All I can say is WOW! I hadn’t read any of the books in this series when I started Time is Running Out so didn’t know what to expect, but it was riveting, dark and deadly. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so it’s really hard to review this book, but suffice to say that it had real page-turning quality, an intriguing and pacy story line, an interesting cast of characters and took turns I didn’t expect.

To be honest it was also far more gory and violent than I was expecting - so watch out if you find that sort of stuff difficult to handle - but it was still handled deftly and I felt genuinely sad at some of the events, while being able to picture several of the significant scenes due to the descriptive writing.

I’ll definitely be reading more Michael Wood books.

With thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

5 Stars from me

This is a total BOOM BOOM POW! of a book.

Having absolutely loved the rest of the books in the series, I had no doubt that I would also love this one. So much so that once I had it, I put off reading it so that it wasn't over too soon!

BOOM wow what an opening for a book! Mr Wood pulls no punches with this one - it is packed with in your face non sensical violence page after page after page. But the beginning - superb.

Having followed the series, Matilda and her team are like old friends for me and I was understandably shocked at the extent of the author's, errr... housekeeping throughout the book.

Not as shocked as one reviewer though, I almost laughed out loud when I read this review:






















Senseless killing of happy characters that you care about. Er yes dear, that's kind of the point...

Time Is Running Out doesn't follow the standard formulaic structure of the standard police procedural (no complaints about those, I love them), instead of the 'plot build, red herrings, shock moment, satisfying ending' it is more of a 'hold on tight, it's going to be a bumpy ride and I hope you are wearing your big girl pants' kind of a thing!

Yes it is gruesome. Yes it is shocking. Yes it is brutal. Yes it is violent. Yes, characters that you love are going to die. Yes there is indiscriminate murder throughout. And yes, I found certain parts of it uncomfortable to read - should probably chuck a trigger warning in here somewhere but I don't want to give spoilers... tricky one.

But, more importantly, it is brilliant. It is a blockbuster. IT SHOULD BE A TELEVISED SERIES - I desperately want to be seeing this on my tv. I want to be watching Matilda and her team in glorious technicolour - I can't wait to see who is cast as Matilda, who is James (for surely he will have to be included even if only in flashbacks) and just how full is Sian's snack drawer?

I also had a moment of pure unadulterated joy while reading this when I came across this tweet using my twitter name, in the actual book! I was reading in bed (as slovenly as you are imagining, yes) sipping coffee and suddenly saw this:

I nearly spat out the coffee, squealed and grinned like a fool for the rest of the day - it was such a surprise and I am struggling to convey how insanely happy it made me #ThankYou

Not a book for those of a delicate constitution, but most superbly written and packed full of excitement and unpredictable moments, and boy we need some of those right now don't we!

I cannot wait for the next book - how on earth will he follow this one?!

Most definitely recommended but do yourself a favour and go back to the beginning and read all of the books in the series first - you will enjoy this one all the more for doing so.

So budge up Jed Mercurio, when you are done working on Line of Duty (thank you for Line of Duty I bloody love it) I think it is time for you to meet Matilda.

Book 7 in the Matilda Darke series, I don’t think my review can give this book the justice it deserves. An absolute cracker of a read. I have read all the books in this series and this one was simply brilliant.

’ve been so excited for the publication of the latest in the Matilda Darke series! This is book seven and I’ve been there since book one as it’s one of my very favourite crime thriller series and I adore Matilda! But this book…it’s like the past six books have been the stepping stones to this shocking, often disturbing and definitely distressing storyline.

If you haven’t read any of the previous Matilda Darke books then I would say that this is probably not the best book to start your reading relationship with her-you won’t get the most from it as you won’t know the backstories of the characters which you definitely need here. What starts as an ordinary day takes a sinister turn when DCI Matilda Darke receives a strange phone call. And when she ventures outside after a fire alarm is set off, she recognises that something doesn’t feel quite right. The day that follows will deliver challenges, loss and bravery…and lots of tears from this reader! I was a broken woman by the end of this one!

Time is Running Out totally blew me away. It had a gripping storyline full of twists and turns with some very shocking moments that left me gasping out loud! It certainly didn’t do my high blood pressure any good! There was one point in the narrative where I was like “WHAT?! What did I just read?!?!” It certainly packed an emotional punch and became a book that I couldn’t put down until I knew exactly what was going on and how it would all end.

