Order of Book Series
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DCI Matilda Darke Books in Order

DCI Matilda Darke by Michael Wood contains 16 books, published between 2015 and 2025. The first book is For Reasons Unknown (2015) and the newest is Worse Than Murder (2025). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
16
Published
2015–2025
Confirmed
11 of 16 titles
Pages on record
1,610 in 4 of 16 books
See all 16 books in order Printable DCI Matilda Darke checklist

DCI Matilda Darke is a crime thriller series by Michael Wood, following Detective Chief Inspector Matilda Darke through complex and often dark cases in Sheffield. Matilda leads a team while carrying a personal loss of her own. For Reasons Unknown (2015) opens the run and Worse Than Murder (2025) is the newest of 16 catalogued books, with A Room Full of Killers (2017), The Hangman's Hold (2018), The Murder House (2020) and Survivor's Guilt (2021) among them. A chronological order sits apart from the publication order.

How many DCI Matilda Darke books are there?

DCI Matilda Darke has 16 books, released between 2015 and 2025.

DCI Matilda Darke Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 16 DCI Matilda Darke books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of For Reasons Unknown by Michael Wood, book 1 of the DCI Matilda Darke series (2015)
  2. Cover of A Room Full of Killers by Michael Wood, book 4 of the DCI Matilda Darke series (2017)
  3. Cover of The Murder House by Michael Wood, book 7 of the DCI Matilda Darke series (2020)
  4. Cover of Time Is Running Out by Michael Wood, book 9 of the DCI Matilda Darke series (2021)
  1. 1
    For Reasons Unknown2015 · 334 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2015334
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Fallen2016 · confirmed 2/4
    2016–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Outside Looking In2016 · 376 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2016376
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    A Room Full of Killers2017 · 436 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2017436
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The Hangman’s Hold2018 · confirmed 3/4
    2018–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Victim of Innocence2019 · confirmed 2/4
    2019–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Murder House2020 · 464 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2020464
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Stolen Children2020 · confirmed 3/4
    2020–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Time Is Running Out2021 · confirmed 2/4
    2021–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Survivor’s Guilt2021 · confirmed 3/4
    2021–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    The Lost Children2022 · confirmed 3/4
    2022–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Silent Victim2022 · confirmed 3/4
    2022–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Making of a Murderer2023 · confirmed 2/4
    2023–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Below Ground2023 · confirmed 2/4
    2023–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Last One Left Alive2024 · confirmed 3/4
    2024–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Worse Than Murder2025 · confirmed 3/4
    2025–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

DCI Matilda Darke Books in Chronological Order

In story order, The Fallen comes first and Worse Than Murder comes last. Chronological order follows the events inside the story rather than the release dates. The 16 books below run in that in-universe sequence.

  1. 2
    The Fallen2016 · confirmed 2/4
    2016–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 6
    Victim of Innocence2019 · confirmed 2/4
    2019–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 1
    For Reasons Unknown2015 · 334 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2015334
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 3
    Outside Looking In2016 · 376 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2016376
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 4
    A Room Full of Killers2017 · 436 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2017436
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 5
    The Hangman’s Hold2018 · confirmed 3/4
    2018–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Murder House2020 · 464 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2020464
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Stolen Children2020 · confirmed 3/4
    2020–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Time Is Running Out2021 · confirmed 2/4
    2021–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Survivor’s Guilt2021 · confirmed 3/4
    2021–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    The Lost Children2022 · confirmed 3/4
    2022–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Silent Victim2022 · confirmed 3/4
    2022–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Making of a Murderer2023 · confirmed 2/4
    2023–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Below Ground2023 · confirmed 2/4
    2023–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Last One Left Alive2024 · confirmed 3/4
    2024–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Worse Than Murder2025 · confirmed 3/4
    2025–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Do you have to read DCI Matilda Darke books in order?

You should read the DCI Matilda Darke books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each DCI Matilda Darke book also stands alone.

Where to start with DCI Matilda Darke

Start with For Reasons Unknown (2015), the earliest published title. In the chronological order, The Fallen comes first.

What is the newest DCI Matilda Darke book?

Worse Than Murder (2025) is the newest DCI Matilda Darke book released so far.

Is there a new DCI Matilda Darke book coming?

No next DCI Matilda Darke book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

DCI Matilda Darke at a glance

Still running
DCI Matilda Darke is still running, with a title published as recently as 2025.
Release pace
DCI Matilda Darke books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
1,610 pages across the 4 of 16 books with a recorded length, a median of 406 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most DCI Matilda Darke books, 10 of 16, were published in the 2020s.

What the DCI Matilda Darke books are about

4 of the 16 DCI Matilda Darke books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: mystery & detective is tagged on 4 of 4. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

  • Mystery & detective 4 of 4 books
  • Crime 2 of 4 books
  • Meurtre -- Enquêtes -- Romans, nouvelles 1 of 4 books
  • Murder -- Investigation 1 of 4 books
  • Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction 1 of 4 books
  • Reformatories - Fiction 1 of 4 books

More books by Michael Wood

The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.