Need to check out more by thus author because I flew though thus book like crazy , didn't want to putit down at all when I was reading it .

If you like slow burn, chilling psychological thrillers with interesting characters and a smart, capable female lead, read The Mind of a Murderer.
Dr. Olivia Winter is a renowned forensic psychologist who studies serial killers. Having survived an attempt on her life by a serial killer when she was 9 years old, she understands the victim's perspective, but she wants to understand why killers kill. Few people know her dark history, but her best friend from childhood is now a police detective and she asks for Olivia's help in understanding a new "thrill killer" who is terrorizing London. Reluctantly, Olivia is drawn into the investigation, but when she finally puts the pieces together to identify the killer, will it be too late to save herself? Dark and moody with good character development, but fell shy of a 5-star read for me because I felt like the story could have been a bit "tighter" (it went on too long, and there was a bit too much repetition of characters' thoughts).

I’ve read a number of Michael Wood books so was well prepared to suspend belief in parts. However the plot was just too far off likely or even possible to let me enjoy it. Please Mr Wood before you release another involving British police ask someone to just check over it to advise if it would pass even a broad stroke of realistic police procedure. .

Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist with a dark and disturbing past .
Her father was a serial killer killing her mother and sister but leaving Olivia wounded but alive .
Who is better placed to understand the mind of a murderer ?
Olivia is renowned in her field writing best sellers and giving lectures globally .
However , she never works on live cases , that is until her friend asks her to help in the hunt fora serial killer who is killing women in London.
This book is edge of the seat stuff a definite page turner .
The writing is excellent and the story kept me gripped .
Michael Wood’s books get better and better .
A definite five star read!
Highly recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

This book requires the reader to take everything they think they know about how the police operate (even in the UK where this book takes place) and just.... throw it out the window. Seriously. This one is just so over the top in places that it defies belief.

First we have Oliva. Her character should have been absolutely fascinating. A forensic psychiatrist who not only interviews/studies serial killers for a living, but is also the daughter (and almost victim of), one of the most notorious serial killers in London's history. She definitely has her flaws and issues (rough, casual sex just to feel something is one of those flaws, a whiny, inner monologue that we are subjected to repeatedly is another), but that wasn't my issue with her. No, my issue with her was more than that.

To begin with, Olivia consistently says two things about herself. She does NOT get involved in active investigations, and she is not a profiler. And yet, she does both repeatedly. When she is first approached by Jessica (who we later find out was her best friend when she was a child as well), she adamantly shuts her down. But of course, the files Jessica left behind "call" to Olivia and she just can't help but look at them. And of course, she sees something none of the trained officers working the case have seen. So she reaches out to Jessica to tell her, and thinks nothing of it when she gets no response. Only to find out that Jessica was also a victim of the killer. And she was pregnant.

Enter DI Foley, Jessica's partner? Superior officer? I'm not really sure what he was to her other than the father of her child. He basically bullies Olivia into not only continuing to help with the investigation because he and his team "need her", and then browbeats her into accompanying him to the crime scene as well. He tells her he will take her back whenever she wants, but of course, once they get there he goes back on his word because as you will see time and again this man at his core (as he does have brief moments of humanity), is nothing but a callous tyrant who will do anything to get his way. He even goes so far as to continue to push someone in interview even after Olivia tells him he is not the killer. His reasoning? If he arrests this man (even knowing he is innocent) it will buy him some time to get the brass and the press off of his back while he continues to look for the real killer.

At this point, I am not only questioning why Olivia, who is not only technically a civilian, but also a close friend to the victim allowed to continue to work her case, AND taken to an active crime scene (as they toured the scene while it was still being processed), but moreover, why was Foley and his team continued to be allowed to work the death of their friend and colleague? Am I the only person who read this and saw the glaring conflict of interest here? Olivia even asks Foley at one point if he should be working the case given how close he was to the victim, to which he retorts he is the best person to be working it. Again, where were HIS superiors to put a stop to this?

But of course, Olivia is now on board, and she even goes so far as to give the police several potential profiles on their killer. Even though, remember, she tells us time and again that she is definitely NOT a profiler. Then what are you doing?

Another pet peeve I had about Olivia is despite knowing there is a serial killer on the loose (and she fits his profile), she continues to drink until she's "fuzzy" to the point she fumbles with one of the locks on her door before she gives up on locking it. Because surely having your wits scattered by alcohol is a great way to fend off a killer. And then we have Mister X (I'm going to call him that to avoid spoilers). He enters her home, accosts her, nearly takes advantage of her in the worst way possible (insert a potentially triggering R word here) and yet when all is said and done and she manages to get away from him she ...... ends up feeling SORRY for him. Somehow, she justifies what he almost did to her because he was "lonely" and even talks about going in front of a judge to speak on his behalf. She then actually gets sad and cries when he takes his own way out of the situation.

