another brilliant instalment in the DCI Helen Grace series. if you’ve not discovered these books you really should.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this read in exchange for a honest review.

"There is a sickness in the forest. First, it was the wild horses. Now it's innocent men and women, hunted down and murdered by a faceless figure. Lost in the darkness, they try to flee, they try to hide. In desperation, they call out for help. But there is no-one to hear their cries....
DI Helen Grace must face down a new nightmare. The arrow-ridden victims hang from the New Forest's ancient oaks, like pieces of strange fruit. Why are helpless holidaymakers being targeted in peak camping season? And what do these murders signify? Is a psychopath stalking the forest? Is there an occult element to the killings? Could the murders even be an offering to the Forest itself? Helen must walk into the darkness to discover the truth behind her most challenging, most macabre case yet"

While this book was definitely better then the last book in the series, it didn't really compare to some of the earlier books in the Helen Grace series. I did enjoy this one but I definitely felt like there was something missing.

This book did take a while to get into as I wasn't immediately gripped by the storyline. Although the plotline did get a whole lot better, the first half of the story lacked excitement, a hook and an obvious lack of character personality from characters that I have now grown to love. Helen Grace, in particular, is a character that has been amazingly written and developed throughout the series, and although there is a light development of her life in second half, I honestly felt her personality had just vanished in the first half. A tad disappointed.

Overall, definitely worth a read purely for the second half of the book. A creepy story that definitely put me off camping!

A new DI is hitting the shelves and you will not want to miss out on her opening case. Helen Grace is based in Southampton Central (Police Station) and a very grisly case has landed on her work load, a body has been found in the New Forest. Tom Campbell and girlfriend Melissa are camping in the forest and enjoying the evening and the bourbon (not the biscuit kind) only to find that in the morning there is more than a simple hangover or headache. Then very quickly the is another couple camping who, well you better read that for yourself but if you like thrillers that are dark you will love this. The characters are all very believable some you will warm to others probably not I never liked the journalist in this thriller but you may. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of a different character and is done with skill and creativity that i think you may well love I certainly did. As i said i found the characters believable and all with there own faults and strength, bit like real life which just a adds to this thriller that gripped me from the word go and didn't allow me to loosen even a finger till i got to the last page. Helen Grace had a troubled youth and isn't your academy procedural DI but had been taught the legen lessons of life the hard way and this job doesn't just follow a nice pathway but her university of Life degrees are a bonus that many DI would love to learn but preferably from a book which is just never going to happen. I hope you enjoy and love this book as much as ihave and my thanks to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

Plenty of twists and turns and red herrings along the way. Reasonably fast paced and gripping storyline. Three stars from me, very nearly four but I guessed the culprit quite early on. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This is the first book I have read by M.J.Arlidge but most definitely wont be the last! I must go back and start from the beginning of the DI Helen Grace series. I was worried I would spoil the start of the series by reading this one first however I'm so glad I just went for it and read it! It is perfectly okay to read this on its own. Down to the Woods gripped me from the first chapter. Set in the New Forest when two campers are murdered. This is a great crime thriller with plenty of twists and turns which gives you plenty to think about. A little gruesome in places but a very good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this great book.

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.

First of all I am never going camping again and I live in the New Forest.
What can I say about this book. This is an amazing read. I just had to keep on turning the pages.
There are so many twists and turns and it took me until the end to find out who the killer was.
This is great storytelling, a rollercoaster of a crime thriller full of red herrings and fast paced.
I devoured this book. Strap yourself in for a really good crime thriller.
I would like to thank the author M.J. Arlidge, Penguin U K- Michael Joseph and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

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.