Last One Left Alive

DCI Matilda Darke #12

by Michael Wood

DCI Matilda Darke is back. And it might be her most personal case yet. Pre-order the most intense new thriller yet from Michael Wood!‘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 possible, but as she investigates, she discovers a killer questioning everything she’s ever known.

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

Now, Matilda is on the trail of a murderer who targets the most vulnerable people in society. Apart from ‘With Sympathy…’ cards, hand delivered to the family of his victims, he leaves no trace of his crimes.

A KILLER’S DEADLY GAME

As the threat escalates, and those closest to Matilda are targeted, she finds herself isolated and alone in bringing down her opponent before it’s game over. After all, there can only be one winner in this game of cat-and-mouse, and the clock is ticking…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A master of horror and suspense’ NetGalley Reviewer

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Detective, Mystery, Thriller

456 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2024

Reviews

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last One Left Alive left me with my mouthing hanging open in complete and utter shock! Holy Crap! I did not see that coming at all!!! I'm still reeling. Michael Wood has written another gripping, thrilling, and shocking book in the DCI Matilda Darke series! Talk about having your heart ripped out by a book!

DCI Matilda Darke and the rest of her awesome team are on the hunt for a killer. A killer who picks the most vulnerable victims. A killer who taunts and sends sympathy cards to the families of the victims. A killer who is hiding in plain sight...

On man, did I feel this one. I felt for the vulnerable victims and for Matilda and the entire team. They are doing their absolute best to hunt down this diabolical killer before another victim is taken. This becomes the ultimate deadly cat-and-mouse where the stakes are high, and the consequences are deadly. Whew! The entire team is on a heart pounding chase for a killer who leaves no trace!

As with the other books in this series, this book was wonderfully written with great character development. It is riveting and has a well thought out plot that had my heart pumping and my fingers turning the pages! As I mentioned, the ending left me reeling, my jaw hanging open, and shocked beyond belief. Michael Wood pulled out all the stops with Last One Left Alive.

I can't wait to read what will happen in the next book!!!!

A gripping and shocking page turner!

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry - short on time, so this won’t be a long review.
Yes, Mr W has smashed it out of the park again. I love this series with Matilda Darke and all her fantastic team. High octane mystery thriller, full of tension and twists. I’m do figure out a possible direction of the answer but now I’m left with another puzzle to go along with it. As ever, he’s left us in suspenders. A highly recommended series - none disappoint.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how I missed this book to read as I think this series is one of my favourites and can't beat this authors crime reads.This is book 12 in this series.. This read was unreal it was so engaging, and on tenderhooks trying to find the killer of five murders.the murders become personal to Matilda Drake, sending her messages and giving her and the team no clues and the killer is impossible to catch...the ending is a shocker leading onto the next instalment wanting to know more..fantastic writing number one series gets better and better..5 stars...

[The Book Review Café · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author doesn’t “do” cosy crime, but if you're looking for a book that’s gritty, brutal and genuinely twisted, then you are going to love Last One Left Alive. One thing I love about this series is Matilda and her team. It sounds cliched, but whenever I pick up a book in the series, I always feel I’m meeting up with long-lost friends. Through the series I’ve shared their losses, heartbreak, grief and trauma. Matilda and her team NEVER get an easy ride, and Michael Wood’s could never be called predictable! He’s not averse to killing off well established characters, which makes reading a book in series unpredictable and exciting to read.

The plot is a SHOCKER! FIVE PERFECT MURDERS according to the killer. They taut Matilda and her team with emails that plant seeds of doubt. As the threat escalates, and the killer targets those closest to Matilda, it soon becomes apparent that this is a monster who lies in plain sight. Who can Matilda trust? Who's the next victim? Fast-paced and full of tension, this book left me guessing right until the end as to who was responsible and what a shocker it turned out to be! I’m hoping we don’t have to wait too long for the next instalment. Last One Left Alive is gripping, heart racing, tension filled read that I would highly recommend.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, hear me out! I love Matilda. I love this series. But this book pushed the boat out maybe a bit too far. The deep water got seriously deep in here.
I mean... Holy Hell, have more "Unluckiest shite to ever happen!" ever happened to a group of characters?? Like... EVER??