This was never going to be an easy read due to the subject matter but the atmosphere throughout was almost tangible in its intensity. I know that the author wrote it during lockdown and I felt that this gave the book a claustrophobic edge and an endurance that was oppressive and incredibly disturbing. I raced though the pages desperately needing some sort of positive conclusion to a situation that was never going to end well but even so, I did NOT expect the developments that raised their ugly heads. Michael Wood took his characters, made them exist outside the pages of his book and created a commitment to them that I rarely see in the police procedural genre. I wanted to help them, comfort them and make everything right-back to those heady days of where the most difficult choice they made each day was what type of chocolate bar to choose from Sian’s snack drawer.

Time is Running is shocking, heartbreaking and completely unexpected in the way in which it played with the readers emotions. It’s such a clever book, unsettling but somehow it’s also a positive way in which to externalise those fears that have built up during time apart from our loved ones. A tough read but well worth it! So if you have never read a book by Michael Wood and fancy starting at book one (in a series that I promise you will just keep on giving!) then buy and read it now. And if you’ve been following Matilda already then you need Time Is Running Out in your life NOW!

My thanks to Harper Collins UK One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advanced copy for review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I really don’t know how I am going to write this review. Firstly, I don’t want to give too much away and secondly to do it justice. This is book 7 in the DCI Matilda Darke series by Michael Wood and is another excellent read. Loved this series from book 1, with its great characters, intriguing plots and so well written.

DCI Matilda Darke receives a mysterious threatening telephone call, which she dismisses a prank call. That may may turn out to be her biggest ever mistake. When a lone gunman is on a deadly rampage around Sheffield a bloody trail is left, and the lives of Matilda’s team are changed forever. The killer’s identity is known early on, but that doesn’t help them apprehend him. Told from the killer’s perspective as well as the detectives, It gives you a fully rounded and immersive experience. Taking place over a 12-hour period, during which the author weaves an action packed, powerful, trauma filled disturbing, no punches pulled emotive story. Not recommended for those with faint hearts.

This is a story that plays on all your emotions, anger, fear, grief, disbelief. You are pulled along in a scintillating, adrenaline filled 400 plus pages. You will not want to put it down and find yourself sneaking a chapter or 6 in when you should be doing something else. Highly recommended

Can Matilda Darke keep her head when all around are losing theirs?

The latest instalment of this Sheffield-based detective series does not disappoint, despite the small part played by Matilda herself. A police station evacuation triggers a catalogue of events taking in a secondary school lockdown and a hospital that leaves a trail of destruction and a very high body count. Many characters spend much of the book either in tears or covered with brains and blood.

Looking forward to what come next - there are some challenges ahead for the South Yorkshire Police HR department!

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for a fair review.

A compelling read but not for the faint hearted. Too much blood shed to the extent it started not to be important as to who lived and who didn’t

I love the matilda darke series. For me this book was quite scary in the topic it revolved around as in who knows whats round the corner. My heart was racing at times and i was on the edge of my seat.. Twists and turns you may not see coming. I highley recommend this series, if you havnt allready read it, put it on the list ......... FAB.......

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This was a real heart wrenching read from start to finish. It started off with a bang and just got better the more I read. The author has cleverly reintroduced an old character who wants revenge on DCI Darke and her team. The story takes place in one day and is full of action and suspense and told through different characters which I loved. You know who the perpetrator is from the start and the reasons for his actions become clear as the story progresses. There were so many cliff hanger chapter endings that just made me want to know more and continue reading. Overall this was a chilling yet compelling read which was sad and poignant in many parts and one I won’t forget quickly.

OMG what a fantastic book! Take a bow Mr W cos you have wrote a belter! Like other reviewers I was very affected by the start. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, no, not Matilda! I didn’t want to read on but I knew I had and wanted to! My heart was beating so fast I’m just glad i was lying down.,Just when you thought it was over another attack was thrown in, I went through so many emotions reading this book that after I’d finished it I felt emotionally and physically drained. I don’t know what’s going to happen next to everyone but I hope and pray it’s not going to be a long time before I find out. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley to be given the opportunity to read this magnificent book which will stay with me for a long time, outstanding.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Time Is Running Out but that has in no way influenced my review.

This book is incredible and all kinds of insane! I'm a little awestruck but in the best way possible. Flipping heck! I have been reading the DCI Darke series for a while now. Although, I have to admit, I haven't read the first two books but that's not hampered my enjoyment of the series at any point. My advice to you, before reading this latest instalment (which coincidentally is book seven), is to get to know the recurring characters a little first. Become familiar with and invested in this fantastic team. So then, when you get round to reading Time Is Running Out, the events and the outcome of this brilliant book will smack you about the head and leave you utterly dazed with your jaw on the floor. I ADORED this book!

