The Murder House (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 5)

Michael Wood

Jan 2020 · DCI Matilda Darke Thriller Book 5 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

‘Gory, brutal, devastating, utterly addictive and yet so finely written. This deserves to be huge – and I think it will be. His best yet’ Louise Beech

They were the perfect family. It was the perfect crime.

The new gripping DCI Matilda Darke crime thriller about the dark secrets that lie within a perfect family. For fans of Patricia Gibney and Angela Marsons.

It’s the most disturbing crime scene DCI Matilda Darke has ever seen...

The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined.

Forensics point to a burglar on the run across the country. But cracks are starting to appear in Matilda’s team, someone is playing games with the evidence – and the killer might be closer to home than they thought...

Praise for The Murder House:

‘Matilda Darke is Sheffield’s answer to Northumberland’s Vera and Wood’s stories are up there with the best. Fast-paced, crisp writing and a thoroughly enjoyable read’ David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child

Ratings and reviews

Following a wedding and reception, after the bride and groom leave for their honeymoon, when mom and dad and brother of the bride, and the brother's daughter are left with all the cleanup, an intruder appears. They are all savagely murdered, except for the young girl who was only tied to a chair. DCI Matilda Darke and her team have never seen such a horrendous crime scene. There are hundreds of fingerprints and blood is splatted everywhere. The girl did not see the attacker's face. By all accounts, this was a perfect family .. so who would want them all dead and in such a shockingly grisly way? This is well written, with a plot that is nicely paced, with unforgettable characters. The action is non-stop and the suspense is palpable. I have not read any of the previous books in this series, however, this one was easily read as a stand alone .... taking my own usual recommendation in starting at the beginning. I would really like to know more about these characters, especially Darke. My only complaint would be that the young girl who is the nice of the bride was several times referred to as her sister. This was an easy enough mistake that should have been found quite easily. Dropped my rating by one star. Many thanks to the author / One More Chapter / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Brilliant as always. I certainly didn't guess the ending untill the last chapter so makes a great read I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series.

I agree with Linda, the Aunt/Sister muddle was glaringly obvious and should have been rectified, however it didn't spoil a very enjoyable read.

About the author

Michael Wood is a freelance journalist and proofreader living in Sheffield. As a journalist he has covered many crime stories throughout Sheffield, gaining first-hand knowledge of police procedure. He also reviews books for CrimeSquad, a website dedicated to crime fiction.