This is the first book I have read by this author but it wont be the last ,This is an excellent police procedural well written with well drawn characters.
The plot centres around brutal murders carried out in the New Forest ,Southampton police send in their top team led by Helen Grace to track down the murderer but there seems to be no link between the victims and if they really are random slayings by a deranged individual it will be extremely difficult to find the murderer.
There are no witnesses and the police are struggling for leads and under pressure from the press led by a particularly unscrupulous and ambitious local reporter ,They track red herrings and go down dead ends.
They delve deeper and deeper into the backgrounds of the victims, their partners anyone remotely connected with them or the forest until gradually their work leads them to a link, a motive and to a thrilling and deadly chase through the forest at night when the hunter becomes the hunted.
There are times when the police team refer to a previous case and are clearly struggling to come to terms with the death of one of their number (a previous book I assume ,which I will be looking into I enjoyed this one so much) The only gripe I had was where Grace has a night with one of her subordinate officers which I thought unlikely in one so dedicated to her job but this was only a minor quibble in what is a great story.If you enjoy police procedurals you will enjoy this book.

Excellent book with a great storyline. Characters that are so well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

Another great story from the Helen Grace series which I enjoyed as much as the previous ones, although there were times when it seemed a little long winded. I feel quite sorry for the central character as she seems to have suffered more than she deserves, physically as well as mentally and I wonder how sustainable she is going forward to future books. The tension was well racked up and the descriptions of the attacks was the stuff of nightmares. I never enjoyed camping and after reading this book, I don’t think I’ll be going again!

This is the eighth book in the Helen Grace series which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading from Book 1.
A gripping and tense thriller with plenty of twists and turns which keep the reader guessing.
I would definitely recommend this book and indeed the whole series.
Looking forward to M J Arlide’s next instalment.

Wow a total must read! - having followed Helen Grace from the beginning Im finding that each book gets better and better. I can not praise this book enough I would have given 100 stars if it had have been possible YOU REALLY SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. I am now eagerly awaiting the next Helen Grace book in the series. One of the best series I have ever read by far.....

A real page turner of a book , starting off with a couple on a camping trip and one of them ends up being pursued through the forest and the other wakes up groggy and alone . A posed body is found later shot by crossbow bolts . This is just the start and it just romps on from here . Do not like ruining plots by giving too much away here ,however I really enjoyed this book

Another good over the top yarn in this series, loads of pulsating action, plot twists galore....glorious stuff! Our heroine is on top form with her personal doubts but all action style still to the fore, clever red herrings abound, atmospheric use of the New Forest all come together in a thrilling good read!

DI Helen Grace is as full on as in previous novels. She is super fit, super smart and sassy. Although a loner she has connections with a few of her team. This tale involves murder as you would almost expect but the plot is cleverly woven into the fabric of this story.
Great characters, very believable story and full of suspense as the team struggle to find the killer.
Great read. Superb author, I loved Down to the Woods.

Having read & enjoyed all the previous books in this series I knew I was in for a treat as soon as I saw there was a new one coming out. I was not disappointed!

The New Forest is a beautiful area. Thousands flock there to walk, to camp and in some cases to hide. Melanie wakes up in their tent to find her boyfriend is missing. After frantically searching the campsite she alerts the police. No-one is prepared for the sight of a young man strung up in a forest clearing with three crossbow bolts in him. When Lauren Scott is found murdered in a similar way Helen & her team need to make sure there are no more victims of tis bloodthirsty killer.

It was good to meet up with the familiar character along with Joseph Hudson- a new member of the team. The story is twisty and designed to confuse the reader- which it does admirably. Another great five star read from M J Arlidge!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

What a scary thriller of a man hunted down in the deep forest like an animal, wounded and then hung up by his heels to bleed to death and die. The police are bewildered as it seems that there is no rhyme or reason for his murder. When next a woman is found killed likewise it becomes a high profile case with all its attendant publicity with people afraid to enter the forest. The police comb the forest for clues when false leads cause them to go about blundering about the forest in pursuit at considerable danger to themselves. How they finally crack the case makes an exciting and interesting story.