This must be some sort of record.

Poor, poor, poor, Shawn. That's all I'm saying.
To be honest, I saw that one coming miles away, and the people calling her the blindest cop alive might actually be onto something. I can't wait to find out how on Earth that will work out! 🙈

Anyway, that part being glaringly obvious (at least to me) is why the book is getting 4 stars, not 5. Plus, my sense of: "Okay, this is taking things just a bit TOO FAR." in a way that made me laugh more than feel sympathy for the characters.
Of course I did both, but it was all so miserable and over the top, I mostly had to sit back and just admire the author's malice. 😆

Also: I will hold a grudge over Adele getting "replaced" by Odell. I mean it, dammit! 😝
The narrator's accent makes the names sound very similar. My awkward dyslexia brain hates it. So. Much. But I can at least laugh at it. 🤣

Will I return for book 13? Of course I bloody will!
But I feel like it might actually be time for Matilda to consider a new career or early retirement.
Her multiple hattricks in misfortunes as a police have reached such unbelievable levels I'm now primarily amused by all the dreadful things that keep happening to her and her friends.

I wouldn't blame Matilda if she sat humming and rocking in a corner somewhere, completely disassociated from the world. Yeez, no, not one bit! All the things she has to put up with! 😆

Talk about enjoying torturing the heck out of your characters, Michael Wood. Impressive! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Seriously though: Matilda needs a break.

However, considering her usual luck she will probably stumble right into something just as horrible no matter what she does in the future... 😶😶😶😆

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my effing god!!!! I expected a lot but not that. 4.5 stars.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the weakest entries in the series. The killer is never caught, and the reveal of who it is feels strange and underwhelming, as if the author ran out of ideas after throwing suspicion everywhere. I also miss Adele—Odell just doesn’t compare, and her absence leaves Matilda’s dynamic feeling incomplete. It’s a letdown overall.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! I skipped ahead to read this one out of order as I have the new book to read on NetGalley. I am so glad that I did as so much has changed between book 4 and this one. that ending was 😮😮

[Jane Bridger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the books in the Matilda Darke series. I was eagerly awaiting this latest book as it feels like you are back amongst old friends, apart from Danny Hanson of course. Michael has been teasing about this book for a while on social media and I knew there was a shocking twist to come.
Right from the beginning I was trying to second guess what was going to happen and I was on the right lines for victim number 5 but as for the killer, he wasn’t even on my radar. A typical case of hiding in plain sight.
This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order as there are references to earlier cases, having this knowledge hells bring context.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of all the books is the relationships the colleagues have with each other. I love the camaraderie, sarcasm, humour and banter.
The themes in this series are dark and chilling, I found myself holding my breath towards the end.

[Elaine Livesey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read all his books and enjoyed each one of them so far, but here’s nothing I hate more than turning the page and being confronted with “to be continued”

[Tonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever story and just as dark as ever.

[Love2read · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I’ve grown to love the characters and the team interactions so much. HOWEVER, the ending was a huge disappointment in my opinion. Yes, it was planned well but the perpetrator is absolutely implausible and the personal loss for Matilda was unnecessary. Haven’t she and her team been through too much already?! The reveal of who the murderer is has completely ruined this book for me. I don’t understand why the author thought it was a good idea. Michael Wood is a talented author and this book could have been brilliant if it hadn’t ended in quite the way it did. I guess this is edging towards the end of the road for this team. Maybe that’s why we’ve been introduced to Olivia Winter in another book? I will probably read the next book in Matilda Darke series but a bit grudgingly tbh, and only to see where or how this all wraps up.

[SJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many references to earlier books and cases spoilt my enjoyment of this book. This is only my second book in the series and I was lost. What annoyed me the most was the ending — really?!

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is such a relief to find Matilda Darke still alive at the beginning of each of the books in this series. In my view this is so closely plotted without a blink in the unfolding team relationships and their history together that you should not contemplate reading out of sequence.

I had my usual irritation with the constant referencing to the snack drawer and to every type of chocolate bar, which I guess will, in time, set it in its timeframe. But some of our "friends" are annoying and I got over myself!

