Welcome to the world of Dr Olivia Winter. Olivia is a Doctor of Forensic Phycology, single in her mid thirties and a serial murderer expert. She only works cold cases and despite DI Jessica Sheffield, Olivia’s best friend, asking for her help with a live serial killer investigation she says no. Olivia is also the daughter of a notorious serial killer who murdered her mother and sister and nearly killed her when she was 9 years old. He is now in prison. I really liked Olivia, she’s a great character and this promises to be another fabulous series from this author.

Briefly, when another murder takes place DI Amyas Foley is struggling to deal with what appears to be the latest killing in a series and Olivia is again asked to help to which she agrees. To get into the mind of the killer she reluctantly visits her father in hospital and allows him back into her mind!

The first in a new series and a superb thriller. Can Olivia discover who the killer is before they commit more murders? She does do some rather unwise things in her quest for justice. Real edge of the seat stuff as again Olivia has to come to terms with what happened to her and who her father is. It’s a brutal read, well written with a gripping plot, some fairly graphic scenes (murder and sex) but interspersed with some gentle humour, and a good lead character. I really enjoyed it.

Michael Wood does it again with a 5-star read.
Dr. Olivia Wood has become my new favorite forensic psychologist. This was fast-paced and I couldn't put it down. This was a thrilling read!

📚 The Mind of a Murderer
🖊 Michael Wood
Genre: Thriller
🗓 Publication Date 03/28/24

Thank you HarperCollins UK for the gifted eARC for review considerations. All opinions expressed here are mine alone.

What to Expect:
🔪 Serial killers
🔪 Criminal Psychologist
🔪 Police procedural

🫶 What worked for me...
I am a huge fan of true crime, and I'm also fascinated by the psychology, behavior, and genetic makeup behind what makes a human take the life of another. Considering some of these are major themes in this book, that is truly the reason why this book caught my attention. With that being said, "The Mind of a Murderer" by Michael Wood, although fictional and at times far-fetched, was highly entertaining. While venturing into this book, I became immersed in the narrative with the disturbing relationships between the killer and his victims. It was shocking, suspenseful, and thought-provoking too.

Although the ending was semi-predictable, I did enjoy the author's placement of red herrings throughout the story. Wood did a great job leading the reader on a wild goose chase with Olivia and DI Foley.

🤷‍♀️ What didn't work for me...
I did find a few minor issues with this book, nothing severe enough to warrant losing more than one star. Considering the enjoyment of this book outweighs the negatives.

Firstly, in the beginning of the book, the conversations with Olivia and other characters were unusual. My initial impression of Olivia was that she was somewhat of a loner who preferred her own company. In contrast, the way she would approach unfamiliar characters and ask deep-rooted questions was odd to me. However, those interactions seemed to level off as I got further into the story.

Secondly, I was slightly put off by Olivia's brazen attempt at preserving her own ego towards the end of the book. She is a criminal psychologist, and I would assume she would recognize this danger. In conclusion, I thought it was a slightly cheap attempt at ending the story.

🤔 Would I recommend it...
Yes, I would recommend this book! Especially to anyone who enjoys police procedurals, true crime, and/or a great mystery. Please check trigger warnings before reading, as there are quite a lot.

I have followed this author since reading his Matilda Darke series and he never lets me down

What can I say about this one, absolutely brilliant from the beginning until the end, definitely an edge of seater with great characters.

So looking forward to reading more in his Olivia Winter series which I am sure will be as brilliant as this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK OMC for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending. Well done Michael Wood

I have enjoyed reading the dci matilda darke series and this book by the same author does not disappoint.. The cover is appealing and the writing style pulls you into the mystery. I couldn't put it down until I found out the outcome.
the characters are all likeable and it's a great read.
I definitely recommend if you like crime books.
thank you Michael Wood for another excellent crime novel.

Having survived a brutal assault by the Riverside Killer at the age of nine, Dr. Olivia Winter went on to become a world renowned forensic psychologist who studies the minds of serial killers, and although she has a good understanding into the minds of serial killers, she has never studied the Riverside Killer who also happens to be her father. Now with a new serial killer stalking the streets of London, the police have come to Olivia for help profiling him before he strikes again. Until now, she has never worked on active cases for a reason, but she agrees this time due to the urgency of the situation.

