Fan’s of DI Helen Grace already know this will be a corker of a read. The eighth book is exciting, dark and fast paced. The book starts by the finding of Tom Campbell, after a night if camping with his fiancé a hooded figure comes out of the dark woods and hunts Tom down. The killing done stop there in the wood and Helen and her team race to find out what is happening in the wood of the new forest.
As also the plot is fantastic and this time very scary in parts. The characters are brilliant,with this being the 8th book it’s nice to see new blood in the character DS Hudson, I look forward to getting to know him better on following books.
As always a book is going to have a better edge to it when read in sequence howeve this can be read as a stand alone.

I have read all of M J Arlidge books, Helen Grace is certainly my favourite detective, strong, feisty but with a past. In this book we find a couple have gone camping in The New Forest and in the middle of the night he finds himself in his underwear in the middle of the dark scary forest. He has no idea how he got here but knows there is a dark shadow stalking him. The story continues when another camper from different camp site goes missing in the middle of the night. Then a dreadful discovery is made. I won’t spoil the story, you must read it. On a personal note I would like to tip a bucket of cold water over Emilia, she is so cleverly written.

This book is the eighth in the Helen Grace series by M J Arlidge. I've always found DCI Grace a good character of real depth. In this book, after a fairly traumatic previous story - see here for the blog, a body is found in the New Forest. The person had been at a campsite the previous night and no one knows what made them leave their tent. As a member of the team died in the course of the previous book there is a new DS who arrives as the case is breaking.

Initially I found this a very typical Helen Grace story. Well paced and tense as usual making for easy reading. It was, and continued to be, a book that was far easier to keep reading than put down. The investigation continues to reveal aspects of the story as time goes by. There are the usual twists and turns, with misdirection and red herrings to be considered.

So far so good I guess. However this time I was not really gripped by the story. I've found it hard to pin down just why that is. I think a few factors are involved. The red herrings seemed quite obviously to be just that to me. The new DS didn't become a character in any meaningful way. Emilia is someone I dislike and I do realise that is supposed to be the case. However, after the events of the last book, she seems to have learnt little and be determined to be even less pleasant. In the end though I think it was the fact that Helen seemed to almost be a minor role compared with the previous books that left me rather dissatisfied.

This certainly was not the best of the series for me. I'm sure followers of Helen Grace will probably find it very readable - I did. I can only hope that the next book will be able to grip me once again and that I can once again say this series is one of my favourites. 3.5/5

Gruesome murders have been perpetrated in the New Forest with the bodies apparently deliberately posed. Why were the campers targeted? Why were the victims partners' spared? Are the killings connected?

Down to the Woods, the 8th installment in the Helen Grace series of books, is a fast paced crime thriller, with lots of twists and turns. There are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing who the perpetrator is. A great read with a surprising and exciting ending that was quite unexpected.

Book number 8, and the pace and excitement continues in this impressive series of detective novels. I'm so glad I read this whilst at home in September,if it had been August,my review would have been markedly different,as I was camping in the New Forest then,and the late evening walk with the dog and that late night dash to the toilet block would have scared the life out of me!!
The imagery of the New Forest was beautiful. We have camped there every year for the last 20 years and we have still not explored every area, you can easily imagine a reclusive person existing in hiding without residents and holidaymakers being aware of their presence,it made for a very haunting read.
A series of gruesome murders that appear to target holidaymakers camping in the New Forest,is the focus in this book. Bodies have been attacked by crossbow bolts and every effort is being made to find the connection between these young people. There is also a new team member for Southampton Major Incident Team,and perhaps Helen Grace will find some long overdue happiness in her life.
Helen remains a powerful female role model,but should we be surprised that she is professional in her work? There can't be any shock value in this position now, perhaps just acknowledge her as a hard working team member in future books. Emilia Garanita is now a senior crime reporter,but continues to be as annoying as usual,although we do detect a little more help being given to Helen and her enquiries. Journalists seem unaware of the damage they do by compromising police work,especially in murder cases. They always want to publish without considering what help they unwittingly give to the criminals being persued,by giving away sensitive information.
I really enjoyed this book,it was so fast paced when new information came in regarding the hunt for the murderer,yet when things were flagging,like in real life,the sense of disappointment and frustration was handled really well. The story was utterly believable and made my pulse race,and that is the purpose of a good murder mystery/ detective story. This book will be a huge success as M.J.Arlidge has a huge fan base and no wonder. As usual,I am already looking forward to the next one.
I have posted a copy of this review to Goodreads today. I have given it a five star rating. Thank you.

