5*
Eight killers. One house. And the almost perfect murder…
I am a huge fan of the DCI Matilda Darke series and this third installment is an absolute corker! Dare I say, the best one yet!
Matilda’s new case leads her to Starling House, a home for some of the country’s deadliest teenagers who are too young to be sent to prison. When someone is murdered, it’s up to Matilda and her team to figure out if the killer is one of the teenage boys or someone from the staff. Can any of them be trusted?
While Matilda gets distracted by various other things (a case from the past, grieving over her husband’s death and the belief someone at Starling House may actually be innocent), her colleague Rory is intent on finding out what makes children killers in the first place. Will Matilda’s distractions put her team in danger?
This is one dark and gruesome read. The prologue alone seems to come straight from some horribe horror movie and the backstories of the boys at Starling House make for some uncomfortable reading. Food for thought, for sure. And maybe also a nightmare or two.
Needless to say I was gripped from page one. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. My smug self thought she had it all figured out and was proven wrong. So wrong.
If you like a great crime procedural, this one is definitely for you. Although I would recommend you read the previous two in the series first. You won’t regret it. 5*