Seriously? You're almost violated, and you find a way to excuse his behavior?

The one good thing I can say about this one is while I had my suspicions on who might be behind the killings, I was wrong. The person who was responsible was someone who hadn't been on my radar, and even then Olivia manages to mess this up by going and accidentally tipping him off that she knew it was him instead of going straight to the police even though she says she should. The reason she didn't immediately call Foley? Because it reflected poorly on her (even though again she swears she's not a profiler and she doesn't work active cases), because she didn't immediately see that it was him therefore it meant her focus wasn't 100% on the job at hand.

I forced myself to finish the book after that, just to be disappointed with the ending too. I will not be continuing on with this series in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

What a book this was... full of twists, great fast-paced thriller... loved it!
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this copy.

This was a fast-paced serial killer thriller. Not the best I've read but a seriously solid read. I would recommend it.

Thank you #netgalley and #harpercollinsUK #onemorechapter for the eARC.

Book 1 in a brand new series from the author of the Matilda Darke series. I was hooked from start to finish. Olivia is a great character a d I look forward to see where this character is taken next. Great book. 4.5 stars.

Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist whose job is to understand the minds of serial killers. There’s only one monster she can’t understand, her father.

A NEW IDENTITY

Notorious and brutal, he held a reign of terror until he was caught. His nine-year-old daughter was supposed to be his last victim, but she survived.

A SERIAL KILLER WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING

Now, a serial killer is stalking the streets of London. As the body count rises, the police need Olivia’s help to profile him before he can strike again. But to do so, she will need to confront her own demons.

The Mind of a Murderer is the first book in a new series following the story of forensic psychologist, Dr Olivia Winter. Olivia's father was a prolific serial killer who finished his killing spree by murdering his own wife and daughter, whilst attempting to also kill 9 year old Olivia.
Now, there's a new serial killer in town and the police enlist Olivia's help to help them understand and track him down, but it forces her to face her demons.

This is the first book I've read by Michael Wood and I can't even explain how much I enjoyed it. I was gripped from the very beginning and hooked right up until I finished it, very late one night!

The characters were well written. Olivia is a strong woman, who is fragile underneath and I was 100% behind her throughout the book; she is a wonderfully complex character who I can't wait to read more about. Detective Amyas Foley was another favourite characters and I enjoyed reading about their interactions.

The story was faultless and full of unexpected twists, just when I thought I had it all figured out it went in a totally different direction. This book saw me holding my breath, sitting on the edge of my seat and literally staying up all night to read more.

I can't wait to see what happens next in the Dr Olivia Winter series and I will certainly be looking up other books by this author. One of my favourite books of this year.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Forensic psychologist Olivia Winter gets brought into a case to help identify a serial killer despite the fact that she doesn’t work active cases anymore after a traumatic incident left her scarred both physically and mentally. Her father was a serial killer and killed her mother and sister and left her for dead. Olivia has a lot of issues despite being an educated and independent woman. She tends to be self sabotaging even though she’s been through an experience that left her emotionally damaged. She goes to see him in prison for the first time to try and get some insight on this new serial killer she’s looking into and it forces her to face her own demons.
The book started out fairly well and then kinda got slow and by the end I was kinda like meh. The killer was predictable so that kinda took some of the fun out of it for me. It was still an interesting look at the relationship between the serial killer and his victims and why they do what they do.
Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ serial killer thriller
Series ~ Dr. Olivia Winter #1
Setting ~ London
Publication date ~ March 28, 2024
Page Count ~ 454 (p+ 54 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 14 hours 27 minutes
Narrator ~ Olivia Mace
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ brutal murders, some steamage

Olivia is the daughter of infamous serial killer Richard Button. Known as the The Riverside Killer who killed 8 women, including his own wife and daughter, before he was caught. Now, 25 years later, she is a forensic psychologist helping the police try to catch the newest serial killer in London.

Overall, I do enjoy serial killer books and this one hit all the marks in what I expected from it, but it just felt so long. It was repetitive, too. I was reading 2 books at the same time ~ 68% into this one and there’s still over 3 hours left, 68% into the other and there’s 1 hour and a half left, so what does that tell you? Long chapters, long paragraphs and lotsa info. I’ll probably read the next in the series to see what’s next for Olivia and if DI Foley will be in it because I did like him.

Btw ~ the sausage dog was kicked, but he’s okay. Olivia even took him to the vet to make sure.