This was so good! I’m so glad the synopsis didn’t give away too much of the story as many of them do. It has been a little while since a book has kept me up reading late into the night like this one did. <b>The Mind of a Murderer</b> is a dark psychological thriller that grabbed my attention from the start and kept me enthralled until the very end. Despite having it all together professionally, Olivia’s personal life was understandably a mess given her past. She proved to be an interesting character with her complex nature, and human flaws that added depth to her persona.

While I really enjoyed this book a lot, there were a few minor things that kept it from being a 5 star read for me, mainly a few of Olivia’s questionable actions/reactions and also two events that directed the narrative using circumstances that didn’t seem likely they would have happened like that in real life. I can’t go into more details without spoilers so I will leave it at that. Some of the crimes are gruesome in their description but it didn’t feel gratuitous or excessive, but went with the overall darkness of the story.

Michael Wood is a new-to-me author, but I am already looking forward to Dr. Olivia Winter #2, and while I wait for it, I’ll definitely be checking out his Matilda Darke series. 4.5 stars. 💫

My thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Pub date: 3/28/24.

PUBLICATION DAY: March 28, 2024

Olivia Winter is a well known forensic psychologist, adept at understanding the minds of serial killers and figuring out their reasons for killing. She has worked hard to earn respect in her field, but she also has prior experience that no one would wish for - she survived a vicious attack from her serial killing father at just nine years of age. Driven to learn the motivation for his crime, and with another killer active on the streets of London, Olivia is drawn into the case as the police search for answers. Will her history help her solve the case? Or will her investigation be the last thing she ever does?

PROS and CONS:
Now this is how a thriller is written! Tense, fast paced, descriptive (and gory - beware!) I was on the edge of my seat reading this one! A terrifying serial killer. A brilliant and perceptive psychologist. An evil father lurking in the background. A team of hardworking detectives. This one has it all. The reasons this isn’t five stars: lack of reaction by the main character to a serious occurrence early on and a few cliched scenes near the end - otherwise fantastic!

READ IT?
If you love dark thrillers, you will love this one.

4.5 Stars - rounded up to 5

How on earth have I not read anything by Michael Wood Before?? This is one of the best books that so have read so far in 2024 and I am kicking myself for not having read his books before. I feel I need to get to know Matilda Drake now.

The Mind of a Murderer was my kind of book. It had me a serial killer to be honest, but there is so much more to it than that. Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist in London. Her job is getting into the minds of serial killers to see what makes them tick, why they do what they do. She is a survivor, when she was nine, her own father killed her mother and sister but she managed to get away. So she needs to know why he would do that.

Doesn’t that hook you in? now Olivia is working on her first live case with police. There is a serial killer on the loose in the Capital and she is trying to help stop him, putting her own mental and physical health at risk.

I just could not get enough of this book. If life had not gotten in the way I might have read it in one sitting. Something about the mindset of killers is fascinating and the way Olivia worked and lived was just so insightful. I also loved that they were dogs in her life, and that she was a bit messed up. You would be after having a childhood like that. I cannot wait to read more about her.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this fabulous book to read. Published on March 28th, it is a must must read.

My first read by this author (but I have been close to starting his Matilda Darke series). I enjoyed this book alot and look forward to his next one featuring Olivia Winter. Excellent writing, solid characters, and intriguing relationships. The plot/perp hunt was very good as it was his story but this reader was anticipating it to go another way that really would've been a WOW for me.

Love a good epilogue to bridge the next book!

Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review of The Mind of a Murderer by Michael Wood.

If you enjoy the hunt for a serial killer, this is a book you MUST buy! Olivia knows what it is like to be the only survivor of a serial killer and now studies them. When she joins an investigation, she will confront her past in a way she never imagined. This is the first book I’ve read by the author, but it will not be the last! Loved it!

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

The Mind of a Murderer by Michael Wood
One More Chapter, 28th March 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:
Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist whose job is to understand the minds of serial killers. There’s only one monster she can’t understand, her father.

Notorious and brutal, he held a reign of terror until he was caught. His nine-year-old daughter was supposed to be his last victim, but she survived.

Now, a serial killer is stalking the streets of London. As the body count rises, the police need Olivia’s help to profile him before he can strike again. But to do so, she will need to confront her own demons…

Review:
A new Michael Wood book is always something to look forward to for me, and this one arrived with the promise of an enticing new protagonist in Dr Olivia Winter.

Grieving and with a traumatic history, the intelligently written Olivia joins the team tasked with tracking down a ruthless serial killer. Olivia’s relationships with her colleagues are intelligently written and intricately woven, her circles becoming increasingly tighter as the plot thickens.

