Book 6 in the DCI Matilda Darke series and it’s another superb read. I’ve only recently started reading this series and I’m hooked. From the beginning this is a fast paced and thrilling read.

This is part of a series which I have loved.
The storyline is brilliant and is so gripping.
The characters are well developed.
It is well written and is so gripping

I am currently binge reading this series and playing catch up and thoroughly enjoying the series. This latest book is certainly dark and wont be everybody's cup of tea due to the subject matter (abuse etc features heavily in this). However, that small mention aside this was another great addition. For readers familiar with the series they will know about the one case Matilda Darke feels she failed on which features the kidnap and dissapearance of a young boy named Carl Meaghan. When a young family receive a ransom demand for their missing young daughter Keeley Matilda's fears another repeat of what happened previously.

Matilda and her trusted team all star working on the case surrounding the Meaghan family. Like any Michael Wood storyline nothing is straightforward. Keeley is the middle child with an older sister Jodie and a younger disabled brother Riley. Her Mother Linda falls apart as does the husband and father Craig. The family are not well off so it poses the question whether this kidnap request is real. Matilda meanwhile is also dealing with the shocking news that a young boy has walked into a police station in France claiming he is the missing boy Carl Meaghan.

Although I am sure you could read this as a standalone it makes way more sense ot read as part of the series. That way you have background on everything related to Matilda and her struggles with the Meaghan case. You also get to know and come to love the other characters that she works alongside such as Sian, Rory, Scott and Christian to name a few. This story definitely hi hard although I admit I had worked out the killer around the halfway mark. That certainly didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book and as ever I am totally ready to move on to the next book in the series.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

A good, gripping read. I have read a lot of missing children books and the genre is starting to feel formulaic but this one manages to add something different and keep my interest. Good twists.

when a child is stolen, everyone in the community is affected. If it's your child who is stolen......

This is book #6 in the DCI Matilda Darke series. Stolen children has been a theme running throughout every book in the series and this one takes the loss and search to new levels. A 9yr old girl is lost as she returns from the store with her sister. As DCI Darke investigates the disappearance, the story line turns darker and the girl's family falls under suspicion.

Michael Wood has developed DCI Darke throughout the series to a point where she lives on her own. Reading the first 5 stories is not required but Wood's skillful writing makes them seamless. One book picks up where the last one stopped, as if you are reading a continuous story. The characters, the community, the back story have all merged into a series to follow and read as soon as the next one comes out.

Unfortunately this will be a DNF for me.

When requesting I didn't realise that it was book 6 of a series and unfortunately I do not have the capacity to begin a new one.

Exciting thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

EXCERPT: The landline in the hallway started to ring.

Linda ignored it and picked Riley up. He started to relax immediately. He felt safer in someone's arms.

She made soothing noises and rubbed his back gently. The phone continued to ring.

'Shall we go and see who's ringing us, Riley?' she asked in a sing-song voice. 'It might be your Nana to tell us all about her bunions again. Or maybe a nice gentleman will ask if we want to claim back PPI.'

She struggled to move Riley to her other arm. He was getting heavier by the day and she seemed to be getting weaker. It wouldn't be long before she was unable to pick him up at all.

'Hello?' she answered the phone.

'Mrs. Armitage?'

'Yes.'

'Linda Armitage?'

'Yes,' she strained to hear. With Riley gurgling on one side and a barely audible distorted voice coming through the phone line, she struggled to concentrate.

'We have your daughter.'

'What?'

'We've got Keeley. Pay fifty thousand pounds if you want her back.'

'Who is this?' Linda gripped the receiver hard. Her eyes widened, her mouth dried, and her heart thumped loudly in her chest. This was a joke, surely.

'We'll ring back in twenty four hours.'

The line went dead.

ABOUT 'STOLEN CHILDREN': Some cases won’t die.
A young boy walks into a police station in France. He claims to be Carl Meagan – a missing child from Sheffield whose name is still whispered as a warning to kids who stay out after dark.

Some children won’t be found.
On her way home from the supermarket, nine-year-old Keeley Armitage vanishes without trace. Her family is overcome with shock and DCI Matilda Darke can’t help but focus on memories of the Carl Meagan case that almost ruined her career.

Some killers won’t be stopped.
As Matilda investigates, she peels back the layers of grief and sadness that surround Keeley’s family. Until she is left with an unimaginable choice: betray those closest to her or let a violent killer walk free…

MY THOUGHTS: This series, featuring DCI Matilda Darke is addictive. It's a wonderful blend of detective fiction, drama and crime thriller that I can't seem to get enough of.

The story in Stolen Children is a dark and disturbing one, and one with many threads. There is Matilda's personal 'Sword of Damocles' - the case of the kidnapped child Carl Meagan who has still not been found; and now she has another child kidnapping case to contend with - that of nine year old Keeley Armitage who disappeared on her way home from the Co-op. More threads keep emerging like worms out of the woodwork. The picture they form is a horrifying one.

