I liked the writing and how the story didn’t stale at all, just kept pushing through and intrigued me with the diverse cast of characters their interactions.

This book took me on a wild ride and there was plot twist after plot twist. The writing emphasised this dark and tense atmosphere that created a perfect backdrop for the story. The characters were intense, relatable, and had interesting histories and that kept me engaged in how their stories would end. A well crafted thriller that will keep you on your toes!

OUT OF THE DARKNESS, A KILLER RISES AGAIN . . .

Holly Wakefield was just nine years old when her parents were murdered by notorious serial killer The Animal. The devastating event influenced her career as a criminal psychologist and now she helps the Met Police catch the most dangerous psychopaths.

But Holly’s world is turned upside down when she starts discovering messages at gruesome crime scenes from the person she fears above all else. The world believe The Animal is dead, yet Holly knows he is alive and killing again - and he wants her to know.

DI Bishop is the only person who trusts Holly’s instinct above reason and the pair embark on a covert investigation as further murders are detected across the country.

However The Animal has a more twisted game in store for Holly than they could ever have imagined. And it’s one he intends to finish properly this time . . .

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for providing an advanced copy for the purpose of review

This is book 4 in the series and I highly recommend reading them all. This was a creepy, gripping read that kept me hooked from start to finish.

This is already the fourth book in the series, and I really enjoyed it. Will go back for the others, and read more in future.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title from this author, i really enjoyed and will be reading more from them in the future.
This is book 4 in a series and i have not read the others but i will go back and read the others after reading this one.
This book was dark and action packed and i enjoyed it and would recommend to others.
5/5 stars

Mark Griffin's Holly Wakefield stories changed my taste in crime novels: I used to read mainly cozy or traditional mystery, after the first book in this series I added very dark and twisty stories.
I read it in two sittings, as it usually happens with this series, in a sort of only-one-more-chapter frenzy.
It's the best in the series, the one that involves Holly on a personal level and you can feel her emotions while you follow the investigation.
This is one the best series and I hope more and more people will read it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I absolutely loved this book, its part of a series but read very well a a stand alone. The plot explains the back story of Holly and The animal and how their worlds collided and then shaped Holly's future. I loved this so much that I have brought the other books as Holly is a character I would like to follow. The plot is tense and gory at times but fit right in with the character of the The Animal. I found I raced through the book and it packed a punch all the way through. 5 star read!

When Evil Wakes is the latest book in the Holly Wakefield series by Mark Griffin and it is probably the best yet.

Holly is once again faced with helping to solve murders by The Animal but The Animal was supposed to have died whilst in jail!

The story is well paced with an excellent conclusion that kept this reader hooked until the end.

Definitely recommended.

Well, this is another great read from Mark Griffin in the Holly Wakefield series. Holly is a forensic psychologist whose parents were killed by a serial killer when she was very young. She is still traumatised, now working with DI Bishop and this book delves more into Holly's back story. The plotting is very clever with plenty twists and kept me intrigued until the end. The characterisation is believable, I really like Holly, and I loved the hint of romance in the midst of darkness. It's another cracking read which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This is the 4th book in this series featuring forensic psychologist Holly Wakefield and, as such, usual series rules apply. It is one of my go-to series and I would wholeheartedly recommend each and every one so... if you haven't already... off you pop!
So.. Holly's parents murderer, The Animal, is supposed to be dead but Holly doesn't believe that. Especially after the last letter she received. But no one shares her belief. Apart from DI Bishop but only because he trusts her rather than admitting any evidence. But that trust is enough for them to start to look into it all unofficially.
This is a book all about Holly. We go back to the day it all happened. Follow through the present day shenanigans and then... OH MY DAYS... I was not ready for that! Genius! Say it isn't the end though. I'm not ready for that!
It's hard to say anything more about this book without giving anything away. So I won't. I'll just have to wax lyrical about the characters - who are all excellent, main and supporting - the story - intriguing and compelling, and all delivered without any waffle or padding which meant it got on with itself very well indeed.
All in all, a cracking read that kept me on my toes throughout and which delivered the most powerful ending. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is the first book I have read by Mark Griffin, and it will not be the last – I loved it! Thankfully, we are given enough background to be able to read the book with ample understanding of key past events, but it goes without saying, it would be best to read the books in order. This well written and tense tale has an intricate plot, and a host of comprehensive and believable characters. The Animal himself is clever, and meticulous in his planning of the murders, which are on the gory side so maybe not one for the fainthearted, but I personally felt the level of gore was befitting for this killer. The tale is told from various points of view, which allows the reader to see things from both sides and this aids when trying to guess the endgame – which is an element I found interesting, as it is not clear what that is until the end of the novel, and well – wow!