I really like these books, they are good fun and easy to read.

But Arlidge can be lazy with phrasing, for example he uses 'bent their steps' and 'drinking it in' too many times. In a quick read you notice these repetitions.

Death has come to the New Forest. First, the ponies. Then, two campers abducted from their tents and hung from the trees. And who is the man in the woods??

Book 8 in the series, and a new series for me. Definitely makes me want to read the rest!

This is macabre even by MJ Arlidge standards. He really is one of the top authors for taking an innocent place, The New Forest for goodness sake, with its trees and areas of recreation - and then turning it into something really dark and creepy. The book continues the saga of DI Helen and her Southampton team but this can be read as a standalone. Having said that, as with most books in series, you do get more out of if, if you read the whole series.

As with all his books, this is dark and then dark some more.Helen seems to be having a nicer time on the personal front thank goodness - this was the only ray of sunshine in that dark dark forest. Other new characters really gave it that edge and moved things along nicely.

More please MJ Arlidge and I will continue to read your books in daylight hours.

Lacy, thrilling, gripping thriller/police procedural interwoven with depth of characters. If any readers have never come across MJ Ardlige and the wonderfully written, feisty Helen Grace, then they are in for a real treat. Red herrings and false leads abound, keeping the reader mesmerised. Obviously these books are better when read in order, so the back stories of the main characters are known, but if this is your first encounter with DI Grace, then you will probably want to get your hands on all of the previous books. Sure fire winner.

A good detective story. Good plot and it evolves beautifully, coming to a conclusion you do not suspect. Loads of red herring laced with in the pages.

My only criticism is that either due to layout of the book or my Kindle, there are loads of pages that the sentences are over 3 or 4 lines. This made it really hard to follow and disturbed the flow of the story. Apart from that it is a good book to read

Down to the Woods is yet another brilliant crime thriller in the DI Helen Grace series. In this we have her and the team investigating 2 macabre murders of campers in the New Forest. Although completely separate incidents further investigation starts to find a link to them both. This gripping story romps along with the usual characters plus a new member of her team.
A well constructed read with twists and turns and an ending you don't see coming. I don't want to write too much of the plot as afraid of giving away any spoilers, just to say this series just gets better and better, and Helen herself seems to be finding more peace and stability in her life and hopefully some happiness which I hope will continue in the next book, fingers crossed!
My grateful thanks to Net Galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly

As with other books in this fabulous series, it is perfectly OK to read this book as a stand-alone. I am sure though that reading the whole series in order will give the reader a better background and understanding of the somewhat turbulent life that is experienced by D.I. Helen Grace, in charge of the Major Incident Team at Southampton Central Police Station.

Helen Grace is one of my favourite characters. M.J. Arlidge never spares her, regularly putting her life in danger and she never makes it through a case unscathed either physically or emotionally.

This time, something is rotten in the New Forest. First, it was the wild ponies, cruelly and mercilessly killed. Now both a man and a woman have been hunted down and murdered in seemingly unrelated killings while camping in different parts of the forest. Shot with home -made crossbow bolts, the victims are strung from the trees in a manner reminiscent of racist Klan killings in the deep South of America.

DI Helen Grace is finally making some kind of peace with herself. Her mentor and old friend Superintendent Simmons is temporarily in charge of Southampton’s Police Force and providing much needed stability with a watchful and non-meddlesome eye.

Helen has added a new member to her team with the introduction of D.S. Joseph Hudson. It is early days yet, but there’s something about him that suggests he’s worth closer inspection. Whether he is a benign character or otherwise, we will just have to wait and see.

Helen and her team need to know whether there is a connection between the two victims or if they are dealing with a rampaging psychopath. Their investigations are not helped by the constant interference of Emily Garanita, the local paper’s chief investigative journalist who has made herself Helen’s bête noir and who is determined never to miss a story, whatever it takes.

As they try to piece together the clues, the hunt leads them up and down some thorny paths which twist and turn but fail to deliver. The creepiness of the stalker in the woods is really very suspenseful and not a little disturbing and the plot leads are very convincing.

Well plotted, fast paced and thrilling, this is an accomplished addition to the Helen Grace canon.

Verdict. Another terrific heart-thumping page turner you can’t put down.

