh book is in the way because that ending; wow.

OMG….sorry to talk about the ending of the book first. But holy smoke I can’t believe I have to wait until the end of March 2023 for the next installment! What a flippin cliff hanger to leave us on….my jaw just hit the floor with that shocker of an ending. There I was thinking how nicely the story had been wrapped up. Then BOOM a full on WTAF ending!!! Well I wasn’t expecting that at all.

Now I have got that off my chest I need to say that this is the tenth book in the series which I absolutely love. Just when I thought it could’nt get any better. Michael totally nails it making this his best book ever. Those of you that read this series will know its dark but in this story Michael takes it to a whole new level. When we follow Matilda on the hunt for a killer who is a total nut job to say the least. Having no idea who it is or why this malicious killings are happening. A victim survives the attack and we follow Matilda on a roller coaster ride trying to work out who it is.

I loved the connection and relationship thats built up with the surviving victim the author uses sensitivity in his writing and you can feel the genuine side of Matilda showing her caring authentic side. Giving some brilliant characterisation.

Silent Victim is full of twists and turns and OMG moments. I had no idea who it was. It is totally addictive and unputdownable I loved everything about it.

I still can’t get over the ending! This book ticked all the boxes. It is an excellent read which I highly recommend….. roll on March!!

I don’t say this lightly - this is my favourite police procedural series EVER!

These books get better and better every time. Please keep writing!

The Silent Victim begins with a heart-pounding scene, a 14-year-old girl is kidnapped and left for dead on a cold snowy evening in Sheffield. A throat-slashing serial killer is in the loose and the police have no leads. DCI Darke is asked back to assemble a team and get this killer off the streets.
Michael Wood did not disappoint with this one! I loved having the team back together although Sian’s snack draw was missed. More people need to pick up this series. I promise you won't be disappointed. Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘He took her voice. She took it back.’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. One More Chapter for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Silent Victim’ by Michael Wood.

This is Book 10 in Wood’s DCI Matilda Darke series of police procedurals set in Sheffield.

While some background is provided for readers new to the series, there have recently been major events that have shaken up Darke’s personal and professional. As a result I need to tiptoe around plot details to avoid spoilers for the previous books as well as for ‘Silent Victim’.

This novel opens in December 2020 with a shocking attack on 14-year-old Tilly Hall, which is the fourth in recent weeks. The unsub has left no forensic evidence creating a difficult situation for South Yorkshire Police’s CID. In addition, pandemic restrictions remain in place and after nine months is grating on everyone.

While I only began reading this series at Book 5, each has been an excellent police procedural and earned top marks including ‘Silent Victim’ that I couldn’t put down.

Thankfully there isn’t a long wait for Book 11, ‘Below Ground’, as it is scheduled for publication in
March 2023.

Wow, I could not put this book down. This series just keeps getting better. Matilda is recovering from her last encounter with evil and is invited back to deal with a particularly nasty set of murders - 3 women killed, the latest victim only a young girl, raped and seriously injured. She cannot assemble her old team (what's left of them) but does set up a unit with some familiar faces in order to find this evil person.

The young victim, Tilly, is quite a loveable character, and with her mother Amy you really see the effects of serious crime on the victims. Matilda comes over as a more human, more rounded character than in the earlier books, and we see her struggles and determination. And she will need all her skills to find both a serial killer and keep one step ahead of a past criminal who, she suspects, still has fans stalking her.

A great read. And a cliff hanger to ensure we're left gasping for the next in the series! Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since 2015, Matilda Darke has been keeping South Yorkshire criminals on notice. She always seems to pull those crimes that others just can't solve, the ones that are so horrible, they would be front page news. Michael Wood gets better at keeping us guessing while Matilda diligently digs for clues. Her ability to see what others have missed and put all the pieces together just makes us more eager for the next book. Ten books in, her fans still want more.

Michael Wood continues to deliver novel after novel with IMO the best police series on the market in the UK.
Characters, plotlines, realism, setting - this novel as it all and I can't recommend this series enough.
Can't wait for novel 11.
Highly recommended!

This addition to Michael Wood's brilliant Sheffield-based crime series, featuring DCI Matilda Darke was a magnificent read. Silent Victim is the tenth instalment and my sixth in the series so far, having previously only read book one, For Reasons Unknown and books five, six, seven and nine. Having missed the books in between, I'm sure to have lost out on some back story, though I didn't feel it detracted from my enjoyment of this book, as for me, it worked well as an individual read.

In Silent Victim, DCI Matilda Darke, DI Christian Brady and the team investigate when a 14-year-old is abducted and left for dead. Tilly Hall has had her throat cut and is left with no vocal cords. Matilda makes a great fictional detective and I love that she’s feisty and determined and has a strong sense of justice, yet she has an air of vulnerability. A major highlight of this crime series has been the focus on the police teams, their relationships, and their support for each other, although they are a depleted bunch and bring along their fair share of problems. This is a stellar crime series and the plot in Silent Victim, isn't anything other than dark and makes for grim reading at times, but it is still unputdownable, certainly holding my devoted attention from the first page to the finish. A truly terrific read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from One More Chapter via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

A killer who leaves behind no clues, there are no witnesses, and the clock is ticking as investigators fear he will soon be taking a new victim.

Woohoo! I'm always excited when a new book in the Matilda Darke series is coming out! The book begins with the horrific rape and attempted murder of a fourteen-year-old girl. She is barely alive but manages to make an SOS call. She was not the first victim, but she was the first to survive.

Matilda is asked to come back and help with this case. She has been through a horrific experience herself and is battle worn but ready to pick up the gauntlet and hunt down this killer. She is tough as nails but also has a heart of gold. She is like a bull seeing red, ready to charge in and get the job down.

She and her team have their work cut out for them! Speaking of teams, they are an awesome bunch and I love their witty banter, their friendships and determination to solve a case.

This one grabbed my attention from the very first page and never let go! This was a real page turner for me, and I could not get enough of this shocking and gripping book. This was a fantastic addition to the series, and I am already hoping with fingers crossed that I won’t have to wait too long for the next book!

Gripping, shocking, tense, and fast paced!

A CENSURED DETECTIVE WITH NO LEADS
DCI Matilda Darke and her team have been restricted under special measures after a series of calamitous scandals nearly brought down the South Yorkshire police force.
A BRUTAL ATTACK WITH NO WITNESSES
Now Matilda is on the trail of another murderer, an expert in avoiding detection with no obvious motive but one obvious method.
A DEPRAVED KILLER WHO LEAVES NO TRACES
When his latest victim survives the attack despite her vocal cords being severed, Matilda is more convinced than ever of the guilt of her key suspect. If only she had a way to prove it…

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.