The Killer hides in the darkness of their homes and then hangs his victims to make them pay for crimes they have tried to leave in the past. As the vigilante racks up more deaths, Matilda struggles to find any answers. With zero forensics and information being leaked to the press, the pressure is on. When she is personally targeted everyone she knows, including her well-trusted colleagues, fall under suspicion.

The Hangman’s Hold sucked me in from the very first chapter and kept me hooked until the very last one. It’s a fast-paced read with all the nitty gritty gory details. Plenty of suspects are hinted at throughout the book and I was certain I knew who had done it but I was very wrong. The ending is intense, exciting and heartbreaking. I felt so many emotions in the last few chapters.

There are plenty of characters but I didn’t find it overwhelming and I managed to keep everyone straight. I loved how they all interacted and the team is great. Matilda is a great main character and I definitely want to read more about her life.

This is the first book I have read by Michael Woods and I will definitely be adding more to my collection asap. Even though The Hangman’s Hold is the fourth book in the DCI Matilda Darke series it definitely works as a standalone. I didn’t feel like I was missing any vital information.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review