This is another hunt for a killer and Matilda is at its core. It is as dark as the other books and nothing can be taken as read. Whether this is a serial killer or not is the crux and seeking the links/motivation haunts the investigation.

I coursed through it as usual, then wished I had savoured but there is no pause button on the tension!

[Lauren Rea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s my 5⭐️#BookReview of Last One Left Alive - the newest instalment of the DCI Matilda Darke series by @michaelwoodbooks 👉🏻 Matilda is bored, struggling to get settled in her new ‘desk job’ away from her team in a new office dealing with paperwork and budget cuts, she is no longer on the front line. But all this is about to change, when she receives an email from someone stating they have committed the perfect murder, not once but five of them, which the team know nothing about. Is there any truth in this or is it just some crack pot trying to get their kicks? As Matilda tries and fails to find any evidence of the so called murders, or the identity of the author further emails each more chilling than the next start to arrive. With Christian and the team working on the disappearance of Natasha, a 19 year old student she is on her own, until she’s not…with a race against time to discover the identity of the killer, Matilda’s world just keeps getting darker…
Woah Michael!! I don’t know what to say! This was marvellous!! Not the usual style we are used to seeing with the Matilda stories, I was on the edge constantly as if I was watching a horror film from behind a pillow waiting for the jumpy parts! It definitely didn’t disappoint, I absolutely loved the new format here it totally worked and really added to the tension of the story. We see a different side to Matilda as the book progresses, and it was genius! What a book, what a story and THAT ending leads nicely into the next book! Brilliant Michael!!! I LOVED it! I expected nothing less from my favourite author!! 🔥

[Kim Snaith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read (and absolutely devoured) every entry of the Matilda Darke series so far so, 12 books in, it seemed unlikely anything would change that. In fact, this might be one of my favourites. Wood had been teasing the book on social media for some time, so I expected something *big*. Ultimately, the payoff here is huge, but the build-up is a little more subdued - but in a way that allows us to spend more time with Mat and her team in a way that feels almost cosy - if that's a word I dare use for such a dark series.

There'll be no spoilers here but things kick off with Matilda receiving a personal email from someone claiming to be a serial killer. The murder he's purporting to have committed is a death ruled as a clean-cut suicide some months before, and so begins an impossible investigation for Matilda and her team to see if he's telling the truth.

Over the course of the book, four more emails will be received, each leading Mat and her team to investigate further, all the while trying to figure out who is behind the emails.

There's a sense of a real old-fashioned "whodunnit" here, and Last One Left Alive will keep you guessing all the way to the end. You WILL find out, but only on the last few pages - this might be Wood's biggest cliffhanger yet, and it's a real doozy. Even through some of the book's slower sections, I've been engrossed and desperate to turn the page, and of course, I'm more excited than ever to read the next installment.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping story. This series never disappoints.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it is fair to say that 'kill your darlings' is a sentiment Michael Wood really does understand. Not only are his stories tightly plotted, with not a wasted scene amongst them, but, over recent years, he has applied this very activity to his cast of characters too. Not afraid to create major upset amongst his readers, I go into each book with a certain amount of trepidation, wondering whose neck might be on the block this time around. Given the ending of the previous novel, and the author's owners admissions that this one was going to be emotional - well that and the title which is ominous enough, let's face it - I did not know what to expect. Except for excellent storytelling. That was a given, and this book does not disappoint at all.

Now I am not going to say too much about the previous book or the ending of this one other than both left me reeling a little. And if you have been with the series since the beginning, you know that is saying something as Mr Wood is very good at that. The ending of the previous book is resolved in this book - whether in the way that was expected or not you'll have to read and judge for yourself because I won't say. What I will say is that for this particular book, Matilda and the team are up against a particularly ruthless and merciless opponent who delights in taunting them whilst acting out their own style of crime. Folks say there is no such thing as the perfect murder, but maybe, just maybe, folks are wrong.

