Oh what a brilliant book. This series just gets better and better!

I was hooked from the first page and read until the early hours as I just couldn't put it down.

The plot was absolutely heart breaking and goes to show we really don't know what goes on behind closed doors.

At times I was moved to tears but there is some lighter moments too.

A fantastic series that I am always recommending to friends.

Can't wait for the next one now.

Wow! Loved this book. I’d not read the others in this series but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this book.

This book starts off with a powerful prologue that grabs you straight away with a boy going into a French Police Station saying he is a child who has been kidnapped. Then straightaway we lead into another child going missing in Sheffield, England.

This book gripped me from the very first page and never let me go. A great storyline that revealed itself as the book went on. Alongside this you have a great group of characters with interesting lives that you want to know more about. Plenty of action throughout the book with great interaction between the characters, and some good dialogue. Then on top of this we have a great ending that had plenty of suspense and tension. For me this book had everything and I strongly recommend it 

Matilda Darke is a great lead character and this book has made me want to go away and get hold of the other books in this series. Most definitely a five star read.

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book to me for an open and honest review.

This book was much stronger than the previous book in the series.  It begins as a young child appears at a French police station, stating he is an English boy who went missing several years before; a case that has haunted DCI Matilda Darke ever since, as she blamed herself for the botched handover of the ransom money.

We then switch to the UK, and Matilda's team is called in as another child is missing, and the mother has had a ransom demand, although the family, struggling with a severely disabled child, have no spare cash to pay it.  From there the story spirals, the tension rises and the culmination is incredibly sad.

Well told, pacy and exciting, I enjoyed this book very much.  It swung the reader around, first suspecting one person, then another, then querying what crime had actually been committed.  Excellent.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I love this series by Michael Wood.  DCI Matilda Darke is one of my favourite characters.  This series never fails to 
Impress.  This was a real page turner, and featured all the elements that we have come to love about this series.

Another cracker from Michael and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment

OMFG!  Michael Wood opens Stolen Children with a hell of a prologue, I’m sure my heart literally stopped! finally a mystery that has run throughout the Matilda Darke series is revealed (but it’s been so worth the wait). I have loved every one of Michael Wood’s Matilda Darke books but I have to say ‘this is the best one yet’......well maybe until the next one! 

Matilda is one of my favourite fictional Detectives I love the way her character is evolving, she’s strong, feisty and determined and yet she has an air of vulnerability, which comes from a cold case that haunts her every waking moment, that of Carl Meagan, a young boy who was kidnapped. Unfortunately Matilda screwed up the ransom drop which led to the kidnappers disappearing along with Carl. Stolen Children opens with the disappearance of nine-year-old Keeley Armitage, who on her way home from a supermarket vanishes without trace. With similarities to the case of Missing Carl, Matilda is more determined than ever to bring Keeley home, and if she doesn’t? well let’s just say it’s the case that could finally break her. 

The case is a disturbing one and one which has a big impact on Matilda and her team, you feel their frustration, their feelings of helplessness as the hours tick by and the likelihood of finding Keeley alive diminish. One of the strengths of this series are the regular characters in Matilda’s team, these are characters with feelings, genuine emotions, and depth which you can find sometimes lacking in a crime thriller. Despite the dark plot, there are moments of humour between Matilda and her team which serve to balance the darkness of the plot.

At times I found Stolen Children to be a disturbing read, due to the nature of the crimes, this book felt much darker and more shocking than previous books in the series, although this may sound wrong I felt it made the book all that more intriguing. There are so many clever twists and turns in this sorrowful tale,  Michael Wood is a brilliant story teller, he manages to build on the tension and suspense whilst delivering a plot that’s shocking but incredibly gripping. This series is going from strength to strength, the only downside of reading Stolen Children i can see is I now have a long wait until the next book in the series. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
I raced through this book, only put it down to sleep last night. I was totally engrossed in the storyline and the characters and found it an extremely sad story.DCI  Matilda Darke and her murder team go from strength to strength with each book. Another outstanding police thriller form Michael Wood. Stolen Children could be one of his best books. Really looking forward to the next episode.
Highly recommended.

I'm a big fan of Matilda and the team so I was looking forward to this latest installment.
And I wasn't disappointed! The hugely emotive storyline of an alleged child kidnapping was gripping and tied in nicely with Matildas past-as well as there being a possible development in this case.
Michael Wood is a great writer and I always zoom through his books. I highly recommend this one!

DCI Matilda Darke has got a hellish case, a young girl has gone missing. Reminders of a previous case where a young boy went missing and was never found and this case opens up painful wounds for her. With her team can she find the little girl before time runs out. 
Now I didn’t realise this was the 6th book in a series and it made no difference to me as I bloody loved it! The humour between the characters was on point and the storyline was brilliant! So guess now has five books added to her tbr pile and will no doubt carry on reading books in the wrong order! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I’m completely hooked on the Matilda Darke series which I only began reading at the back end of last year. This is book 6.