Another page turner from MJ Arlidge.
From the outset the story grabs your attention when a serial killer is running amok in the New Forest.
How Mr Alridge comes up with so many sick and sadistic killers in his books is beyond me but each one is intriguing and chilling at the same time. And the detail that goes into each murder and autopsy is stomach turning but fascinating. Love the main character DI Helen Grace who has her own flaws but works with a hard shelled determination to catch the killer.
After finishing this fantastic book I dont think I will be going Down to the Woods anytime soon.

Melanie Walton wakes up in the New Forest in a tent, expecting her fiancé Tom to be beside her. When she discovers he has disappeared, she contacts the police and subsequently discovers he’s been murdered - shot with a crossbow. Two ponies are then found brutally murdered in a similar manner, and not done yet, the body of Lauren Scott is also found a few days later... Are the murders linked, or is it all just random?

M.J. Arlidge’s writing is superb as always. The fast pace keeps you wanting more from the outset, and I found myself unable to put this one down.

The characters are believable which is nice, and really helps to build the story. Sometimes I find with books like this there is no time or room to build a ‘relationship’ or gain any empathy towards the characters, and I’m glad this wasn’t the case here. Having DI Helen Grace as a recurring character really helps to create a ‘world’ and leave people eager to discover what’s changed from book-to-book.

A highly recommended read, that comes with a slight word of warning - don’t be fooled by the obvious. Arlidge has a habit of leading you to false conclusions and this is no different!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Helen Grace really cannot catch a break.

The poor woman has been through so much the past books that I was kind of hoping she would be cut some slack.
Alas, there are always criminals to catch and Helen is the woman to do it.

This book is as always a good read. The story is tense and always entertains me. Helen is a phenomenal character and she really jumps off the page.

Now in her 8th book, M.J. Arlidge’s character Helen Grace has been through a lot. Now, trying to get over everything that has happened to her and her team, there is someone hunting campers in the woods and killing them.

The scenes set in the woods are especially brilliant, and very scary. Arlidge does a fantastic job of describing the ‘hunt’. You certainly don’t want to take this book to read while camping!

There is a new addition to the team, the mysterious DS Hudson. I am intrigued to find out more about him in future books. As ever, journalist Emilia Garanita is never far away from the story, and continues to jeopardise the case.

A thrilling read with plenty of twists and turns!

Quite enjoyable if a bit too dragged out. A female main protagonist is not my usual type of reading but I persevered and was really into the story by the end.

Arlidge provides tension from the outset and doesn't hold back on the horrific elements of the murders in this detective drama. The chase before the killings is tense and, quite literally, the stuff of many a nightmare. I may think twice before camping again - especially in a wood!!
The urgent quest to find the murderer inevitably takes its toll on members of the team and, as their personal plights are highlighted, we are reminded these are normal people trying to do a difficult job. Just as they think a particular suspect must be the perpetrator we, and the detective team, realise they've got it wrong. The conclusion plays on the underlying base-line of the story and invites a mixture of emotional responses.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is classic DI Helen Grace at her best. Knowing the hero (is heroine sexist?) makes the read so much easier. And how Television has not yet captured Grace is a mystery. Fast and pacey with neat sub-plots running through and references to the previous books make the reader feel part of the family. Greta stuff and long may Arlidge stay at the keyboard to give us MORE.

A new Helen Grace is always something to be pleased about, so thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review. MJ Arlidge, you never disappoint me, drawing me in with the foulest of crimes and following the investigation to justice.
This novel sees Grace on the trail of a cold blooded killer who appears to be targeting campers in the New Forest. But as always there are links to be discovered and a motive that is complicated but in this case, also quite sad.
I like the way in which familiar characters are developed (its like catching up with old friends!) and new characters are introduced. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next with Hudson and Helen Grace.

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.