Hydra by Matt Wesolowski

Matt Wesolowski’s debut novel Six Stories was just incredible a real thrilling crime novel based around six podcast interviews. It was in the end in my selection of one of my best books of 2017. Matt Wesolowski returns with his follow up crime novel Hydra.

 

One very cold night in November 2014, 21-year-old Arla Macleod murdered her mother, younger sister and also her stepfather. All bludgeoned to death. The question is why, what provoked Arla to murder her own family?

What follows is nothing short of extraordinary piece of writing, as Arla now incarcerated in an institution. She now is shut up and drugged up. But she will not speak to anyone about what happened that night. That is with the exception on one person and that is Scott King. Readers of Six Stories will instantly know who Scott King is. King runs a series of Six Podcasts and interviews six people closely connected to the crime.

Here in Hydra Scott King follows creates the next set of six podcasts around interviews as he delves deep into the case. What was the motive for the crime? Through the six podcasts Scot tries to get under the skin of the complex and chilling case and find out what the motive for the horrific crime. Now as we move from one story to another as he interview witnesses something begins to emerge and a story starts to takes shape. Arla never disputes the murders, but what drove her to wipe out her family that cold November night?

Scott manages to interview Arla herself, each podcast was like listening to a thriller in itself I was totally gripped with suspense and wondering what each of the guests. We knew the murderer that was never in question but the five other guests held me in complete suspense.

The real beauty of Hydra is the way that Matt Wesolowski has created his own unique genre around crime solving that involves using podcasts. Scott King is an intriguing chap. Not much is known about him and this just adds to the mystery of these stories. One aspect of Hydra I will not get out of my mind is that of the “black eyed kids” this was straight out of a black and white horror film. It was beyond creepy. I went cold when they were first mentioned. I am a massive fan of Matt Wesolowski and his incredible writing skill that has you on the edge of your seat. It is just innovative and new. If you read Six Stories, then Hydra should be on your to be read pile. A real contender for one of the books for 2018. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

320 Pages

My thanks to Karen Sullivan for the review copy of Hydra by Matt Wesolowski.

Hydra by Matt Wesolowski is published by and is published on 15^th January 2018 and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and all good bookshops

 

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