A young girl goes missing - apparently kidnapped - and immediately folk in the know around Sheffield wonder if this is the Carl Meaken case happening all over again.

With a cast of familiar police men and women from the homicide team, whose romantic linkages are becoming more entwined, it is fun to follow the case with these friends. Alongside the main case there are interesting flashbacks to previous cases in the series - it is probably best to read these books in order. But be warned. Once you start you won’t stop. And as for Carl Meaken .... well!

Thanks to NetGalley for sharing this book pre publication in exchange for a fair review.

Another thrilling DCI Matilda Darke book from Michael Wood. This was so thrilling it took my breath away! I never imagined who the killer was or why. Nine year old  Keeley vanishes without trace and suddenly Matilda Darke is taken back in time to the nightmare that was the case of the missing Carl Meagan. Carl was never found and Matilda blames herself every day. She can't let it happen again and is determined to find Keeley alive. Michael Woods writing is amazing, one of the best in this genre. I really enjoyed this book and can't recommend it enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

My thoughts about this brilliantly written, suspense mystery thriller,was just mindblowing. Talented author Michael Wood, has written a story that truly deserves appreciation, and applause, a subject on how children go missing, and who was behind it, was just  fantastic.Loved how the start of the book, when missing child Carl Meagan, enters a police station in France and reveals his the missing child,  who went missing 4 years ago,and 9 year old Keeley Armitage, who vanishes on trip to the supermarket with her sister, took my breath away, the mystery that gets revealed in the end is just incredible, and to find out who the killer, it was outstanding, which I loved about the story the most. The characters are just fantastic,DCI Matilda Darke, is one of the best detectives, in crime fiction. Author Michael Wood Stolen Children, is the 6th book in the series, with full of suspense and mystery, that is just one of the best thrillers of the year. Michael Wood writing is truly just brilliant,just love how he brings he the characters to life with this hardhiting story. A well written, murder mystery thriller that is truly not just remarkable, but outstanding. Highly recommended. I would like to say thank you to author Michael Wood, netgalley and Killer Reads of HQ Stories for giving me a chance and read this outstanding thriller.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💥💥💥💥💥

Why have I not heard of Mathilda Darke before? Beats me! I didn’t know this was the 6th book in the series, and it made me think I might be able to fully enjoy this book. I was wrong, I really did enjoy this book! It’s an intriguing story of a girl disappearing, and the parents getting a ransom demand they simply can’t fulfill. Mathilda’s painful past includes a kidnapping she screwed up solving, and the boy and his faith has been haunting her ever since. A boy in France walk into a police station claiming he’s the boy who’s been missing. Mathilda is up for a lot of work, and barely no sleep. She can’t have two missing children on her conscious.

Strong female lead, and interesting characters in general. I like Mathilda! The story is a solid, good  mystery, but somewhere around the middle of the book I felt like it wasn’t moving forward. A lot of things were happening, but the main plot stood still. It was a bit out of balance since the kidnappings were not the main story anymore, the focus was on the weird family of the missing girl, and the lives of the coppers. Don’t get me wrong, these things are important, but I felt it wasn’t focused enough. Then it got back on track again, which is good.

I will most definitely look for the five previous books in the series, since this book is well-written, the characters exactly like I want detectives to be in a mystery book, and all in all it’s great entertainment, even though the subject is not an easy one.

Two missing children. One found. One lost.

Stolen Children is the sixth book in the DCI Matilda Darke crime thriller series by Michael Wood. I wish to thank the publisher, One More Chapter, NetGalley, and the author for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my unbiased review.

Never before have I gotten goosebumps while reading the Prologue. This is because I’ve read the previous five books, and something incredible happens. You can read the blurb – is it too good to be true? Matilda Darke won’t believe it until she has proof.

However, Matilda can’t focus on the past. Suddenly, she has another missing child case on her plate. Nine-year-old Keeley Armitage has vanished, and her mother reported having received a ransom demand. “Deja vu all over again,” as Matilda relives the nightmare of Carl Meagan’s kidnapping and botched ransom payment on the day her husband died. This haunts her day and night, although she still manages to function. As time passes, her mental state improves; how well will she cope with another missing child? Will Matilda  beforever second-guessing herself and filled with "if onlys" about a case even after it's resolved?

Michael Wood takes us inside the investigation in ways that feel intensely personal. With Family Liaison Officer Ellen Ellen Devonport on duty 24/7 at the Armitage home following the disappearance of Keeley, we get an up-close and personal look at the family, which includes dad Craig, mother Linda, fourteen-year-old sister Jodie, and four-year-old brother Riley, who is severely disabled due to seizures and a brain injury. At first glance, they seem to be a very close-knit, loving family, but the more time Ellen – and the reader – spends with them, the more questions arise about these individuals. At least one is a potential suspect; I would encourage readers to keep an open mind.

