Not quite sure on my feelings on this one. Michael Wood is an author I’ve heard lots of book reviewers and bloggers shout about in regards to his Matilda Darke series so I was excited to start this one. So maybe went in with higher expectations than I would have usually.

Whilst it’s certainly well written and clearly from a talented author, I just found the pacing difficult and really tried hard to get into it but just couldn’t.

It’s quite graphic which is understandable ad you need that with the child killer element but certain things didn’t sit right for me.

It’s I said it’s well written but it’s all set out quite unusually and I wander if that’s just the editing process as I believe it was originally and Audible book.

It’s certainly not put my off the author, I will start those Matilda Drake books at some point and for people who enjoy a slow and dark thriller I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest reading it but for my own preference it was an ok/good but probably not for me

Well, I never saw that ending coming! There is a lot of tension in this book, set in and around Skegness. A grieving mother, a journalist and a retired DI look for closure in the case of a missing, presumed dead, young boy. I liked the characterisation, especially Alex the journalist, and the twists and turns. This is a very good stand alone from the author which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

The first stand-alone from this author and it was a cracking read. A dark and twisted story about three people searching for a missing boy; Diane Marshall the boys mother, former DI Caroline Turner and journalist Alex Frost who had written a book about the killer. Each have their own reasons wanted to find the missing boy. Written from multiple POV’s and with newspaper extracts this had a bit of a slow start but soon the pace racked up and the tension is palpable. The storyline involves paedophilia and child murders but it is not overly graphic.

Briefly, a serial killer has been caught and jailed having been found guilty of the abduction and killing of 14 boys. However, one body has not been recovered. The missing boy is Zachery Marshall and even after 25 years of searching his mother Diane has not given up on finding him. The killer has died in prison but has left a letter for Diane claiming that he didn’t kill Zachery.

This isn’t a police procedural as you might expect but more an exploration of how crime affects those who are left behind. An intense character driven story, dark and chilling but full of emotion. A very good read.

What a brilliant, fast paced thriller read this is, great characters, extremely well written and I just loved it from the beginning until the very last page.

All the characters were so well developed and what an ending it turned out to be, just great.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins OMC for this brilliant ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I love Michael Wood's Matilda Darke series and read them as soon as they are released so was looking forward immensely to reviewing this stand alone book. From the start I had the feeling the story was familiar but couldn't put my finger on how. Eventually I tracked it down to an Audible only release from 2020 which I must have bought and listened to. (I'm terrible at remembering book plots until reminded).
I plowed on with the book as I didn't remember the plot clearly only in a vague way. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it even second time round. I did suspect who the killer of the Seventh Victim of the title was about half way through but this might have been a memory. Some very clever twists in the storyline which kept my attention throughout. A really good read. Highly recommended.
Thank you Netgalley, Harper Collins UK one more chapter and Michael Wood for giving me the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

A police procedural but the police officer is retired and working with a journalist to solve the case of a missing child. A convicted paedophile sends a final letter stating that he had not killed this particular boy but if he didn’t, then who did?

An interesting book that is easy to lose yourself in.

A great fast paced storyline that kept me well and truly engaged. I am new to this author and look forward to reading some of his past novels.

Jonathan Egan-Walsh is a serial killer who's time is running short and Diana Marshall still has a lot of unanswered questions regarding the disappearance Zachary. When Jonathan dies he leaves a letter for Diane stating that he never killed Zachary, but is the letter actually true?

The Seventh Victim is the first book I've ever read by Michael Wood, and I thought it was such a compelling read, I didn't want to put it down. The book was incredibly well written, and I really liked reading the mix between the characters POV and newspaper articles. I was sucked into the story early on, and I felt compelled to know what happened to Zachary. I would love to read more books like this from the author.

Ok this is a hard one as I genuinely liked the book, but I found it quite dark and hard to read in places and the end seemed a bit hurried. It was very long and some parts weren’t needed I think but overall it was a good thrilling read. Thanks @NetGalley for the advanced copy. @MichaelWood@ TheSeventhVictim

Couldn't get into this so gave up. Much prefer the Drake series. . . . .

The first time I have read this Author but I enjoyed the style of writing. A solid four star read. Great premise. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

MICHAEL WOOD – THE SEVENTH VICTIM****

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Zachary Marshall, a child, has been murdered. But his body has never been found. And though in jail for Zachary’s murder along with several other boys, serial killer Jonathan Egan-Walsh refuses to share where he’s buried Zach’s body.

Twenty-five year later Zachary’s mother Diane – marriage in tatters - is still writing to Jonathan in prison, pleading with him to admit he killed her son, and reveal the location of his body, to bring closure. Then Jonathan dies. And leaves Diane a letter.

Caroline, an ex-policewoman who worked on the original case, Alex, the writer of a best-selling book about the murders, get together after Jonathan dies and leaves Zachary’s mother with a letter saying he didn’t kill the boy – both their lives already shattered by the now dead killer.

It’s fast paced and gripping. With plenty of twists and turns and revelations. Fairly early on I guessed the identity of the killer, then later doubted I was right. Until the end.

Well-structured, tightly written, worth a read.