It's a normal day at South Yorkshire Police HQ when DCI Matilda Darke receives a strange phone call. She dismisses it, not giving it much thought and starts the morning briefing. But the phone call marks the start of an unforgettable day in the lives of those in and around the Sheffield area. The day a gunman terrorised their city, killing numerous people. The devastation and the grief is far reaching. Will life ever be the same again for the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team. And in particular, for DCI Darke...?

Holy moly, what a book! I've always said in my reviews for this author's novels that he is not afraid to put his characters through the wringer and oh boy, I think Time Is Running Out proves that. What a brave, unflinching piece of absolutely gut-wrenching and gripping fiction. Fans of the series are either gonna love it or need counselling. I devoured this book and I loved every single bloodied second of it.

Now all I need to do is work out how to talk about the book without spoilers, which will be a challenge. We join the team on a normal day at the start of January and very early on the author gives readers a piece of good news - something to celebrate and warm the cockles. And then it all goes horribly, horribly wrong for the people of Sheffield. The initial scene, where we discover a gunman is on the loose, is utterly shocking. The pacing is perfect and I was holding my breath throughout. I kept muttering to myself under my breath - 'surely, he won't... oh, he has!!!'. It was jaw dropping and so brilliantly done. From there, things actually get a whole lot worse. If I said I was on the edge of my seat that would be an understatement. I had goosebumps, I had chills, I had palpitations.

The action doesn't really stop from that point forward. Despite their best intentions and all resources being put into the investigation, the team falter. They struggle to find out the identity of the gunman or his reason for carrying out the devastating carnage. Time Is Running Out is so cleverly written, so very immersive and it was a dream of a novel to read. I am a little peeved at the author for a couple of things but hey, I can understand why he did what he did. I just wish other authors were as brave.

Would I recommend this book? I would recommend Time Is Running Out whole heartedly but only after you've read a couple of earlier DCI Darke novels. I think you need a good understanding of the team and what makes them tick to get the best out of the book. It's a truly epic piece of crime fiction and I loved it. The best police procedural I've read in a long time, no doubt about it. Life will never be the same again. I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next. Brave, bold and completely hypnotic. I struggled to put this one down. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Time Is Running Out. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

It’s not often my heart races from the first chapter of a book, but Time Is Running Out opens with a shocker of a chapter that left me stunned, after reading the second chapter which I have renamed ‘OMFG’ I think my heart literally stopped! and the shocks kept on coming from there on in. Michael woods has written a blinder of a book and it’s the BEST and the most shocking book in the Matilda Darke series YET. This book literally broke me and left me an emotional, snotty mess, something I definitely wasn’t expecting! And that’s a testament to the authors’ incredible writing skills. He has created characters that you have come to love, you feel their pain, bewilderment, and fear. 

Without giving too much away, a lone gunman goes on a deadly rampage around Sheffield, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake. Carefully planned, meticulous, ever detail of his plan carefully scrutinised. The gunman has a heart of granite, he’s about to leave his mark on the world and change Matilda and her team’s lives forever. This is the case that pushes Matilda’s team to the brink, every case previous to this now seems like foreplay. It was distressing to see the investigation team in a different light, gone is the bravado, and the self-confidence, each officer is at breaking point, the descriptions of their personal turmoil and their mental health as they deal with the case is desperately sad.

I got so caught up in the storyline I found myself in tears numerous times, it’s such an emotional read, something you wouldn’t expect from a crime thriller. It’s clear the author has put his heart and soul in to writing this book, the scenes, the emotions, the violence, I’m not normally a ‘nervous’ reader but bang went my resolution to stop biting my nails! Yes, the plot really is that intense! The author has created the most horrifying plot, but it also feels credible, especially considering how many times you hear reports of a sniper going on the rampage in the name of religion or revenge. I became more anxious for the investigation team as the plot played out. Michael Wood has created a story that’s thick with tension, riveting, heartbreaking, and disturbing, but my god it’s a hell of a read and thanks to the author it’s my ‘first book hangover of the year’. Michael Wood has a lot to answer for, as I’m not sure I’m ready to pick up another book yet! Highly, highly recommended