Michael Wood creates an undercurrent of unease, a sense of things not being what they seem. But there are a lot of possibilities to be investigated, and the lengths some characters go to to cover up their activities is frightening. Matilda and her team certainly have their work cut out with this case.

Of course, the team's work is complicated by personal issues. While Matilda seems to be finding her feet again after the death of her husband, one of her team finds their indiscretions catching up with them causing a conflict of interest in a case about to come to court.

This is a wonderful series, but it is one best read from the beginning and in order as, just in real life, some cases take over several books, and relationships evolve.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#StolenChildren #NetGalley

I: @michaelwoodbooks @onemorechapter

T: @MichaelHWood @OneMoreChapter

#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #detectivefiction #mystery #policeprocedural #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Michael Wood is a freelance journalist and proofreader living in Sheffield. As a journalist he has covered many crime stories throughout Sheffield, gaining first-hand knowledge of police procedure. He also reviews books for CrimeSquad, a website dedicated to crime fiction.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Stolen Children by Michael Wood for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Love this series
If you want a new series to read this one will have you hooked
D.C.I Matilda Drake and her team are trying to solve the case of a missing child
Thanks NetGalley

Gripping crime thriller which held my attention to the very end. Tightly plotted and paced with a likeable protagonist. I havent read any books in this series before and I still thoroughly enjoyed it and now plan on starting from the beginning.

My absolute favourite series, and this is the best book yet.
DCI Matilda Darke is still beating herself up about the failed ransom drop which led to Carl Megan not being returned to his parents.
So when a young girl goes missing, and her mother has received a call demanding money for her return, the past returns to haunt Matilda.
Determined to get it right, Matilda pulls out all the stops, but is this all that it seems?
A dark and disturbing story, but one that I couldn’t put down.
I really like the way that alongside the kidnap of Keeley Armitage, the back stories of all the other officers continues.
Looking forward to the next installment already.

I have read several of this excellent series, all out of order. I really need to pick out the few I haven’t read as Stolen Children reminds me how much I enjoy the career of Matilda Darke, a senior detective in charge of a north England murder squad. Here we have a kidnapped 9 year old which reminds Matilda of a previous kidnapping earlier in her career where her personal life affected her ability to find a missing child Carl. A child claiming to be Carl walks into a french police station in the first chapter and readers, parents, journalists, the squad and more importantly Matilda is haunted by that case while investigating the new one. I loved the way her detectives rallied around Matilda throughout the novel and banded together to support her in dark moments and always believed in her. A kidnapping is always harrowing of course and this one second one seems out of place in a working class family falling apart in their grief. The family liaison offer we’ve meet before gives us additional insight into the family and I just kept reading as I was completely invested in the outcome. Unexpected outcome, I might add.

Somehow I forgot to post my review for this book and realised it now
This is series is a rollercoaster of emotions and any book is a page turner that keep you on the edge.
Plenty of action, full of suspense, gripping and highly entertaining.
I love the relationship amongst the member of the teams, the excellent character development and the solid plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a thriller, and it is the 6st book in the DCI Matilda Darke Thriller series. This is the first book in this series that I have read, but I did not feel lost. This book was so good. I think the pacing was just right, and it was well written. The ending had twist and turns that was well-crafted, and I could put it down during any of the twist and turns. I have to say this book as some dark points. This book as some things that may upset some readers, so if you are a reader that gets upset by what you read please look into what is in this book. This is a solid Thriller that I really enjoyed reading. This book was everything I wanted from this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (One More Chapter) or author (Michael Wood) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Enjoyed this one. I felt like there was something missing though, something I needed to love it. Well thought out plot and easy to read.

This book is part of the Matilda Darke series but can be read as a standalone. I have read most of the books in the series and thought this one was equally as captivating. It centers on 9-year-old Keeley, who disappears while waiting for her sister outside a supermarket. The situation is eerily similar to the case that Matilda cannot get past, a young boy of the same age who disappeared 3 years ago and has never been found.

I went back and forth a million times trying to figure out who the culprit was; I got part of it partially right, but it it was so much darker and deeper than even I expected, and I really enjoyed the reveal. The book also does a good job in giving the reader just enough information about the characters to be able to make the call as to what might really be happening. The dialogue between the characters was witty and felt real.

I am normally quite annoyed when books spend precious time where I could be reading about the mystery to delve into the personal lives of the police officers. This book does that (and maybe a bit too much) but I enjoyed the dynamic between them, though there are a lot of characters and it takes a bit to keep everyone's relationships with each other straight.

Overall, this was another winner in this series and I am excited to see what DCI Darke gets herself into next time! I'd recommend to those who like mysteries and police procedurals. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF for now. I'll come to it. I need to read the first ones in the series first. Sorry about that. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Stolen Children by Michael Wood was engrossing and captivating. A roller coaster ride indeed. Overall the story and the characters were very well depicted. Edge of your seat reading. Highly recommend.

apparently i'm one of the only people that think this, but i honestly did not like this book. it has such a dude way of writing female characters and i honestly wanted to poke my eyes out.