DCI Matilda Clarke has faced so many challenges that would have broken a lesser person, she's not sure how many more strikes she can take. Her return to work is contingent on her mental health and even her team is questioning their duties weighed against the dangers they face every day. But they will pull together to solve the threats against their community. This police procedural/mystery/thriller is another excellent book in this great series.

This is part of a series and unfortunately it doesn’t read well as a standalone. This is dark, gritty and full of twists and turns. It’s so well written

Okay, I am in a quandry here. I am binge reading this series and think the author is extremely talented and has created a series full of characters that I love. I am invested as a reader and of course as an avid reader I am able to put aside those times when storylines go a little outside the realms of belief. However….this time I just can’t put that aside for this latest book.

The last book was a huge shock to the system and with the devastation that happened to the team following the last case I was already reeling. So when we are brought a new storyline with prostitutes being murdered it gives the team (what’s left of them) the chance to get their teeth back onto something. I like the fact that the characters that I love didn’t just fall right back into their normal ways and are all struggling to get back on an even keel. Nearly all the remaining characters have their own battles following the shootings nine months earlier.

The storyline was written well as ever and I enjoyed the book immensley until the killer was revealed. I mean look, I like it when author’s aren’t afraid to do things that aren’t necessarily fan favourites as they normally have good reasoning for it, but this time I think it suspends belief a little too much for my liking. I mean how much bad luck can one team have? That alone was a shocker but this latest storyline just felt too contrived. I am really hoping that the next book takes us back to a new level of normal (at least as far as this particular team and set of characters goes).

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Brilliant book as always, i mossed the previous book to this but don't think that mattered as it was a separate story in itself.

Loved the dci darke books

Nine months ago DCI Matilda Darke survived a bullet to the head. The brutal attack claimed dozens of lives, including those she loved most, and the nightmares still plague her every waking thought.
 
Now, she’s ready to get back on the job. But a new terror awaits. A woman is found murdered and her wounds look eerily similar to several cold cases. Desperate to find a lead, DCI Darke and her team must face a terrifying truth: a serial killer is on the loose in Sheffield.

Matilda has led countless murder investigations before but the lingering emotional scars from her ordeal and the uneasiness within her once-tight team have left tensions high. As the body count rises, Matilda realises that this might just be where it all ends.

I’m still reeling over the events of the previous book and so are Matilda and her team. Woods story begins in the aftermath of the massacre of the squad and their families and throws us all into another investigation - no rest for the wicked. Wood couples this ongoing investigation with the trauma and pain that Matilda and the team are going through making for a tense and oftentimes emotional read.

Dealing with issues of grief, addiction, prostitution and destitution Woods has created another interesting addition to the Darke series that slowly tries to direct us back into the everyday workings of the investigation team. I’m still getting used to losing some major characters but I am keen to see how the latest recruits fare under the ever scrutinising eye of Matilda.

Michael Wood is always giving us readers the biggest surprises!!

Just when you think the next book can't get better than the last!!! THINK AGAIN!!

It is hard to go wrong with a DCI Drake book. This one, which is number 8, was just as good as the seven before!!

This 8th book in the DCI Matilda Drake series had me hooked from the outset.

Picking up the storyline from Time is Running Out this was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. I'm intrigued by the ongoing storyline and already am looking forward to the next instalment.

5 stars

Outstanding addition to the Matilda Darke series!! I have read these from the very beginning and am always left a little shook but waiting eagerly for the next installment.

Stunning and gripping. This was a great addition to the series and the events keep the reader on tenterhooks.
Many thanks to Harper Collins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great book, by an author I will read more of! Thrilling plot, great writing and brilliant characters. Highly recommend to others.

I refused to read the previous installment as most of my favorite characters were killed off. Why? I still can’t understand that logic. Anyway, I downloaded the follow up novel which of course recapped what I was avoiding and I have to admit it was a very good book. Perhaps Wood was right and I was wrong.

This is a great series and I had high expectations for this book and was not disappointed. I recommend the whole series.

Really enjoyed this book, could not put it down. Will definitely read more by this author. .

Really enjoyed this book, could not put it down. Will definitely read more by this author. .

This is number 8 in this series in which the characters seemed a little more developed (although I still didn't find some of their situations and reactions to be particularly plausible) and the plot kept my attention to the end. There are still a lot of back stories to assimilate, so it would probably be best to read them in order, as the character's lives are integral to the stories.

In this tale, Matilda has returned to her high pressure job as a DCI after being shot in the head, despite not being cleared to drive, which makes one wonder why she was allowed to return full time rather than being eased back in. Her team has survived without her, but they are all still suffering from the fallout of the shootings which resulted in the deaths of several of their number. Matilda's best friend, Adele, is not speaking to her at all, blaming her for her son's death. So in her first week back, Matilda finds herself seeking a serial killer who is preying on the prostitutes of Sheffield. She works with some of the girls to try to find this killer, as well as dealing with the return of a kidnapped child and his reintegration into his family, years after his abduction. The result is a pressurised leader who's attention is being pulled in many directions, leading to errors and lapses causing further loss of life.

I don't warm at all to Matilda - she is incredibly self-centred and allows personal issues to cloud her professional judgement, nor can she seem able to rely on the excellent team she has around her. We don't get to really understand what was happening with Adele, anything much about Zofia, or even what really brought Bev and Sarah to the streets. There are clues, but we're left guessing.

The final chapters are really just setting the scene to tempt the reader to buy the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DCI Matilda Drake returns to work after being shot in the head nine months ago. Her injury took place at the same time as a number of her team & close friends were killed. How will she manage to pick up the pieces? Understandably not very well! She finds it hard to slot back into the team. When a woman is found murdered & the method points to some cold cases it soon seems clear they have a serial killer on their hands; is she still up to the job/ Her colleagues worry they she may not be as she seems intent on leaving them out of things.

This book follows on from the dramatic events at the end of book seven of the series. I have read some of the previous books & really wish I'd read #7! I did manage to get past that but I'm sure if I had read it I would have given it five stars! It was a good police procedural that kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- I must make sure I read #9!

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

I love this series! This is the eighth book in the DCI Matilda Darke series, and it could easily be read as a standalone book but the series is so good, you should of course read the repvious seven books!

In this book, we are about nine months from the terrifying shootings in book seven and Matilda is recovering from being shot in the head. She is ready to start back at work and gets thrown into a big case right off the bat, prostitutes that have seemlingly gone missing and are now being found murdered are linked to one another and as the case gets bigger, Matilda's team wonders if perhaps she wasn't ready to come back to work yet. Matilda's team wonder if they can trust her judgement and Matilda wonders how much more loss she can take.

As usual, this book was full of tension and action. I love these characters and it's like checking in with old firends. Lots of shocking moments in this book and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Fabulous. An exciting thriller that hurtles along with all the pace of a runaway rollercoaster, Wood catches you off guard with a plethora of interesting characters, tantalising clues, whipsmart twists and turns, and a beautifully plotted tale. A recommended read for curling up with on one of these brisk winter evenings.