The Murder House is the 5th in a new series for me. I'll be going back and picking up earlier books.

from description: The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined.

Although this is the 5th in the series, it works well as a stand alone, and the characters are well-fleshed out, complex, and satisfyingly believable. The plot is used to develop the characters, reveal their personalities and temperaments and the complications in their lives.

DCI Matilda Darke quickly sums up problems with the crime scene. She doesn't assume the evidence is genuine.

Even so, her team is somewhat reluctant to disregard the evidence.

This is an ARC and I noticed a couple of errors that should be easily corrected by publication, but I thoroughly enjoyed Matilda, her team, and the investigation. I've already ordered the first in the series. I love finding a series with characters I want to know more about.

Read in November.

NetGalley/One More Chapter
Police Procedural. Jan. 31, 2020.

I've been patiently waiting...actually I've been impatiently waiting for the latest Matilda Darke book from Michael Wood and I was buzzing when I was lucky enough to receive an early review copy!
When a writer like Michael Wood kicks off with such a happy occasion you just know that it's quickly going to become dark and twisted! And I was not disappointed! Jeremy Mercer wakes up hungover after his sister's wedding but life is just about to get worse for him and then some! Actually how much worse life could get is impossible to imagine!
Jesus...that opening chapter- I have no words! Murder and a missing child combined to wrench at my heartstrings in the first few chapters, I honestly didn't know whether time be terrified or tearful...so I just went with both options!
Wood has a delightfully dark and twisted mind but he also has a knack for creating multi-layered and relatable characters, the type that really get under your skin. And get under my skin they did!
Matilda Darke is a strong woman, yet she has a vulnerability about her and a very real sense that she has her team's back at all times. I love how she has grown and developed throughout the series. I actually feel like she is real, well she is…isn’t she!
Meanwhile her own team also have their own issues to deal with. They seem to be crumbling down round about her. This case has really had a massive impact on members of the team with some of them reconsidering their career. DC Scott Andrew, in particular, is facing some personal issues and is worried about how these will affect his work. But Matilda makes time for all of them, despite the pressure being applied on her from above to make a quick arrest. It really made me think about the impact of some crimes on attending officers, the murders are horrific but the author manages to portray the awfulness without being overly graphic.
Of course Matilda also has an old case hanging over her, that of missing child, Carl Meagan and, with no spoilers, fans of the series will know just how much of an impact this case has had on her. Will this book lead to a resolution for her...you will just need to read it and see!!
And there is a small cameo appearance from a certain editorial name that made me smile!
Littered with the voice of an unknown narrator the pace and tension were perfect. We do discover who this narrator is and once I knew, it didn’t make things any easier for me. My anxiety levels were through the roof as I began to suspect everyone and anyone.
The Murder House dived right inside my head; it poked and prodded, it taunted and it teased, its intensity was raw and it was perfect in its execution. I honestly had no idea what was about to happen and that bloody ending…well just let’s say it left me hanging on the edge of the cliff…which is where I will stay until Michael Wood puts me out of my misery with the next instalment.
If you haven’t read this series then you are missing out big time, I suggest you dive in, buckle up and enjoy the ride!
My review will be posted on my blog on publication day

We return to Sheffield and this fantastic series featuring DCI Matilda Darke, now running the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET), in a shocking addition where the team face their worst case ever, one that is to give them nightmares for life. A guest returns the morning after a wedding reception to look for her missing shoe, only to discover a bloodbath, complete carnage, the bride's entire family has been murdered in a frenzied stabbing, and a traumatised young girl, Rachel, has been tied to a chair. It is the kind of scene that nobody should have to see unless they absolutely have to. The victims are the eminently respectable Clive and Serena Mercer, an anaesthetist and neurologist, and their junior doctor son, Jeremy. The Mercers are the perfect family, volunteering, fundraising and contributing to various charities and local causes, such as tackling homelessness. Who would want to wipe them out in such a brutal and savage way?