I am a long term fan of this series and I make no apologies about it. I can't recall quite why I picked up a copy of the first book, Eeny Meeny, but it was most likely die to the fact it was set in Southampton and I was due to visit there with work. Once I started reading I was hooked, and I powered my way through the book and have devoured every book since. I have waited patiently for this next instalment, still reeling a little from the conclusion to the previous book to be fair, and intrigued to know what would happen to the team next.

They are still recovering from their loss in this book, Helen more than anyone taking the blame on her shoulders for what happened before. Charlie is struggling too, with her young daughter waking constantly due to night terrors which, on top of everything else, is beginning to take its toll. They don't have long to mope about though as the team are soon called to the scene of a macabre killing. At first they can find no rhyme nor reason how or why the victim was chosen but it is evident that someone has an axe to grind. The investigation takes them down a path literally less travelled, as a merciless killer stalks their prey in the beautiful New Forest, but can they stop them before they can claim more victims?

Well ... if you want to find out, you'll have to read for yourself as I'm not saying. Needless to say this is another high pressure case for Helen and her team, one which Helen tackles with her usual calm and logical approach. I love the way in which the author has crafted the character of Helen Grace. She is a complex and multi-faceted individual, hard nosed at times but with an ultimate level of compassion for her friends and colleagues. It is nice, for once, to see the top brass on her side, with her former mentor in charge of the station, and you see a far more amenable Helen when confronted with Grace Simmons requests and concerns. As ever, there is still a kind of gung-ho side to Helen's character as her quest for justice out strips her ability to do everything quite by the book, but you wouldn't have her any other way.

The partnership or even friendship between Helen and DS Charlie Brooks is as strong as ever in this book, and I love watching the pair work together. Charlie is another brilliant character. Not as strong as Helen, but determined, just maybe struggling with balancing home and work this time around, and for good reason. And then there is new kid on the block, DS Joseph Hudson. I'm always curious when a new officer is added into the team. Will they be friend or foe? Well it's early days with DS Hudson I'd say but I did like him. He's got an edge and he's going to make Helen';s life rather interesting I'd say.

If anything, I'd say that in spite of the subject matter, this book didn't feel quite as punchy as previous books. Pacing felt slower somehow and I don't know quite why. Perhaps it was due to the reflection over what happened in the last book which took the characters away from the tension of the case on occasion. The quick shot chapters were there, enticing the reader into just one more before bed, but it just felt a little slower. I have seen a similar premise on a couple of TV shows in the past so perhaps it was the familiarity with what was happening that affected the sense of urgency, but I wasn't quite as in the moment, certainly far less so than with its predecessor which I couldn't put down until I was finished.

That said, the writing is as assured as ever and the story line compelling, propelling the reader, and the Detectives to take an unexpected turn part way through. Garanita is back once more, causing her usual mayhem, and love her or loathe her, she certainly keeps things interesting. And the book still drives the heart rate up when it's needed, creating an edge of your seat showdown which will ensure that fans of the series will not be disappointed. Definitely recommended. Nice to have Helen back.

Helen Grace is still unsettled by the death of one of her team and resisting anyone new coming in. However her boss has other ideas and DS Hudson is introduced.
Hudson is thrown in at the deep end when the team are faced with a terrifying almost ghost like killer who abducts a young woman from her tent on a camp site in the new Forest while her partner slept beside her. She seems to have been taken into the forest and then hunted before being killed in gruesome fashion.. While Helen is still getting to grips with this another person is killed in the same way and the team have to race to find the killer and stop it happening again.
Journalist Emilia Garantia is back to her selfish interfering best, Not caring if the stories she prints upset the public or derail the case.
The intricate twists of the plot had me totally absorbed and as usual with the M.J. Arlidge books just when I thought I knew who the killer was I was proved wrong.
The ending was almost unbearably tense and I couldn't put t down.

What a great opening chapter, but then we have come to expect this from M J Arlidge’s excellent crime thrillers! A young woman wakes up to find her boyfriend has disappeared from their tent they are sharing in the woods. When he fails to return, she calls the police and they discover a body. But the man’s death is no accident. Helen Grace and her team start to investigate. Down to the Woods is fast paced (the short chapters help the pace enormously) and I enjoyed the new team dynamic with a new DS keen to prove his worth. Journalist Emilia Garanita once again tests the patience of the team as she bribes her way to even bigger headlines. I really felt the characters matured in the book, became more human, perhaps at the expense of the grisly detail but I liked that, and I don’t think it lessened the impact of the story. Excellent read!