When DCI Matilda Darke comes to the station one morning, she receives a strange phonecall: “You’re a survivor, aren’t you Matilda? But what’s the point of surviving when everyone around you is dead?” She assumes it’s a prank call. Not much later, the fire alarm in the station goes off. When they gather in the car park, someone starts shooting at them. 6 officers die, one of them the ACC, others include Ranjeet and Natasha. Matilda is also shot, once in her shoulder but a once in the back of her head. She’s rushed to the hospital and receives emergency surgery, but it’s not clear if she’ll survive and if so how. It will be up to DI Christian Brady to catch the shooter. But the killer has only just begun his reign of terror. There’s a mad mass-Shooter loose on the streets of Sheffield. The reader does know very early on who the madman is and what his motivation is but the police has not a clue. It’s harrowing to follow this shooter on his rampage. Little hours later, another even deadlier mass shooting takes place on the motorway.



This book takes place in 2019 when Theresa May is PM of Britain.

You can see and feel that this is a longstanding series from the bonding of the main and minor characters and all the relationships between them.

While the books starts in a classical manner with the introduction of the main characters and their complex relationships this changes within the second chapter when some of the people we’ve been only just introduced to die violently. Boom, that was something else to take in, like a cannonball in the gut!

At some point, one of the police officers thinks that he hopes never to see the day when UK police are armed. This does raise the issue though. While I have huge admiration for the British police force and their tradition of policing by consent, what if a lonely constable happens to come across violent criminals? But as long as the majority of them are against them being armed, I think they know best. Don’t be fooled into thinking that they’re defenceless though. They do have pepper spray and tasers!

I do agree with my GR friend Paromjit that the police reaction in the reality would be a lot stronger and tougher than in this book. Both detectives and other personnel would be dispatched from other stations around the country, although they have to travel there first! A station that's already understaffed and looses 2 mayor officers and 4 others will be in deep mourning and won’t be able to function properly. I doubt if they would be allowed to work on this case themselves. They make references to Adele helping with the Manchester Arena and London Bridge casualties. It’s only logical that now Sheffield receives support from other towns and cities.

The heroism of Ruth is sheer madness though. And WTF will 2 unarmed detectives do against an armed killer on a spree? This isn’t plausible. It looks as if some people are eager to get killed.

As to the brain surgery that Matilda undergoes. I’ve had a similar injury 20 years ago, not by a bullet but by an axe. The surgeon was hesitant to remove the last splinters that are still locked inside my brain tissue today because he thought that he might cause me more damage than I suffered at the time. And who am I to question his expert opinion? Luckily, apart from an impaired vision in my left eye, I’m still relatively healthy and otherwise sane (although, some may differ from opinion) but I’ve lived with this time bomb ever since.

I might be new to the series but I asked myself while reading if this is an elegant(?) way out of the series for the author. By killing so many of the original (and no doubt beloved) characters and leaving it a cliffhanger if Matilda will return to work, there are certainly major changes ahead. At the end of the book, it says to wait for more books but I have my doubts. It would be a shame if the series ends here but I can understand it because he has to juggle a huge cast of characters every time. If there is a new book in this series, the author has to find a whole new line-up. But I would hate it if this is the final book as I just started liking the characters!

I was invited by One More Chapter to read this book and this is my honest and unbiased review of it

Time Is Running Out is the seventh instalment in the DCI Matilda Darke series, set in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. When DCI Darke, head of the Homicide and Major Enquiries Team (HMET), receives a strange, unsettling phone call with the message — 'You’re a survivor, aren’t you, Matilda? But what’s the point in surviving when everyone around you is dead?', she dismisses it as someone's idea of fun but this time the threat was credible. Jake Harrison the thirty four year old troubled and broken son of Vivian and Malcolm Harrison decides that on his last day alive he is determined to take as many people as possible with him. He first shoots dead his parents before embarking on a kill spree that terrifies the residents of Sheffield and beyond. The serial killer's identity is known from the very beginning, but that does not make him any easier to apprehend. The police quickly realise that they are dealing with a madman who can't be reasoned with and who feels he has nothing to lose making him incredibly dangerous and unpredictable. Identifying his motive, contemplating what his next move will be and what triggered him to carry out the murders of countless men, women and even innocent children who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, is the name of the game. It's a bloodbath and the understandable paranoia of those in the area is increasing by the hour as is the body count. He targets South Yorkshire Police headquarters by deviously setting off a hoax fire alarm to ensure everyone is outside due to the evacuation.