Naturally, since it is a Matilda Darke novel, we get a good look at the police angle as well. Matilda has strong support from most of her team, especially DI Christian Brady and DS Sian Mills. Both are solid officers who seem quite loyal and devoted to “Mat.” I love the camaraderie of this team. When one is in trouble, they all have one another’s backs. This is never more evident than when one is pursued or threatened by a suspect. Everyone joins in to help, regardless of personal risk. There never seems to be a Matilda Darke case in which at least one of her team is not in extreme danger, injured, or even killed. In the office, there is still have the candy drawer, although Sian has drawn the line at keeping it filled and now expects others to pitch in. We even get a better look at the relationship Matilda has with her boss Valerie, who soldiers on even though her husband is in a care facility following a massive stroke. There are other personal dramas that emerge as well, as happens in any workplace.

Lest we forget, these folks are the police. When a potential suspect is found murdered, the investigation ramps up, and so does the tension. The parents are becoming more and more anxious and irritable, so you just know something’s about to break. Oh, my yes! I try to avoid using the term “unputdownable” and other clichés, but this is one highly charged, nail-biter of a plot. 

Was it unpredictable? Not exactly, at least, not entirely. But getting there was so much fun. I also loved seeing Matilda start to get out of her deep funk and make positive changes in her personal life. As always, her best friend Adele has a big role in her precious, limited off time once again. But there is someone new in the picture as well. Wink, wink. Will this continue? Only Michael Wood has the answer.

One month after it all began, we are treated to the Epilogue. More goosebumps. I can’t wait to get to number seven!

A 9 year old girl goes missing on a visit to the shops with her older sister adter receiving a ransom call the distraught mothers neighbour calls the police, the missing child's case brings back memories of another missing child case that Matilda was unable to resolve and has haunted her ever since 

Can be read without reading the previous in the series but iwhy would you nor want to immerse yourself in the gripping, thrilling reads by this author

I was hooked from the start and loved this book.It's a great story and DCI Matilda Darke is excellent.5*

I have now read all the books in this series and overall I enjoy both the characters and the plot lines. I thought this one was an interesting premise, and I am enjoying how the original story continues to unfold.

Bloody brilliant! Hooked from the first page. A little disappointed the carl story isn't resolved but a fantastic book.

This is the 6th book in the DCI Matilda Darke series by author Michael Wood. I read the 1st book in this series just over 6 months ago and was instantly drawn in by the strength of the characters and the intriguing plots. Since then I have read all the other books in the series and I am hooked. This book would work as a stand alone, but if you intend to read the series and why wouldn't you I would suggest reading them in order. Also due to cases from earlier books being mentioned it would make more sense to keep to the order.

One of the strengths of this series is the regular characters in DCI Matilda Darke's team, all of them come alive between the pages and are easy to relate to. 

9 year old Keeley Armitage vanishes following a trip to the local supermarket with her sister. While her distraught family is in shock, DCI Matilda Darke can’t help but focus on memories of the Carl Meagan case that almost ruined her career. Carl Meagan was abducted 4 years ago and was never found. Matilda took the failure personally and many people blamed her for him not being found.
 

This is a fast paced crime thriller that will hook you and keep you dangling until the very end. Another excellent novel.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved every one of Michael Wood's Matilda Darke books but this is the best yet.  The writing is excellent, description of people and places is exemplary, and the tension is almost unbearable!  When a child goes missing Matilda is taken back to a kidnapping case which she mis-handled, at a time when her life was falling apart as her beloved husband died.  She is determined to get things right this time but the case is not necessarily as it seems at first and the revelations about the family involved are involving from the start. Tremendous!

5 Stars 

I feel like I waited for this book for a long time, in reality I haven't as the last in the series was out in January, but hey some things are just worth waiting for!

Stolen Children is a breathtaking story, Michael Wood's books have always been a little on the dark side but this one has dropped straight into the abyss of lost and broken souls - not one for the faint-of-heart shall we say.

Along with a strong and compelling storyline, Stolen Children reads at a pace that you will need to prepare yourself for - don't be thinking that you'll be dipping in and out of this one as it will consume you and you will NEED to keep reading!

DCI Matilda Darke - oh I love her - surely this series must be televised soon? Matilda and her team feel like old familiar friends and I am in awe of Michael Wood's ability to bring people to life in this way (and then put them in daily peril, heart in your mouth scenarios, subject them to near death experiences and generally toss them into the washing machine of doom).

I swear I feel like Carl Meagan is a real missing boy - for me he is there with Ben Needham and Madeleine McCann tucked away in a corner of my mind that desperately hopes for them to be found and for their families to finally receive peace.

And then. Oh my. The ending!

Note - this is book 6 in a series, please read the others first:

For Reasons Unknown
Outside Looking In
A Room Full of Killers
The Hangman's Hold
The Murder House

and a short story Victim of Innocence