Another brilliant offering by M J Arlidge following the exploits of Helen and her team as they search for a killer. These books get better and better as you get to know the team and you see their friendships and support for one another grow through the course of the books.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for an advance copy of Down to the Woods, the 8th novel to feature Southampton based DI Helen Grace.

Helen and the team are called out to a vicious murder in the New Forest, Tom Campbell has been shot by an arrow and hung upside down from a tree. An all round good guy the team have no idea why he was killed, whether he was selected or a random victim or what the motive could be. Then another body is discovered with no links to Tom.

I thoroughly enjoyed Down to the Woods which is a good mystery with several twists and turns and all the requisite red herrings and blind alleys topped off by an action packed finale. It is mostly told from Helen's point of view but the ghastly Emilia Garanita, journalist extraordinaire, gets a good airing as do the events leading up to the murders and sundry other voices. I don't always like this scattergun approach to narration, finding it disruptive and distracting, and it doesn't always work in this novel as it sometimes feels disjointed and tears the reader away from an impending juicy reveal so it's just ok. The plot is absorbing with several false starts as the team try to home in on a suspect and motive but gradually it all comes together.

I like the new version of Helen Grace. She's as sharp as ever investigatively but she seems so much calmer, more settled and less haunted by her past, so much so that's she's even hinting at happiness. It makes her a more rounded and credible character and the novel a more comfortable read. Her sidekick DS Charlie Brooke is working through her own problems and new boy DS Joseph Hudson is still a bit of an enigma with hidden secrets to be pondered.

Down to the Woods is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I have read and enjoyed all the others books in the DI Helen Grace series that, when I saw this on NetGalley I was so excited that, I had to request it. I had originally pre ordered it.
Melanie Walton wakes up in her tent in the New Forest with a banging headache, finding her partner Tom has disappeared. The last thing she remembers is going to sleep with him the night before. She searches for him to no avail. She calls the Police and DI Helen Grace is leading the search, when she gets a call that, one of the Forestry worker has made a grim discovery. Tom Campbell’s body hanging from a tree, with arrows deep in his chest, neck and back, with a look of terror on his face. Not long after, another body is found of Lauren Scott. Someone is targeting campers. Why these two people and what is their connection?
This is another case for DI Helen Grace and her team. The usual members of the team plus a new addition DS Joseph Hudson. Young, fit and handsome but, has similar characteristics to Helen. They get on very well together and they try and keep it professional but things develop between them. You see a calmer side of Helen than in previous books. You also have the reporter that everyone loves to hate, Emilia Garanita. Always trying to cut corners to advance in her career and always trying to get one over Helen Grace.
I was so excited to receive this and I wasn’t disappointed. This story is fast paced with lots of twists and turn and I found some on the forest scenes quite scary. Especially when the author described the hooded figure. It was something like out of a horror movie. This is not as gritty as previous novels but I enjoyed it all the same. I can’t get enough of Arlidge’s writing.

Thank you Penguin Michael Joseph, NetGalley and M. J. Arlidge for a copy of this book

It's been over a year since the last Helen Grace novel and despite the last one not been my favourite of the series it has felt like a long time since we checked in with Helen and her team. And it's great to have her back....it's like welcoming a long lost if somewhat dysfunctional friend back into the fold. It has to be said though M.J. Arlidge made a canny decision in taking a break from this series. Down To The Woods feels more like earlier instalments of the series. Tense, a wee bit gruesome, authentic and at its heart a bunch of characters you can really care about.

Welcome back Helen, we've missed you!

I received this from NetGalley.

Matt Arlidge once again gives us a fast paced white knuckle ride with likeable Detective Helen Grace. The writing is pacey and the short chapter structure drives the reader on, the changes in perspective between detectives, both at work and at home along with the ever intrusive Emilia Garanita from the local newspaper give plenty of food for thought. The storyline in this book is emotionally engaging and the tension builds well throughout before reaching a crescendo, the last 50 pages or so flew by and at times I am sure I read at least 3 or 4 chapters without taking a breath such was the intensity of the action.

As a fan of this series I was delighted to have the opportunity to read an ARC of this book and it certainly doesn't disappoint. Whilst you do not need to have read the previous books there are some references to previous events but they are not intrusive and having read this one readers will want to devour the rest of the series. In this instalment we are introduced to new detectives who provide some new storylines and there is certainly more to come.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book and hope that the author gains new fans along the way.

#DownToTheWoods #NetGalley