‘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

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.

Reviews

Praise for The Murder House:

‘Wood has created a fantastic lead character for his gritty South Yorkshire police procedurals. 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

Praise for Michael Wood:

‘A tense, nail-biting story with a truly twisted ending’ Katerina Diamond

‘Watch out for those twists – you won’t see them coming!’ Stephen Booth

‘A gritty and atmospheric thriller with more twists and turns than a hangman’s knot. I loved it’ Matt Hilton

‘Solid storytelling and great unravelling of plot. Michael Wood ups the pace as the noose tightens’ Rachel Sargeant

‘Taut, twisting and sharp as a blade, The Hangman’s Hold wrong-footed me at every, devious turn’ Chris Whitaker

‘Wood hit the ground running with For Reasons Unknown, first in the DCI Matilda Darke series. In the fourth instalment, The Hangman’s Hold, he picks up the pace again with a twisting plot that races to a nail-biting finish’ Chris Simms

‘Bites into you like the rough twine of a hangman’s noose and refuses to let go. Tautly plotted, brilliantly realised, this is further proof that Michael Wood is only going to get better and better. The Hangman’s Hold is going to be big…’ Neil Broadfoot

‘You can count on Michael Wood to deliver a deliciously twisted and intriguing plot, leading to a surprise ending by a likeable and very real protagonist, Matilda Darke’ Yrsa Sigurdardottir

‘She is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths

‘A pitch-black concept, tightly delivered and played at exhilarating pace’ Paul Finch

‘Crackling dialogue, dark wit and an exciting ending. Recommended if you liked Happy Valley’ Mark Edwards

‘DCI Matilda Darke is going places’ James Oswald

‘A compelling, addictive read, it’s hard to put down. I really enjoyed getting to know DCI Matilda Darke. She’s strong character with real depth’ Robert Bryndza

Book InformationISBN 9780008374839Author Michael WoodFormat PaperbackPage Count 464Imprint One More ChapterPublisher HarperCollins PublishersWeight(grams) 330gDimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 30mm