5 Stars from me
This is a total BOOM BOOM POW! of a book.
Having absolutely loved the rest of the books in the series, I had no doubt that I would also love this one. So much so that once I had it, I put off reading it so that it wasn’t over too soon!
BOOM wow what an opening for a book! Mr Wood pulls no punches with this one – it is packed with in your face non sensical violence page after page after page. But the beginning – superb.
Having followed the series, Matilda and her team are like old friends for me and I was understandably shocked at the extent of the author’s, errr… housekeeping throughout the book.
Not as shocked as one reviewer though, I almost laughed out loud when I read this review:
Senseless killing of happy characters that you care about. Er yes dear, that’s kind of the point…
Time Is Running Out doesn’t follow the standard formulaic structure of the standard police procedural (no complaints about those, I love them), instead of the ‘plot build, red herrings, shock moment, satisfying ending’ it is more of a ‘hold on tight, it’s going to be a bumpy ride and I hope you are wearing your big girl pants’ kind of a thing!
Yes it is gruesome. Yes it is shocking. Yes it is brutal. Yes it is violent. Yes, characters that you love are going to die. Yes there is indiscriminate murder throughout. And yes, I found certain parts of it uncomfortable to read – should probably chuck a trigger warning in here somewhere but I don’t want to give spoilers… tricky one.
But, more importantly, it is brilliant. It is a blockbuster. IT SHOULD BE A TELEVISED SERIES – I desperately want to be seeing this on my tv. I want to be watching Matilda and her team in glorious technicolour – I can’t wait to see who is cast as Matilda, who is James (for surely he will have to be included even if only in flashbacks) and just how full is Sian’s snack drawer?
I also had a moment of pure unadulterated joy while reading this when I came across this tweet using my twitter name, in the actual book! I was reading in bed (as slovenly as you are imagining, yes) sipping coffee and suddenly saw this:
I nearly spat out the coffee, squealed and grinned like a fool for the rest of the day – it was such a surprise and I am struggling to convey how insanely happy it made me #ThankYou
Not a book for those of a delicate constitution, but most superbly written and packed full of excitement and unpredictable moments, and boy we need some of those right now don’t we!
I cannot wait for the next book – how on earth will he follow this one?!
Most definitely recommended but do yourself a favour and go back to the beginning and read all of the books in the series first – you will enjoy this one all the more for doing so.
So budge up Jed Mercurio, when you are done working on Line of Duty (thank you for Line of Duty I bloody love it) I think it is time for you to meet Matilda.
Blurb: You’re a survivor, aren’t you, Matilda? But what’s the point in surviving when everyone around you is dead?
When DCI Matilda Darke receives a mysterious telephone call, she immediately dismisses the threat. Afterall the Homicide and Major Enquiries Team are a regular target for prank calls.
But ignoring this warning might soon be the biggest regret of Matilda Darke’s life.
A lone gunman is on a deadly rampage around Sheffield, leaving a bloody trail in his wake. Taking his shots with a sickening precision, he’s about to leave his mark on the world and change Matilda and her team’s lives forever.
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