In this standalone thriller by author Michael Wood, we meet Dawn Shephard – a woman in her early twenties – as she discovers that the father she never knew is in fact a child murderer who is about to be released from prison.

We follow Dawn as she meets with the parents of the murdered teenager, and discovers the grandparents she never knew. As she learns more about the case, and decides whether or not to meet her father, her understanding of the truth of what happened continues to shift until she is able to reach a final conclusion.

I enjoyed this story, and its associated twists and turns. I was kept guessing to the end, and the plot was fast-moving and engaging. I was left with a question or two at the conclusion of the story, but would certainly read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Michael Wood has been an auto-buy author for me for years and this standalone doesn't disappoint.

He always manages to write characters that you invest in and the pacing is so good that you find it difficult to put down!

Excellent stand alone thrill from Michael Wood

One of my favourite authors

Couldn’t put it down

A real page turner

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

Whenever I see one of this author’s books, I always grab it. I really enjoy his writing and his books have had some great stories and plotlines.

Dawn Shepard has always wondered who her father, is, she has imagined a long lost prince, a movie star, a business man and just the run of mill regular guy, but when her mother finally divulges who her father is, she is stunned into silence. Dominic Griffiths, the murderer of a young girl, Stephanie White, twenty years ago. Stephanie was the daughter of Dawn’s most beloved English teacher and she finds that even more difficult to deal with.

Dawn doesn’t know what to think and wonders why she is telling her now. Her mother is only telling her because it looks like Dominic is going to get out of prison and she wants her to be warned and careful. Dawn hears the rumblings that he was not really responsible, because of a drug he took as a young man that may have made him violent.

Dawn tries to deal with this news and decide if she wants to meet him, or if she should just walk away and live her life as she has been, and Dawn start to wonder how much she is like her father.

This was a great read, with a couple of twists I did not see coming. I look forward to more books by this author.

A standalone by Michael Wood

This was gripping and fast paced from the beginning
I was totally taken in

Loved it

This kept me enthralled from start to finish. I was so desperate to know how everything would end that I couldn’t put the boom down. Not only was the plot intense and fast paced, the characters were also so lifelike and relatable. Brilliant read!

I loved this stand alone story by Michael Wood. It had a fantastic story line which had me gripped from the start. I look forward to reading more

I do love a good book by Michael Wood and this stand alone thriller of a book did not disappoint. there is murder, secrets, intrigue. It is chilling, thrilling and heart-racingly good. I could not out it down.

The story of a twenty year case of a missing girl in Northumberland, a family. a killer. This is a fast paced book that will have you turning the pages and delving ever so quickly into the intrigue of Dawn and her investigation into her father. I just couldn't put it down and found it tense, intriguing, exciting and suspenseful. A great read.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a very fast-paced thriller and I really enjoyed it overall! I liked the plot and character development.

Another cracking book by michael wood, he never fails to disappoint with all his twist and turns. Plot twists galore

This book is a lot of things, a close knit community, those dealing with loss and mystery, what is the truth?
The main character Dawn is oblivious to the events of twenty years ago, she comes face to face with those who have been impacted by grief, in different ways. All of the characters have a story and are linked by tragedy.
The storyline moves through the questions that need answering, Dawn has her life changed by her mother and seeks the truth, making new friends along the way!
Dawn’s father being released from prison opens the can of worms, then Dawn races to add in the pieces, just when you think you know what happened another corner is turned!
A great read for anyone who loves a good suspenseful thriller!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dawn has never known her father and has never really cared, she's forging a life for herself as an independent woman. However, when her mother reveals that her father is a convicted childkiller who is just about to be released from prison, Dawn has choices to make. She sees the parents of the murdered girl and her own grandfather, then she meets her father - but can she forgive him?
There is so much to like about this book, the characterisation is excellent, the plot clever. In fact the only thing I didn't like was the ending!

📚 Book Review

Vengeance Is Mine by Michael Wood
One More Chapter, 29th June 2024

It's 20 years since Stephanie went missing on the day she became a teenager. Her dismembered body was found a week later, a man charged and sentenced to 25 years. After being told something different all her life, paralegal Dawn has just been told the shocking truth; that this man is her father, and he is being released.

Dawn is determined to discover what happened all those years ago, by connecting with her father and revisiting the evidence. This was such a gripping story, I read it in one sitting. It's so well-written, it just flows and weaves its spell, captivating for hours! With relatable, true to life characters and an ending that shocked, this had everything I adore about Michael Wood's writing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to One More Chapter and Michael Wood for the eARC provided via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

What a gripping book this was to read. Great characters you could get and a fantastic storyline with twists you really don’t see coming! Definitely a book to read!

I’ve enjoyed previous novels by this author but this time I found this heavy going. Difficult to feel anything for these characters but I ploughed on to the end. Sad but not memorable.

I love this authors Matilda Darke series but was intrigued to see where his writing would take a stand alone thriller-and I’m thrilled to say that he delivered a highly successful and addictive crime thriller that gripped me from start to finish. This is a tale of 2 halves where in the first part we have the first person narrative from Dawn who finds out that her father is a well known and locally loathed serial killer. The second half takes the reader on more of a police procedural journey leading to some shocking twists. I loved the character of Dawn but also found other characters to be relatable especially when it came to the themes that ran through this novel of grief, revenge and acceptance. I’m hoping that we get more stand alone novels from Michael Wood as I adore his characters and how he creates interesting stories around them.

I love Michael’s Matilda Darke series and while this didn’t have the same pace and tension as the books in that series, I still really enjoyed it.
I’m from Newcastle and it was great reading a book set in my home town and reading about familiar places….but, one little gripe…no one calls their mother ‘mum’ in Newcastle, ‘mam’ all the way!

A good read. Dawn has never known who her father is, until a convicted child killer is coming up for release from prison after 20 years. Her mother tells her that he was her father, which is a shock. Dawn is starting out as a paralegal after a happy childhood brought up by her single mother and grandparents. She starts to look into the case and meets up with Dominic, her father, the parents of the girl who was killed and Dominic's father. There is some uncertainty about the crime and an anti-depressant drug which Dominic was using at the time of the crime.
I liked the characterizations in this book. Part 1 is setting the scene and describing the crime(s) and Dawn is getting to know the people involved. Part 2 is a roller-coaster, very twisty and fairly unexpected plot outcomes. Well written and well thought out.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Having seen this book recommended by people in the online book club I’m in, and was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to read in on NetGalley, I read it in a day.. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I love Michael Wood’s Matilda Darke series so was looking forward to reading this standalone novel.
20 years ago, 13 year old Stephanie was murdered in Northumberland.. Her murderer has been in prison since then and is soon to be released. Dawn Shephard has grown up not knowing who her father is but as the news breaks about the release of Stephanie’s murderer Dawn discovers this is her birth father.
The novel is divided into two sections, the first is from Stephanie’s point of view, following her journey as she reexamines the case against her father in the hope of proving his innocence. The second half of the novel is more of a police procedural set after the release of Dawn’s father from prison.
It took me a while to get into the novel but once I did I found it to be a gripping and compelling read. The two halves work well and I felt immersed in Dawn’s journey as the reader is drawn into her dilemma about whether her birth father is guilty or innocent. The police procedural aspect worked well and there were plenty of twists and red herrings in this section.
An enjoyable thriller.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.