All in all, a brilliant read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

When Evil Wales by Mark Griffin


Holly Wakefield was just nine years old when her parents were murdered by notorious serial killer The Animal. The devastating event influenced her career as a criminal psychologist and now she helps the Met Police catch the most dangerous psychopaths.
But Holly's world is turned upside down when she starts discovering messages at gruesome crime scenes from the person she fears above all else. The world believe The Animal is dead, yet Holly knows he is alive and killing again - and he wants her to know.
A fab read , exciting and thrilling with lots of twists to keep you guessing until the last chapter

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of When Evil Wakes, the fourth novel to feature forensic psychologist Holly Wakefield and DI Will Bishop of the Met.

Holly’s parents were murdered by a serial killer known as The Animal when she was nine years old. Now he is dead, but Holly doesn’t believe it. She has read the clues in his letters and the crime scene messages at his latest killings and she knows. DI Bishop trusts her instinct and together they start to investigate in secret.

I thoroughly enjoyed When Evil Wakes, which has a convoluted plot and a couple of impactful twists. It is told from various points of view and that works well as the reader gets to see the other side and try to guess the endgame.

At the beginning of the novel I like the way the author throws doubt around Holly’s hypothesis about The Animal being alive. I must admit that it was successful enough for me to entertain that doubt, but not for long. Thus the novel becomes a secret search for a known predator. What’s unusual is that said predator’s killings are random in that they further his goal and have no commonality. I was also intrigued by his endgame as it is not spelt out until near the end of the novel and I was gobsmacked when it was revealed. The novel held my attention throughout, because The Animal is clever and convoluted in his planning and that makes for immersive reading. I did guess how he faked his death fairly early in the novel, but, then, it’s not rocket science for crime fiction aficionados. This did not spoil my enjoyment of the novel as it is a fairly minor point in the overall scheme of events.

This is a novel as much about Holly Wakefield and her past as it is about the hunt for The Animal. She saw him in her kitchen the day he killed her parents and he has frightened her ever since and that fear has driven many of her life decisions. This means that the novel is a journey for her, culminating in the unthinkable. It’s poignant in one sense, but in the other I just wanted to tell her to get a grip. A bit of an empathy failure on my part, but it’s fiction so it doesn’t count.

When Evil Wakes is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is a really quick read but boy does it pack a punch! I'm not going to lie, I was incredibly distracted by starting the book off to read that "Jason oppenheim" was the broker of the realtor..... and that just completely threw me and had me picturing selling sunset which isn't really the vibe of the book! I digress though, and I'm sure Brett and Jason haven't had their tenants murdered like in the book. It still seems too coincidental to be an accident though...... they're literally brokers in real life and in the book?! OK, I'll move on! Anyways I loved the story, it was really cleverly written and the tension was built throughout. I loved all the twists and how everything fitted together. For a short book, it certainly got a lot fitted in. Plus there is just constant action and things happening. This book has absolutely no down time and no filler chapters. It gets a tad gory but murder is like that. And it wasn't just for shock value, it was all very cleverly done to have just the correct amount of impact but without being gory on turning into murder prn. And I love any plot that has riddles and wee puzzles throw in, it's very "seven" the Brad Pitt film? That kind of vibe. Anyways I loved it, its awesome and I'd recommend

A suspense-filled book 4 featuring forensic psychologist Holly Wakefield who helps the Met police investigate brutal murders. Holly becomes convinced that the serial killer aka 'The Animal' who murdered her parents and seemingly died in prison, is alive and killing again. Is this far-reaching conspiracy theory, a step to far? A dark and intense thriller, highly recommended.