With a disturbing premise that grips from the outset and characters you care about, the start of this pulse-raising new series has all the elements needed for perfection.

#MichaelWood #TheMindOfAMurderer #OneMoreChapter #NetGalley #BookReview #DrOliviaWinter

Here we have a very fast paced page turner, a bit reminiscent of the story of Silence of the Lambs, as it is a young woman send out to get information from a apprehended serial killer in order to catch the current bad guy. Extra complication is the the killer is her own father ! So of course there is a frenzied chase through London in order to catch the killer before he kills again. Fast paced, very well written... so why did I only gave three stars, I hear you say?

Well, a bit of a letdown for me was the discrepancy between what Olivia Wilde was supposed to be and how she thought and behaved. She is the world wide, top notch expert on serial killers, a keynote speaker at universities and a very private person who should behave professionally in all circumstances, right? Well... she doesn't. Her inner monologues are very immature and whiny, and she makes irrational decisions that don't fit the circumstances. An example is how she is presented as very aware of her own security with a state of the art home security system, but then she lets her keys and fobs in plain sight where a strangers can just grab them. When she gives advice to the police or tries to profile a perpetrator, she uses commonplace descriptions that we all know since reading Thomas Harris back in the days. She doesn't want any relationship with her dad, yet she goes to visit him and lets him get under her skin.

So I'm very conflicted about this book, because it is well written and a good whodunnit, but the main character just didn't live up to expectations.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK & One More Chapter and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb says it all!!!!! What a brilliant read.

This book is by far one of the best books I've EVER read. AMAZING!!!!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review. This is a well written page turner. There are so many twists and turns . Every character is flawed and all searching for a serial killer, who like all serial killers thinks he is cleverer than them. Will they succeed. Read the book and find out. PS this is one rare book where I couldn’t work it out !! 5 stars

The author has an established crime fiction series featuring DCI Matilda Darke. This is the first book in a new series featuring Dr. Olivia Winter a Forensic Psychologist.
When she was nine years old she came home to find her father killing both her mother and younger sister. Her father then tried to kill Olivia but she survived but with scarring. Her father it turned out was a serial killer. He is now serving a life sentence in prison.
Olivia researches known serial killers to try and understand them. Her best friend DI. Jessica Sheffield visits Olivia. There is a serial killer who so far has killed three women. Her colleague DI. Foley has asked Jessica to persuade Olivia to get involved in the investigation. Olivia refuses because it will only encourage her father to try and get Olivia to visit him.
When Jessica becomes the next victim, Olivia agrees to assist Foley's investigation. Olivia gets contacted that her father has suffered a heart attack and is in a London hospital. She is reluctant to visit him. But when she does he is playing with her mind.
Will she try and get her father to give her an insight into a serial killer's mind? It maybe the only way of apprehending their killer? Olivia does not realise that she could become the killer's next victim.
A good start to the new series. Recommended.

The first time I have read this Author. I enjoyed the style of writing. A solid four star read. Great premise. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to

This is the first book in a new series by author Michael Wood who also writes the best selling Matilda Drake books.

Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist whose job is to understand the minds of serial killers. There’s only one monster she can’t understand, her father.
Her father was a notorious and brutal serial killer who brought fear into everyone’s life until he was caught. Olivia aged nine was supposed to be his last victim but somehow she survived.

Now, another serial killer is stalking the streets of London and as the body count rises, the police need Olivia’s help to profile him before he can strike again. But that will mean facing her own demons.

I really enjoy Michael Wood other series so was eagerly anticipating more of the same. What I got was what promises to be another exciting series to add to my never ending list of favourites. This psychological thriller is a real page turner and is a fascinating read, full of excellent characters and plenty of tension. I really enjoyed this read and have already made a note to remind me of the next instalment.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This had everything that I was hoping for from a thriller novel, it had everything that I was looking for from the description. It uses the serial killer elements perfectly and thought it had a great collection of characters. I was hooked from the start of the story and glad I was able to read this. I enjoyed the psychologist elements and thought they used London perfectly. Michael Wood has a great writing style and is able to create characters and I'm glad I read this.

Another gripping book from Michael Wood. The author reels you in to the plot and keeps you awake late into the night to finish. One of his best books so far. Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC.

⭐️⭐️ 2 very average stars.

Not sure why everyone is loving this one.

It started well but became very slow, the characters lacked any interesting qualities and honestly, I didn’t really care what happened in the end.

I knew who the bad guy was so early on so the last two thirds of the book became pointless.