Showing results by author "Michael Wood" in All Categories

Twenty-five years ago, a killer dubbed the Richmond Ripper terrorised London, claiming four victims before vanishing without a trace. Now, with her mother dying, Holly is running out of time to deliver the answers she desperately craves. But as she digs deeper into the past, someone is watching, and when Holly is targeted, it becomes clear that the killer is back, and he doesn't want to be found. Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Holly can trust no one - because someone in her inner circle is hiding the darkest secret of all.

The morning after a ferocious storm, the body of a vulnerable teenage girl is found in the woods. The police are under pressure to find the killer and solve the tragedy but with thin evidence and no witnesses, the case is falling apart. Desperate to find this vicious murderer, they hunt high and low and eventually find their man: an outsider with no alibi. When the suspect confesses to the crime, it’s an open and shut case. But two women suspect foul play and dedicate their lives to working out what really happened, at all costs.

‘Will keep you up at night… I can’t get enough’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow. Michael Wood has done it again… I definitely felt my heart rate increase’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Michael Wood is the master of the dark, psychological thriller’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ *** A FAMILY SLAIN When Detective...

The best person to understand a serial killer is one of his victims. Meet Dr Olivia Winter. ‘I was hooked from the first page… mind-blowing and gripping. I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment’ Angela Marsons ‘Chilling, unnerving [and] pacey’ John Marrs ‘A searingly intense...

'A learned, wise, wonderfully written single volume history of a civilisation that I knew I should know more about' Tom Holland 'Masterful and engrossing...well-paced, eminently readable and well-timed. A must-read for those who want – and need – to know about the China of yesterday, today...

'Once again, Michael Wood, the master of horror and suspense, has written a book that put me through the wringer with its taut, horrifying, dark and devious storyline.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Dr Olivia Winter is back. And she’s got a brand new case to solve. A BRUTAL MURDER When Isaac McFadden is...

On her 13th birthday, Stephanie White was abducted from the streets of Newcastle and brutally murdered. Her death shook the neighbourhood and devastated the lives of everyone around her. Twenty years later, the killer is due to be released from prison and one woman can no longer keep the secret she vowed never to tell. The secret that the father of her child is a convicted murderer.

For years, Aidan Cullen has dreamed of becoming a successful crime writer. When his hard work finally pays off and his first book is published, what should have been a night of celebration unravels into an evening of horror. Left for dead after a brutal attack, trauma leaves him paranoid and reclusive, and he retreats to the remote countryside with only his dog Nanook for company. With the world kept at arm’s length, he begins to feel safe. That is, until a woman is murdered at the end of his road.

A killer call. A murder close to home. A case only DCI Matilda Darke and her team can solve. No one wants to be the first one to die… *** 'Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths ‘A master of horror and suspense’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ *** A KILLER CONFESSION When journalist Danny...

Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more… A darkly compelling debut crime novel. The start of a brilliant series, perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid, and James Oswald. DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former...

When elderly George Rainsford goes to investigate a suspicious noise one night, the last thing he expects to find is a bloodbath. A man has been killed and a woman brutally beaten, left for dead. The victims are Lois Craven and Kevin Hardaker - both married, but not to each other. Their spouses swear they knew nothing of the affair, and, besides, they both have alibis for the attack. With nothing else to link the victims, the investigation hits a dead end. 

As DCI Matilda Darke unravels a chilling cold case, she discovers some truths are deadly – and someone will stop at nothing to keep the past buried… ‘Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths RUNNING FROM HER PAST Leaving behind Sheffield, her friends and her job, a grieving...

Brought to you by Penguin. In Search of the Dark Ages is an unrivalled exploration of the origins of English identity, and the bestselling book that established Michael Wood as one of Britain's leading historians. Now, on the book's 40th anniversary, this fully revised and expanded edition...

On Sunday, February 3rd 1990, seven-year-old Danny Redpath disappeared from his home. Four months later, his body was found in the nearby forest, washed clean of all evidence. Over time, more bodies were discovered; more families devastated forever. Apprehended while attempting to abduct another child, Jonathan Egan-Walsh was charged with the murders of thirteen boys. Convicted on all counts, he received life in prison and went unrepentant, still refusing to reveal the whereabouts of one of his victims, Zachery Marshall.

There’s a killer in your house. The Hangman waits in the darkness. He knows your darkest secrets. He’ll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget. And he is closer than you think. DCI Matilda Darke is running out of time. Fear is spreading throughout the city. As the body count rises, Matilda is targeted and her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late? 

Starling House is home to some of the nation’s deadliest teenagers, still too young for prison. When the latest arrival is found brutally murdered, DCI Matilda Darke and her team investigate, and discover a prison manager falling apart and a sabotaged security system. Neither the staff nor the inmates can be trusted. The only person Matilda believes is innocent is facing prison for the rest of his life. With time running out, she must solve the unsolvable to save a young man from his fate, and find a murderer in a house full of killers....

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.... 

‘DCI Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths A short story and prequel featuring DCI Matilda Darke, star of Michael Wood’s darkly compelling crime series. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid. It’s Christmas in Sheffield. But not everyone is...

DCI Matilda Darke is back. And it might be her most personal case yet. ‘Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths FIVE PERFECT MURDERS DCI Matilda Darke receives an anonymous email from someone claiming to have committed the perfect murder. Experience tells her this isn’t...

A beautifully illustrated travelogue, chronicling the life and work of one of the world greatest poets. Du Fu (712-70) is one of China’s greatest poets. His career coincided with periods of famine, war and huge upheaval, yet his secular philosophical vision, combined with his empathy for the...