Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter for the copy of The Mind Of A Murderer by Michael Wood. Wow, this was a creepy serial killer story! It was shocking and parts were graphic and hard to read. I loved how there are so many possible suspects, so it was hard to know if anyone could be trusted. This book could keep up all night until you finally find out who the culprit is, so be warned. I hated how some of the things Olivia did made her look stupid, especially with her background. I also really disliked the random explicit sex scenes that took away from the main story, so I’m not sure this author is for me, but I’m glad I read this one!

Thanks to Michael and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Mind of a Murderer before the publication date.

Lock the doors and check the cupboards before sitting down to read this book! It is a real page turner as it delves into the minds of serial killers.

The tension is high from the first chapter. Just when you think it can’t get any higher, it does.
The descriptions of the crimes are quite graphic and maybe not for the feint hearted.
That is balanced by some touches of humour and a couple of racy chapters.

There are numerous red herrings and plenty of twists and turns before the truth will out.

Is this going to be a series?

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I haven’t had the opportunity to read any other books by Michael Wood, but I saw this book getting a lot of positive reviews so I was excited to get an opportunity to read it. If you love a strong female lead and a good serial killer book, then The Mind of a Murderer is for you! The book was very dark at times, but I loved Dr Olivia Winter and Detective Foley. I will be patiently waiting for the next book in the series and going to read more Michael Wood novels!

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

I read this book through to the end, but found it to be longwinded, and it just dragged, especially at the beginning when it's supposed to grab your attention and continuing through the middle. It was only during the last quarter that the book sped up, I didn't want to be defeated, so read about Olivia and her relationship with her father.

I didn't really enjoy it, I felt that there was too much that was just not believable. Like Olivia's neighbour - would someone who studied murders really allow a stranger into her home, with a key, to look after her dog?

I am sorry, but this book was not for me.

I think I have found my new favorite thriller series.

Olivia Winter is the best forensic psychologist in London. It might be because her father the notorious Riverside Killer. Now she is back looking for a killer just like her dad.

Michael Wood reels you in and doesn’t let you back up for air until the very end. This story sends you on every twist and turns you can get.

You can feel the emotions Olivia is struggling through the whole time with trying to find this killer without her past dragging her down.

This book has you looking in a different directions, I never guess who the killer was until the very end and I was mind blown. 🤯

I can’t wait to see where this series goes and maybe a bubbling romance

Genre: Thriller
APK: Ebook
Pages: 454
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Series or Standalone: Dr. Olivia Winter Book #1

Content Warnings: Attempted Rape,

I must confess I have not read much of the authors work but, as soon as I read the title ‘The mind of a murderer’ I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
This is the first book in the Dr Olivia Winter series. She is a Forensic Psychologist who get into killer’s minds. She is in the top of her field and s there has been books written about her. But she is holding one secret. Her father is notorious serial killer Richard Button. Not only did he kill several women, but he killed her mother and sister. Only she survived.
When DI Foley contacts Olivia asking for help. There is a serial killer stalking women on the streets of London and killing in their own homes. DI Foley wants Olivia to find the killer before he kills again.
Wow, what I say this is so good. It is such a chilling read and quite scary to think what goes on in a killer’s head. I won’t give too much away. There is lots of twists and turn which will keep you at the edge of your seat throughout. I can’t wait for the next instalment which sadly says at the end of the book that its not until next year. 5 Stars.

Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist who studies serial killers. As a 9 year old, she barely survived being stabbed by a serial killer - her father. She only interviews the killers after they are caught and never gets involved in ongoing investigations until her best friend is killed and she agrees to help the police work the case. Her insight into killers produces several leads but her own paranoia and personal issues add another layer of tension to the plot. This book is addictive from the beginning. There is a constant sense of danger and there are several possible suspects and red herrings. Ultimately the killer's identity was a twist I didn't see coming.
#MindofaMurderer #NetGalley

Amazing !!! 5 star book. The Mind of a Murderer is a psychological thriller that will keep you reading late into the night. I could not put this book down. Dr. Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist who studies serial killers who have been caught and are in prison. Her father, Richard Button, is in prison because he is a serial killer who also killed her mother and sister, and also stabbed Olivia 4 times.

This book has so many ins and outs and twists and bombshells, it will keep you on your toes. I cannot wait for the next in the series to be released. This is a new author for me and I enjoyed every minute of it. I could not figure out who was the new serial killer until it was revealed. The characters were likable, the book was readable, and it was fast paced. I loved it.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it and I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to One More Chapter for my early access to read and review this book.

