ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – For Reasons Unknown by Michael Wood

For Reasons Unknown by Michael Wood is published by Killer Reads, Harper Collins. I purchased my own copy.

Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more…

DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case: the terrifyingly brutal murders of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. The only witness was their eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, who was too deeply traumatized to speak a word.

Then a dead body is discovered, and the investigation leads back to Matilda’s case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more…

A darkly compelling debut crime novel, this is the start of a brilliant series, perfect for fans of Louise Penny and Val McDermid.

I’ve been meaning to re-start Michael Wood’s Matilda Darke series for a while now, mainly because it’s set very firmly in my home city of Sheffield. I read For Reasons Unknown around ten years ago on my Kindle but then never progressed to book two and, as is often the case, I couldn’t remember the detail of the story so decided to read it again (a very rare re-read in my case).

DCI Matilda Darke is returning to South Yorkshire Police after traumatic events in her home and work life led to a leave of absence. Rather than throwing her straight back in to her old role, she is tasked with solving a cold case, that of the murder of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. This is stuff of Sheffield lore and Matilda starts her investigation with Jonathan Harkness, the couple’s son and the only witness to what happened.

Some links with what’s going on with Matilda’s old team arise and bring the story together nicely. There are also some clever twists towards the end and an overbearing Acting DCI that I loved to hate. I think I’d have liked to see the team be a bit more fleshed out but that might happen as the series progresses and this first book has whetted my appetite for more Matilda Darke cases. It certainly kept me interested and is a really good start to the series. This is one for those who enjoy police procedurals and cold cases (that’s me!).

Michael Wood is a freelance journalist and proofreader living in Newcastle. As a journalist he 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.