Here are the quick notes that I posted on pub day.
~ took me ages to get through
~ felt suuuuper long
~ excess information ~ one example ~ Foley only has a solid oak wardrobe, a king sized bed and a single bedside table in his bedroom. Please tell me why I should care? We’re trying to catch a murderer here.
~ speaking of ~ killer was so obvious to me, so maybe I should look into a new career in law enforcement.

Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist, focusing on understanding the minds of serial killers. And with her new identity, one precious few know that she is the daughter of one of the most notorious serial killers.

Now, a serial killer is on the streets of London and Olivia has been called into the investigation to offer insight and hopefully help catch the offender.

The suspense!! This one kept me captivated, following along with Olivia's current story and backstory. It was one of those novels where I felt potential suspects were lurking at every corner and the tension was high.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this gifted review copy.

This was a great book. I couldn’t imagine living through what the main character lived through and then go on to study serial killers. There were some twists in this book that really made it interesting.

I rather enjoyed this book! This plot was one I had a feeling I’d really enjoy and it did not disappoint. I love nothing more than a thriller book where they’re trying to hunt down a killer.
I loved the plot choice of using a psychologist who specialises in understanding serial killers to help an ongoing case. It made for an interesting concept that added a nice layer of extra plot points overall.
I liked the main character Olivia and I could see her being a great character in the future. There were times that she did become slightly whiny and I didn’t feel it fitted in with her character too well but it was not enough to put me off at all.
I would definitely recommend this one to people who like a serial killer thriller or a detective thriller.
I’m pretty sure this is the start of a series as well so I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series!

The premise of this book had me very excited to read it. I actually really enjoyed the first part of it. Then, it felt like the good book I had started reading fell apart and I was handed a completely different one. I didn't really enjoy the writing style, but I think it was more due to the fact that I did not care for the main character.

SPOILER ALERT:

*Spoiler: I think it fell apart for me when Olivia's "best friend" ends up being murdered and she doesn't have any reaction whatsoever, no tears, nothing. I was just not invested in any of the characters, and just did not like Olivia honestly. This book got repetitive for me and I figured out who the bad guy was early in the book and didn't really care to finish it honestly. I'm sorry to say this just wasn't for me.

Well this was a book I just couldn’t put down, and it was nearly 2 in the morning when I finished this one up. The Mind of a Murderer is the first book in the Dr. Olivia Winter series by Michael Wood.

Olivia Winter has a seriously dark and twisted past: the daughter and survivor of a serial killer she is now a forensic psychologist. And now a new serial killer is on the loose in London and Olivia has been asked to work the case. To say this story is incredibly intense and gripping would be a massive understatement. Excellent characters and a wonderfully dark twisted narrative made this one an incredibly compelling book. I’d put in this one up there with Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs. You don’t want to miss out on this one, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book. Thanks so very much to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of The Mind of a Murderer.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mind-of-a-murderer-michael-wood/1143752480?ean=9780008618858&bvnotificationId=39334b28-ed85-11ee-b0c3-0affd9ac2ed9&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/275478071

The Mind of a Murderer
By Michael Wood

“Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist whose job is to understand the minds of serial killers. There's only one monster she can't understand, her father.”

“ Notorious and brutal, he held a reign of terror until he was caught. His nine-year-old daughter was supposed to be his last victim, but she survived.”

“Now, a serial killer is stalking the streets of London. As the body count rises, the police need Olivia's help to profile him before he can strike again. But to do so, she will need to confront her own demons...”

This was a thriller that truly had me guessing till the end who the killer was. It took me awhile to get through the book and some sections kinda dragged for me. But I still think it was a good read. I feel like the excitement picks up in spots. I actually really enjoyed the psychology of it all. It gave me Dr. Reed from Criminal Minds vibes. If you enjoy those shows and them working through the cases and evidence to profile a killer you will definitely love this book, When the story comes together you are definitely like omG! The Mind of a Murderer indeed.

Thank you NetGalley, HarpersCollins UK, and One More Chapter for this arc and the opportunity to give my honest unbiased review.

Wow wow wow what a book! I’ve read a few of Michael Woods’s books in the past and have just been reminded that I need to go back and read some more.

Dr Olivia Winter works as a forensic psychologist who specialises in serial killers, she interviews them (once they are caught and safely behind bars), she writes about them and she lectures about them.

Then one day Olivia gets a visit from her friend Jessica, she is actively working on a serial killer case and she and her boss DI Foley need Olivia’s help to catch him. Reluctantly Olivia refuses, with a serial killer father Olivia knows exactly how dangerous they can be and for her own sake, the sake of her health and mental wellbeing she swears she will never work on an active case.

Things take a twist when the serial killer then kills Jessica, now her friend has been brutally murdered something inside Olivia has snapped and she works alongside DI Foley determined to help him catch the killer. Olivia will do everything in her power to make this happen including taking a trip into her dark mind and getting some answers out of her father on what makes a serial killer tick.