Leaving a trail of complete and utter carnage in his wake and horrified and anxious cityfolk, he offs people one by one with the kind of accuracy that comes with past sniper training and a lot of practice. Taking place over the course of a twelve hour period, HMET are distraught at losing some of its people and are struggling to carry out the investigation due to absolute shell shock and disbelief. DI Christian Brady is leading the search and a race against time ensues to locate and arrest a murderer who is being manipulated and dictated to by a mysterious enemy from behind prison walls. This is a riveting and compulsive thriller that begins with a bang and ends in quite the same fashion. Wood has pulled out all the stops to weave an action-packed serial killer thriller with plenty of shocks, twists and red herrings in store and a narrative that never has a dull moment. It's chilling, grief and trauma-filled and deeply harrowing, and I would recommend it only for those not faint of heart. It's a high octane game of cat and mouse between the killer and the police with a plethora of palpably tense scenes throughout, and it manages to be both nerve-shredding and moving with the conclusion being very sad. Told from the perspective of both the detectives and the killer gives us a fully rounded and immersive experience, and I was amazed how Wood pulled off many totally unexpected twists. Those who survive struggle to understand the events of that day and Wood gets this across in a powerful, pull no punches and emotive manner. Brutal but scintillating. Highly recommended.

OMG. OMG. OMG!!!

I have never had a physical reaction to a book like i did reading the start of this. I felt sick. I had tears in my eyes.

I dreaded what was going to happen next but I had to read on to find out what happened next.

The relentless pace, the sheer intensity of the plot, twist after heart stopping twist make this one of the most nerve wracking books I have ever read.

Absolutely superb 🌟 thriller.

Oh my goodness I feel as though I have been in a spin dryer and not been able to get out. What a fantastic read this was from the beginning to the end and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Just brilliantly addictive all the way

I have read all the Matilda Darke series and this was by far the best but I can recommend them all. Well done Michael 5+ stars from me and I look forward to your next masterpiece.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

Woweee, I hope I can do this book the justice it deserves, as we say in Yorkshire it's a belter of a read. Totally amazing writing, I loved every blood-curdling minute of it. The story is mind-blowing, the in-depth descriptions made me shudder but I still wanted more. How will the team survive the horrors that they are faced with or will there even be a team left? Their anguish is beyond belief but they have a job to do and the killer must be stopped at all costs. I have read all the books in this series and enjoyed them all but in my opinion, this is most defininitely the best.

HOLY COW! That beginning... that end...plus everything in-between! I am in shock.

I have been on an emotional roller coaster ride Michael Wood style since the very first page of this book. Seriously, I do not think that I have read a book (and I have read a lot) that has not let up at all. From the beginning until the end, this book was nonstop! Whew! I am reeling, literally reeling. I have gasped, sat with my mouth open, felt anxiety, felt sad, and been shocked beyond belief all while reading this book.

A gun man is on a rampage. That is all you need to know. Otherwise, go in blind. The less you know the better.

Wow! Michal Wood pulled out all the stops and blew me away. Fans of this series will feel as if they are right in the action. When you are emotionally connected to a series and enjoy the characters, well...…forgive me while I dab my eyes....

Dangerous, Devastating, heartbreaking and shocking! This was one powerful installment in the series. I am wondering, where does he go from here? What will be next for this team? What will we see in the next installment?

I am usually on the edge of my seat while reading this series and Time is Running out was no exception. But I have never felt this much emotion while reading the previous books in this series. This book is full of pain, heartbreak and tears. Wood did a brilliant job of writing his characters thoughts and reactions. It was hard not to have your heart break just a little - who am I kidding, my heart broke a lot while reading this. My husband may or may not have had to pick me up off the floor and put me back in my seat while I was reading this. I cannot even count the number of times I thought "this can't be happening" while reading this book. All the while desperately hoping that it would all be a dream sequence, but no, it was in fact a nightmare instead.

Not for the weak at heart. It will, as I said, break some hearts. I am honestly sitting here trying to figure out how he will move forward. I will be there grabbing the next book to find out.

My grandmother had a saying "If this doesn't drive you to drink, I don't know what will." Well, Michael Wood you have driven me to drink tonight.

Powerful, devastating, heartbreaking and emotional.

Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I am still reeling. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

What an absolute gripping read, this book had my heart beating so fast!! I was utterly gripped all the way through. Another amazing book in the Matilda series.

Blimey. It’s going to take a while for me to recover from, and stop thinking about, this book. Continuous shocks and my investment in these characters has left my heart pounding!
More detailed review to follow
Thanks to HarperCollins UK for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a review and shares