I know that it will be a cracking read when it's written by Michael Wood. He is the Master of Horror and suspence! The book begins in Feb 2024, Detective Inspector Jessica Sheffield and her work partner Detective Inspector Amyas Foley attending a murder scene. DI Foley asked Jessica to go to her best friend, Dr Olivia Winter, a forensic psychologist for help with a serial muder case. Jessica is relunctant as she knows this could affect her friendship with Olivia. However, soon after, DI Foley asks Olivia to come in to the police station to brief the Major Crime Unit on the murder spree where she meets DS Leon Rippner and DS Holly Goodfellow, who play a part of being on the team. The story is told over two time periods - 2024 and 1999, this when we found out Olivia's background and why she became the adult she is today!! This story has been a rollercoaster of a ride and I didn't want to stop reading. It's taut. tense and unputdownable!! I highly recommend you pick up this book and discover a surprising ending. Olivia Wilde is wild by name and wild by nature!

This is a very dark book but its an interesting read. The main character has a dark past she has always tried to hide but when she is reluctantly brought into help on a murder case, all her secrets come out and her life is thrown into turmoil. But with a serial killer on the loose, she has to put her fears and worries aside to help the police catch this killer. Little does she know, the killer is now interested in her and he is not the onl one. A twisty, turney read. Very good.

Enjoyed this book and found it quite gripping despite a few quibbles with logistics.
Fast paced, page turner

“That was what fascinated Olivia more than anything, although, the more she thought about it, it terrified her slightly, too. Who knew what was going through the mind of each individual?”

Olivia Winter is the daughter of a serial killer. When she was nine, her father killed her mother and sister and then attacked her. She survived the stabbing, but that event shaped Olivia, motivating her to become a forensic psychologist. She interviews convicted killers to learn how they think and identify WHY they kill. Now a new killer is terrorizing London and despite not usually working active cases, Olivia decides to help. Who better to catch a killer than the daughter and victim of one?

If you enjoy profiling and behavioral science this is for you! The analyzing of the crimes and psychology behind the killer’s behavior reminded me of the TV show Criminal Minds. A favorite of mine! There were small areas where the behavior of a few characters was inconsistent. This seemed out of place but overall didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the tense intellectual chase!

Suspects and red herrings abound and kept me guessing, though the final reveal was not surprising. (Probably all the profiling shows I watch!)The trauma of Olivia’s past with her father (whose mind we delve into-*shiver*) mixed with the deep study of twisted behavior and this taut crime story had me riveted! The Mind of a Murderer is the first book in a series about Dr. Olivia Winter and I definitely want to read the next one!

Thank you Michael Wood, One More Chapter, Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Scroll down for potential spoiler trigger warnings.
































⚠️Violence, gore, language, sexual situations, stalking, menacing, death

I think Michael Wood is the master of psychological thrillers. His DI Matilda Darke series is excellent, and this start of a new series promises to be just as good.

Olivia Winter is not a profiler; she is a world-famous forensic psychologist who studies serial killers. The twist is that her father is a convicted serial killer who killed her mother and sister and attempted to kill nine-year-old Olivia before he was captured. Now he is in a London hospital after heart surgery, and he wants to see Olivia--this is just when a new killer is stalking women using a similar killing method as her father. Is there a connection? When the killer strikes close to home, Olivia agrees to help the police investigation despite dredging up painful memories and putting her own life in danger.

I found Olivia to be an engaging character with a strong personality despite her emotional baggage. The story is dark and twisty, just the way I like them. I'm looking forward to this new series. 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and One More Chapter, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is March 28, 2024.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I was introduced to this author through the Matilda Darke series, which I enjoyed very much. This is the first in a new series with Olivia Winter, forensic psychologist, as the main protagonist. It's a good premise for a character - survivor of a serial killer attempt on her life - which influences her career choice and behaviours. I was enjoying getting to know Jessica the detective before Olivia was introduced and, I felt the change of voice was quite abrupt, though necessary for the story arc.

There are lots of likeable characters here, who I hope will make it into subsequent books so we can get to know them better. I especially liked Foley and the chemistry between him and Olivia is good.

I thought there were perhaps too many cliches thrown in at times - certainly a Silence of the Lambs influence, and the development of Olivia's relationships with the male characters was a bit predictable at times. Still, a good first start and I will certainly continue to follow this series.

This twisty tale of murder and mayhem is mind blowing. In order to understand a serial killer’s mind, you must be the survivor of a serial killer, and Olivia Winter had suffered through a terrible ordeal at the hands of a serial killer when she was only 9 years old. And that killer was her own father.