When a new book from this author lands in my inbox it goes straight to the top of my reading pile. Another in the fantastic Matilda Darke series no this is a stand alone and Omg what a page turner. I devoured this book in one sitting, constantly holding my breath and promising myself just one more page or one more chapter. It never happened and I finally turned the last page at 3am. Yes this bookisthatgood!!! A dark story with a backstorythat made me cringe. A mother's grief after 25 years, will she get to find out what happened to her son and bring him home. This book has run thegamitof all my emotions. A little boy going missing is the only the beginning. This author has done it again. Another MUST READ!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

The Seventh Victim by Michael Wood is a stand alone novel and is a story about a serial killer, his victims and the families that are left behind after a child’s murder. It is at times a bleak and chilling story particularly because the murders are of young boys who were murdered.
Zachary Marshall is one of the boy’s death attributed to Jonathan Egan-Walsh, the serial killer serving life imprisonment for at least a dozen boys murders. After twenty five years he dies in prison and writes to Zachary’s mother and states that he did not kill Zachery.
The storyline is then about two people who then try to find out who killed Zachary. An ex police woman and the man who wrote a book about the serial killer. The book looks at how the people involved with these murders were affected, which is interesting and not something people tend to think about.
An interesting viewpoint.
Highly recommended

You can't go wrong with a Michael Wood book. His Mathilda Darke series is superb and so is this his first standalone.

A very dark and compelling book. Which as his fans expect is handled brilliantly. There is so much going on, but it is easy to follow, despite the number of characters.. It is a very dark storyline but it is handled sensitively and all woven together. The author has obviously done a lot of research into how families react and interact in these situations.


Hooked from page one and does not let you go until the end. Reads as if its a true crime novel, i really was convinced it was a true story.


Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for my advanced reading copy, in exchange for an honest review.

I love the Matilda Draje series, it gets better with every new book Michael releases. This book had ne gripped and reading through the night. I'm looking forward to reading more

First publication by this author I've read and fair to say it won't be the last.
Serial killer Jonathan Egan-Walsh despite serving a life sentence for having killed at least a dozen young boys twenty five years ago has always refused to disclose the location of the body of Zachery Marshall and takes the secret to his grave following his death in prison.
Zachery's mother, Diane has never given up on her efforts to discover the location of her son's body.
Diane engages the services of an author who interviewed Egan-Walsh and wrote his autobiography, together with the female retired police inspector that worked on the case twenty five years ago.
There are a number of twists and an unexpected conclusion.
If this type of genre is your acene, then this book is going to be right up your street.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an advance copy of The Seventh Victim, a stand-alone thriller set in Skegness.

In 1997 Jonathan Egan-Walsh was convicted of the murder of thirteen young boys, including Zachary Marshall whose body was never found. Twenty five years later he dies and leaves a letter for Zachary’s mother, Diane, accepting responsibility for all the murders except Zachary’s. She enlists the help of former DI Caroline Turner, who charged Egan-Walsh and journalist Alex Frost, who wrote the definitive book on Egan-Walsh and his crimes.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Seventh Victim, which is an engrossing read with several twists and turns and a dark subject matter. It is told from various points of view, mostly Diane, Caroline and Alex and some excerpts from Egan-Walsh’s musing (perhaps a diary) and press accounts. The timeline is mostly current with the odd foray into the past. None of it is complicated to understand, so it offers a comprehensive oversight of the events and personalities involved.

The novel is relatively long and slow and I wondered if this was done explicitly to reflect Diane’s hunt to bring Zachary home, after all twenty five years is a long time to sit in limbo perhaps believing the wrong thing. Still, as I said it is comprehensive and very rewarding for the reader as secrets are gradually teased out and a greater truth revealed finally in a last minute bombshell. I think that I was lulled by the pace and expected something more drawn out, rather than the short burst of truth that happens. It seems realistic to me, even if the manner of the reveal is the most unbelievable thing in the novel.

I liked the characters of Caroline and Alex, who are straightforward in their motives and adept at investigating. I understand to a certain extent Diane’s refusal to move on after some of her actions that day are exposed, but her insistence on finding the body seems a bit unhinged to me. Of course I have never been in her position and can’t relate in the slightest, so while I think that her behaviour seems realistic it didn’t appeal to me.

The Seventh Victim is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

The Seventh victim by Michael wood is a standalone thriller and the first book from the author I have read.
In 1996 Jonathan Egan Walsh was convicted of murdering 13 young boys. Zachary Marshall at the same time went missing and has allegedly been one of his victims. His mother Diane has written several letters to him to asking him where the body of her son is so she can give him a burial but 25 years on, it has never been found.
Jonathan Eagan Walsh is dying of Cancer so his last wish is to give a letter to Zachary’s mother when he dies. When she reads it. She confesses that he didn’t kill him. But if he didn’t kill him. Where is Zachary? She takes the letter to the police, but they are not interested as they have already got their man. So, she contacts the S.I.O in charge of the case that is now retired. And with the help of a journalist that was dealing with the case. They go to find out what happened to him.
I like to thank Harper One more chapter for a copy of the Seventh victim. I found this to be a very dark, well written thriller and quite eye opening. I have read these types of stories before, but this left me a bit squeamish to be honest. I did enjoy this, but I found this to be quite slow and I was expecting a bit more as regards to the ending. 4 stars from me.

When DI Caroline Turner arrests Jonathan Egan-Walsh for attempted child abduction she doesn't initially realise she has caught one of the most prolific child killers ever. Egan-Walsh is convicted of the murder of 13 boys, the bodies of all except one were found in shallow graves wrapped in a white sheet. The missing child, Zachary Marshall, was never found and his mother Diane has never stopped looking for him.
Now 25 years later Egan-Walsh is dead and Diane fears she will never know what happened to her son. Then she receives a letter he wrote before he died claiming he did not kill Zachary but admitting the other murders. Not knowing where to turn Diane contacts Caroline who has now left the police.
They team up with journalist Alex Frost and the three are determined to find Zachary one way or another. But how much will it cost them to find the truth and will it be more than they are prepared to pay.
I love Michael Woods Matilda Darke books so I was really looking forward to this and it did not disappoint. Had me hooked from the spine-tingling first chapter right up until the gripping conclusion.