As Matilda and DC Rory Fleming take in the crime scene, there are obvious leads and evidence that make them uneasy. It appears that this will be a slam dunk case, but the forensics do not match the personal hatred, malevolence, and strong emotions that have driven the perpetrator to kill with such over the top violence. For Matilda, her gut reaction is that it seems as if someone is being framed, and the murderer is likely to be much closer to the Mercer family. So HMET dig into all the family members, including Leah and Oliver, the bride and bridegroom on their honeymoon in Paris, it soon emerges that this is not the perfect family, there are secrets and lies, troubled marriages and more. There is a frightened burglar on the loose and with her hands full, Matilda hands over the long running investigation into the abduction of the young boy, Carl, and his despairing mother, Sally Meaghan, to former DI Pat Campbell, now retired, to handle. Matilda risks her entire career and reputation on not believing the forensics, but going it alone is to put her into deadly danger.

One of the best things about this excellent series by Michael Wood is the strong focus on the team, their personal lives and relationships. Matilda is trying to keep a close eye on her team, particularly given the traumatic nature of the case, and her chief concerns are Rory and DC Scott Andrews. Matilda herself has moved house and all the memories of the loss of her beloved husband, James, but the suicide of DI Ben Hales in the house made her old home unbearable and impossible to live in. As the stress of the case mounts, she relies on best friend, Adele Kean, the pathologist to keep her sane. This is a brilliant addition to the series, intense, suspenseful and just unputdownable, but I do recommend starting at the beginning. I hope the author is busy writing the next one in the series, because I am so looking forward to it! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

4 stars

DCI Matilda Darke and her team are called to a horrific scene where nearly an entire family was literally butchered. It was a frenzied and vicious knife attack. They are stunned and extremely saddened and upset.

The home was the site of a reception for the daughter's wedding the same day that the crime occurred. The daughter Leah and her new husband Oliver are on their honeymoon in Paris.

All the neighbors and (most of) the family's friends called the Mercers the “perfect family.” Is this true? The parents, Clive and Serena, were both doctors and gave their time to charity and good causes. The son Jeremy and his seven-year old daughter Rachel were at the home. Jeremy was stabbed to death, while his daughter was tied to a chair and allowed to live. She is deeply traumatized.

A subplot line runs along side the main one. A young boy was kidnapped three years earlier. Matilda was unable to solve that case when the ransom drop went wrong. It haunts her, but it haunts the mother of the little boy even more. She just knows he is still alive. Matilda asks a friend of hers, a retired DI, to take the case. She does gladly and makes progress.

In the meantime, Matilda’s team learn that the Mercer family had secrets. Clive was brought up on charges with the hospital administration three times for seemingly unexplained deaths. He was cleared in all three cases. Oliver has a deeply hidden secret of his own, as does Leah.

A very likely suspect escapes from a nearby jail. A manhunt ensues, but Matilda is alone in thinking he may be innocent in spite of the forensic findings.

This is a very well written book save that the transitions are a little loose and jarring at times. It reads in a linear fashion; one event follows another in a logical progression. The cops are competent and I liked most of them. I was a little hesitant to like Matilda herself though. I am not sure why. It was exciting in places and I liked the use of language and dialog. It wasn't overdone and the talking wasn't rambling. There were bits of humor interspersed in the story and I liked that, too. This is only my second Matilda Darke novel and I liked it enough to look into the balance of the series that I have yet to read.

I want to thank NetGalley and One More Chapter for forwarding to me a copy of this good book for me to read, enjoy and review.

I have been waiting for the next Matilda Darke book and it was worth every second because this story is incredible. Matilda is one of my favorite characters and she continued to prove why in this story. The bond between her and her team is lovely and i was so glad to see more about Carl Meagan and his family. The ending took me completely by surprise and i actually shouted out loud. The main mystery was perfectly executed and with so many suspects i didn't know how it was going to end. No one writes thrillers like Michael Wood, i will read anything he writes!

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!

The 5th book in the DCI Matilda Darke series and another belter of a book!

This is a story that starts off strong and ups the anti at every given opportunity. I couldn’t devour it quickly enough, even though I thought I had it all worked out. Of course, I was so far off the mark. Not once did I have an inkling at who the real killer was. That little revelation nearly knocked me off my seat.

