Since being left for dead in a brutal attack, crime writer Aidan Cullen hasn’t left his house. For five years his paranoia and fear have confined him to the walls of his rural home with just his dog for company. Not even his hugely successful, much-longed-for publishing career could tempt him from his self-imposed prison.
But when a murder happens so close to Aidan’s home that he can see the lights of the police cars and the white suits of the forensic team, even his elaborate security system and iron gates can’t keep the world out.
Aidan finds himself at the heart of DS Katherine Marshall’s investigation, as a string of seemingly unrelated murders start to show a terrifying pattern, a pattern that only he can see. As Aidan starts to feel his world closing in on him, his paranoia grows – is someone out to get him, or is it all in his mind?
Book Info: Print length: 380 pages. Publisher: One More Chapter. Publication Date: 25 July 2025
My Thoughts:
If you like books that have an unreliable narrator, gruesome murders, a claustrophobic and underlying fear of dread throughout, then I would definitely recommend Chapter One by Michael Wood.
The story centres around Aidan Cullen, a successful and best-selling crime writer who was viciously attacked on the eve of his publication deal. Five years on, he lives in a rural house with his dog and best friend, surrounded by state of the art security, afraid to leave the boundaries of his estate and now a total recluse from the outside world.
When a body is found brutally murdered minutes from his home, the police start to investigate and DS Katherine Marshall starts to find alarming connections to the murder and Aiden Cullen.
Aiden isn’t a particularly likeable character, but the reader does understand and accept why he has removed himself from society and lives such an isolated life.
I really liked the additional bonus of Aiden’s books within this book, giving the story the added depth of dread and intrigue.
Overall I really enjoyed this story, although I was left feeling slightly disappointed with the ending, but that’s a “me” problem and the majority of readers should love the clever twists.