Olivia is a forensic psychologist who has written books on serial killers and has studied them in depth. When she is asked by the police to investigate a serial killer stalking the streets of London, she defiantly says no. She refuses to help in an active investigation, her job is merely to study the psychology behind the killers’ minds. But the pressure from her best friend gets to her and she finally decides to help.

Even though her home is a fortress, she begins to feel unsafe and jittery in her own private sanctuary. Things aren’t right. And women keep dying. Olivia must dig deep to find this killer and she must do it quickly.

This book is shocking and unpredictable. You won’t see what’s around every corner and you definitely won’t predict the ending. This is a great book if you don’t mind a little shock value. I rate this book 5 stars and I hope you’ll read it. Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC.

First publication I've read by Michael Wood.
Absolutely loved this book.
don't give out many five star reviews but this publication is worthy of one.
Grabbed me from the word go and kept me enthralled all the way through, with a few unseen twists along the way. Going to look into the author's other books and if they are half as good, you've got a new fan, Mr Wood.

*4.5 stars*

Dr Olivia Winter has a dark past and a dark present - she is a forensic psychologist who studies serial killers, and what makes them tick. She should have more insight than most, as she’s actually the daughter of a serial killer - in fact, her father tried to kill her when she was just 9 years old, and that was after he’d just killed her mother and sister, and confessed to killing other women too.

Olivia has never seen her father since his incarceration, and to this day, she still has no idea why he did what he did. He still sends her birthday and Christmas cards, which she throws away, but what on earth goes through his mind, what made him become the monster that he is?

Now, another serial killer is terrorising the women of London and Olivia is asked if she’ll help the police by profiling the killer. She agrees, but it will mean facing her own demons which haunt her every day, and have done since she was 9 years old.

Gosh, this is a real page turner. Michael Wood’s remarkable new psychological thriller gives a fascinating yet disturbing insight into the relationship between a serial killer and his victims. It’s deeply engaging and thought provoking, and the tension at times becomes unbearable due to the quality of the writing, making you turn the pages as if hypnotized by the narrative.

This is a chilling read, but if you're brave enough to venture hand-in-hand with the author, onto the London streets frequented by a serial killer, you'll certainly be well rewarded, for ‘The Mind of a Murderer’ is exceptional and hugely recommended.

This was ok but not what I was expecting. I’ve tried a couple of the authors books now and I’m guessing his style just isn’t for me.

I found it difficult to connect with the main character, felt the pacing was a bit to relaxed for my reading preferences and I do have issue with sex scenes in books.

That said the misdirection and twists are well done. A book I imagine will be enjoyed my many and I am in the minority

Somebody is killing women in their own homes and when Dr Olivia Winters best friend is also killed, she agrees to help the police as she’s a forensic psychologist - she tries to understand the minds of serial killers.

As a child, nine-year-old Olivia almost died at the hands of The Riverside Killer - aka her own father! He is one serial killer that she cannot understand.

What an outstanding psychological thriller this is! The story was intense and I was quite literally on the edge of my seat. I had to keep taking breaks towards the end, I’m surprised I had any nails left.

The prologue was incredibly well written and I felt for Olivia. She had a terrible thing happen to her as a child and I could understand her ways to help her get through the day.

I can’t wait to read more in this new series by the author. Dr Olivia Winters is a force to be reckoned with. The killer left me feeling chilled to the bone.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harper Collins UK for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Now….this book was just wow. This is Book 1. in the Dr Olivia Winter series and oh my….I can't wait for the 2nd book. It was the perfect page-turner with the best imaginable pace. The characters were well-developed, although there were some moments when I wanted to slap Olivia. There were some repetitive parts (when I wanted to slap Olivia), but it didn't take me out of the story enough to be annoyed. The backstory of Olivia was well crafted and I liked the psychological parts. As a former Forensic Psychologist and behavioural analyst myself, I'm not shocked easily anymore (not sure if that's a good thing or not lol), but this book is definitely not for the fainthearted under us. I believe you need to have a massive stomach to digest this book. I could understand that some people might find several scenes disturbing. While I truly enjoy the look into a twisted mind, it is not for everyone…BUT I LOVE IT. There were enough twists, turns and surprises that kept me engaged from start to finish. Although you normally can find me reading in Pretzel mode, this book made me pace up and down…I couldn't sit down. This is an amazing read if you are a fan of Dark Thrillers.