It felt good to get back in the driving seat with Matilda and her team. There is something comforting and reassuring about these characters that add that little bit extra to a compulsive storyline that any crime fan will struggling to put down.

As Matilda and her team get further into the case, the pacing went from steady to frenzied within no time. I felt like I was holding on for dear life when they start putting all the pieces together. It sure did make for some explosive reading in parts when the truth becomes crystal clear.

The Murder House is one nail biter of a read that sucked me straight in, not letting me up for air until I’d finished it. I love the author’s writing style and each book in this series is as gripping and entertaining as the last. Got to be one of my top crime series that delivers every time.

I only have one very slight criticism of this book, I found it to be a bit too long.Otherwise it was a really good read.The characters were well formed and the story kept me guessing, very enjoyable read.

I really really enjoyed this book. I have read all the Matilda Darke books and this is the best one yet although I do seem to remember I said that about the. last one! The murder scene at the start of the book was one of the most gruesome I have ever read so I knew I was in for a treat! An intriguing second chapter followed and I was hooked. I absolutely adore these books , the pages just seem to turn themselves. I could have easily have read it in 1 or 2 sessions but because I enjoy them so much I limited myself to make it last as long as possible.. Matilda is so real its as if I can see her in front of me with other characters just as good and a gripping story it’s a massive thumbs up from me and don’t even get me started on yet another cliffhanger ending! Highly recommended - needs to be read now! With thanks to the publisher, to be reviewed on Amazon on release day.

Thankyou to NetGalley, One More Chapter and the author, Michael Wood, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Murder House in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book provided a thrilling read. I was hooked from the start and had to finish reading it in one sitting.
The storyline was well thought out and written with intriguing characters and a rollercoaster plot. This author just gets better and better.
Well worth a read

I had no idea that this book was part of a series, but is definitely able to be read as a standalone if you haven't read the others. It focuses primarily on Matilda, who leads the team of police detectives tasked to solve a gruesome triple murder of a prominent couple and their adult son, just hours after their daughter's wedding. I also didn't realize that this was loosely based on a true story from 1983, which I thoroughly researched after,

I really liked this book- it was twisty, with any number of potential suspects throughout the book. I didn't figure it out until Matilda did, but considered and rejected many options as the story went on, and wasn't always sure I was right. I also liked the characters- normally I am not excited to hear the personal stories of the police when I am trying to solve the mystery, but these characters were believable and likable and I was interested in their backgrounds and interactions. I expect I'll go back and read the previous books in the series.n I particularly liked Pat and am hoping she plays a bigger role in the other books.

I have very few complaints about the book. There were 2 points where they referred to Leah as Rachel's sister instead of her aunt, which just confused me, but those were early in the book and I presume they will be corrected before the final release. I also thought that the author described the murders in detail an awful lot of times- I assume he was going for shock factor but I felt like I heard the specifics over and over again to the point where it was monotonous and I was almost desensitized to them.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to see how it ended. I will likely be posting reviews on the other books in the series soon! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read any of the previous Matilda Darke series, but I felt that there was sufficient detail given regarding previous stories. An excellent who dun it. Well drawn characters and a plot that rattled along. A page turner. Will definitely look out for the others in this series

After a wedding reception a family are killed in the most horrendous way and the only survivor is a young girl left traumatised, could this be linked to a similar murder in which a young boy was kidnapped ? Tasked with solving this crime and trying to hold her team together Matilda Drake knows she faces a big challenge

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy

An easy 5 stars from me!

First things first, this is book 5 in the DCI Matilda Darke series so do yourself a favour and start with book one! Then book two... Then book three... Then book four... 

The opening scenes are brutal and set the stage perfectly for the rest of the story. I was utterly gripped from the very first page of The Murder House and I fell straight back in with DCI Darke and her team as they raced to find the killer who has seeming butchered a 'perfect' family in cold blood.

Michael's writing style is sublime and the way he captures the differing personalities of characters within the book is an absolute masterclass in the craft. All of the characters, from a prostitute who fills a few paragraphs, to the individual members of the team are well defined, individual and believable. 

There appears to be a plethora of potential suspects, virtually everyone is lying about something and Matilda should know better by now than to take risks! There are some proper spooky scenes in The Murder House, plenty of peril and a nice number of red herrings to boot!

