Below Ground by Michael Wood

 When I think this series can't get better, I read the next book and am proven wrong once again. Now that I've caught up with the series, I must wait until October 25, 2024, when Last One Left Alive comes out. And I'm not a patient person!

DS Scott Andrews is found on the floor of Matilda Darke's house, bleeding from a stab wound, and Matilda is nowhere to be seen. Wanting to keep her kidnapping from the press and with few clues, the team tries to find her - their only clue: serial killer Steve Harrison may again be pulling strings from behind bars. Meanwhile, a skeletonized body is found in the woods, and then another, and another. The team is at odds trying to solve these old murders while still looking for Matilda. As time passes without clues, the possibility of not finding Matilda alive looms.

This is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read. Even though Matilda is the main protagonist, Wood's penchant for killing off characters left me wondering if she would survive her ordeal. Some surprises and twists kept me reading this dark police procedural.

 5/5 stars.

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