Hydra by Matt Wesolowski – a review BLOG TOUR

Last year I was lucky enough to attend the Hull Noir event (funnily enough in Hull) and in preparation for that I picked up a copy of Matt Wesolowski’s debut novel Six Stories. I didn’t actually get around to reading it until after the event but I loved it when I did. Therefore I jumped at the chance to be part of the blog tour for his latest book Hydra.
Hydra tells the story of Arla Macleod who bludgeoned her parent’s and younger sister to death. She is now in a secure mental institute. Scott King, creator of the Six Stories podcast has picked this case, not this time because he wants to uncover the murdered but because he wants to try and find out why she did it. Again the story is told in the form of six podcasts, each telling a different persons view. With each episode we find out a bit more background and build up a picture of the type of person Arla was and what might have led to the murders.
I absolutely loved this novel. When you read as much as I do it is not often that you find something really unique, to me this is just that. The way of telling the story as a series of podcasts rather than a normal narrative gives it a very different feel to other novels. Scott King is the lead character who takes us through the six different episodes presenting facts about the case alongside the thoughts of the different interviewees. The high quality of the writing means that each character has a very distinct voice which draws you into each individual episode.
Overall this is a relatively simple story and we know from the outset that Arla committed the crime. Yet the beauty of this story is the way it manages to weave other relevant topics into the narrative. Many elements come under scrutiny including social media and its effect on real relationships, twitter and trolls, mental health and even supernatural Japanese rituals.
Hydra manages to use modern day ideas but the outcome is almost an old fashioned ghost story. It’s the type of book that sets you on edge right from the beginning and has you looking over your shoulder until the end.
I would highly recommend Hydra and Six Stories, especially if you are fan of well written original novels.