In among the horrors of the murder and the inevitable 'whodunnit' there are some wonderfully woven relationships, personal problems, office politics all running alongside the backdrop of Matilda and her life.

I long for this series to be televised; it is just perfect for it.

I absolutely adore the character Matilda and hugely look forward to new books in the series when they come out. I simply cannot recommend this series enough. If you have a book lover in your life this series would truly make the perfect Christmas gift!

Synopsis: It’s the most disturbing crime scene DCI Matilda Darke has ever seen…

The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined.

Forensics point to a burglar on the run across the country. But cracks are starting to appear in Matilda’s team, someone is playing games with the evidence – and the killer might be closer to home than they thought…

DCI Matilda Darke is out to tackle her most gruesome case to date! The novel is dark, twisty and full of angst. The perfect police procedural to keep you company on a long winter's night. The book starts off with instense plot line and does not atop until the last page.
Micheal Wood out did himself on the latest installment of this series.
Highly recommend this book, and all the books of this series. Anxiously awaiting the next one!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
#netgalley
#TheMurderHouse

I love British detective novels. Ian Rankin is one of my favorites. Denise Mina is another. When you compare these to the myriad of other British writers of this genre, the rest pale in comparison. The Murder House is based on a true crime but it seemed to be the author tried to add every possible additional plot to ramp up interest. Obviously, the main investigator is a continuing series character but she did not capture my imagination. Simply put, others have done much better.

Another BRILLIANT Matilda Darke book a great story and charactors that grip you from the start and thats down to the clever mind of the author well deserved 5*

This is the 5th book in the DCI Matilda Darke series by author Michael. This is my first experience of this authors work and obviously my introduction to this series. Straight away I was hooked, really gritty characters and a well thought out plot that is paced exceptionally well. Half way through the book I had already decided I was going to read the other books in the series and swiftly ordered all 5 books.
Following a wedding reception held in a Sheffield house, the bride's family are brutally murdered in a frenzied attack. Many of the officers agree that this is the worst crime scene they have ever witnessed but somehow DCI Matilda Darke needs to uncover what took place as well as keeping her team together.
The fact that I have started the series on book 5 didn't spoil my enjoyment of the novel but did make me want to catch up with the earlier books in the series. I was very impressed with thee characters and feel that I will grow to like them more and more as I read.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and One more chapter for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars


My first,but not my last Matilda Darke book I think
It does that great thing of giving you just enough info on the previous books to keep you up to date,but not completely ruin them should you wish to read.
It's a grusome one for sure,and very puzzling why anyone would slaughter the perfect family... though as rightly said,there is no such thing as perfect family.
I really liked all the characters,though did wonder was it really such a big deal to be gay? 
All very dramatic racing towards the end,and with an epilogue that makes sure you're picking up book 6,this was a good read all round

It’s like a scene from a horror movie. DCI Matilda Darke is called to a home the day after a wedding reception where the brides family has been hacked and slashed to death. Evidence points to a burglar, but it feels wrong to Darke, this isn’t the work of a robber. It turns out someone on Matilda’s own team has been manipulating the evidence, but why? Is the killer one of Matilda’s own? Loved this book, Matilda is an intelligent and complex heroine and the mystery equally unusual

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have read each of the previous instalments in this series, so I am not sure how well this would stand on its own. The Carl Meagan storyline (which I had so hoped would be resolved here) continues on in the background. Matilda herself is now thankfully back on her feet health wise.

The murders in this instalment were gruesome (and this was reiterated over and over), but thankfully all in the past when the story opened. I thought the plot was excellent for the first two-thirds or so, but after that it got a little unbelievable in places. There was an entirely unnecessary scene between Oliver and Scott, and then Scott was allowed to sit in on an interview of Oliver the next morning. Clearly the final chapters would never have been allowed to happen in any police force in the known universe, but they were quite exciting, I suppose.

I assume this will be picked up before the book goes to print, but the first third of it has Rachel and Leah sometimes as sisters (how biblical!) and in other places (correctly) as niece and aunt.

Very enjoyable and a page turner.