When Olivia eventually discovers who the killer is she will stop at nothing to catch him even if this means putting herself in danger, for the killer has a certain attraction to her, the daughter of a serial killer. It’s as if the two sides are attracted to each other.

What a fantastic read the mind of a murdered was and I’m super excited to see that this is book 1 of what hopefully will be a new and very exciting series. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more in the future. What I love about Micheal Wood’s books are that they throw the reader in so many directions you have no clue who is behind the crime. At one point I suspected just about everyone apart from the person who was the actual killer.

I was hooked right from the start and enjoyed every world I read. I lived the ending that last letter I found was thrilling on its own. What an exciting read, I can’t remember the last time I got this excited about a book. Without a doubt my book of the year so far!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Intence and thrilling, just as expected from one of my favourite authors, who never fails to shock. The lead character is Dr. Olivia Winter. A forensic psychologists who is advising the police on a serial killer case. Once I started this book I could not put it down. Absolutely brilliant.

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Mind of a Murderer by Michael Wood. The Mind of a Murderer is published by One More Chapter today (that's Thursday 28th March 2024) and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of The Mind of a Murderer but that has in no way influenced my review.

A serial killer is stalking the streets of London, preying on single women in their homes. The killer, being forensically aware, leaves no trace behind leaving the Metropolitan Police at a loss. With the timespan between each murder reducing at a rapid rate, the police decide to turn to Dr Olivia Winter, a forensic psychologist for help. But Olivia doesn't get involved with active cases. She prefers dealing with killers when they're locked up behind bars. However, with this killer, things have suddenly become very personal. With her own tragic history weighing her down, can Olivia help the Met catch one of London's most prolific serial killers before the body count rises even further...?

The Mind of a Murderer is an intriguing, pacy serial killer thriller and the start of a brand new series from one of my favourite authors. If you're a regular visitor to the blog then you may have seen me mention DCI Matilda Darke before. I've read all but one (weirdly the first one!) of the series so far and I will continue to read them for as long as Michael Wood writes them. They're dark, shocking and I really enjoy the way Wood torments his characters -- killing one off here, changing another's life forever there. He really puts his characters through the mill! So I was excited to read The Mind of a Murderer and meet new creation, Dr Olivia Winter. There are plenty of Wood's trademark shocks and surprises present. But there are also quite a few differences which make this new character distinct. The most obvious is that Olivia is a forensic psychologist (yes, I did Google what a forensic psychologist does - just to be sure) rather than your run-of-the-mill detective. I thought this was an interesting choice and gave the book a very different feel to other serial killer thrillers I've read recently. Particularly as Olivia repeatedly tells her police colleagues that she's not a profiler but then, in the next breath, delivers a profile of the killer. Makes for a good reading though!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Mind of a Murderer is a well-paced, compulsive start to what promises to be an intriguing new series. I found Olivia to be an interesting but slightly frustrating character. I had a couple of niggles about her that I just couldn't shake. First though, I need to give some background. Olivia was nine-years-old when her otherwise loving father was unmasked as a serial killer. He brutally killed Olivia's mother and her younger sister. Olivia walked in on the carnage but managed to escape the house. However, her father found her and wanting to finish the job off, stabbed her four times in the shoulder. She hasn't seen her serial killer father for twenty-five years. I don't understand how, with her past, she has taken the career path she has. She's clearly highly traumatised by her past (who wouldn't be??!) so it felt like an odd choice. I know it's only fiction but it just didn't sit right with me. I hope that by the time book two is available, I will have gotten over my initial reservations. Olivia's best friend is killed fairly early on in the book. She sheds a tear or two and then gets stuck into the investigation. Later on in the book a man Olivia hardly knows dies, yet Olivia is consumed with grief. A tidal wave of tears and anger at the death of an almost stranger who caused her actual harm. I found it all very peculiar. I keep telling myself it was an accumulation of grief over time, but I'm not sure. Please don't get me wrong, these are all small niggles that most people won't mind in the slightest. I've been very nit-picky here. I've had a look at other reviews for this book and they tend to be five stars all the way. I did enjoy the plot. I wasn't able to guess whodunit and I liked the set-up. I would recommend this book to crime fiction fans who don't mind a little sauciness in their reads (Olivia is a woman with needs!). Also good if you're looking for a different take on a serial killer case rather than the traditional detective (although there are plenty of traditional detectives present!). I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series. Michael Wood is a fantastic author and I am a huge fan of his work. I feel perhaps he has laid the groundwork and now it's time to really build the character on book one's foundations.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Mind of a Murderer. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.