Not my favourite in the series but still a cracking read nevertheless. Love the introduction of DS Hudson and am interested to see how his relationship with Grace develops. I feel like after the previous two books, the human element of tying the story into Helens personal life and adding that additional layer to the story was missing but I did enjoy it still. Thanks to Netgalley, Michael Joseph and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great read. Not my usual genre but I was gripped throughout. I will definitely look out for more from this author and will be recommending to others.

I have followed this book series from the beginning and have been eagerly waiting on this next instalment. It has not disappointed, I cannot get enough, I may have to start these books again just to fill the hole.

The gruesome deaths of two campers in the (otherwise) idyllic New Forest provide a new challenge for DI Helen Grace and her team at Southampton Central. With no obvious motive or links between the victims, suspicion falls on the mysterious off-grid inhabitant of the forest who seems impossible to find. A twisty plot, with well-drawn characters mostly familiar from previous books in the series, is matched by tense action sequences. The atmosphere of the New Forest is also well-portrayed. Overall, a gripping and satisfying read and a welcome addition to the Helen Grace saga.

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley but unfortunately was very disappointed.

DCI Grace a good character of real depth but in this book she seemed to have a minor role and lost her personality compared to the previous books which left me dissatisfied. In this book we are introduced to a new DS who arrives just as the case is breaking but his character doesn’t really develop.

Don’t get me wrong the book is well paced and tense in places but I just wasn’t that gripped or cared enough about the story.

This certainly wasn’t the best in the series for me.

I have followed the story of Helen Grace from book 1. What a tortured soul she is! It's interesting to see her character develop through the books and have her yearn for the one thing that is elusive - love. I liked that the book is set in New Forest. Its such a vast area that it was difficult for me to keep track and I constantly kept referring to the maps. Of course, I know its fiction but MJ Arlidge is such a fantastic writer that it made the story in the book very real.

I really enjoyed reading it although I skipped a few paragraphs due to some of the lengthy explanations. Overall, I think its a good story and will definitely be looking forward to another Helen Grace book.

The latest in the series from this author. I found the hard going this time round. Not as fast paced as the last one, though still found it very good with the usual twist and turns.
Would highly recommend this book if you enjoy this series

Even though this book was not for me, could not hold my attention as I thought it was a slow burner, it was very well written, I hope everyone else enjoys this book

This is the eight novel in the Helen Grace series. I must admit it is the first one I have read but I will definitely be going back for more. I’m pretty sure there are two lurking in my TBR collection on my Kindle.

This is a very good police procedural about murders in the New Forest. First a man is found dead and displayed in a ritualistic pose. Shortly afterwards a woman is found in a similar situation. They have both been camping in the forest but there appears to be no connection between them. It is up to DI Grace and her team to uncover the reasons for the murders.

The book moves at an excellent pace and the story telling is first class. I really warmed to a number of character: Helen Grace is tough and clever; DS Charlie Brooke is loyal and dealing with her own problems and the new boy on the block, DS Joseph Hudson is an enigma. The less said about the journalist the better but then you are expected to dislike her!

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

Hhhmm. Good but not the best in the series. A good and different sort of setting and I admit that for a long time I didn't have a clue whodunnit either. But I wasn't ploughing through it at a rate of knots which is my usual indicator of a good read. Read it if you're a Helen Grace fan to keep up with the series - start from book 1 if you're new to the series so that you can treat this one as a stepping stone to the next.

Wow, this took off from the start, Helen Grace is back again, loved it and would definitely recommend to anyone who loves police procedural books without all the faffing about, this leaves little to the imagination, great read

If you go Down to the Woods today... you'd better go in disguise... beneath the trees where nobody sees... is a devilish killer. Ponies slaughtered and victims hunted down and dispatched with such evil and menace. But it's no picnic, certainly not for DI Helen Grace, who once again is pitched against a ruthless killer who hides at ease amongst the dense surroundings of the New Forest. No apparent motive, no apparent link between the victims.

Helen's team become involved in a frustrating investigation with little if nothing to go on and it is difficult to say more without giving away too much. But it's hats off to M.J. Arlidge for writing another thrill-ride of a police procedural with a helter-skelter, breathtaking ending as DI Grace once again puts herself in harm's way. And just for a moment there I thought - OH NO!....

I have read all the DI Helen Grace series and I I was so excited when I saw this on NetGalley.
Melanie Walton wakes up in her tent in the New Forest with a banging headache to find her partner Tom has disappeared. The last thing she remembers is going to sleep the night before. After searching for him with no luck, she calls the police. DI Helen Grace is leading the search when she gets a call that a forestry worker has made a grim discovery. Tom Campbell’s body hanging from a tree with arrows deep in his chest, neck and back. Soon after another body is found.
This is another case for DI Helen Grace and her usual team plus a new addition, DS Joseph Hudson. Emilia Garanita, the reporter is around as usual trying to advance in her career and always trying to get one over on Helen Grace.
I was so excited to receive this and I wasn’t disappointed. This story is fast paced with lots of twists and turns and I struggled to put it down. I can’t wait for the next M.J. Arlidge book.
Thank you NetGalley for this book.

A gruesome, chilling scene is discovered deep in the heart of the New Forest. A camper, shot by crude crossbow bolts, has been strung upside down and left to bleed to death. DI Helen Grace and her team are quickly on the scene determined to find the perpetrator before fear penetrates this beautiful, holiday area. A lead is quickly found as a man who seems to fit what they’re looking for is discovered to be holed up in the forest. The horror is far from over and this complex, dark and evil crime has more shocks to reveal before the culprit is finally apprehended. A cleverly thought out story that has the reader guessing throughout. I have visited the New Forest many times but don’t think I will look at it in quite the same way again!

Another great instalment in the Helen Grace series. Why only four stars? Well I don't care how many people an author wants to bump off but leave dogs and horses alone!

My husband threatened to take me to see a Dr to have my Kindle surgically removed from my hands as I was reading this.
I read while cooking, doing household chores, while walking up and down the stairs. I couldn't leave it alone, I NEEDED to know what happened next, I needed to follow my favourite detective as she solves the latest crime.
M J Arlidge is a fabulous author, I want more books from this author, I eagerly await the next one

I enjoyed this book more than the one before in this series, but felt it was all more of the same. The same reporter up to her old tricks and the same angst at not solving the crime immediately. The main characters are also becoming boring and I feel they need something to liven them up. The plot was a little more interesting and there were a couple of new characters among the police, but I did not find it over exciting.

I love crime novels but M J Arlidge is one of two writers I eagerly wait to read the next one. DI Helen Grace has been through the wars since she first arrived on her motorbike in Eeny Meeny. This book is menacing, creepy and unnerving with heartstopping chase scenes deep in depths of New Forest that send shivers down my spine even now. There is a good balance of the investigation and character personal life. As the series continues DI Helen Grace evolves and it is a joy to read as is catching up with Charlie coping with being a working mum and pressure of a violent case. This series has not faltered.

I loved this book but then I like all of the Helen Grace series. This one kept me hooked until the end and I couldn't work out who was carrying out murders in the woods. It's not essential to have read the others; it does help but you still understand who the characters are and there is explanation about them. Definitely a twist in the tale!!
#netgalley#downtothewoods

Love the Helen grace books and this one didnt disappoint. Fast paced and a pleasure to read. Another fantastic novel.