I love how the author has framed this book, giving us scenes not only following the investigative team and a somewhat weary Matilda - understandable given the circumstances of recent times - but also from the perspective of the 'killer'. The problem with this particular story is that whilst Matilda believes people are being murdered, there is no actual evidence, and getting anyone to believe in her theories is really hard, especially as she is no longer an active part of the Major Crimes team. taking Matilda out of her comfort zone, and sticking her behind a desk sets her against a whole new nemesis - inactivity and the evil to end all evil - paperwork. Perish the thought!

This is a very carefully plotted and executed set of crimes, and I really love how the author gets into the mind of the killer, a person whose identity remains very carefully hidden throughout. So much so that literally no-one, and I would probably include 99.9% of all readers in that, will be prepared for the big reveal. I certainly didn't see it coming. Using that intellectual sparring with Matilda and their seeming desire to be the most infamous killer of all time, adds a layer of conflict and intensity to the investigation that really powers the story onward. Pacing is brilliant, the plot advancing at pace, with a heightened sense of jeopardy and threat even though it is impossible for the team to put their finger on why. Lets just say that Sian's snack draw takes a real hammering this time out, and that is no mean feat.

I love the team, and it's heartwarming to see some of them finally finding some semblance of happiness, even if the author always makes you feel like it might be short lived. And for good reason. Those closing scenes ... Oof. I can't say anything more than that but it's another of those gut punch moments that will bring a tear to the eye for sure. Naughty Mr Wood. I mean - makes for a great story, obviously, but still ... And then that very final chapter. Well, I'm not sure how I feel about it, and I just can't express why. Spoilers you see. Spoilers! But again with the oof. Double oof even. Verging on a series of oof's reminiscent of the Eastenders doof-doofs in fact. It's one of those. Totally did not see that coming.

Looking forward to the next book, I think? Or am I? God knows Matilda probably isn't. Woman deserves a bit of a break eventually but, thankfully for all of us readers, I'm just not sure Mr Wood is the kind if writer to offer the small kindness just yet. Makes for such good drama though, don't you think? Fans of the series will love, and hate, this. Top stuff.

[Rowan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, Matilda Darke is being targeted. At this point, it feels like Sheffield would be a lot safer if she just resigned. The constant barrage against her has stopped feeling dramatic and has started to feel ridiculous. Even more frustrating is the repetitive plot. Yet again, the killer has personal ties to the team. It’s basically the go-to formula now. And then there’s the surprise “to be continued”? Thanks, I hate it.

If Michael Wood weren’t such a strong writer with such solid characters, I would have stopped reading this series about six books ago.

[Dawn Click · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good but ugghhh

Great story, I am so invested in the characters, their lives, and their struggles. The story kept me guessing all the way to the cliff hangers!


I HATE cliff hangers.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow this was truly an amazing read. One of the best crime thriller series I’ve read in a while. A fast paced and page turning read . I thought I had worked out who the killer was but when it was revealed I was utterly flabbergasted. Waiting for the follow on book will be agonising !

[Natalia Bar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is kinda heading to the grotesque. The amount of utterly horrible serial killers having it in for the police is astounding.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another frantic instalment in this brilliant series. Michael Wood once again takes us on an adrenaline filled journey as Matilda and co try to work out the killers cryptic messages. The pace moves at a million miles per hour, the tension is palpable and with the trademark cliff hanger at the end you need a moment to get your breath back. Not one of my favourites in the series but still a highly enjoyable addictive read.

[Neil Dobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading Last One Left Alive, 12th book in the DCI Matilda Darke series by Michael Wood & it was absolutely amazing, loved it & the ending WOW, what a shocker, didn't see that coming. I should be used with the shocks in this series 🤣 roll on October for the new one coming out in paperback, can't wait 😀

[Esther Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of the Matilda Darke (she is the detective) and thoroughly enjoyed them. This is no exception. Kept me on the edge of my seat trying to guess who the murderer was. It certainly was a shock I wouldn't have guessed. Can't wait for her next book which won't be out for another year.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.5 for this one.
Jaw dropping ending.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well.....chop chop Michael with the next one...another amazing read.

[Valerie Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wattsy

OMG what a great book,as always Michael Wood leaves you hanging on till the end,can't wait for the next instalment absolutely brilliant

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG….. I did NOT see that coming!